Pretty fairy lights, kids rocking around the Christmas tree, Christmas carols and the glee in children's faces... Many of the things mums have in their heads asthey eagerly await the festive season and this is heightened even more if it's the baby's  first Christmas.  

We rally around trying to organise all the things we normally would and look after our little babes on top of it all. Trying to ensure we don't forget anything and getting excited to spend the first 'perfect' Christmas together.

With all these expectations and kids in the mix some disappointments can come... Like with anything that involves a little one, pregnancy plan, birth plan, feeding plan, the babies decide for themselves and we are just here to help them on this journey. Most of our plans are just fairy tales in our heads and we just have to roll with what ever they decide.

I speak to so many mums that describe their baby's first Christmas as more like a Christmas flop. I know that my first Christmas with Bella she was super unsettled in the evening and add together breast feeding and a lot of people around a nosey baby I ended up sitting in a bedroom on my own for a few hours trying to feed while she fussed and then us both falling asleep.

Christmas Day is just another day and as the saying goes 'it's not what's around the tree or on the table, it's who's around it that counts' so even if you are nursing a poorly or teething little baby, your toddler is throwing a full blown tantrum and doesn't match their beautiful little outfit that they are wearing and even if the turkey is more like rubber than intended and you forgot the cranberry sauce just remember it's who is there with you. As cliche as it is, it is true and I am also writing it as a reminder to myself.

There are many, many mums out there that wish their worries were 'if they have got in everything they need, if they have spoilt their children too much and shouldn't have, if she will make a hash of the first Christmas dinner that she ever has had to cook.' We are lucky if that's what we have to worry about.

This year due to our amazing NHS all our family are extra grateful that we have our dad beside us to celebrate Christmas and having Annie join our family safe and sound to celebrate her first Christmas is the greatest gift we could ever wish for.

Happy Christmas everyone and sending love to all families that are without someone special this Christmas.

Anna xx