The Little Things

The poor forgotten middle child

2010-02-23T14:13:00.004+10:00

I'm slack. I've been meaning to do this post for ages but with all the happenings here I just haven't got around to it.

Ryan's first day of school was a raging success. There were none of the tears that I had anticipated, from either of us. He was so ready for a new challenge and seems to have grown up overnight, the only tell-tale sign that he is still our little boy is his oversized uniform.

I'm glad he has settled well and is enjoying his new adventure but I do miss having him at home with me. He was such good company.

One perfect day

2010-02-02T13:15:00.000+10:00

At my 36 week antenatal appointment with Dr K, we yet again discussed how on earth we'd get this baby out of me. A scan at 30 weeks showed the baby to be slightly above average and Dr K had made it clear from the outset that she was reluctant to allow me to go to term, given the fuzziness of why I failed to progress during labour with Matthew. It sounded like a good deal to me - I just wanted a live, healthy baby.

I mentioned that I'd had a few episodes of regular contractions over the last couple of weeks so K performed an internal and declared me 4-5cm dilated already and predicted I'd be having this baby sooner rather than later anyway. My major concern at this point was going into labour during the first week of school. I badly wanted to be around to see Ryan's first day so we discussed the risk vs benefits of inducing me at 37 weeks and locked the date in.

On Wednesday 20 January, T & I arrive at the hospital at 7am. We are introduced to our lovely student midwife, Renee and shown to our room. Renee peformed all the usual checks and then wheeled in my least favourite piece of medical equipment, the CTG machine. I grit my teeth through what I know will the first of many sessions and try to come up with a plan to avoid being continously monitored, although I don't like my chances. After 20 minutes, I'm allowed to come off it and we then begin the wait for Dr K to rupture my membranes.

She arrives right on 8.30am and we barely get the pleasantries out of the way before I am bustled on the bed and the ARM is underway. K tells me I'm now 6cm dilated and almost completely effaced. My waters are broken and before K can even remove her hand, she asks me if I'm contracting already. I mumble that I think so although I am in disbelief that it would be that simple to kickstart labour. I was expecting it to take much longer. I am sent straight to the birth suite and K decides that she will hang around the hospital for a while instead of heading back up to her rooms, which are thankfully only 500m up the road.

8.50am. We get settled in the birth suite. K comes to check on me and I tell her that I'm having noticeable contractions now at regular intervals and assure her that although I can feel a great deal of pressure, I am not feeling pushy. At this stage I am still not convinced that this is anything different to the contractions I have been feeling at various times in the weeks leading up to this day, so I convince her to go back to her patients. She leaves, but not before reminding Renee to get the CTG hooked up. I groan inwardly but consent and plan to head to the shower after giving them a decent trace and hope by that stage the monitoring is forgotten.

9.10am. The contractions have more bite to them at this point although they are still manageable. I alternate between sitting on the fitball and standing while leaning on the bed and swaying. Renee patiently squats in an awkward position attempting to keep the CTG in place as I keep dislodging it with every movement. It is distracting but she is doing her best not to interfere so I let it go. I alternate between focusing on the baby's heartrate on the monitor and timing my contractions on the clock because I don't know where else to look but find myself forgetting what time the pain started before it has finished so have to delegate that job to Tom. He informs me they are about 2 minutes apart. It's at this point I decide I need to have something else to focus on and since the contractions are building in intensity, I ask for the gas. At this point, my recollection of the day starts to get fuzzy, although I'm not sure if it is the introduction of the gas that does it or the fact that it coincides with the beginning of transition. I tell Tom that from this point on I am not going to be terribly coherent and (I think) I apologise in advance for being mean to him. I'm thirsty so Tom pours me a drink of water but I can only look at it vaguely and ask him how he expects me to be able to drink it. I must manage it somehow because I tell him to keep them coming.

In all this I have lost track of Renee but suddenly become aware that there is unfamiliar person in the room, standing slightly behind me with Renee mumbling about the CTG machine. The new person says that the babys heartbeat has dropped and become erratic and they want to email the trace to K. I focus on them long enough to hear that it could mean that our baby is in distress or has just simply moved down further into my pelvis and is being squished with each contraction. They go and Tom and I are left alone to digest this news and I am positive they are getting ready to prep me for surgery.

9.50am? Suddenly, I feel increased pressure and say that I'm feeling pushy. I want someone to reassure me that it's all okay but I don't want Tom to leave me to find that someone. I decide I need to be kneeling and get Tom to fiddle with the bed until the back is completely upright and I am in the process of climbing up on it but the cords from the CTG are hampering my movement. I hiss "get these fucking things off me" just as my obstetrician arrives back in the room and brightly chirps "Right, it's time to get this baby out!". I groan again at the anticipation of what's to come.

K tells me with the next contraction, I need to start pushing. Although I am feeling pushy, I don't want to try. It hurts and I want the gas back but I know they've turned it off and it's of no use anymore. I muster up the courage and give it a try but back down. K tells me (again, in that ludicrously cheery voice) "that wasn't much of a contraction!", I tell her it's still going and everyone is encouraging me to push. I am sure I have hours of this left and don't think I can do it. I tell them I can't and am sharply reprimanded by K, who of course tells me I can. I rally and decide to give it a shot but can't remember what I am supposed to do. K moves my hands under my thighs and Tom helps me bend my head forward and I push effectively for the first time. I feel the baby move down further and know that that the only way to end the pain is to keep pushing. So I do it, I keep pushing and know I am swearing loudly and wish I could stop but it has gone beyond that now. The CTG cords are again getting in the way and I feel them being removed and for a brief moment think I am free - I open my eyes briefly and see K organising the Fetal Scalp Monitor and badly want to object but cannot find the words to do so. I am still not convinced that birth is imminent and am considering asking her to caesar me, when K tells me to stop pushing and pant. It is only at this point it occurs to me that I am merely seconds away from holding our baby and it gives me the strength I need to keep going. I feel the sting of his head passing through and the sweet relief as his body slips effortlessly out. He is passed to me, purple and screaming and the pain instantly stops. He smells earthy and is covered in blood, vernix and god knows what else but I am instantly in love with this angry little man and I welcome him to the mad-house that is our family.

