Sebastian is FOUR!!!!

(If you thought Isaacs post was full of photos, prepare yourself.....)

My baby is four. I can't quite believe it.  Seb was an early baby, born at 36 weeks, weighing 5bs 15oz. He also came very quickly.  My waters went at 1.15pm, he was born at 2.45pm.  Paul just about got home in time, my mum got there to look after Isaac and get Oliver from school.  The ambulance crew and midwives got to the house about 20 minutes before he was born.  There was no time to get to the hospital, so Seb was born at home, in the playroom, on the car mat (we still have the car mat.....).  We were taken to hospital, and were fortunate enough to only have to stay in for one night.

He fitted into life straight away. Don't know if it was because of the school run, or all the groups we used to do, but he found a routine quite quickly.  Saying that, when he was very small, he would like to feed at night, and invariably ended up staying in our bed.  Even now, he is the one boy who will come and get into bed with us.  He was a very cute baby.

We weren't afraid to let him be up a little later, so we could dedicate time to get the older ones to bed. He fed well, and nursed till just over a year.  We did the usual bottle of formula at bedtime, always seemed to help them know it was bedtime.

Seb has always been a water baby.  He was introduced to a pool when he was about 4 months, as Oliver was having swimming lessons, and family were able to use the pool at the end of term.  He was a bit unsure at first, but it wasn't to last.

We took Seb to France for the first time when he was 7 months old. He travelled well in the car and on the boat.  He liked the beach a lot.

He loved spending time around the mobile with Nanny and Granddad Lee.  

By now we were weaning Seb, and went full throttle down the baby led weaning route.  This suited our needs, and certainly suited Sebastian.  Here he is with broccoli, and a spoon covered in yogurt.  I am guessing just out of shot is the pot.  I cannot rave about how good this was for our family.  Seb was able to eat pretty much everything we could.

I think this is his first Christmas at my mums.  So smart.  The joys of being third baby: plenty of hand me downs from brothers, and friends!

I just love this photo of him.....

This was taken just after his first birthday.  He had just started walking.  He certainly didn't rush to do anything, such a change from how Isaac was.  It's funny too, as I find it harder to remember what he did when.  Think it is all starting to merge into one....

Because of his older brothers, Seb may have been introduced to chocolate a little earlier than his brothers

Again, another photo I love of him.....

This one was taken in France, he was about 19 months old.  We had gone out for lunch at the restaurant on the campsite.  The weather was pants, but we managed to keep him amused.  See how happy he looks

A month later we were on an airplane.  This was all the small boys first experiences of flying.  Nothing like a transatlantic flight to break them in gently

Fast forward another 2 months, and we were living in America.  Getting used to a totally different way of life.

Seb stopped communicating around this time.  Could be cos they were in the play room, with out us constantly watching over them, could be the change in accent everywhere we went, could be he was happily contented in his life and didn't need to ask for anything or that he couldn't get a word in edgeways.  Who knows?  We never will.  

He was still a happy chappy, and celebrated his second birthday stateside. 

Followed 6 months later by a trip to Disney.  Seb loves the film Cars 2, and was enthralled to see lightning McQueen.  I think he enjoyed that holiday.  It was here we discovered he didn't like shows.  He freaked out at Disney and sea world killer whale shows.  Not sure if it was the people, the anticipation, the noise....

But noise has never been an issue when it comes to NASCAR.  He has been to two races, fell asleep during his first one at Martinsville. Sebastian loves cars, in fact most vehicles.  

He loves playing with his and his brothers toys.  He has trains, cars and all of his brothers stuff too.  It has taken him a while to learn how to use technology, but he has finally cracked it. He can even play some of the basic car racing games on the Xbox now.

Seb has seen his first proper snow since he has been here.  That hat?  Been through all 3 of them.  So cute, from Gap.  Cheers Aunty Jen!

Seb started school last February.  I say school, it is daycare.  It took him a few weeks to settled, which I was completely expecting. But he got there.  They have been really good with his lack of speech.

First day

I love his school, they are so good at sending us photos and reports of what he gets up to every day.  He seems to have a really good time.  Since moving classrooms at the start of the school year, he has really come out of his shell.  

Seb went into a bed last April, the last of the boys to do so.  It was a sad day when we got rid of the cot.  Seb has also been dry at night (pretty much!!) ever since.  

Didn't stop him happily going into a cot when we did our big road trip last summer.  Some mornings he didn't want to get up.

Seb has adjusted fairly well to all the changes in the last six months.  It is hard to know that he won't really remember nanny in the same way that the other two will, but I will do my best to make sure that he knows all about her.

Seb loves life.  His speech in the last year has developed so much.  This time last year I would have said that nothing had changed in the previous year.  That is not the case now.  Ok, he is still talking in vowels, but the tone and inclination on the syllable sounds are there.  The boys involve him so much, which helps a lot.  Their relationship is beautiful, but they are boys, so they do fight, and they can be hard work.  Seb in particular can be very hard.  Because of the lack of speech he can't get himself understood some time.  But he can be reasoned with.  I know him well, so I know if he gets upset, I can pretty much know what it is that is bothering him, and try and help him sort it out.  We are on the waiting list for speech therapy.  By the time we get seen, he will most likely be talking!

Seb likes to be involved in everything.  He has a word for me and Paul now, anny and addy.  Oliver is oher, Isaac is iaac.  He is so getting there.  He has had a really bad cold for the last 3 days.  Friday night, all he wanted to do was snuggle up to me, and he fell asleep watching TV.  Same last night, but it was a little bit later.  It was so cute, but I felt for him being ill.

While my children can be wildly independent, I think Sebastian is going to be the one who needs us more.  He is building a beautiful relationship with the whole family, and is a little character. Doesn't stop him being a royal pain in the butt, but he will always be our baby.