On the 18th of December 2023, Katie and Lawrie discovered they were expecting a baby. It was a date that already held deep meaning for them both. It was Lawrie’s Dad’s birthday, and at the same time the anniversary of Katie’s late Dad’s passing — a day already woven with memory, love, and reflection. Alongside reflection came something new: hope, wonder, and the remarkable beginning of a new life already so dearly loved.

In those early months, they held the news close, creating a calm and private space to begin their journey into parenthood. From the very start, there was love: deep, instinctive, and immediate. 

At sixteen weeks, they learned they were having a little boy. Sebbie. A name chosen long before he existed, and one that already felt full of warmth, familiarity and spirit. 

The 20th August 2024 marked Sebbie’s gentle and much anticipated arrival; welcomed into the world with warmth, wonder and music. 

In those first weeks, life became what Katie and Lawrie called “magical chaos.” Days blurred into nights, and everything centred around this tiny, extraordinary person. Amid the exhaustion and uncertainty, there was awe: in every breath, every movement and every new expression.

They also discovered something unexpected: the halcyon strength of community. Kindness, love, and support that enveloped them, deepening their understanding of how connected we all truly are.

When Sebbie was born, Katie and Lawrie wrote this poem to welcome him eagerly  into the world. It perfectly captures the joy, wonder, and overwhelming love they felt in those first precious moments of meeting their son. It is a beautiful reflection of the hopes they held for him and the deep bond that enveloped him from birth.

Welcome little Sebbie Sloth, our greatest joy, 
So perfect in this glowing new dawn,
A precious, deeply cherished baby boy,
With gentle hands our hopeful dreams rest upon. 

With tiny feet and wondering eyes,
And a heart so pure and bright,
You’ve filled our world with warmer days
And gentler, sweeter nights.

You move in your own peaceful way,
Unhurried, calm, and slow,
As if you already carry
A quiet wisdom we’re yet to know.

In Mama Katie’s loving arms,
You find your safest place,
Held close against her beating heart,
Surrounded by her grace.

And Dada Lawrie warmly cradles you
With wonder shining clear
So proud, so full of tender love
For his little boy so dear.

You teach us, even newly born,
What truly matters most
To embrace every quiet breath
And to hold the ones we love so close.

May your life be filled with laughter,
With adventures yet to unfold,
With gentle hugs and warm embraces,
And hands to always hold.

Little Sebbie Sloth, so small,
Yet already loved beyond measure, 
You are our miracle, our shining light, and our greatest, gentlest treasure. 

Welcome to the world, dear Sebbie,
So wanted, loved, and known.
With Mama Katie and Dada Lawrie,
You’ll always have your home.

As Sebbie grew, so did his presence in the world.

He moved at his own thoughtful and considered pace — observing before acting, engaging with quiet curiosity. He loved closeness, music, and movement. Whether swaying to an obscure music, dancing liberally after bath time, shaking his hips with joyful abandon, or tapping out beats on his many drums, he met the world with joy and rhythm.  

He had a spirited personality, full of feeling and expression; delight, determination, and the unmistakable toddler finger-waving “no, no, no.” He embraced life with authenticity, delighting deeply, protesting loudly, and loving fully.

Sebbie was often described as beautiful: not just by those who loved him, but often by strangers too. With his soft blonde curls, big brown eyes and gentle nature, he exuded something quietly special that people recognised instantly.

Sebbie approached everything; from milestones to food to music — in his own inimitable way. He was curious, discerning, and entirely himself. Whether it was his refined taste in food (salmon pate, olives, saffron-infused risotto being his culinary favourites), his love of rhythm, or his cautious approach to new experiences, he moved through the world with an distinct sense of individuality and wisdom. 

And through him, Katie and Lawrie experienced the entirely world differently too — more slowly, more presently, and with a deeper awareness of life’s many small, sacred and sweeping moments. They were wholeheartedly ready to continue life’s next chapters with Sebbie,  walking beside him as he grew, guiding him with patience and love through each new feeling, discovery, milestone and adventure. It was a journey they had stepped into with open hearts, full of hope for the years ahead and the evolution of the little person he was becoming.

That is why the loss feels so heavy. That beautiful, unfolding journey — his lasting evolution — has been cut short during its blossoming days. A life only just beginning to reveal its shape has been taken too soon, leaving behind the quiet, enduring ache of all that was still to come for Sebbie. 

Sebbie’s final day was filled with all the things that defined his life;  family, laughter, music, and love. He spent time with those closest to him, brought joy through simple moments, and ended his day as he always had: held close, safe, and deeply loved.

That final bedtime, when he had his usual affectionate embrace from his Dada and settled gently into his Mama’s arms, have become moments of lasting tenderness; a quiet expression of the bond the family of three will always share.

Sebbie’s life, though far too short, was full of meaning. We hold two inharmonious truths together: deep sorrow, and deep gratitude.

He changed Katie and Lawrie’s lives beyond measure. He brought people together. He reminded those around him of what truly matters — connection, presence, and love. Sebbie’s story does not end with his passing. It continues in how he is remembered, in how love is carried forward, and in the lives that continue around him.

To remember Sebbie is not only to feel loss, but also a deep sense of thankfulness: for the joy he brought, the love he gave, and the way he so clearly showed the beauty and simplicity of the everyday moments in life.

His light remains: in memory, in love, and in the way we choose to live. As we go onwards, may we remember Sebbie fondly, with a smile — a smile for Sebbie — the same bright and cheerful smile he shared with everyone he encountered.