Catch up

2010-01-28T09:45:00.006+10:00

It's been a busy few months here at The Shack. Not only did we have the threatened premature labour to contend with, we've also been otherwise occupied with school holidays, a herniated disc and subsequent surgery on NYE, a big boy starting Grade 2, a small boy starting Prep and a teeny weeny boy starting out in life.

Meet Miles:

Born 20.01.2010 at 37 wks, weighing 3310gm (7lb 5oz), 50.5cm long & 33cm head (for those of you interested in such things).

He's sleeping and feeding beautifully and generally a very contented little chap but does tend to object loudly to any sort of nudity. Strange really, when all the other males in this house seem to embrace it.

30 weeks, 3 days

2009-12-12T10:40:00.007+10:00

Here's a quick rundown of events that happened just over 3 weeks ago. I wrote it on my iPhone while bored in hospital so excuse the short sentences, errors and lack of detail. It was just a way to pass the time more than anything but it is nice to have a record.

It's funny how things can change so quickly. Wednesday last week I was visiting my OB and we were both feeling really positive about how well I was holding up, even discussing what we'd do when I hit 38 weeks. Exactly 1 week later I find myself stuck in a hospital bed. I should have known at that point i'd jinxed myself.

Thursday I woke up with a fever and really sore pelvis. Not achy as such but loose and uncomfortable. I managed to go about the day without too many dramas but noticed by late in the evening I had started to feel very irregular crampy type pains. They continued throughout the night, getting progressively stronger however I'd decided to employ my trademark head in the sand approach & refused to actually time them. By 3.30am my fever had returned with a vengence; I was incredibly cold and shivery and coupled with the pains, I could barely move. I think I'd decided at that point that I'd be making a hospital trip at some point on Friday but I was holding on to the grim hope that things would be looking better by morning. Alas not. At 6am I decided I needed a hot shower which helped slightly and I headed to the lounge chair in the hopes of catching some sleep in between contractions. Between 6am & 8am the pains were coming every 5 minutes but still at this point, I couldn't bring myself to move.

Eventually I decided we couldn't put it off any longer and I vaguely considered packing a hospital bag before eventually deciding that it wouldn't be required. You really would have thought I'd have learnt by now...

My OB was waiting for me and once it was confirmed that I was definitely in labour, there was much discussion about what to actually do with me. Clearly they weren't equipped to deal with a 30 weeker so a transfer to Brisbane was on the cards but on the other hand nobody wanted to deal with a birth on the side of the road. The fetal fibronectin test came back negative and my first VE of the day showed I was starting to dilate and tear through my cervical stitch, but not enough at that point to make any rash moves. Steriods & Nefidipene were given and I was sent a bed on the ward while we waited to hear back from either the RBWH or Mater in Brisbane to see what action they wanted to take, but in the meantime I had to be closely monitored to make sure the situation didn't change too rapidly. I'd barely hobbled up on the bed in my room when I subjected to another frigging VE, which showed I'd hit 3cm and the stitch had to come out. So back to the birth suite I went where my OB decided that she'd remove the stitch and deliver asap to prevent a roadside delivery. Everyone donned their serious faces and made themselves busy while T & I quietly freaked out about how the day was turning out. Before much else could happen, the amubulance arrived and I was loaded on, accompanied by a midwife and very stressed looking paediatrician who made me promise emphatically that I wouldn't deliver en route.

We made it to the Mater with no dramatic events although my contractions were still 2.5 minutes apart for the whole journey. On arrival I was poked and prodded some more, hooked back up to the CTG machine and given more Nifedipine and basically just monitored for the next 4 hours. The contractions by this stage had slowed down quite a bit so I was allowed to move up to the ward and await the arrival of my next dreaded steriod injection at midnight.

By morning I was feeling pretty good. I'd had barely any contractions overnight and I was allowed to have my cannula removed and all medications ceased. Such a wonderful feeling. I was told however to make myself comfortable for a long stay as they weren't quite sure when they'd let me go home and it was likely I'd be kept in until 34 weeks when I could finally transfer back to my local hopsital, if I hadn't already delivered. We were even sent to do a tour of the NICU in preparation. I was crushed - I just wanted out.

Clearly though, I am no longer in hospital and am back at home gestating away. I was discharged 6 days later when it was becoming obvious that nothing interesting was happening and am allowed to deliver at my local hospital. I've made it through Christmas (thank God, I was dreading the thought of a Christmas baby) and am now 33.5 weeks. Ryan was born at 33.2 so I've offically nailed my goal. Happy, happy days.

Baby Love

2009-11-05T16:19:00.001+10:00

Ryan communicates with the baby by getting me to open my mouth and yelling down my throat.

"My name is Ryan, baby! You can come out now!"

Chirp chirp

2009-11-04T10:14:00.005+10:00

Excuse me a minute while I clear away the crickets and I'll be right with you...

Right. That's better. So, how are you both? lol Surprisingly, all is well in my world. I guess I should start at the top and break it down in to small bits so I don't miss anything.

Me
26w 1 day today and all still looking good. I'm eagerly awaiting the magical 28 week mark when I think I will finally exhale properly for the first time in 6.5 months. Of course I'd rather see 35+ but beggars can't be choosers now, can they? Still haven't exactly worked out where this child will be sleeping when it makes an appearance or what we will call it so may need to pull my head out of the sand about all that shortly.

Matthew
Only 5 & a bit weeks left of Grade 1. Eek. This time last year I was positively giddy with the anticipation of him leaving his vague, idiotic Prep teacher behind - this year, I am tinged with sadness. He has had the most wonderful teacher this year. She has been firm & consistant, yet kind and empathetic at the same time. She shows a genuine interest in all her students and never fails to reward them for a job well done. Matthew has flourished under her care and enjoyed school so much more this year. He also has a wonderful class of friends as well. Last year he teamed up with a couple of boys who completely managed to erode the small amount of self confidence he did have about himself but thankfully with the help of some lovely friends this year, he seems much happier in himself.

I'm scared of what Grade 2 has in store for him. I hope it is another positive year.

