It's a great day to be alive

Well done John! You made it! Don't let all the bad news going around at the minute put you off, it's a great place, I think you'll like it.

In what seems like years from now I'll be telling you all about the day you arrived. How I got phonecalls and text mesages (I know, text messages! There were no 'brain trans-thoughts' back then) while I was teaching in school. I'll tell you how one boy I taught joked with me that you were named after my 'favourite History student' (not true, but you'll probably know the story of your name by then) and after having a fight with the photocopier, how I raced home through traffic and over icy roads to get my first look at you.

Then the pictures will come out. And you'll groan a little bit and say 'is that really me?' And I'll say 'yes, yes it is. You really were that small'. You had tiny tiny fingers, and very cute feet. And I'll tell you about how I held you while you slept and you didn't cry because you were so tired. We also might talk about that fist-in-mouth trick you did. Maybe you'll be able to teach me?

I'll tell you all the stories about your dad that he won't tell you, or that he'll downplay. I'll tell you about what we used to get up to when we were 'your age'. I'll tell you about making bases in the TV room and sliding down the stairs in sleeping bags, and about morning daredevil runs through our neighbours' gardens (not sure Nana and Granda know about them yet. Sssh). 

When Daddy shouts at you for licking your ice cream bowl in front of other people I'll tell you that he does it. When you want to go out at Hallowe'en I'll show you his banger box and (only when you're old enough to be responsible) I'll tell you how to make sparkler bombs better than any firework like he taught me. Ok, probably not those cool holographic ones they make, but good old fashioned fireworks are still a sight to behold. Especially when you've had 200 caps go off in your hand in the making of it. In fact, aside from today obviously, I can't recall a time when I've seen a prouder look on your Daddy's face.

I'll tell you about he looked out for me because I am his little sis. How my first drive on a motorway was under his tutelage. But I'll also tell you about how we fought all through our teenage years like you wouldn't believe. 

I'll tell you that he's smarter than me and better at sports than me. I'll tell you that he was crap at clarinet and rubbish at French but somehow managed to pass the exams. In fact, I'll show you the picture of his clarinet teacher running round our garden as the forfeit for saying he'd fail.

I'll tell you about how he didn't really want to go to uni to live in Chaplaincy. But how when he did he met Mummy. I'll tell you about how the nicest, most down to earth girl in the world fell in love with your Daddy. I'll tell you funny stories about them, like how when they were setting off half way around the world, they started the trip by going to the wrong airline to get checked in with (Don't worry Granda will have taught you all about airports and planes by then). I'll tell you about their wedding and standing on the beach for the big group photograph because Mummy loves the sea. Again, you'll already know this about her by then, but you'll smile because you know I'm telling the truth.

Soon we'll have gone full circle and I'll be back telling you about today and how excited I was. I'll tell you that Daddy said he was a little bit scared, but that I knew, from day one, that your Mummy and Daddy would be great parents.

I cannot wait!