Back to us | Alexia Putellas

Changes.

"How is he going to be five tomorrow?"

"I have no idea..."
"It feels like yesterday we found out that you were pregnant with him"

It was the night before Jordi's 5th birthday, we had spent the evening wrapping his presents and blowing up balloons before creeping up the stairs to go to bed, stopping to look in on our eldest son on his birthday eve. He was fast asleep, his chubby cheek squished against his pillow and his brown curly hair falling in his face, slightly sweaty as he always was when he slept... it had been that way since he was a baby.

"I love him so much" Isy smiled as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"Me too" I agreed, reminiscing over the last 5 years we have had with our sweet Jordi boy.

Jordi started walking when he was 11 months old. His first steps were at home one early spring morning, he had been close to taking that first step for a few weeks, pulling himself up to his feet using the sofa and the trying to move across the room, but each time ended in a stumble. This time though the result was different he balanced himself with a concentrated look on his face before slowly walking towards Nala who was a asleep on her bed in the corner of the room. Isy and I were in absolute shock. Looking at each other wide eyes before we began to encourage Jordi to keep going. From that moment on he was on the move and our worlds changed completely. He was no longer a little baby he was a growing toddler who moved quicker than either of had ever expected.

His first word came not long after his first steps. We were having dinner, Isy and I sat opposite each other at the dining table with Jordi in his highchair between us. He was smiling away the whole time, tapping his hands on the table over and over again like he was playing the drums. We finished our meal and talked for a while before I stood up to clear the table. As I carried the plates towards the kitchen island an unfamiliar sound echoed around the room.

"Mamamama...Mamama- Mama" he repeated the syllable over and over again, beaming widely.

"Did he just?" I immediately turned towards them both, the look of shock on my face mirrored by my wife.

"I think he did" she smiled, tear brimming in her eyes.

Our little boy was not so little anymore. He was going to be starting school in a couple of weeks and it felt like we were sending him off into the big wild world. He was so ready for this step, but Isy and I were definitely not.

"Happy birthday beautiful boy" Isy smiled at our eldest son as we woke him up the next morning with his birthday cupcake in her hands.

"Am I five now?" He asked after blowing out the candle, holding five fingers up proudly.

"You are, how do you feel?" I smiled.

"I feel big"

"You are so big Jordi"

We were having a party at his Abuela Eli's this year, we weren't sure what to do as I was getting further along in the pregnancy and becoming more and more exhausted and Mama had offered to host which we were really relieved about. It wasn't a huge party, just a celebration with the people closest to Jordi...His grandparents, Alba, Ona, Lucy, Mapi, Ingrid and Tommy.

Jordi loved having all of his favourite people here celebrating him, but his Abuelito took almost all of his attention, they didn't get to see each other much due to them living in Seville, but when they did they were inseparable. They were the best of friends and it was adorable.

Isy's POV

"He loves your boys so much" My mother smiled as she approached me at the side of the room.