I actually cannot believe I am sitting down to write your THIRD birthday later (and shortly I will be writing your brother's 9 month letter too). Honestly this past year with you has been amazing; you have grown from a toddler who couldn't put more than a couple of words together to speaking in full sentences, being potty trained and moving from your cot to a full size single bed.

With Dylan arriving a few months after you turned two, I feel like this year has gone doubly fast. You have grown up so quickly and have shown yourself to be the kindest of little boys. You still have the odd meltdown and can be a tad dramatic but compared to a lot of children your age you are pretty easy to parent. You know your boundaries and expectations and even though you test them every so often, for the most part you are a very well behaved little boy.

One of your favourite things to do is to go out for a Babyccino and a slice of cake (definitely my son haha!) and we can't walk past Costa without you asking for one.

Along with your speech, your imagination has exploded this past year and you will sit happily playing with all of your toys making up games and stories. As much as I hate character toys, you adore PJ Masks and Super Wings and love setting up scenes to play with them. Recently you have really got into puzzles too, it's amazing to see your wee brain ticking over trying to figure them out.

You also love anything crafty and are always asking to do painting or Play Doh but with Dylan on the move and everything going in his mouth it does make it difficult. You do love baking with me though so when he is napping I try to do some baking with you whether it be making something from scratch or taking advantage of a good old box kit.

Speaking of naps you have well and truly dropped yours. Coming up to Christmas we noticed bedtime was getting later and later and some days you refused to nap so we decided to go with it and see how you coped without one. It has made bedtime so much smoother but sometimes it does mean tea time and the early evening is hard work as you are so exhausted. Thankfully though after being the boy who didn't sleep you now get more sleep than any of us, averaging a good 12 hours a night.

Food wise you are pretty good and eat most meals. Neither Daddy or I pander to fussy eating and as long as you make an attempt to eat whats on your plate we are happy with that. I think weaning Dylan has encouraged you too as he copies everything you do especially eating habits. Your favourite food is pasta (no surprise) and you also love sausages, peas and yoghurts.

The one thing we have been most proud of this year has been how well you have adapted to being a big brother. Dylan adores you and it makes Daddy and I so proud to see your relationship blossom and grow. He has a special smile just for you and you are so good at playing with him and looking after him. There has been minimal jealousy since he came along and you have been so understanding that sometimes his needs have to come first.

To celebrate turning 3 we had a special party at soft play with all of your little chums which you loved. Granny and Granda came to spend the weekend with us all too which was lovely and Daddy's family came to see you the day after your party. You were spoiled rotten but you deserve it, you are such a wonderful little boy and well loved by so many.

I still can't believe you are three, you're no longer a baby and not really a toddler either. Even though I don't want to admit it, there is no denying that you are a fully fledged little boy now.

Ethan my darling, like in your previous letters I could write so much more but it's time to draw this letter to a close.

We are so proud of you and love you to the moon and back.

All our love, 

Mummy and Daddy xxx

First Birthday Letter

Second Birthday Letter

Dear Ethan,

It's been a long time since I wrote to you, looking back it was your second birthday in March but you've hit some major milestones recently and I felt the need to put pen to paper (or key to screen but you get my drift).

This summer was the summer that you left the baby days behind and became a little boy.

The summer you started talking in full sentences

The summer you became a big brother

The summer you potty trained

The summer mama became mummy

The summer you gained a new bedroom

The summer you started sleeping in a single bed

The summer you learned imaginative play

The summer you discovered the love of a morning cup of tea

The summer you learned your colours

The summer you learned to count

The summer you learned to jump

The summer your hair started to curl

The summer you showed us how much love you have to give

The summer you became a little boy

When Dylan was born you suddenly seemed to grow up overnight but over the past 3 months your development has come along leaps and bounds and as much as it pains me to say it, you really aren't a baby any more. Moving out of nappies was the final step and now I feel like that door is firmly closed. I am sad to say goodbye to your baby days but I'm more excited to watch you grow into a little boy and see your future unfold.

All my love,

Mummy xxx

So last week I posted a letter to my baby boy who is now 2! I'm still in denial about it; looking back I thought his first year went fast but this past year has just flown by!

