Our First Christmas with Isla

I know this blog is a little late after the festive period, but I just couldn't not write about Isla's first Christmas! I absolutely cannot imagine spending it anywhere else except for my parents house, the place where I grew up with my older brother and sister, and spent every single Christmas that I can remember. Every year my parents work together

turn out a gigantic traditional roast dinner which is just so yummy. It's also probably the only day of the year you will find my Dad cooking for the family, unless you count making custard... he makes the best custard!

This year was no different, apart from the fact that we had a new member of the family joining us! At only 5 months old, she wasn't old enough to understand what was going on, but she still loved to look at all the lights on the tree and other decorations around the house.

The celebrations started on Christmas Eve, where we had a little party with some family and friends, lot's of mulled wine and prosecco.

Amongst the guests were two gorgeous pregnant ladies! One of them was my brothers baby mummy, Nefer, who at the time was 28 weeks pregnant, and the other, my old school friend Imogen. She was 38 weeks pregnant, and on the 27th of December, a week early, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl called India.

It is so crazy to think that next year at Christmas there will be 3 babies/toddlers (or maybe more) running around keeping everyone busy and entertained!

Christmas day itself was super fun, we had two festive outfits to dress her up in that day, and she looked sooo cute!!

The whole family sat around the tree after breakfast to open presents, and Isla had so many! She's not old enough to use them all yet, but I still attempted to get her attention with them, however she seemed far more interested in the pretty paper they were wrapped in than the presents themselves.

This year was so special to us, as the Christmas day 2016 was the day Bob and I decided to announce to the family that I was pregnant. We wrapped up a mug each for my Mum and my Dad, and got them to open it at the same time sitting at opposite ends of the table, obviously secretly filming the whole thing. My Mum's mug said "Only the best Mums make the best Grandmas" and my Dad's "If Grandad can't fix it no one can". I really should put the video on Youtube because their reactions were amazing. I must have watched it over 100 times, and it still makes me teary.

The best part was watching my Dad's reaction, he didn't click straight away and thought we had given him the wrong present, so handed it to my late Grandad who he must have assumed it was meant for. It was only when my Mum started screaming and hugging me that he realised!

So after the Queen's speech, while we were all still on the sofa, I quickly put the video on the TV so we could all watch it as family again.

This time with Isla sitting on the sofa with us, and not in my tummy! I have a feeling that this will become part of our family's Christmas day tradition from now on.

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and a very Happy New Year to everyone!!!

Louise

xx