A special day for our family

On Saturday, we had our son christened at my husband's family's Catholic Church. I'm not religious at all - a choice I've made rather than being someone who just doesn't know what they believe - but it meant a lot to my husband so we decided on having the service for Ethan to celebrate his arrival into the world and our extended families.

We chose three of our closest friends to be Ethan's godparents. They are all thoughtful, kind, fun people who each have something different to offer our son as he grows up. Bex is the mother hen of our group with the biggest heart you know and a fair, kind-spirited nature; she'll be a great guide for Ethan as he grows up. Lindsay has a huge sense of duty and always wants to get things 100% right, putting others before herself but she also knows how to enjoy life; she's bound to be someone Ethan can talk to about girls if he's too embarrassed to talk to me! John is laid back but in a good way, has the patience of a saint and will be someone Ethan can talk to about football as me and his dad haven't got a clue.

Together with around 30 of our nearest and dearest, we had a simple service at the church followed by a garden party at our house. The most important thing for me was to have everyone together, which hasn't happened to such an extent since we got married almost three years ago. With friends travelling from Durham and Yorkshire, my sister-in-law and her fiance flying back from France a day early and my parents driving up from my hometown in Hampshire, the most important people in our lives and in Ethan's gathered for a good ol' knees up.

I'd spent the whole week getting the house ready for our guests and I spent a lot of time making sure everything would be just right - who knows what lengths I'll go to when it's Ethan's first birthday! Hubs put up a gazebo in the garden and my mum took care of the catering. We had some special bunting made just for the occasion and a rainbow cake that was dangerously full of E numbers but delicious all the same.

Ethan's godparents all prepared a special reading for the ceremony and had all bought him some very thoughtful presents. In fact, he was very lucky indeed on this front with so many beautiful gifts, from money boxes (four of them to be exact!) to silver engraved cutlery, wooden toys and picture frames.

After most of the family had left early in the evening, some of our best friends stayed behind and while Ethan slept in his bouncer chair we enjoyed some music, drinks and did a spot of dancing in the lounge until midnight.

Ethan was as good as gold all day, sleeping through the church service (save for when the priest put water on his head!) and our antics didn't wake him. In fact, he slept the longest he ever has, from 8.30am until 7am, so he must have been worn out from all the fun.

It was so nice to have everyone at our house, celebrating Ethan together and we're incredibly grateful to have so many special people in our and our son's lives. Now to spend this week recovering from such a wonderful weekend...