This is where having kids really pays off. This year is the first year that R has been fully aware of Christmas and Santa etc. She's been so excited today...we wrote a letter to Santa, then we put it on the fireplace with a mince pie and a glass of Baileys...outside we put a carrot for Rudolf. Her little face whilst she was preparing things for the morning was a picture.

Santa's now enjoying his second glass of Baileys :oP 

Happy Christmas everybody!!!!

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Today I dressed Rheya in an outfit that Daniel's little sister bought her for Christmas.


it's a pair of grey leggings and a skirt attached and a hoodie.


 

Friday we went walking at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park with Dan (Gina was working *sniggers*) we stopped afterwards for coffee and cake and was even able to buy a yogurt for Rheya. 

Around 4.30pm, my Mum and Robert came round. They'd agreed to babysit for Rheya but wanted to come round early so they'd get to see her before she went to bed. Once Rheya was in bed my hubby took me out for a meal to my favourite Thai restaurant...it was sooooo good. I love the food there and the atmosphere is great too. 

Rheya has quite a few words under her belt now, the latest few are...

please, she says pees
Ta
Juice, she says doose
oh dear
Dummy, but she calls it a doe doe
No
and I think she's trying to say cat, but it's not coming out quite right, but  whenever she points at the cat she goes "Daa"

She can also say the ones I've listed before, Mama, Dada, Hiya

Christmas morning was fun and I was all set with my SLR since my compact camera died a painful death a couple of days before Christmas.

I got a wicked picture of Rheya opening her first Christmas present and a few afterwards too of her looking totally over the moon with her new toys. A beautiful picture of the tree with the many many presents under it....then it all came crashing down when Daniel informed me that the memory card wasn't in the camera...I was so disappointed! Why does the damn camera let you flick through the pics you've *not* taken, if it hasn't stored them in a way that you can get them off the camera???...my snapshot camera used to tell me if the memory card wasn't in it. Rah rah rah!

I sulked off upstairs and when I came down, Daniel had taken this pic


this one


this


and arranged the remaining presents under the tree to take this


How could I still sulk after that? :)

After breakfast and letting Rheya have a play with her new toys/books we headed over to my Mum's house. 

This is my Grandad 




My Nanna was on form that day. She was making Gina laugh so hard
 

This is my "little" brother. I say "little" because he towers over me now, but he is 12 years my junior so he will always be my baby brother no matter how big he gets


My mum with my brother


Dan (my BIL) giving me his photo pose


Gina bought Daniel a Backgammon set for Christmas and then proceeded to trash him...lol


Mum bought Rheya a VTech walker which Rheya LOVES!




After dinner we headed over to Daniel's Nana's.

Rheya got a cool wooden box thing with loads to do on it. Another toy she loves. 




Rheya with her other Nana (My Mother-in-law)


and one final look at my Christmas tree. I'm so proud of this purchase...it cost us a meer £4!!! Bargain!!!
 

Rheya has been ill for a while but was tons better today, and I'm so grateful I really didn't want her to be sick over Christmas and I really wanted to catch up with

kittyalex Alex has been a friend of mine since we were about 10yrs old, so it was great seeing her again. We were supposed to be going out for a meal last night but I had to cancel to take Rheya to the hospital.....I'm still gutted that we didn't get to go out for a meal to relax, but I had a great night tonight regardless.

Our Christmas decorations are finally up and get this....we paid £4 for our tree...that's right £4!!! :D 

Rheya's been brilliant and hasn't touched the tree or the presents once. She just points at them...lol







I guess I owe an explaination for this pic. This foot muff was hand-made by Lucy at http://www.snunkie.co.uk/ I got to choose everything, the colour the fabric, the design and the zip colour and I'm soooo pleased with how it turned out. I highly recommend her.

 

  

There is just the curtain rail and curtains to put up and a bit of glossing left to do.

Before


After (oh and we'll be getting a new TV stand for the new TV




Before


After


Before


After


and a close-up of the wallpaper since it doesn't really show up on the other pics...it's nice and subtle :)


Daniel's worked so hard to get this done before Christmas. I have the best husband :)

Tomorrow we're going to get a tree and finally get our Christmas decorations up. I can't wait to see Rheya's face.

