First, let me say...hey, Tina & Kerri!!
To the poster who just had a baby on the 7th...my son was 10 on December 7th and we have always found that his birthday doesn't tend to get looked over because of the holidays. It seems like it's enough time in advance that people aren't yet overly stressed with Christmas mania. He generally has a party on his birthday or within a day or two. I am almost positive that he has never gotten a combo gift or a gift in Christmas wrap from anyone. Maybe his seems far enough out from Christmas, though, because of my daughter's bday (read on)?
I thought about not doing the tree until after his birthday to differentiate it, but then...my daughter will be 9 ON Christmas Day, and we can't wait until after hers to put the tree up!
What I hate most about her 12/25 birthdate is that she doesn't have her own special day. Christmas is special for EVERYONE and sure, it makes her unique to have the day as her birthday, but I think she'd love it more if she had a random day any time near Christmas that was her own day, ya know? As it is now, we try to do a party as close to her bday as we can. Last year we did the 29th, this year it was the 18th-19th (slumber party). She takes birthday treats to school before Christmas break and she gets to choose dinner some time the week after Christmas (can be something at home or out). It's slightly more complicated with us because I am divorced and because Xmas is a holiday AND her bday, she has to spend some time with her dad then too. So, fitting it all in can be hard. But, she wakes up to balloons, streamers, a birthday banner, cake and presents on her birthday. We stop the Christmas celebration in the middle at the big family get together and sing to her and let her blow out candles. She gets distinct separate birthday gifts. I had a migraine on December 19th when I was pregnant with her and the dr. sent me to the ER with preeclampsia fears (I'd had it with my son and his birth was a result of an induction because of preeclampsia.). In the end, we were sent home, but every year, I can't help but wonder how different it could be for her if she'd been born that day. Or, the 29th...I was scheduled for a routine induction on the 29th because my dr. was on call. But, of course, I didn't make it until then. There's a huge part of me that wishes she would've held out for that day too, so it'd be her own. Finally, her due date was January 4th and to me, it seems light years away from Christmas, so that she would indeed have her own day. Sigh. Ah well, we spoil her rotten and she's extremely excited right now...just 3 days until she's 9 and 3 days until Santa!
