What a milestone! Such a lot has happened in the last 12 months. Your baby has developed from a vulnerable newborn to a self-assertive, curious little girl or boy – a little explorer who rampages through the world like the most dedicated research scientist. Your child wants to see everything, go everywhere (no matter if it’s out of bounds) and understand everything.   Many children have a lot of energy at this age. They want to move around and can’t stay still for long. They know their minds and love anything that moves. They want to press and move things and twist buttons and knobs. And they talk a lot, babbling about anything and everything. Their growth spurt slows down around now. From now on, their appearance will change more than their height. Those soft, rounded baby curves are gradually replaced by longer muscles and their face becomes more angular.

It’s time for your baby’s first birthday party. You’ve been a parent for a whole year. Hasn’t time flown? And so much has happened. Have you noticed how much you’ve changed? How much you and your partner have changed as a couple? Things that were the most important thing in the world before your baby was born, have now been put on the back-burner. Things you thought you couldn’t live without are now just vague memories. Your outlook on life has completely changed since the birth. It’s been said that parenthood is characterised by flexibility. This is a trait you’ll have had plenty of practice at over the last year. And it’ll come in hand from now on too.