Holly is going to be an auntie!

Big news today is that Holly is going to be an auntie, or more importantly, Margaret and I will have our first grandchild in 2015.

As someone who wasn't planned and who didn't plan any of his children, it's good to see that my children are carrying on this tradition. I don't have anything against planned babies - it makes absolute sense - but there's something right about the baby that just turns up out of the blue.

Tom and Lucy have known that she was pregnant for a little while now, but have been waiting until the 12-week scan to let everyone know. That happened today at Lewisham hospital and the birth date is predicted for mid-July - a Cancerian, just like its father and paternal grandfather.

Sam has known for a few weeks, he guessed when he saw that Lucy wasn't drinking, and Margaret also claims that she knew because Lucy had a good appetite and went to bed early over Christmas.

I guess I will be grandfather and Carlos will be abuelo, although I think I'd prefer to be called 'grappa' than grandfather.

I don't know if I'm having a grandson or a granddaughter; I don't know if he or she will be a redhead, but I would bet money that they grow up to be taller than their mother.

Well, this will be an exciting year!

My grandchild - aged 12 weeks

Footnote: The 20-week scan has now happened and we know that Lucy is having a baby girl. I didn't know the sex of any of my children before they were born, so this is something of a novelty. Tom and Lucy have been thinking of names. Lucy likes Henrietta (which would be shortened to Hattie or Hetty), Tom has suggested Julia (for a July baby) and there's also Luisa (from Lucy's grandmother, who was 99 this year).