It is very hard to find the words to say how much joy and happiness our dear Sennen brought into our lives during the wonderful year we shared together. His gentle entry into the world by waterbirth was very much how he lived his life; a deeply contented soul with a strong body, determined spirit and a cheerful nature.


Sennen was fascinated by the world around him and it was truly magical observing him discover his fingers and toes and seeing him entranced by colours, textures, sounds and light. He adored interacting with the world and others around him, reaching in wonder to the sky when he saw his first firework display or leaning his entire body forwards and burrow his face in the fur of our very patient cat Nelson, feeling his softness and warmth.


It was the simple things that Sennen loved most, like being given a basket of random things which he would delight in emptying after exploring the character of each item until he settled on a favourite. More often than not this was a set of shiny metal spoon measures, which made a satisfying clanking sound and in which he could see his reflection.


One of Sennen's favourite people was his big brother Ben. They shared a very special relationship which began before Sennen was born and he would kick his brother when Ben was on our laps enjoying a story, making his presence known. Ben showed so much love for Sennen even before he was born, kissing and cuddling his bump.


Ben was the most wonderful big brother, very protective of Sennen and very affectionate towards him. When Sennen was born, he first thing he would ask every day is 'can I see my baby brother?' and 'can I touch his face?'. We would pile into bed together for morning stories and feeds and Ben would put his arm protectively around him, stroke his face and kiss him. As Sennen became older, Ben would tell him, 'we are best friends'. Ben swelled with pride as his preschool friends gathered round to admire him and he proudly told them, 'he's mine!'


It was so special to observe the bond between Ben and Sennen developing and becoming closer each day. It wasn't long before Sennen learned to crawl and one of their favourite games was to crawl around the house playing chase and hide and seek around the furniture. Sennen loved joining Ben in the bath and they would have fun popping bubbles or Sennen would reach out his hands while Ben poured water on them from their bath toys. Out of everyone, it was Ben who made Sennen laugh the most and we would often draw on Ben's support to cheer him up if he was feeling a bit upset.


Sennen rarely went in the buggy and observed the world around him from the closeness of a woven wrap made out of silk and wool. From this vantage point, he would smile cheekily at passers-by and reach out to touch flowers and leaves and we would have a chat about what he could see. Sometimes he would fall asleep and his warm head would rest of our chest - a beautiful memory to be cherished.


As soon as he was born, it was clear Sennen loved his food. This provided a source of great pleasure for him as he tucked into a huge variety, his favourites being mackerel, cous cous, pancakes or mashed banana. His love of food showed in his chubby curves we loved so much and the physique that led people to ponder if he would become a rugby player one day.


We hope that we helped Sennen make the most out of his life with us. We feel pleased we took him to his first music festival when he was 8 months old. He looked right at home in the beautiful, creative surroundings of Farmfest in Somerset. He loved people-watching and was fascinated by music, colours, the decorations and festival food. Most of all, he loved hanging out with our dear friends and their children, sharing the festival atmosphere. He showed every sign of growing up to be a festival veteran.


Sennen lived surrounded by people who loved him, with doting grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins and a network of wonderful friends. A highlight of his week was Music with Mervyn where he rang bells and played glockenspiels and danced to music about nature and the seasons. He was a confident and sociable baby, loving being taken to baby groups and would often make a beeline for other babies his age, reaching out to touch, pat or stroke them or leaning in for a kiss. This was often reciprocated by other babies who responded well to his affectionate nature.


We cannot begin to describe how much we miss Sennen. Learning to live without him is the hardest thing we have ever had to do. We feel so incredibly lucky to have such amazing family and friends whose immense kindness has brought us comfort as we try and rebuild our lives. We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts who has helped us through these raw first few weeks.


We will always remember the wonderful year we were lucky to share with Sennen and the love and laughter he brought into our lives. We would like to borrow a quote we found comforting from the Christmas Eve TV adaptation of We are Going on a Bear Hunt, when a Granny tells her grandaughter 'there is nothing wrong with being sad - it's just a was of remembering the happy times'. Sennen will live alongside us for the rest of our lives in our hearts and our minds as the contented and happy soul he was, who filled our lives with happiness and laughter. Those memories can never be taken away.