Ryan
Ryan continues to challenge and exhaust me yet I fall more in love with him everyday. He's lucky he has that award winning smile - I'm convinced it's some sort of inbuilt survival mechanism. Lately he's shown a keen interest in learning to write so we've run with that but lucky for him that school is just a few short months away. He claims to want to play rugby next year, which surprises me as he's never expressed any interest to participate in anything that his brother wasn't already doing. We'll see how it goes - if nothing else, the local union club will be grateful for our donation of registration fees I guess.

My lovely husband
T is working hard picking up the slack for his unemployed wife, for which will be forever grateful. He seems genuinely happy at the end of his working day now, which is a relief after being plagued with a string of bosses over the last few years who failed to notice & appreciate his hard work. I've put the pressure on him a bit to do as much travelling as he can during November so that I can be certain he will be nearby in case of any early arrivals so I suspect I've only added to his pre-christmas stress. I do love you, dearest - thank you. xx

I'm not sure if it's the pregnancy hormones but at a time when usually we are just gearing up for the Christmas chaos, this year I'm beginning to feel the pressure easing already and am looking forward to it all as I hope we can just slow down and enjoy doing nothing over the break. I plan to spend as much time as I can with my little family of 4 - just *being*, instead of *doing* for a change. Life is about to get far more hectic & busy in 2010 and I need to remind myself to try to slow down and live in the now.

2010

2009-09-27T16:21:00.007+10:00

It occured to me today that my baby will start school in just 4 short months. We received an information pack from the school the other day and will be told who his teacher will be in early December. I'm not ready.

He seems so much younger than Matthew. Matthew was 5.5 years old when he started - Ryan will only be 4y 10months. Plus he's little. The size 6 shirts swim on him, which makes him look even more adorable. I am predicting tears on the first day, from both of us, which didn't happen on his brother's first day. Matthew spent most of his toddler & pre-school years in daycare whereas Ryan has had far more one-on-on time with me at home. I've recently discovered that his best friend from daycare will be going to the same school as him so we've tried to arrange that the boys will be placed in the same class, although there are no guarantees.

And for our part at home here, we are going to help with the transition to big school by very helpfully having another baby. We've carefully planned it so that it is due to arrive in the first few weeks of the school year - perhaps if we are really lucky we could aim for the first day. Wouldn't that be nice?

We broke the news to the boys the other day - Matthew immediately stated he hoped for a boy (twins if possible) so that they could finally play TMNT without having to imagine the extra two participants. Ryan was fairly unfazed about the whole situation, probably because he has no idea what he is in for. The only thing that seemed to really ruffle him was Matthew explaining exactly how the baby was likely to find it's way out into the real world - Ryan immediately saw how ludicrous that situation would be (and rightly so, I say) and assumed that we were taking the piss. He hates being the butt of the joke (pardon the pun).

So there you go. The first few months of 2010 are likely to be busy and exciting times here at The Shack. Fingers crossed both events go smoothly...

(P.S - I have been sporadically blogging about this pregnancy but just not posting. Feel free to read all related posts here.)

Halfway

2009-09-27T15:48:00.009+10:00

Meet *blast of trumpets please*... Fergus III:

Once again, I'm a little late in writing this post. We had our 20 week scan done just over a week ago and since then I've been terribly busy with school holidays, eating cake and cleaning the house from all the mother fucking dust storms that keep appearing. It's been lots of fun.

Anyway, the scan went surprisingly well. For whatever reason I was pretty nervous about it all. I guess because up to this point everything has progressed without any major hiccups and as we all know there is no such thing as a free lunch. I'm pleased to report that the sonographer didn't even slip up with a mention of the gender so we are still blissfully unaware of the sex.

I'm still predicting boy, for the simple reason that I just can't imagine myself the mother of a girl. It seems so surreal. On the other hand, this pregnancy has been completely different to Matthew & Ryan's - I was definitely sicker in the first few weeks, my cravings have changed (I haven't once wondered just what raspberry cordial and milk would taste like this time around...) and orange juice just isn't doing it for me at all - so perhaps it could be a girl. Anyway, I care not. Healthy & full term would suit me just fine.

Sadly the photo above is the best the sonographer could do. It had it's face pressed firmly up against the placenta and wasn't moving for love or money. Makes it look kind of evil. My placenta is also anterior so that would explain why I didn't feel movements until nearly 19 weeks - the good news is that it is up nice & high so at this stage still on track for another VBAC.

Next stop - 24 weeks.

Sweet relief

2009-08-26T12:27:00.003+10:00

16.1 - and we still have a heartbeat, together with a very active little fetus (or is that foetus? I never know...) So our first major milestone of 15 weeks has been reached. My lovely OB has set me a new goal of 20 weeks and she appears to be rather amused by my pessimistic attitude to booking appointments too far in advance. She asked me today if I booked in at the hospital, to which I could only snort in reply. Hell, I haven't even booked my morphology scan in yet.

A stitch in time

2009-08-18T13:43:00.004+10:00

Corny, hey? But true all the same. It was just in time - my cervix was about 1cm dilated when my OB put the stitch in, so I guess that explains the nasty pains I was having leading up to it.

Looking back now, the whole procedure went quite well although at the time, I felt emotionally and physically fucked. Normally I tolerate general anaesthethics quite well and love nothing better than a good hospital stay. What's not to love? The endless uninterrupted TV viewing, peace and quite to complete a crossword, food delivered to your bed (I'm a product of 5 years at boarding school. I actually like the taste of bland, mass produced institutional food - it's comforting) and every so often someone comes around and shoots me full of morphine.

This time however, there was no morphine to take the edge off. Only panadol, which is not quite the same. And I felt shakey and unsettled, fidgety and very anxious. I seriously considered discharging myself as I had a strong urge to be at home, in the comfort of my own bed surrounded by my own possessions. My cannula was badly sited and becoming quite painful and it took a great deal of self control not to remove the bloody thing myself. Eventually, I managed to convince myself that I needed to be there so my OB could do another scan the next morning to make sure we still had a heartbeat and I did manage to get a decent nights rest, which surprised me a great deal.

