The year has come to an end at lightning speed and Christmas has crept up and pounced on us all! We've had a busy week opening presents as fast as we can buy them and celebrating with friends.

Lucho is intent on getting through the mountain of presents. Sigh, if only they were all for him!

From the left, Morgan (Lucho's Dad), Me, Lucho, Jill (Lucho's Mum) and Geraldine (Jill's sister).

In Manly with Luke and Honor eating Christmas fish and chips by the beach.

This was Alara's first visit to the beach, first "taste" of fish and chips (that will come with a short delay) but she slept through the lot. She probably woke up a little confused about how the sand got into her nappy...

Merry Christmas everybody!

Wishing you a fun and family filled Christmas and New Year, take care of yourselves and we'll see you in 2008!

...knitting me this shawl to keep me warm and help me look swish when we are out and about. Lucky for her, all her grandies are spaced a year apart so far, time enough to get it done. Take heed family reproducers!

Also featured is an outfit supplied by my Aunty Julz who has kindly entered me into the princess club.

I'm just too cute...are you sure I went home with the right parents?!? Can you check the name tags again?

What is the legal age for babysitting again? She'll be right ma, Lucho looks pretty adept at this holding business, there's not too much to it really is there?

We are superstars you know...

A man must have a BBQ. Lucky for me, Sami chose the model without the jet fueled hotplate that can also fly, mow the lawn and change the oil in the car.

A dreamy grin. We owe Mr Gas for keeping our Alara amused.

Ma Ma went home this week, but we will see her again in a few days when we head down to the farm for Christmas.

Thanks for all your help Ma Ma!

We do hope that in the future we won't be marking each new face and fart with quite as much fanfare, but for the moment please, let's just indulge...

My bestest buddy Lucho comes to visit. I'm in lurve! But already I am in trouble because I am always "biting and eating" Narellie.

One of my many new faces. I keep on changing so much I need to be re-introduced to mum every morning!

Ma Ma has stayed on to help out for the week so I am saving all my best nappies for her because she just loves to do the washing. But, my absolute favourite thing to do at the moment is to pee all over my Dad every time my nappy gets changed (toilet humour starts from infancy).

A lunch outing to Auburn, the epicentre of Sydney's Turkish community and a good place for Dad's culinary supplies.

Aunty Louie is firmly opposed to the notion of pink saturation so instead we go for council orange. No, I love it my new outfit, so much so I pooed on it this morning.

Hiya!

Doing what I do best with my new friend Milligan and my patchwork blankie, lovely gifts from Biddy Freeman (Thanks!).

Just in case you forgot, this is what I do best at the moment. Mum, Dad and Ma Ma crowd around just waiting for me to wake up all the time. We really need to get them something else to do!

Ma Ma and Pa couldn't get up here fast enough to get their hands on their newest grandie, harvest would have to wait for a day or two! All these grandchildren are just a little inconvenient with their timing so far!

The joys of grandparent-hood, all the fun stuff with none of the sleepless nights!

Pa and Alara

Auntie Louie made the flying visit also to get her fill of Alara.

The old footy line-up. This one's going to the fridge for sure, I smell a tradition starting up...

The first family shot. One can only hope that they'll get better from here.

This is Sami's favourite shot of Alara thus far. Not sure why exactly, might have something to do with a boob, or perhaps he's getting in touch with his inner earth-mother.

Gorgeous hat luv - apparently one size does not fit all!

At 1438 hours on Saturday the 24th of November, our little girl rocked up 10 days early and ready to take on the world. At 6 pounds 10 ounces (3kg) she kept herself trim enough not to cause unnecessary pain to her mother (...didn't work luv) and is a reasonable 48 cm long. While she waited until her mother's exams were done before arriving, she caught us on the hop re names, so was little Ms No Name for a few days while we sorted out the lemons from the list.

Fresh out of the oven, you can be excused if you haven't put your face on yet.

A couple of hours later and we have morphed into thankfully a baby (fears of alien impregnation abated)

This looks a little familiar, same pose as in the 36 week photo shoot, except she's not upside down.

The obligatory post labour picture of mother and child looking as though they just endured 10 rounds in the ring, just the shot to send to the Border Chronicle don't you think?

Dad looking just a little chuffed...or is that a little scared?

Too cute, not done it since so glad the moment was captured.

Daddy's little girl.

Charming angle that I am sure she'll thank us for, but the sling is her Dad's favourite ride, it really works a treat.

No doubt about who she belongs to, wouldn't lose her in a crowd!

Enjoying a solitary moment on her grandmothers Turkish rug.