My First Christmas

I stretch my tiny fingers across his scratchy-scratchy face. It’s so tickly it makes me giggle. He kisses my hand and it’s soft and warm. His face is fuzzy but his eyes shine bright, and I stare into them, loving the way they twinkle at me. 

He carries me outside. The cold hits my face. I cry as it stings and takes my breath away, but he snuggles me in tight to his chest. I feel his beat inside, ba-boom, ba-boom, steady, warm and safe. Maybe I do like the air, the clouds of my breath mixing with his in the dark sky. 

We walk together, I bounce along, the lights are twinkling all around, blurry shiny colours, tiny explosions in the darkness. They mesmerise me. 

But my tummy hurts now. It’s uncomfortable. I cry and let them know. She takes me in her arms, and I smell my milk, her skin, my safe place. My belly fills and I gaze at her face, my fingers tangling in her hair. She smiles and makes the soft noises that I like. 

It’s getting colder and my eyes feel heavy. I wiggle and scrunch; I don’t know what I need. 

He wraps my cold fingers in his big hands. He makes the warm noises as he bounces me. The noises go up and down, high and low, rumbling throug

h my bones, soothing my muscles. She joins in and the lovely sounds make my eyes keep closing, in and out of the sparkly lights. The warm, the beat, the voices, the dark. They hold me, they soothe me, and I fall asleep to the ancient songs, wrapped in their love. They are everything I need. My perfect first Christmas.  

At WILD, we know that these moments of warmth and connection are what truly matter for babies and young children. Our festive giving sessions are joyful, but gifts can never replace the security of loving arms and familiar voices. Everything we do is about strengthening relationships and creating a sense of belonging—because for every child, their parents are the most precious gift of all.