We’re just back from a lovely week in Somerset and I’ve got lots of photos I want to share with you of some of the beautiful places we visited. However, since I think I would need to change this blog’s name to Gardens wot I have visited if I were to follow on with yet another garden visit post, I’ll save them up for next week. This, instead, is something I found sitting in my drafts, written a month ago when it actually had just been the littlest’s birthday and then left as I had wanted to get some better pictures. I think it’s time to admit defeat on that front and just publish it…
Just popping in rather quickly to share a photo of the T-shirt I made for the littlest’s first birthday at the weekend.
I’m thinking of turning it into a bit of a tradition, this birthday T-shirt thing. Do you remember the top I made for the sproglet’s second birthday last July?
Needless to say, far less time, thought, planning and energy went into the making of this one for the poor old baby. Where the sproglet had a large, well-planned and well-cooked-for first birthday party, last Saturday’s affair was a family only, last-minute organised do, catered by a quick trip to Waitrose to pick up sausages, scotch eggs and the like. We managed to make him a cake, at least, but forgot to buy candles.
And as the first guest arrived – my Mum – I was still busy ironing the image onto the front of his birthday T-shirt, cobbled together in the last few minutes before the party officially started.
Ah well, I rather suspect this will be his lot for the rest of his childhood. Hand-me-downs and less fuss made over all the big milestones. I wonder if it might not be a much easier entrance to the world, though, always aware that you’re not actually at the very centre of it, making it all spin round. At some point in time, his elder brother, the sprog, might get a rather rude awakening to all that, after the constant adoration and amazement from his family.
Gorgeous boys, both, in their different ways. I’m very lucky.
PS, I should mention that the image I’ve used isn’t actually copyright free and good for reproduction, so, erm, don’t tell on me. In a bit of a rush, rather than use my normal vintage images sources, I just had a very quick Google.
PPS, If you’ve not already seen it and want to make your own T-shirts (or anything else at all), check out my tutorial for how to print on fabric.
Wolves in London 
Oh, the adorableness! Oh, and on copyright. As long as you aren’t selling these you are OK. My second son is 20 months younger than brother and he never had more than a few words in his baby book. Older had a lot for the first year. When a baby sister came along 16 years later (by surprise, of course) second did all of the entries in her baby book.
Thanks Cheryl. He’s pretty scrunchy (and I’m thinking that is probably a very English turn of phrase?!)
Did you manage to persuade your 16-year-old son to get involved with babysitting his little sister too? Now that would be excellent! And I hadn’t realised you had almost exactly the same age gap between your two as I do between my boys.
My youngest has the same lot in life, but he gets away with a whole lot more as well. And as well as all the hand-me-down things like bikes and skateboards he still gets his own birthday presents as well, so all in all he does pretty well! CJ xx
On reflection, I think it must be much more preferable coming second without all that weight of expectation on your shoulders. I’m an eldest child and I definitely have some of the more negative characteristics associated with coming first in the family! (I’m a bit highly-strung, a bit of a perfectionist and I have a deep seated need for approval and confirmation that I’m doing well, ha ha…) (Though, supposedly, oldest girls are supposed to be the ones who will also take over the world, though I have yet to do that one, of course.)
I love that t shirt but mostly I adore those chubby cheeks – bet you have to plant a hundred kisses on those. It is all he needs x
Those cheeks are in a very gorgeous phase right now, I have to say. Am sure he’ll thin out into a toddler fairly soon, so I’m very much enjoying the chubbiness.