The service was on Sunday morning at the church where M& I got married. We had a good crowd gathered including local friends and relatives and those who had flown in from Ireland and Germany. We were also really pleased to see friends who we had not seen in a long time: G&N who are expecting! And the Cannons, who have two more mini-Cannons than they did the last time we saw them!

The service was really great, very relaxed. Father Pat got many of the other children involved,

thanks to M's cousin C, and my cousin J

thanks to D & E, and to G and M

you all did a super job!

Aunty M is Fidget's godmother

Uncle A did the reading for us

Fidget did get a bit more grumpy than she might usually be with so many new things to look at,

so I walked her around between her various calls to centre stage.

She cheered up when she got something to do, like have water splashed on her (she even had a little drink of it)

She also enjoyed having a little walk around, having a special bib put on her and saying a prayer with Father Pat

After the service we went to a nearby pub and enjoyed some food (and the previously mentioned balloons).

Fidget eventually found it all a bit much and had a well deserved kip...

Thanks to Aunty B for taking most of these pictures, M's cousin E also did a sterling paparazi job and hopefully we will soon have those pictures to share with you.

Been a busy long weekend away for Fidget's christening! It feels a bit late in the evening to be telling the whole exciting story but I thought I would get started with the first installment...

We headed up to Hull on Friday morning, M found the long drive quite tiring so Fidget took over for a while.

We arrived and started blowing up balloons for the christening on Sunday, we finally remembered that we had not taken the Friday photo, so we had some balloon fun!

On Saturday we headed over the bridge with a car full of Team Challis and balloons! At least Fidget and M were comfortable in the front. The balloons were delivered, then we headed to see M's family and had a nice morning chatting, eating biscuits and playing boggle. In the afternoon we headed back south of the river for dinner with J & N and their kids: G, M & baby R who we had not met before.

Shown below are Fidget, uncle A, aunty B and little G...

You were generally very kind in your responses to the poll, though unfortunately it looks like the "Ha Ha nos" might be the ones who got it right.

Fidget has got into a habit of waking for a feed at about 1 or 2am, which is all fine in itself, the problem is that she is still (from before Christmas) struggling to go back to sleep on her own, and for the past few weeks has cried until about 4:30 am. I am averaging about 4-5hrs sleep a night and making up the rest with battenburgs.

Fidget of course can make up her sleep wherever and whenever she pleases....

(thanks to Mush for the picture)

Preparations are almost there for Fidget's christening. We received her gown today, the lady who made it asked for some photos for her website of Fidget in the gown, so that will be her first modeling job. Here is a sneak preveiw... of some shots that may not make the cut...

Granny and Grandpa are visiting this weekend, Grandpa is helping with finishing off the floor and skirting.

M made a pot chicken, which Fidget had a mushed up portion of and enjoyed it very much - her first meat!

Later she tried some yoghurt and avacado, but that was less successful...

It's snowing!!!Fidget's first snow... we had a quick wander about outside, she didn't seem too fussed about it really, not like her mama!!

Mush and mini-Mush kindly picked us up to take us to baby-gym this afternoon. All Fidget's baby friends are sitting up!! They all looked so cute, and so much bigger, than the little babies they all were when Fidget and I first met them.

Fidget is 26 weeks old today...

Fidget would like to thank aunty M and (other) uncle A for the lovely books (and audio CD and toiletries) - ta!

The weather down here is horrible, very wet and very windy, and since M had an altercation with a flying bin and my car yesterday, Fidget and are are somewhat marooned and looking forward to the weekend!

Back to our social whirl today, with breastfeeding support this morning and then to see Mush and Mini-Mush in the afternoon.

When we got home, I put Fidget down on her mat on her back and went to get some squash, this is what I found when I came back into the room...

M's last day of holiday today, he made us trifle...yum!

Fidget has been practicing her frisbee moves...

sidearm...

inside thumb-flick

flipper

and a hammer!

go Fidget!!!! You are a legend!!!

and an update on sitting...

Fidget is 25 weeks old today...

Fidget would like to thank Uncle A and Aunty B for the clacky dinosaur and to Granny and Grandpa for the book.

Hopefully you can see from some of the photos above, just how Fidget's sitting skills are coming on day by day. This morning M made cherry pancakes, and Fidget was having a great time sitting in her chair and playing with a new Christmas book.

M and I very much enjoyed the pancakes, then Fidget enjoyed some baby rice...

Fidget then enjoyed some butternut squash this afternoon...

It went down better than the parsnip, though Fidget did insist on smearing half of it on her face.

I have been a bit lax in updating you on what has been going on in the house. We have been doing a lot of tidying and so we now have our dining table in place and the dining room cleared of most junk, M has hung our funky retro light. The room requires a bit of finessing and there are cabinets to put up properly, but it is starting to get there.

Also this afternoon we had a quick jaunt out to the garden centre and picked up some pots and plants for around the front door, it was quite dark by the time I took the piccy, but it does look really nice!

Fidget rolled over this morning from her back to her front, which has been the missing piece in the puzzle of her bid for world domination, (well she may also benefit from walking and being able to open doors, but it is a start). There are no photos or vids of this as it is something that takes a while to happen, and then is over in a flash, but we may see more as she becomes more practiced.

Second try of the parsnip today, and it is as we thought - Fidget does not like it! Even letting her squidge her hands in it, in the hope they would then be put in her mouth, did not work - "parents...do you think I am stupid or something?". Only 14 more tries to go until it is ruled out! We might try her on something else tomorrow though, as M has been cooking up butternut squash and carrot.

Fidget tried parsnip today...

I think we will have to persevere with this one!

I also think...new year new poll, so just to record the results of the last poll for posterity...

I think you all made a good choice and that she looked lovely on Christmas day - ta.

Happy New Year!!

Forgot to add yesterday, thank you to the sponsors of Fidget's new years eve outfit.... thanks to Granny and Grandpa for the lovely shirt and to Jim, Sue and James for the leggings (and the top and tights - all lovely colours).

A quiet new years day, bit of pottering, walk round the park, few naps, and Fidget now onto two meals a day - bit of baby rice for breakfast and swede for lunch.

Last night our intention was to see in the new year as we meant to go on with an early night and some quality zzzzz's, unfortunately it was not to be, and it was Fidget's most disturbed night yet. I don't think the "end of the world" firework display surrounding our house helped much, but I think it was more that she doesn't want us to get our hopes up. Maybe by 2009 we can look forward to some sleep.