It's been 4 days since the stitch was inserted and only now can I say that I'm feeling far more human than I was and much less fragile. I can feel the stitch, it's not uncomfortable or painful in anyway but I definitely am aware that it is in. If I stand up too quickly, or sneeze/cough, I can feel a gentle tug so my mind is never far away from it.

I'm still second guessing every little twinge or niggle that I feel and am terrified that miscarriage is imminent but I think I'm slowly learning to relax a little bit and take one day at a time. I've not had anymore cramping or acheyness, which is very reassuring. Long may it continue. 15.1 weeks today. Yay me.

Scared

2009-08-13T08:11:00.006+10:00

Lots of women in second (& subsequent) pregnancies tend to forget how far along they are as they are busy dealing with exisiting children and the demands of everyday life. I am not one of them. I know exactly how far I am (14w 2d today, thank you very much.) and how much further I have to go.

I am rapidly approaching the dreaded 15 week mark - the point where we lost our last baby and I'm scared. I have been terribly anxious about this date and for a while there thought all was going so well. That we might just actually make it. That was until dead on 14 weeks, I started having a nasty heavy (and if I want to be completely honest) possibly achey feeling low down in my pelvis. Thankfully though, I've not had any other signs of impending miscarriage - no bleeding, no contractions, no discharge.

I am booked for a cervical stitch tomorrow. I just pray I can hang on long enough to see that through or at very least be well and truly under a general anaesthetic before it all goes pearshaped. I couldn't bear to relive the nightmare of a 2nd trimester miscarriage again.

I got nutthin'

2009-08-04T11:24:00.004+10:00

I've tried, I really have but I just can't find anything interesting to blog about.

Weekends lately around here have consisted solely of shed building and catering lunches for the extra 6 or so helpers we've had, which doesn't exactly leave a lot of time for fun.

Sunday was actually the first time we've left the house as a family in months. Matthew heard from his PE teacher at school that the Brisbane Roar were having a Fun Day, so we trundled off to that since the weather has been so lovely. It was a really lovely day and thankfully the crowds weren't too out of control.

So there you go, exciting stuff huh?

You gotta see the baby...

2009-08-03T12:55:00.007+10:00

12 weeks, 6 days. Proof that there actually something in there and I'm not vomiting my life away for no reason at all. How lovely.

School holidays - Day two and I already want to kill myself.

2009-06-30T13:41:00.006+10:00

We've been patching Matthew's left eye, on his Opthalmologists instructions. It's not going well. He can't see a fucking thing out of his right eye with his left one patched and so far, I have not been able to come up with one single activity he can actually see enough do to while away the hours.

My heart is breaking for him. And please - don't post telling me the good Lord above wouldn't give me more than I can handle, because sometimes he just fucking well does.

...cast off!

2009-06-30T13:22:00.004+10:00

Waiting patiently to be called...

One final photo of his cast for prosperity.

The saga is finally over. Last Tuesday Matthew went back in to hospital to have the wires removed from his elbow and his cast removed for good. It was a really long day. His surgeon had called to tell us he wouldn't be taken to surgery until at least 12pm but of course the hospital still wanted us there by 7am for admission. Luckily Matthew was allowed to have breakfast at 6am - he didn't end up going to theatre until nearly 1.30pm. The poor little bloke was starving. He's normally pretty patient and tolerant of inconveniences like that but it really was starting to take its toll on both of us.

The surgery went well. He was only under for about 40 minutes but it took a long time once we was back on the ward to wake up and get moving. We didn't end up getting home until well after 7pm that night. It was a long day and one I think he is glad is now behind him. He can move his arm well now and there isn't any pain but he still can't straighten it right out. His surgeon says he will do so in his own time. For now, he is pleased to be back riding his bike but has assured me tree climbing is off the agenda. Good man...

"Ugly" fabric

2009-06-22T12:21:00.004+10:00

A few weeks ago Helen had a giveaway to rid her stash of some fabrics she didn't like anymore - I believe she went so far as to call them ugly. Of course, I couldn't go past the opportunity to fill my sewing cupboard with more fabric I'll probably never use, I entered- and won. Yay!

Helen's lovely package arrived today and amazingly enough, I actually found some stuff that would complement some of my exisiting stash quite nicely. (I'm not actually sure what that says about stash but anyway...). Thanks again Helen (and Ryan thanks you for the Freddo. It didn't last long!). You've boosted my quota of girly patterns too. I don't have many of them enter the house with two boys. :)

Opthalmologist # 4 & Rhuematologist

2009-06-18T13:12:00.002+10:00

Matthew had his review on Tuesday with both his Opthalmologist and his Rheumatologist.

Rheumatologist

Brilliant results. Matty currently isn’t showing signs of swelling, warmth or pain in any joints at all. He’s got a good range of movement in all his joints although the muscles on the back of his thigh (hamstring, I think – Dr Jenn will be sure to correct me if I’m wrong…) are still a bit tight but hopefully the stretching he does at TKD will help. Or he could just be like his parents and not particularly flexible. Even in my most active & sporty days, I don’t ever recall not be able to touch my toes as being a problem.

Anyway, this news thrilled me. It will be the first winter since 2005 that he has been pain free. Amazing stuff and long may it continue.

Follow up – 6 months (15 December)

Opthalmologist

Left eye -6/6 (perfect), cataract stable Right eye - 6/12 good, but not great.

This is so frustrating. No matter what we do, we just can’t seem to get fantastic vision from his right eye. I don’t actually ever notice that he has a vision problem – when he is using both eyes he compensates remarkably well and there isn’t much he can’t see, but when his right eye is isolated, it is obvious that there is a problem.

There is now no reason he shouldn’t be getting better vision from that eye and Dr D thinks perhaps his left eye is over compensating, which means his right eye is becoming slack. Sooo, back to patching the left eye over the school holidays to force the right back in to action. Matthew is not a happy camper. He hates this game immensely and I completely understand why.

It’s going to be a miserable couple of weeks. :(

Follow up- 6 weeks (28 July).

Cast on...

2009-06-01T18:29:00.004+10:00

and back to school tomorrow!

