On the 18th day of December…..a memorable Christmas Gift

For today’s daily December Christmas blog post (yes, I have already done SEVENTEEN – where have you been?) I want to share a most memorable Christmas so I am also taking part in {Sincerely From Me To You} for the first time.

This is also my Show and Tell for There’s No Place Like Home – I have never shared these precious first photos before.

This day 11 years ago (1997) I was in hospital in Belfast at 36 weeks pregnant with my first baby suffering from pre-eclampsia.

Our obstetrician Consultant told us he recommended that our baby was delivered by cesarean section the following morning. He said we could wait another day or two at most, but although the baby was not due until 21st January, he definitely needed to deliver me sooner, and if we proceeded then we could both be home for Christmas.

Whilst as a first time mum the thought of labour terrified me, a cesarean section was even more scary.

I remember lying in the ward that night listening to the radio and two songs came on. The first was the Christmas song “When a child is born”, and the other was in the charts at the time “Baby, can I hold you tonight”. I lay there feeling surreal about the prospect that within 12 hours I would be a mum, and would meet my baby.

When our eldest daughter was born, and 1.01pm on 19 December 2007 she weighed 7lb 2oz, and although 4 weeks premature, did not need any additional medical attention. She lay there with her eyes wide open, staring intently at me.

Both these photos were taken within minutes of her birth.

I had a rough night and proceeding day with my blood pressure remaining high, and was quite sedated. I would be vaguely aware of a baby crying, and would ask the nurse “Is that my baby?” Next thing I know, I am conscious again, and I am breastfeeding with the help of a mid-wife! I dozed off in the main ward, and woke up again in a side room, and our minister was chatting with my husband!

We were declared ready to discharge on Christmas Eve, and so had that first traumatic jouney home with our daughter lost in her snow-suit and car seat. I remember little of Christmas Eve night, but there was little sleep. On Christmas morning, our first visitor, after Santa, was our local mid-wife!

I will never forget the image of our daughter in her car seat, sitting by the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

Scanner is not behaving, so I have attempted to photograph some of the photos.

And here she is today, still a precious gift.

I made this layout for a new photo frame which was chosen to match her made-over bedroom. That was what she asked for this year – new bedding, curtians, desk chair etc. and a digi-layout to match the decor!

For more {Sincerely From Me To You} visit We are That Family
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27 Comments

  2. I’m so glad everything worked out for you and your daughter! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a wide awake newborn before.

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  3. Awww, she looks like a little mush ball by the tree! My oldest was like that on her first Christmas too! 🙂

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  4. We share the same birthday! Tell her I said Happy Birthday!

    Love the picture under the tree! What a gift.

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  5. What a sweet story, thanks for sharing. It sounds like it was better she did not go to term. She would have been huge. I had a friend who had to have an emergency c-section last January with twins and they were both quite big. She also had a hard time getting the blood pressure back down.

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  7. I can’t believe how wide open her eyes were that young – how precious! So glad all turned out so well.

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  9. Wow, what an amazing story! She is beautiful, both then and now.
    And for being 4 weeks early, she was a surprisingly big baby!

    Thank you so much for stopping by my blog…it’s always so much fun to meet new friends, especially from other parts of the world!

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  11. What a lovely story and that photo is wonderful! Thank you for commenting on my blog yesterday. You inquired about what they sell at the English store, they sell a lot of British food products, chocolate, chips, canned goods, frozen meat pies etc. It’s a great store but very expensive!

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  15. What a beautiful story! And how beautiful your daughter is now almost all grown up. My first child, Olivia, was also born prematurely at 6 weeks early and it’s amazing to see how well they can do! Thanks for sharing, enjoy your special Christmas with your special memories!!!

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  16. I had a Christmas baby as well that year, only she wasn’t a preemie and weighed in at 8 lbs 8 oz. We too came home on Christmas eve-an hour’s drive from the city where she was born back to our small town, with a wet snow falling. I sat in the back seat with her while dh drove and dd wasn’t comfy in her seat either.

    Merry Christmas-and happy birthday to our daughters, too!!!

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  18. What a wonderful Christmas Story! You have a lovely daughter! She’s your special Christmas Gift!

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  21. What a beautiful girl!
    It’s amazing what you can do if you have to isn’t? And live to tell the tale!

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  22. What a precious baby…she really does look so completely wide-eyed and alert for being just born!
    Thank you for sharing these precious photos and the story with such a happy ending!
    ~Tammy (Lattes and Lollipops)

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  25. I love your daughter sitting under the tree! And, I know exactly what you mean about the ride in the car seat. All lumped down in the seat…where is she??? Been there, done that, except mine was a boy :O). Great post.

    You are always welcome at The Shadow of the Cross. Feel free to visit anytime.

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  27. That is a great story and now is the perfect time to be remembering it. Thx for sharing and Merry Xmas to you and yours.

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