Christmas day

Today we celebrated Christina's first Christmas. The day went off well but I think we all over-indulged on food. My Aunt (Xenia) never stops talking, and the funniest comment was when George C (Gill's dad) suggested we give her Christina's dummy! I couldn't stop laughing. It's the second year without my dad, Laci, but he is always in my thoughts. Z

Our lounge floor was covered with reams of wrapping paper, piles of brand new toys and what seemed like millions of Christmas crackers. Christina loved playing with the Christmas crackers and it kept us entertained watching her throw them around. There is something so magical about enjoying Christmas through the eyes of a child! G 

Extreme close-up

Just look at those eyelashes - enough said. G 

It's party time in the garden.

Little Miss Personality likes to go into the garden. She especially likes going for the stones we have between the paving stones. We try to discourage it but she is so determined. The other photo in the corner with C&G was taken at Mig's house last week where we went for a braai. 

Get ready, set, go!

Christina has just turned 9 months and has started to crawl. We are very excited about this developmental milestone. The problem now is that nothing is safe from her. She loves going for open doors and the toilet seat, so you always need to be on your guard and close doors.Her top two teeth have also started to come out. She likes to bite everything which is quite cute. Little Miss Personality doesn't like it when you take things away from her. 

Aqua time

Christina had her first swim today. We've had a few days of extremely hot weather and the little one just loves the water. 

Superwoman

Little Christina loves to fly. She opens her mouth and gives the biggest smiles to let you know that she likes it. Everyday is special because as she gets older, she interacts with you more and more. Gill and myself call her "Miss Personality" because she lets you know when she wants something.

What's up doc?

Gillian loves this dummy. When I got home and Gillian showed me the photo's I couldn't stop laughing. I refer to this photo as the Naas Botha shot. 

Christina's Christening

Today was a special day because Christina was christened at St Augustine's Catholic Church (Germiston). Aunty Ilona and myself were christened and confirmed in this church, and therefore having the little one christened in the same church is special. Afterwards we celebrated by having lunch in Broadacres, Fourways. 

Life's a beach!

This was my first day at the beach. It was a bit windy but I still enjoyed the fresh sea air. We came down to the coast to meet my great grandparents. 

Hello world!

Christina is starting to sit upright and wants to put everything she can touch into her mouth. I bought her a plastic fork and spoon set which she loves to suck on. Gillian took this photo today which shows exactly what I'm talking about. She looks so cute and has a good nature. 

Pretty in pink.

Gillian bought this outfit recently and she couldn't wait to put Christina into it. The little ears on the hood look soo cute! This week Christina rolled over onto her stomach for the first time. She is also a lot more aware of objects around her. She likes grabbing things and putting them into her mouth. The problem now is that she really needs to be watched to make sure she doesn't hurt herself. 

I'm back!

It's been a longtime since the website has been updated but so much has happened in this period. Christina is more aware of her surroundings and responds with the most beautiful smiles when Gillian or myself speak to her. She has put on weight and her arms and legs are chubby. I look forward to coming home and interacting with her. I just hope she doesn't get a bad cold this winter. People think I'm a hypochondriac but I try to minimize her exposure to places where there are a large number of people and poor air circulation. I also think the fact that Gillian isn't exposed to other's with colds and flu also helps. Work is hectic but we are looking forward to going to the great grandparents to show them 'little one'. This photo is more than a month old now but it is one of my favourites. 

Winter time!

It's starting to get cold at night. We've pulled out all the winter clothes in preparation for the cold. The only problem is that all the summer clothes won't be used again because by the time summer comes around, she'll be bigger. Christina has also started to become more vocal and smiles a lot. Her little hands like to clutch things especially blankets. 

Baby steps!

For a long time Gillian has wanted a close-up of little Christina's feet. Unfortunately digital cameras struggle to focus on close-ups. This photo was taken with a digital SLR camera at a friend's house on Sunday. The detail is amazing. You just want to eat the little feet! 

Morning has broken....

I took this photo of Christina in the morning while I was making tea. We normally prop her up in the moses basket so that she can see what is going on around her. She is very alert in the morning after a long sleep. However, once the hands and feet start moving around, it's a sign that it's time for food! 

The 6th week

This was an eventful week. Gillian and Christina had their six week appointments with their respective doctors. The collage of photos show Dr Naylor (Gill's obgyn) and Dr Dance (Christina's paedtrician). Baby Christina is now 6 weeks old and weighs 3.6kg. Gillian is happy because her height is well above average. She is now 53cm in length. Baby Christina had her (6 week) injections and she wasn't too happy afterwards but things have got better. 

Christina's first dummy

This is Christina's first dummy. Gillian wanted to wait a while before giving her the dummy, but after 5 weeks I think it was time. The dummy looks very big on her small face. 

The Christina Shuffle

I call this the Christina Shuffle! The facial expressions and movements when she tries to wake up are priceless. Her facial expressions when awake are also amazing. After a good feed she tends to look around and observer her surroundings. All the books we've read said that baby must not always fall asleep in your arms. But its soo difficult not to hold her when all she wants is some human contact. 

Saturday at leisure

The whole week rained and it continued into Saturday. This was great because it gave me a chance to spend the whole day with Christina and watch the Winter Olympics on TV. She really likes to have human contact and sleeps much better. 

Baby's first weigh in

Today was baby Christina's first visit to the clinic. She got her first dose of vaccines and she was also weighed to determine if she has put on some weight after leaving the hospital. These visits will continue every week until 6 weeks. 

Bath time

Little Christina loves to bath. Sometimes she crys a little before the bath but most of the time she is very good. I like to bath her because I'm a lot quicker than Gillian. 

Day 2 at home

Roger and Marie came to visit on Sunday to see little Christina. Its the second day that she has been home and we are still trying to determine her sleep and eating patterns. 

Home time

Day4: It's finally home time. I was a bit scared to put her into the car seat but she didn't even bat an eyelid. The hardest part was filling out all the hospital forms in order to leave. 

And her name is...

We've decided on a name. It was a bit difficult but she looks like a "Christina". She really is a gift from God. 

Gillian likes this photo so she asked me to blog it. The baby is so cute. She's a bit lazy and likes to sleep. I'm off to hospital now because Gillian's stiches are being removed this morning.