Broken wing

2009-05-28T07:16:00.005+10:00

My poor boy has broken his arm. He fell out of a tree he was climbing at school on Monday morning. He did a spectacular job of it - the red circle on xray below shows the bit that is broken. It should be over in the space where the blue arrow is pointing.

Thankfully I was just at home when the school called me. I got there quickly and asked them to call the ambulance for him. There was no way in the world I'd have been able to move him, he was in too much pain. He was so brave - I can only imagine how much it would have hurt and how scared he would have been but he did nothing more than a bit of a cry when the pain got too bad.

The ambulance took him straight to the hospital while I raced Ryan home to stay with Tom's parents (who incidently deserve a medal for all the times they have come to our rescue lately). When I got to the hospital, Matthew was still holding it all together. I thought going by himself in the ambulance may have freaked him out a bit but he was fine. After they did the x-ray they warmed me that he would be taken to surgery to have it repaired. I was thrilled to hear that the orthapeadic surgeon was they same surgeon who did FIL's hip replacement last October - he is a great doctor and a lovely bloke to boot. Matthew had actually met him in the past so that helped a lot to ease the fear.

Matty finally made it to surgery at about 4.30pm. He is now sporting a couple of pins in his elbow to hold it all together and will need another anaesthetic in a few weeks time to remove the pins once his arm has healed. For now, he is wearing a blackslab and will have his proper fibreglass cast put on next Monday. I think he's looking forward to the kids at school being able to sign it.

Here he is in the emergency room, looking fairly unhappy. Note the unnatural point of his elbow. Ugh.

Sleeping peacefully after surgery.

He hasn't been in too much pain since he has been home. He was very tired and worn out the first day but is now just going about things with surprising ease.

Kids are amazing - and you in particular young man, are the bravest of them all. xx

Flooding

2009-05-21T13:23:00.004+10:00

Yesterday was a bit scary. We had such heavy rain on Tuesday night that by 8am on Wednesday morning the water was already lapping at the side of the road on the roads near our house.

By lunchtime, it hadn't let up and I was starting to get pretty worried about whether or not I would make it home that night. Ryan's daycare centre is in a bit of a pocket - the suburb has the Brisbane River on one side and only one major road in (with one other minor, flood prone road). I rang his daycare centre about 3.00pm who told me that the major road had been cut. I left work about 3.30pm in a complete flap, worried about how the hell I'd ever get to my son and hoping that the rumour I'd heard about letting 4wd's through would be true.

Traffic was at a stand still most of the way - it took me 45 minutes to move roughly 300metres. At one point I had Tom's sister driving up the Ipswich Motorway, Tom's parents coming from Toowoomba & me heading through the western suburbs to see which one of us would make it to the kids first.

This photo shows the point the road was cut off. I'm not sure what time it was taken but thankfully by the time I got there most of the water had dispersed and 4wd's were being let through - although it was starting to rain quite heavily again and I'm sure wouldn't have taken long to flood again.

We ended up getting home shortly before 7pm. A trip that normally takes me 40 minutes stretched out to over 3 hours.

Luckily The Shack withstood the weather and we had no dramas with damage whatsoever. The backyard is pretty well submerged though and will no doubt take a few days to drain away.

Hi there, remember me?

2009-05-16T13:52:00.006+10:00

Wow, you know you've been neglecting your blog when even your husband starts making sarcastic comments. Sorry for the delay, friends and neighbours (yeah, all three of you...lol) - I'll try to make more of an effort.

So, first things first - Matthew's follow up Opthalmologist appointment.

Finally, we got some good news. The long month of removing and inserting his lens paid off - the fluid was right down. Unfortunately we didn't get an accurate measure of his vision in that eye as his lens wasn't in but from what we could tell, it seemed to be much better than in previous visits. Fingers crossed anyway. Medications will stay the same (unfortunately) for another 5 weeks, just to make sure that the fluid has settled.

