Festive times and First words

I have been in a manic, exhausting bubble of work for the Hope semester, which seemed to be slow starting and then go by so very quickly, with still a ton of work to do before the new semester begins in 2 weeks time. Luckily two weeks seem like an eternity at the moment though. We are all off down south to visit the Simmonds zone in Hertfordshire. Having something of a jumping christmas, staying one night with sister Emma, one night with sister Nicola, to a hotel (the lovely Two Brewers in Chipperfield - where we stayed for our wedding) and then on a grand tour of the UK (meandering via Ali's in Wiltshire, hopefully meeting up with Nicola and Lee in Avebury or Stonehenge and up into Shakespeare land to visit Charmaine at her mum's before landing back here for a hermitty new years eve (with Mulled Wine)).
Ms Sienna is a happy little girl. Pottering about, talking her own language and now beginning to speak real words. Such an amazing thing to see. She says nooooooo (very often), Atishoo, Bye, mamma, dadda, noooooooo and night night. she is reinspiring me for christmas! I have shifted from a bah humbug soul who was fatigued with the plastic nature of the season, to feeling very festive and excited, and silly. Made my first christmas cake, and bought far too many things for little one. See photos for Simmonds-Moore christmas silliness!