We didn't have a party as such this year as with being 6 months pregnant the last thing I wanted was a house full of people and stressing about catering and cleaning etc. Instead we had a little playdate with his chums on the Friday and on the Sunday before his birthday (which was on a Wednesday) we invited family over for a slice of birthday cake.

I was working away in Birmingham the day before and I knew I wouldn't have time to create a sugarpaste showstopper so instead opted for a simple chocolate drip cake. Unfortunately we had two mini disasters - one; it snowed that week and the toppers Tom had ordered were sent to his work but school was closed for 3 days so we couldnt get to them and two; I made the ganache too thick so it wasn't as "drippy" as I would have liked. It didn't matter though, the birthday boy loved it and didnt take long to wolf it down.

As always I used my go to chocolate cake recipe for speed and used ganache rather than buttercream to decorate. It really is the easiest of recipes and is always a hit when we have visitors.

A Second Birthday Cake

2.5 cups SR Flour
2 cups soft dark brown sugar (although any sugar will be fine)
1 cup cocoa
1 cup veg/sunflower oil
1.5 cups of milk
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

Preheat your oven to 160C (fan)
Grease and line two 20cm cake tins
Pop all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth
Divide between the two tins and bake for 40mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
Tip onto a wire rack to cool

To Decorate
300g milk chocolate
300ml double cream
100g dark chocolate
100ml double cream
Selection of chocolate chips and shavings

Melt the milk chocolate and double cream together in the microwave in 30 second bursts until melted, smooth and glossy
Repeat in a separate bowl for the dark chocolate and double cream
Pop in the fridge to cool and firm up
Level both cakes and once the milk chocolate ganache is cool sandwich the cakes together and pop back in the fridge for 15 minutes
Take the cake out and cover it in the remaining ganache
Once covered place back in the fridge to firm up
Take the dark chocolate ganache out and if it's too hard give it a 30 second zap in the microwave or until its at a pourable consistency
Pour over the cake and decorate with the chocolate shavings and sprinkles

Enjoy!

How is it that you are now 2? It barely feels like any time has passed since I wrote to you on your first birthday and now suddenly it's 12 months later.

It's been a busy year for us. We've adjusted to maternity leave ending and juggling the nursery run with our commutes to and from work. Daddy always drops you off on a morning as there is no way I can get from nursery drop off at 7:30am to work at 8:00am. Usually I pick you up on an evening but sometimes if Daddy decides to finish early he will pick you up instead. It's my favourite time of the day - we walk in to the room, call your name and you stop whatever you are doing and come running towards us, arms outstretched with a massive smile on your face. You love it there and Emily, your key worker is amazing. I found the adjustment when you moved from the Baby Room to the Toddler Room back in summer hard but now I'm dreading that you will soon be moving up to the next room. My baby is growing up!

Speaking of babies, I'm currently pregnant with your baby brother who is due in June and as aprehensive as I feel about juggling two little ones I can't wait to see how our life will change. You are such a caring little soul Ethan, always sharing out toys and food with your little chums (although you can snatch and shout "mine" when it suits you). Your friend Hamish got a new baby sister back in October so we have seen lots of her and you don't seem remotely jealous of her when she's in my arms. You do want to sit with me if I'm holding her but there has been no jealousy. I'm hoping that's a good sign for when your little brother arrives.

Both Daddy and I have commented on how caring you can be towards others and we hope that's a trait that stays with you as you grow up. Learn to fight your corner but always remember how important it is to be kind to other people. A little bit of love can go a long way.

You are so helpful too, putting your rubbish in the bin and dirty washing in the basket and always clap yourself afterwards. We are keen to praise positive behaviour and thankfully you are generally pretty good but when you want to throw a tantrum by God can you throw one!

When I think of you turning one you were still very much a baby but now you are a fully fledged toddler. You are talking (Daddy and I counted at least 100 words) but aren't quite at the sentence stage yet. You do try to put some words together but we aren't concerned, we know it's just a matter of time. Every day you learn a new word, it's just a case now of learning how to form sentences.

You love to climb and can get on and off the kitchen table and the sofa without any help. You have yet to master climbing out of your cot but I have a feeling that it won't be long as you have tried throwing your leg over recently but just aren't tall enough.

