Christmas cheer

Well, what a week we have had!  Me and Jens started to feel better the day before we left for England but the girls were still suffering from diarrhoea and not eating properly.  But we decided to risk the journey anyway.  I hardly slept as I was so nervous but as always, my girls never cease to surprise and amaze me and we had a fantastic, fun flight to England, via Dusseldorf (with no dirty nappies).

We had a three hour wait and so found a delicious Italian restaurant where the girls polished off a kiddies spag bol and me and Jens enjoyed the first meal since getting sick.

The virus we had was a horrible one, but we were convinced we were no longer contagious.

36 hours after arriving Grandma Brown was sick, then day by day the exact same virus played out before our eyes. We had planned a traditional Swedish Christmas Eve, which was super fun but poor Grandma spent most of it sleeping on the sofa; with intervals of waking up to see her little Gingerbread girl Eva and Santa Emilia.  They were adorable.

Grandad Brown dressed up as Father Christmas and gave the girls’ their presents.  Eva got scared

but Emilia found an instant new best friend.

Christmas Day was a treat and the girls enjoyed opening their presents.

Grandma, the trooper that she is, kept her spirits as high as she could.  I knew how terrible she felt and so we looked her after her as best we could.

As soon as Emilia got over the virus she caught Eva’s cold which as always developed into a nasty, heart wrenching cough that disturbed her sleep.  Both twins are fine now and we have all been given the privilege of one whole nights sleep in the 10 days we have been here.

I am sitting in the local pub, drinking a pint of Guinness with my lovely husband sitting across from me.  My Mum is making a re-run of Christmas dinner, one that she will be able to enjoy.  The girls are taking their nap and re-charging their batteries for an afternoon of walking practise.  Eva took her first step yesterday and she wants to walk around all the time now with help.  Emilia is coming on well too!  Grandma and Grandad Brown treated them to their first pair of Clark's shoes yesterday.  They had their feet measured like proper big girls.  One of those milestones that gives me a sense of pure inner joy.
  

Two days left until we go back to Sweden.  I keep trying to imagine what it is going to be like when we get home as the dynamics in my family have changed yet again, leaving me doubting my abilities as a twin Mummy.  But I am determined to live in the now and not let the fears of the future creep in.   The things I worry about never materialise anyway, so what is the point?