I got my Secret Santa pressie from CNA the other day. I got

a handmade bad for my knitting


and some handmade stitch markers :D
 

To celebrate Christmas we went for a meal at the Spice Quarter where they serve a bit of everything buffet style. You get to choose from Thai, Chinese, Indian and Italian and I think I spotted some British food there too :)

We sat down at our table and passed a bit of time by pulling our crackers (whilst waiting for Jackie to arrive)...after settling Jean down after her tantrum because she couldn't find her toy from her cracker, we went to pick our starters.

I took a few pics to the dismay of my work collegues..haha

Carole and Dorothy


Jean and Carole


Fiona


Jean


Helen and Lynsay


Jackie and Jean


After the meal (which was delicious by the way) we met up with Fiona (an ex-work collegue) for a drink and took a few more pics.

Helen and Jean


Me, Fiona and Lynsay


Fiona and Lynsay


I had a great time and think we should do it more often :)

My baby is all grown up *cries* I think today is the last day I can refer to her as a baby...she really isn't a baby anymore, she's very much a toddler...an Amazing toddler :D

We got up early this morning and it almost killed me waiting for Daniel to get back from Asda so we could open her cards and pressies. Anyone would've thought it was my birthday...lol

I sat her by her pressies and she just sat and looked at them. Occassionally she pointed and grunted as if asking permission to touch (we've stuck to our guns and haven't baby proofed, we're keeping a very close eye on her instead and teaching her not to touch...it's working so far. It does mean that other things go undone, but I think it will be worth it in the end, especially when we visit our friends who haven't baby proofed)



(swim) Sarah got Rheya a toy for the bath (which I think Daniel likes more than Rheya does...lol) and she got her this phone too, which Rheya absolutely loves and has been using as a kind of walker...haha


Daniel and I bought her a bracelet and a shape sorter
Here is the bracelet


and she loves the shape sorter, it plays music when she puts the shapes in it :D (She's laughing here btw, not crying)


Mmmm chocolate for breakfast...not really, she had proper breakfast, but then had her chocolate out of her advent calendar :D


She loooooves her chocolate (Don't anyone get any ideas, Rheya's still not allowed junk, today was an exception for her Birthday haha)


We met up with Sarah, Dave and Matthew and went to Chiquitto's for lunch (this time we ordered Rheya some food :D )

She had loaded potato skins with cheese and sour cream, she LOVED them :D Daniel also let her a little taste of some nacho's and some fries.

Rheya playing dead...haha she cracks me up


With Daddy and playing with the tamborine Auntie Sonya bought her


Matthew has a new hobby....picking his nose...haha


Still digging...


Sarah had to hold his arms down for this pic


After lunch we headed up to the softplay centre within Xscape. On our way there we saw SANTA! How perfect! Rheya meets Santa on her first birthday, I was soooo thrilled. I knew she'd freak out, so there was no chance in hell she was gonna go near him, but I had to get a pic of Rheya seeing him.






Matthew seeing Santa.


Rheya enjoying a bit of Jaffa Cake. They were actually mine, but I'm still sick and was having trouble eating them, Rheya wanted them and it's her Birthday soooo...


Rheya likes to climb...photographic proofish




Daniel's just getting ready incase she falls


and this was her destination.


Dave and Matthew


Matthew's ready for his close-up


This was Rheya's favourite toy, along with a toy cooker. I have a video of her playing with the rocker, because she was pushing herself along on it, like she felt it needed wheels


They both played on the slide




Rheya REALLY wanted to play on the slide! She tried to crawl up it herself


Rheya was pooped and slept as soon as we put her in the car...bless. Later on my mum popped by to give Rheya her pressies and card and we got a surprise visitor...My Nanna!  :D



She's got the present opening thing down.




Please excuse the bags under Rheya's eyes, she was soo tired bless her


My mum and Nanna stayed for coffee and cake then left to let us give our tired girl a bath and put her to bed.

Night night baby girl...tomorrow I'm teaching you to wash-up :oP 

Full album here http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhythmical/sets/72157603412307950/

Rheya's Birthday party went really well and most importantly Rheya had a good time.

It was a bit of a rush to get everything together and ready for people to arrive, but we managed it, then sat back and enjoyed the party.

I totally LOVED the birthday cake my Mother-in-Law made for Rheya, it was PERFECT! I can't stress enough how impressed I was.



I've got a video of people singing to Rheya, but it needs editing

I need to sleep now, I'm shattered!