Speaking of height you are a little shortie. All of your chums are taller than you and you currently wear a mix of 12-18 and 18-24 month clothing. I've bought some bits in 2-3 but they are all massive. I think you are following the Longely trait of being small until you hit your teens and then shoot up.

At the moment you love watching the Lion King, Despicable Me and Frozen. When you want to watch any of them you point to the TV and say "Lion," "Minion" or "Let It Go." We do try and limit screen time but it's also nice to snuggle on the sofa and watch a bit of TV together especially as I am getting bigger and find myself needing to have a little rest during the day.

When it comes to my bump you will point to it and say "baby" or "baby 'idin (baby hiding)" but will often give it a kiss then pull my top down and say "bye." You are such a funny little character Ethan, you really do make us laugh!

You have finally mastered the art of sleeping and now generally nap for 1-2 hours over lunch and do 7:30-6:30 at night. Sometimes you waken but for the most part you are so much better at sleeping compared to how you were a year ago. We are pretty strict on naps and bedtime though and I'm hoping you will still nap when baby is here. I think I'll need it!

With regards to food you are a pretty good eater. You don't always have a massive appetite but generally eat or make an attempt at eating whatever food we give you. Both Daddy and I don't agree with pandering to fussy eating and thankfully we haven't hit that stage with you yet. Your favourite foods are cheese, yoghurts, baked beans, peas and blueberries and you are most definitely a milk monster. I worried about weaning you on to cows milk but you love the stuff and happily guzzle at least two cups a day.

Toys wise you love all of your little figures, Happy Land, your wooden kitchen and all of your toy vehicles from cars to planes and trains. We are quite fortunate in that you will happily play by yourself but if you want our attention you will bring a toy over to us to play with you. A new thing we have started doing is building a den and often if I am trying to get ready on a Friday (my day off) I can pop you in your cot with a blanket over the top and you will play in it for ages, calling it your "Den."

Ethan my darling, I could talk about you all day but I do need to draw this letter to a close. You may only be 2 but it feels like you have been here forever. We struggle to remember what life was like before you came along but one thing is for certain, our lives are so much richer being blessed as your parents.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

Mama and Daddy xxx

After some thought I realised I always share the recipes of the cakes I make so why not this one too?

I used my go to chocolate cake recipe (is there any other to use??), filled it with chocolate ganache and iced it with green coloured vanilla buttercream.

I remember decorating the cake in the kitchen and Tom walked in and I started to cry. My parents and brothers were in the living room and I didn't want them to know I was upset so through silent tears I told Tom I couldn't believe our baby was almost one and I was making his first cake (of many I hope). I found myself reflecting on the past year and remembering how I felt at that point last year when labour had just started.

I let myself have a moment then quickly pulled myself together and go on with the decorating the cake. I did have to modify it slightly as I couldn't find the grass nozzle which I think got lost moving house but thankfully I was able to use one of my more obscure nozzles that still gave a bit of a grass effect. Not exactly what I was after but better than nothing.

A dollop of ganache and some Sainsburys micro eggs gave the illusion of dinosaur eggs. I also bought the dino figures off eBay as there was no way I had the time to sit and model a load of sugar dinosaurs.

Thankfully the little man loved it and I managed to stretch it to feed over 20 people woop!

Chocolate Dinosaur Cake

• Preheat your oven to 160C (fan)
• Grease and line two 20cm cake tins
• Pop all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth
• Divide between the two tins and bake for 40mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
• Tip onto a wire rack to cool

• Gently heat the cream in the pan until warm but not hot
• Stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth
• Pop in a bowl to cool and once cool cover in cling film and place in the fridge for a few hours to firm up

• Using an electric whisk mix or mixer, beat the icing sugar and butter together until smooth adding a little milk at a time to loosen the buttercream if it’s too thick to spread
• Add the food colouring and beat on a high speed until well combined and fluffy

• Level the 2 cake layers and sandwich with ganache. Make sure to set some aside for the rock pool
• Ice the outside in buttercream and place some in a piping bag to pipe on a grass effect
• Using the micro eggs create a rock pool and fill with some ganache (I gave it a quick zap in the microwave to soften it slightly)
• Scatter the remaining eggs over the cake, pipe on some grass and decorate with dinosaur figures.