They say time flies when you're having fun (which doesn't really explain why time flies when you're a parent). Already six months have passed since Jemima was born, and what was once a fairly immobile – and, I'll admit it, weird and wrinkly looking – baby has grown into a flapping, squeaky little girl whose smile lights up my day.
This got me thinking about how quickly the years will fly by. In 10 years my three children will still be largely dependent on me (a scary thought), but in 20 years they'll have all grown up. And so, knowing what I do about them now, I'm making a prediction as to what they'll be like, and what they'll be doing, two decades from now.
Isaac
Despite being the youngest in his class at five years old, Isaac is one of the brightest. Every day he amazes us with the stories he writes, the sums he calculates correctly, and his widening vocabulary. Couple this with the fact that Isaac is completely unable to throw a ball, and the picture of where he will be in 20 years from now becomes clear.
When he is 25, Isaac will be coming to the end of a very expensive university placement studying something incredibly complicated and academic, such as medicine or microbiology. Either that, or he will be a teacher attempting to explain English and maths to a bunch of rowdy 10-year-olds. He'll be in a long-term, stable relationship, and they'll be looking at moving to an apartment in London. He'll also have a cat, which he'll name something sensible like Oscar.
Noah
Just three years younger than Isaac, Noah is completely different. He learnt all his colours, the whole spectrum, and then – for reasons unknown – forgot them all quite recently. His favourite pastime is dancing to One Direction, or begging his nursery teachers to sing 'Call Me Maybe'.
Despite not being particularly academic, he can throw and kick a ball with alarming accuracy, so much so that when he comes at you clutching a toy above his head, you duck.
When he is 22, Noah will have been out of school for a few years, having achieved average grades at A-Level. However, his stockiness and partiality to sports will mean that he was talent scouted in his teens, and is breaking into the first team of a large rugby club.
He will have numerous short-term girlfriends, but will be too busy looking at fast cars to mind that he is breaking hearts. He won't have left home, and will give me and his mother countless sleepless nights, as we lie awake in the twilight hours waiting for his return from a night out.
Jemima
At just half a year old, it is difficult to have an idea as to what Jemima's character is like, let alone predict what she will be doing in 20 years. She is demanding, and loves her food. Already, she throws little tantrums, but can beam a smile which could light a thousand rooms. She also loves a cuddle from her daddy now and again.
I have heard girls are harder to raise than boys. In 20 years, I hope Jemima has proved us both wrong. But, if today is anything to go by, she'll be spending her time stuffing her face with food whilst rolling around on the floor crying.
Do you often imagine how your children will turn out? Have any of your predictions turned out right so far or are you constantly confounded?