New Year, clean sweep!

Baby Kay, today I took down the Christmas decorations and tree in good time for Twelfth Night. It seems such a shame when they made the house look so festive; so in the spirit of keeping a little decoration in the house for the month of January I am bringing our beautiful Christmas wreath into the kitchen to hang indoors for a while. I saw that Lorri on Cute as Pie Cottage has a wonderful fragrant garland up on her blog, so I figure it has to be a sign of excellent taste!

Our wreath was an unexpected gift from J next door, which she brought round for us after I admired the one she had hung up. I have been so lucky to have such a wonderful neighbour - we have only known each other a short while, and since I don't come from this part of the country I didn't know many people. J has become one of those lovely unexpected friends you make when you are older, and making friends can get harder as we grow older and more cynical about peoples intentions. She even overlooks the fact that I cannot bake to save my life and we have shop bought biscuits when she pops in for coffee with her 2 little girls. This is despite her managing to bake the most incredible cakes and pastries - she never judges or makes me feel bad about it.

You have had another busy day!! We went to Newry today to get you the next size of car-seat as you are too long in the leg for your existing one to be comfortable. This new one is front facing and much higher up, so not only can you see much more out of the window you can also see us in the front of the car. It was a complete revelation to you! You seemed stunned by the new world view as we drove home from the shop. And compared to how you were in your old car-seat you look so tiny in this new, 'big-girl' version! We are also packing up your baby recliner as your legs hang over the edge of that, and you would much rather be wriggling about in your Bumbo chair! When you are sitting there with your serious wee 'thinking face' on you look so like your Dear Granny Hannah - who died before you were born, but not before she knew you were on the way!

You have really got the hang of 'Dada' now, and have been practicing most of the day. I need to get you started on Mama now - you are a fast learner, sweetie-pie!! And when you have finished your dinner and we tell you 'All done' you hold your wee hands out to the sides and shrug your shoulders and say 'Aw Daw'. Every day is something new and amazing from you - you are an incredible ray of sunshine for everyone who knows you.

Tomorrow I am going to put my 2009 Aspirations into a post for you - at the minute my brain is a little tired and addled to concentrate, but I am treating Monday 5th as my starting point for the small things I want to change - hopefully to enrich all our loves, and make 2009 our best year ever as a wee family. Sweet dreams little darling x x