Merry Christmas!

Here are some photos from the lead up to Christmas:Matilda with Daddy and Santa at the Christmas celebration at the Marsden's (she loved their light display ... staring at lights is one of Matilda's favourite activities at the moment).
The whole family. Matilda at least was looking spiffy in her Peter Alexander Christmas romper ("Bundle of Joy" is written on it in silver), Mum and Dad looking rather less spiffy in our polo shirts.
Barnaby the rocking reindeer's assistant, Matilda, supervising Daddy and Aunty Janet decorate the Christmas tree. I stayed out of the way and decorated some garland.
We hope everyone had a merry Christmas. We had a great time for Matilda's first Christmas, full of family, friends, and good times. Unfortunately, Matilda isn't quite liking being cuddled as much as she did when she was first born. After a while, she definitely wants her own space (hm, sounds like her Mummy to me ...), but then is happy for you to devote attention on her as she kicks and wriggles on the floor or in the bouncer. So there wasn't as many cuddles with the grandparents as I was hoping, but I'm sure there'll be more cuddle time for everyone as the weeks and months go on.

Christmas Gifts

OK, so Matilda won't really understand Christmas this year, or get too excited about any presents she receives (unless they possibly have a yummy sucking texure!). But I'm pretty sure Santa will still visit her, and I haven't been able to stop myself from finding a few things here and there for her ... :)
One very cool set of gifts for the people who have it all is on this site:
www.usefulgifts.org
Gifts are available from a Secret Santa/Kris Kringle price range ($5) right through to tens, hundreds, or thousands of dollars. Why not show someone you love them this Christmas and give them a goat or toilet (or give those items to someone else who really needs them on your friend's behalf)?? ;)

Our Christmas tree is up, lights are out the front (OK, so they've been there since last Christmas, but now we're turning them on at night ...), the garlands are decorated (ditto about being up since last year) and plans have been made for Christmas lunch at our house. We're having Christmas Eve dinner with my Dad, Lylia and siblings, except for Cam who's having a white Christmas in Canada. Then, Christmas morning and lunch at home with John's family and my Mum. If Matilda can cope, we're then going to celebrate Christmas night with John's Broadhurst family. And that's all the family celebrations this year!
The Taylors had a bit of a get-together last night at the Brekky Creek hotel, thanks to cousin Ben being in town. Ben works on an oil rig off the north coast of Norway, and has a flat in Madrid (but if I overheard a convo with Petie correctly, there's a move to Norway on the cards, together with Laura). So, we don't get to see Ben too often and any excuse is a good one to get together and eat some yummy steaks. Matilda actually managed to sleep with all the noise in the Spanish steak garden, but didn't really enjoy eating her dinner in that atmosphere. Definitely a night where a bottle feed is required, rather than attempting to breastfeed. We're encouraged by Matilda's ability to sleep around noise, particularly with New Year's Eve coming up, and our annual celebrations with the Hooker clan. This Christmas will be fun with Matilda here with us, even if she can't really rip wrapping paper just yet ...

Matilda at 8 weeks

Well, we've survived the first eight weeks of Matilda's life. The main thing that John and I have learnt is that sometimes you have to teach a baby how to go to sleep. We didn't anticipate that! Once we realised that our girl wouldn't just yawn, flutter her eyelids, and fall asleep like an angel (well, she does that sometimes when she's being cuddled ... she loves cuddles!), life has gotten better. I'm not sure she's getting enough sleep yet, most of her daytime sleeps are naps of 30-60 minutes, but sometimes she does have a good two-hour sleep as well. At night, she's sleeping really well, and most mornings I want to wake her up, because I'm uncomfortable due to her long sleep. Many nights she doesn't wake between 9pm - 6am, which is rather incredible at this age.
Matilda's started cooing and gurgling in the past two or three weeks. It's very exciting that she's starting to use her voice for something other than crying! Not that she cries that much, but it's more fun to interact with a cooing and gurgling and smiling baby. We talk to Matilda a lot, so hopefully that will also stimulate her vocabulary development. :)