Our festive siblings shot for our Christmas card photos has become a tradition over the years. This year was a little harder to try and come up with an idea that could include Jessica. I think this is partly due to the fact that Sophie is now older than Jessica was when she died. In the end, I decided to use the photo of Jessica as an angel in her Reception nativity play again and to dress up Sophie and Thomas as shepherds. We didn’t have a sheep but Sophie’s goat that she had in The Sound of Music was a good substitute!
We’ve used this photo of Jessica before in our Christmas card photo – two years ago, when we recreated a nativity scene with Sophie as Mary and Thomas as baby Jesus.
It was a bit of a late decision to go with the shepherds being visited by the angel theme so we had a very quick trip to the park after school to take the photos before it got dark. I love that Sophie was so willing to have a quick change and head over to the park in a shepherd’s outfit for the photo shoot. I suspect that she won’t be quite so willing in a couple of years’ time, so I’ll make the most of it while I can!
Thomas (2 years 4 months)
- Gets very excited about opening the advent calendars each morning, and always knows which number we are opening that day!
- Likes to climb his sling bookcase to reach the light switch. I think we might have to move the bookcase though as I think the next step will be to use it to get over the stairgate in the doorway of the lounge.
- Is starting to have days when he doesn’t want to nap at all, although this means that he ends up falling asleep around 5pm which makes bedtime more challenging. He will often fall asleep if I take him out for a walk in the buggy around naptime though.
- Has worked out how to pull the steps out in the kitchen so he can reach the fruit bowl and help himself to apples and pears.
- Still loves numbers just as much as ever and can now count to one hundred.
Sophie (7 years 1 month)
- Got a ‘WOW of the Week’ at school being being “an excellent role model for her class”.
- Loved being able to buy little Christmas presents for her friends from my friend’s craft stall at the Chiltern Open Air Museum Christmas weekend.
- Enjoyed taking part in the semi-virtual parade and Christingle service at church. It was so nice to have her go to church in her Girls’ Brigade uniform again and see some of the leaders for the first time since March.
- Is enjoying being back at swimming lessons again.
- Is very excited about Christmas and is counting down the sleeps!
Jessica (forever 6 years 7 months)
- We visited Jessica’s forever bed at the weekend to take the Christmas wreath I made for her.
- Yesterday (14th December) was one of Jessica’s heart days – the ninth anniversary of her having the Norwood procedure. Forever thankful for the wonderful surgeons and medical team who helped give us six and a half years with our beautiful girl.
- We joined in with the worldwide candle lighting with Compassionate Friends on 13th December and lit our candle to remember our beautiful big girl.