Follow-up appointment 16 June.

~~~

Next to Ryan. On Friday Ry had his visit to hospital to have his teeth dramas sorted. I made the trek in alone as Tom had to get Matthew off to school. The day went as well as it ever can when you have to watch your child have a general anaesthetic. Surely that has to be up there as one of lifes most distressing events. Tom had the task of being with Matthew when he had his surgery, so this was all new to me and it's not an experience I wish to repeat anytime in the near future. About 30 minutes in to his procedure, the dentist called me from theatre to tell me that he'd done x-rays of Ryan's front damaged tooth and found a small dark spot that could either be:

a). a possible infection starting; or
b). just general damage to the nerve which means he may lose his tooth earlier than normal.

The choice I had to make was whether to extract the tooth while he was under a GA to eliminate any future problems or leave it alone and take the chance that the spot may not be an infection. Given that I'm not exactly reknown for my decision-making abilities at the best of times, I wasn't sure which way to go. I had to quickly ring Tom to see what he thought and after much deliberation, we decided against the extraction. Ryan's dentist did make it clear he was happy to go either way but I've been beating myself up about it since. Should we have removed it just to be on the safe side & avoid having to have another GA? I don't know. If I had longer to think about it I may have chosen to extract but I can't be certain. Argh, this parenting gig is tough sometimes - I felt like someone had asked me if they could lop off one of his legs.

Anyway... Have some photos. Here he is in recovery munching on sandwiches, ice cream, jelly & lemonade. He thought the lemonade part was just fantastic. Cute.

So anyway, as if the day wasn't harrowing enough for his poor parents, the good Lord above decided to throw in a dose of croup as well, just for shits and giggles no doubt. Now, this house hasn't been without a fresh bottle of Redipred since 2003 yet somehow he managed to pick a night where I was needing to get a new script filled. He was quite bad too, I guess being intubated didn't help at all and for a while there I thought we would be heading back to the hospital. We managed to get through the worst of it by sitting in the bathroom with the shower running and then pulling the humidifier out of retirement but it was quite hairy for a while there. I'm well armed for tonight - I have more drugs than you can poke sticks at.

Opthalmologist appt #3

2009-04-14T11:05:00.003+10:00

I've missed an appointment somewhere. Just to recap, after not so great news in January Matthew had a follow up appointment in February, which was a bit of a non-event. The fluid in his eye was down a little bit so we were keep meds the same, to be reviewed in April, which leads me to today's appointment.

Left eye -6/6 (perfect), cataract stable
Right eye - 6/36 Not good, that's only the second line of the eye chart. A scan showed there is still fluid on his retina.

Meds: Dr D wants to trial a stronger topical steriod for his right eye for the next four weeks. All his other medication will stay the same. The new drop will have to go in 4 times a day and his contact lens will have to be removed each time. Oh, he's just going to love that news...

Medication:
Flucon - ceased
Prednefrin Forte - 4x per day, right eye
Homatropine - One drop every 2nd day both eyes
Redipred - 1ml every 2nd day
Methotrexate - 10mg per week
Naprosyn - 250mg per day
Folate - 50mg per day

Follow up 4 weeks (12 May 2009)

Making progress

2009-04-13T15:43:00.004+10:00

Look what my clever husband built me. Isn't he handy?

Much better than the old fence, I think. Not as likely to kill someone in a strong wind...

Not only that, he went above and beyond the call of duty by building me a gate down the side of the house which increases the size of our backyard by another 3x10-ish metres. Happy boys and dogs (well, they would be if it would stop raining long enough for them to get out there and use it).

Now we just need to find someone willing to put in a swimming pool so we can steal their excess dirt to fill up the ditch that runs along the fence. With that done, we should gain another metre of our land back.

Prematurity,the gift that keeps on giving

2009-03-27T13:19:00.007+10:00

A few weeks ago, Ryan elegantly lept off the lounge chair and managed to land squarely on his front right top tooth - a skillful maneuvere if I do say so myself. We've watched it over the last couple of weeks change from bright white to a nice off white before it decided to settle on a fetching shade of grey. I'd also noticed that one of his back teeth had something resembling what my untrained eye thought to be a hole. Obviously a trip to the dentist was in order.

The general dentist we see caught sight of his front tooth and decided that we'd need to add a Peadiatric Dentist to our ever expanding list of specialists. Fantastic. The PD took one look in Ryan's mouth and quickly ran in to another room to order that BMW he's had his on eye on for a while (well, not really but I'm sure he did it as soon as we'd left...) The official diagnosis is yes, it is a hole - Ry apparently has a weak spot on his molars, most likely caused by his prematurity.

So now I need to make an appointment for him to have a general anaesthetic to have his cavity filled, his 3 other molars "sealed" to prevent them developing holes and possibly, depending on how much worse his front tooth is in 6 weeks time, root canal on his damaged front tooth.

I hope the tooth fairy reimburses us substantially when the time comes because God knows our health insurance isn't being all that generous.

And another year passes...

2009-03-23T13:20:00.004+10:00

The smallest boy turned 4 on Saturday and we celebrated in true Ryan style - no fuss & very matter of factly.

(His official cake was a rocket but I'm too scared post a picture of it in case it features as this months disaster on CakeWrecks)

I suppose I should take a moment to reflect on what life has been like since he made his dramatic arrival. In a word, he is cheeky. He has the most amazing sense of humour and loves nothing more than a bloody good joke (preferably practical). He is quick to anger but thankfully, quick to recover although he is reknown for moodswings that until now I'd only seen in hormonal 14 year old girls. He is currently living vicariously through Matthew at school and soaking up information like a walking sponge - it is seriously amazing how much he has learnt just by observing, even when he isn't obviously paying attention. He is extremely quick-witted and has a comeback for every occasion, just has to have the last word. He's rough & wriggly, dirty & sweaty and loud & impatient. He's also cuddly & sweet and loves his family fiercely. He compliments Matthew perfectly and I hope they will be great friends for many years to come.

Matthew's questions

2009-03-20T06:53:00.004+10:00

1. What is something mum always says to you?
Matt: I'm nice
Ry: not going to say it.

2. What makes mum happy?
Matt: Me doing the right thing
Ry: I'm not going to say it.

3. What makes mum sad?
Matt: When I am doing the wrong thing
Ry: I said, I'm not going to say it! {insert massive just-woken-up tantrum here}

4. How does your mum make you laugh?
By tickling me

5. What was your mum like as a child?
I can't really answer that one because I don't know it.

6. How old is your mum?
31

7. How tall is your mum?
10 metres

8. What is her favourite thing to do?
going to Dreamworld

9. What does your mum do when you're not around?
play games with Ryan

10. If your mum becomes famous, what will it be for?
Singing (WTF?? Bless him anyway)

11. What is your mum really good at?
Washing

12. What is your mum not very good at?
Playing computers

13. What does your mum do for her job?
Ummmm, I don't know what you do.

14. What is your mum's favourite food?
Lasagne

15. What makes you proud of your mum?
Getting me a good toy on my birthday (nice try, buddy)

16. If your mum were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Mr Tickle

