My baby is 18 today!

Happy Birthday, Vanessa!

 Vanessa 1-2 months old.

I can't believe my baby is 18 today!  I know it's a bit of a cliche but the last 18 years have flown by. I'm going to take the opportunity to embarrass her by sharing some pictures of her (luckily she's at work so can't 'kill' me till later). Vanessa weighed in at a very healthy and big 10.5 pounds.

Vanessa 6 months old with me (and yes I did knit that sweater).

When she was born, she looked like a spitting image of her dad when he was a baby. I remember Simon's parents showing us a picture of Simon as a baby and Vanessa and he looked identical. She had a mop of dark brown hair. 

Just before her first birthday.

As she has gotten older she looks more and more like me, apparently. Her hair has gone from dark brown to blond and she has beautiful big brown eyes (gets that from her Dad).

Got to teach them young! (Christmas before she turned 3).

Temperament wise she's definitely like me which is why we get on quite well most of the time but also clash spectacularly.

With her ballet teacher.

Vanessa started taking dance classes (ballet, modern and tap) when she was 2 1/2 years old and she only stopped a year ago. 

Asleep at a Spanish airport where we spent the day waiting for Simon and Em to arrive on an afternoon flight.

She also loves music and did take piano lessons for several years. Although she stopped lessons, she still play regularly and she taught herself to play the guitar. I'm quite impressed by that as I learned to play guitar at school and hated it.

On a very snowy and cold day in Norway on Christmas Day 2010.

Reguarly when I go to bed, i can hear her playing her guitar and singing in her room. She's got a beautiful voice too and sings in a worship band at our local church.

Vanessa at the Ice Cream Parlour in Harrods in London in September 2010. Can't believe how much she's changed in the last 2-3 years.

She definitely doesn't get her math talent from me. For GCSEs her best subject was History but when she started A levels she decided she liked maths best and she's hoping to start a maths degree at UWE in Bristol in September.

 Simon and our former pastor, John, baptising Vanessa on Looe Beach.

Today, on her birthday, she's working at a coffee shop. The Rusty Bucket, in Looe where she worked all last summer too.

My Mum, Em, Me and Vanessa (taken at Christmas in Norway)

Vanessa, how you normally see her on my blog, modeling my knitwear designs (she's modelling Montana this time):

Happy Birthday, Vanessa. 

Lots of love

Mum xxx

And to celebrate, I'm offering you all 18% off any of my patterns from my Ravelry Pattern Shop today and tomorrow (valid till midnight UK time on 6 April). Use promo code: 18th.