Wow MamaPickle - that must be an absolutely crazy time of year for you guys!  Crazy, but fun!

MrsEmma I think it's such a shame that parents to be get those sorts of comments.  I guess some people just don't think.  Recently I have had a few younger people tell me how great they think it is - that has made me feel better! 

My plans are starting to take shape now I think.  Now I just have to hope a few people are prepared to come out on an early Christmas Eve.

It's odd isn't it?!  A baby is a baby and they're pretty great whenever they turn up.  Personally I suspect that as long as you give your child special memories of their brithday and treat it as though it is special to you they are unlikely to hate you for it - but I have been astounded by the number of people who turn around and say 'oh how awful...you know she'll hate you for it later!' - as though I especially picked the day!

Haha Jazzy - funny re the tree.  That sums up his personality completely so reading that made me laugh!  He doesn't care that the children might miss out as long as he doesn't!!

I do like the 10 and a half birthday idea too - I think that is probably the kind of thing we will do later on down the track when parties are a bigger deal.  And the Christmas Eve thing kind of works in my head because she was born at about 1am so she really did only just make it to Christmas day - labour started at 10 minutes to midnight so in my head the two days are kind of special.

Christmas is changing for us this year anyway because I am now a single parent and so I think my plan is that the children will spend Christmas afternoon with their father and his family.  I had thought that this means it is a good time for new traditions anyway - and the chance to try incorporating the birthday too.

As both children are so little I figure I can create traditions now that will be normal as they grow older (bearing in mind I suppose that the whole 'parents who are separated' thing changes things a bit anyway!).   So I'm thinking maybe mini party on Christmas Eve evening after work and things, and then Christmas day have DD's presents pre breakfast and birthday breakfast with just me and the kids and then Christmas presents and lunch with whoever is around in terms of my family, then they will probably go to Daddy for whatever he chooses to do.  This year I will probably incorporate birthday cake into the Christmas Eve thing and see how that goes.  Ex-DH insisted on taking the Christmas tree so I will need to do some thinking around the Christmas side of the celebration too in terms of decorating!  We might have to paint a big Christmas tree on a huge piece of paper and stick it up somewhere!!  Although I'd like to be able to get the tree decorations out too.

I just want the day to be special for both my little people - as well as hoping that DD grows up feeling that her birthday is just as special as everyone else's - so many people have told me how awful it will be for her like it is my fault that she was born on Christmas day. 

My cousins son was born on Christmas day, and he celebrates his birthday in the morning and then goes to Nana's for Santa. He's 11 now and that's how its always been done.

Doing something Christmas Eve is a great idea, Christmas is a Saturday this year a lot of people will still be around and not have gone away. Shops all shut early too so it wouldn't be too hard to get people along to attend.

Dh b'day is the 21st and it works out great, as it means we get to do the b'day / christmas thing with both families without one having to miss out. Dh loves turkey so having an extra christmas lunch/dinner food a week early works fine.

So my daughter has the dubious luck of being born on Christmas day.  Only dubious because everyone else keeps telling me how much she will hate it - personally I think it's kind of special, and certainly the best christmas present I will ever receive.

I have been trying to think of ways to make sure that both Christmas day and her birthday are celebrated and I'm keen to hear of any ideas anyone else has.  I feel quite strongly that her birthday should be celebrated on the day she was born.  When she is older she can decide not to do that if she wishes but at least for now I would feel odd if we celebrated on a different day.

Having said that, I'm thinking that I might do a wee dinner that is for her on Christmas Eve with cake and party food.  I know there will be a limit to the people who can come on Christmas Eve but I thought that then the special people who we wouldn't celebrate Christmas with can be a part of that.

So...ideas please...