17. What do you and your mum do together?
Have a little chat on the way home from school

18. How are you and your mum the same?
We both like eating passionfruit

19. How are you and your mum different?
I'm smaller & she's bigger.

20. How do you know your mum loves you?
By hugging me

22. Where is your mum's favourite place to go?
The zoo

If only it was always that easy

2009-03-18T13:42:00.006+10:00

Isn't it funny the way things just sort themselves out? Only yesterday I was whinging to various people about how there were just no jobs out there. This morning, I found one online that was right up my alley. I literally spent 5 minutes applying for it while I was waiting for the boys to finish packing their bags this morning and by 10.30am, I was offered the job. I was still not out of my pajamas. Hey, I'm nothing if not productive... ;p I'm going down tomorrow to work out what hours suit best; he has offered me school hours with the ability to come and go as I please, so long as the work is done. Can't beat that, right?

Chatting to Ryan

2009-03-11T20:31:00.004+10:00

In the car on the way home from daycare this afternoon:-

Me: How was kindy today?
Ryan: Not good. Jack just hit me on the back.
Me, with my best sympathetic tone: Ohhhh. That's not nice. It's not nice to hit your friends, is it? Do you ever hit anyone?
Ryan: No!
Me: But sometimes you hit Matthew when you are angry with him, don't you?
Ryan: {silence}... I don't want to talk about Matthew.

Statistic

2009-03-03T12:21:00.003+10:00

Sorry, I've been rather well... absent from here lately, haven't I? You probably think it's because I've been off going glamorous things like holidaying or re-tiling the roof but in reality I've just been sitting around drinking a lot a coffee. I've thought about posting a lot but couldn't bring myself to actually do it.

Things have been rather stressful here at The Shack lately. Matthew has been unwell, Ryan attempted some DIY dental work when he launched off a lounge chair and I was made redundant at work with less than 4 days notice.

I've never had trouble finding work in the past but then again, the world wasn't in economic crisis when I was doing so either. There are a couple of jobs out there that I intend to apply for but sadly, I suspect that the many other Queenslanders that have been laid off this month will have the same idea.

Thank god for little boys...

2009-02-09T13:28:00.002+10:00

...that disobey their mothers and deliberately rat around in places they have been told to stay out of.

If it wasn't for Ryan up-ending the box of old birthday cards that I was going to throw out, I would never have found Matthew's birthday money ($80 worth, if you please!) that I had hidden. I'd been looking for that money for 18 months...

Grade One

2009-01-27T15:48:00.008+10:00

First day of Grade One was a big success. He apparently made lots of new friends, helped the new boy find the toilets, learnt sight words, made an Australian flag (he's dictacting here, by the way..) and counted to 108.

They also drew pictures of their family. Please do note my fetching orange skirt:

The first line apparently says "My little brother is small". Ryan is not amused.

17 hours...

2009-01-13T14:41:00.008+10:00

before my holiday ends and I'm back at work. Dear God 4 weeks goes quickly when you are having fun. T has also been off all this time so we've actually managed to spend the time with the kids productively, rather than just bludging around the house. I can probably count on one hand the days we had at home - mostly we were out & about having fun. We kids were probably bundled in to bed in the clothes they spent the day in a few too many times but that's what holidays are all about, right? We did a day trip to Somerset, the beach (both north & south coasts), Montville & Maleny, had a round of mini golf, spent time playing games in The Parlour & learning to balance spinning plates in The Circus to name just a few.

Out to dinner with the lads.

Gadding about the city

An inpromptu stop at Kilcoy for lunch after Ryan decided car sickness was back in Vogue.

In Montville, smelling very much like vomit.

Golden Beach, Caloundra

K-9 Flyers Frisbee dogs

Appointment #1 - Opthalmologist

2009-01-12T19:07:00.002+10:00

I had hoped that 2009 would be a year of fantastic news, instead we've been dealt a blow first up. Results of his latest eye exam are:

Left eye– 6/6 (perfect vision!)
Right eye – 6/24 (dismal)

This result from his right eye really floored me. I was keen to see how well he was going after his last appointment as he'd gone very well with his lens these last few weeks. He has worn it almost non-stop and it seemed so settled. I wasn't quite expecting 6/6 vision but I had hoped for pretty close. 6/24 is barely the third top line on the eye chart.

Dr D was also stumped and after examining him thoroughly, discovered Matthew is retaining fluid at the back of his eye. Again. This isn't the first time - almost 12 months ago he experienced the same problem after we dropped his steriod dose and he recovered quickly once the steriods were increased. The problem this time is that his dosage hasn't changed since that last increase. She has now doubled his dose of Redipred and we now cross our fingers and hope. If this intensive burst of oral steriods doesn't work, he will need steriod injections in his eye.

Meds- Drops unchanged. Naprosyn unchanged. Redipred - 2ml for one week, 1.5ml for one week, 1ml for one week.
Follow up – 3 weeks.

He rides

2009-01-09T18:58:00.005+10:00

Teaching Matthew to ride a bike was one of the hardest, most frustrating & nerve wracking experiences of my life. There were days when that bloody bike threatened to tear the very fabric of our family to pieces and we all came home in foul moods, grumpy from the heat, frustration & skinned knees. But today we watched him ride around the path at the river and down the slope (that only yesterday afternoon had him in a panic) and discovered that it was also one of the most gratifying and rewarding experiences as well. Definitely a proud parent moment.

Well done, Boy. xx

I have no imagination

2008-12-28T09:38:00.002+10:00

Please feel free to join in, I won't bother tagging you. Just bold the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited The Great Barrier Reef. Better than that, I used to live there.
5. Stood under the stars in the outback, the real outback – think Uluru. Not Uluru, but definitely outback.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to the Gold Coast’s theme parks – anyone, you take your pick.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sung a solo. Good god, NO!
11. Bungee jumped, jumped out of plane, been paragliding or hang-gliding, hot air ballooning – you get the idea, you’ve been hundreds of metres about earth in a seemingly flimsy contraption. Does the Giant Drop at Dreamworld count??
12. Visited Melbourne.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Had a child. Raised a child. Worked with children.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Been to the Snowy Mountains.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Visited the Brett Whitely studio in Surry Hills, Sydney.
20. Slept on an overnight train or bus.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Been backpacking.
23. Taken a mental health day.
24. Been buried in sand with just your head and toes sticking out.
25. Held a possum, kangaroo or koala – or any other native Australian animal.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Been in a fun run.
28. Been on the Blue Mountain cableway.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Played, or watched, summer cricket.
32. Sailed, kayaked or canoed our beautiful waterways.
33. Seen the Daintree.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Visited an Aboriginal settlement or mission.
36. Learned a new language. Well, part thereof, I guess.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Toured the Sydney Opera House.
39. Tried rock climbing (indoor or outdoor), abseiling or just simple bush walking.
40. Visit Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art.
