DH is from a big family, I have a very small family. Growing up, we didn't spend Christmases with grandparents/extended relatives etc, we would always have Christmas just with immediate family. DH is the opposite and has a mum who likes the house as full as possible. Both fine.
However, my only real family left is my mum but we aren't hugely close and during my teen years she regularly left me alone over Christmas to spend it with different partners, so I don't feel a huge responsibility to make sure we host her for Christmas now. She does get invited to PIL's though. DH thinks this is perfect because he then gets to have every Christmas at his parents' house and never has to do the alternate family thing that his other siblings/cousins etc do.
I hold a slightly different opinion in that we should still alternate years, so one year he chooses where we go (ILs) and one year I choose. DH isn't against this but he doesn't like that my choice is just to have a small Christmas at home. He did mention that he would be happy to go away somewhere just us though.
This is our first year as parents and I will be 7 months pregnant. I'm not against going away somewhere but it does feel like a lot or organising with a nearly 1 year old and me fairly heavily pregnant. We have animals too that would need arrangements made for them.
Shall I just suck it up and go to ILs? At least then we would have lunch made for us! I don't dislike ILs at all, but everyone does Christmas differently, they eat much later and the food they serve is different to what I have always had. Again, their food is lovely, but sometimes I would like my own comforts like DH gets to have every year! I also just find the whole present thing awkward but I'm probably just weird with that. I just want to spend a day with my husband and child!
Any ideas or suggestions on what we could do? Go to ILs? Stay home? Go away?