A year ago today I finished work at 3 and headed home with the kids not thinking too much about what was going on in the world except that it still felt ‘too far’ away to affect us. Not long after getting home Polly started coughing and Boris started talking and within an hour I was officially off work due to being ‘at risk’ (a.k.a pregnant) and we were put into isolation for 2 weeks. Henry appeared quickly having been sent home to join us in isolation and we watched over the next week or so as the world went a bit mad.

So a year on I’ve written a letter to my past self to let her know what was coming over the next 365 days-

This is scary and there will be some dark days. There will be horror stories that you read about this terrible pandemic that will make you cry. Everyone is in this for the long haul and there will be multiple lockdowns with some dark moments where isolation really gets to you. There will also be some precious moments and they will be the ones that get you through this whole thing.

There will be so many bedtimes that you do together as a family with story-time’s full of laughter and bath times full of joy (and plenty of soaked floors!) that you’ll realise how precious family time is.

Don’t keep fretting about giving birth in a pandemic- women are incredible and they will do their thing, so will you. Women give birth in crazy situations every day so really the fact that you get to go to a hospital with trained midwives (who are superheroes!) and you’ll get you’re third and final pool birth means that you’ve got it a lot better than a lot of other women.

The baby will be ok in our little bubble. She might not get the host of baby groups and play dates that the other 2 got but her cheeky little smile will keep everyone going.

Sadly at 9 months old there will still be plenty of family and friends who haven’t yet met this new rascal but those days full of reunions are now in sight.

The garden will actually get some love and plenty of use.

You’ll be one of those who bakes lots of banana bread.

You’ll have the time to put 2 years worth of baby photos into albums and finally write out a bucket list.

Money will be ok, not ideal, but it will be ok. Stop fretting that the pandemic will cost us our jobs and lead us onto the streets- that won’t happen!

Polly will still start school and she will be amazing at this new transition. You have not escaped homeschooling but even that will be something that has positive moments that make your heart burst with pride. Also your respect for teachers will hit all new heights!

Christmas will be different but it will still be Christmas- full of love, laughter and food.

You’ll find some new YouTube channels to follow and there will be some binge watching of Netflix to keep you entertained- the best one coming curtesy of a Duke and a spoon.

It’s ok to say you’re not ok. Don’t wait on it just admit it.

Overall it will be a year that in some ways will be similar to others as life will still throw the same ups and downs, but at the same time everything will be different. You’ll miss people. You’ll miss baby groups. You’ll miss soft play. You’ll miss going for a cheeky McDonald’s after a day driving round Devon exploring. You’ll miss the birthday celebrations. You’ll miss having a wander round primark. But you’ll have figured out a lot of things in your head that will make you the most content you’ve ever been and you’ll be raring to go with the next 365 days so hang in there and maybe go and make a banana bread to start the year of lockdowns.