41. Been to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
42. Sunbaked at Bondi.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Broome.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. Twice now. Eek.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone fishing.
49. Seen Tasmania’s old growth forests.
50. Been to the top of Q1, on the Gold Coast. - Keep meaning to, haven't got there yet...
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Driven the Great Ocean Road.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Norfolk Island.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Guide biscuits.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone jet boating. Jet skiing?
66. Visited Port Arthur.
67. Bounced a cheque.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favourite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Australian War Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Federation Square.
74. Been on the Murray River.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Travelled, or climbed, over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Three Sisters at Echo Point, Katoomba.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited St Mary’s Cathedral, in Sydney.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Been to Hermannsburg.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited Parliament House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Not singlehandly, I've helped though.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury. I keep turning JD down - I really should do it one day.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Saved a pet.
95. Been to the site of the Eureka Stockade.
96. Swum in The Whitsundays.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a mobile phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Christmas dinner

2008-12-24T18:01:00.003+10:00

The very lovely Jodie has suggested I come out of lurkerdom and share my Christmas Dinner plans with you all. Since I really have nothing better to write about, I accept the challenge. Prepare to be green wiv jellisy. No, really.

Christmas day this year will see us rise at dawn's first light to rip apart Santa's loot. We'll then partake of some ham, eggs & strong coffee before attempting to dress the children and cram them in the car to the IL's house.

There we shall eat exotic nibblies such as rum balls, malt balls, chips, nuts, various dips and lollies until lunch is served. Lunch is generally roast pork, turkey, ham, standard roast vege & salads, with trifle, pavolova & mocha tiramisu (made by moi) for dessert. We are skipping the pudding this year. Rebels.

T has just returned home now with a carton of Crown & some pink sparkly things for me, so that's a good sign. I'm off to partake of one. Merry Christmas to you all. I hope Santa is kind.

Rheumatologist appointment

2008-12-18T11:54:00.004+10:00

Wow - 6 months goes so fast.

Matthew's appointment went very well, which we expected. It's been a long time since Matthew has complained of any pain or stiffness and we've not noticed any swelling or warmth from his joints. Dr J can't find any sign of joint inflammation either and Matthew still has good range of movement from all his joints.

His ankles are rolling in quite significantly though, which Dr J doesn't believe to be a major issue. When I questioned it, he did say I could see a podiatrist if I wanted and they would no doubt prescribe some orthotics for him but am reluctant to do so at this point. He is already very aware that he has limitations and resents the addition of the contact lens to his life - I'm not sure I can bring myself to saddle him with another reason to feel different.

Next follow-up - June 2009.

At least it wasn't me this time.

2008-12-09T06:40:00.004+10:00

3.36am - Matthew comes screaming in to our bedroom and dives on top of me. He is almost hysterical and rigid with fear.

Matt: There's something in the kitchen!
Me: Shhhh baby, it's okay...
Matt: *high pitched scream* It's in here now! It's touching my back!
Me: No buddy, that's Dads hand.
Matt: Arrggghhhhhhhhhhhh!

Sigh...Looks like T's getting a mattress on the floor next to him now too.

Stoopid parenting decisions.

2008-12-05T12:43:00.001+10:00

Some months ago, in an attempt to gain another 1.5 hours sleep a night, I made a decision I’m now living to regret. After the boys had gone to bed for the night, I took our small and rather innocuous looking oil heater into their room and set it on low, assuming that Ryan was waking at the crack of dawn because he was cold. When I woke naturally at 6am, I immediately hailed my cunning plan a success. No small children in my bed! Huzzah! I went to check on them, only to find my little Ry huddled in the furthest corner of his bed, shaking with fear. He was terrified of the clicking noise the heater was making as it cooled down & warmed up again. I have no idea how long he’d been in that state but I hope with all my heart it wasn’t long.

Because I am extremely daft & refuse to learn from my errors, I repeated the whole fiasco the following night. Mistake number 2.

I appear to have ruined the child for life. He is convinced that the heater crept in of its own accord in the middle of night and switched itself on. I’ve tried to tell him that I moved it in there but he is adamant that I didn’t. According to him, the heater sleeps in the lounge room during the day and at night, if it hears a noise, it wakes up. Its lights come on and it wheels itself around the house. I can see why he’s petrified – I’m beginning to feel a little freaked out myself.

Anyway, the months have gone on – he’s still not sleeping in his room & the mattress on the floor next to my bed is starting to look like a permanent fixture. The heater was happily living in the lounge room and nobody was paying it any attention at all. Life was rosy (well, rosy-ish) yet suddenly Ryan has started noticing it again & the paranoia set in. This is where I make mistake number 3.

I told him I’d take the bloody thing up to the shed and that’d fix it once and for all. Except I got lazy. It was raining and I didn’t feel like padding up the boggy yard with it so I crammed in the back of my wardrobe. The kids rarely go in there so I thought I’d get away with it, at least temporarily. Little did I know the kids had earmarked that very spot for a new cubby house…

So now he thinks it’s crept down from the shed and is hiding in my cupboard. I should just start directing my weekly wage straight to his therapist, shouldn’t I?

Creative people - I need your help

2008-11-22T18:46:00.001+10:00

I have half a yard of each of these gorgeous fabrics. What should I do with them? I have a few thoughts but want to hear what you would do. Inspire me, please...

Dreamworld

2008-11-22T07:01:00.007+10:00

Yesterday we met up with some wonderful friends from Townsville who are down this way on holiday and took the kids to Dreamworld for the day. We haven't seen them since we left almost 3 years ago, so the catch up was long overdue.

We had such a great day, the weather was perfect (a pleasant break from the horrific storms and flooding we've been having), crowds - not too bad. Very pleased we snuck our day in before school holidays starts.

The big boys, wrestling crocs.

This lizard ("goanna" as they insisted on calling it) kept them amused for ages.

Ryan, with his Bear Foot Biscuit.

The obligatory pose in front of The Wiggles house.

Big boys on the Spongebob ride.

Matthew & Ryan making their big escape.

One knackered little boy.

Giveaway at Old Red Barn Co.

2008-11-13T14:40:00.002+10:00

Are these not three of the most spectacular quilts you have ever seen? Old Red Barn Co is giving us a chance to win one, simply by leaving her a comment. I’m sad to say I’ll not be entering a video as I am technologically challenged (to say the least) but fingers crossed I get lucky anyway.

Now friends and neighbours, feel free to enter but consider yourself warned. I shall be rather snippy if you win and I don’t.

Fencing update

2008-11-10T14:39:00.007+10:00

I've had a couple of people make polite inquiries in to the state of our spectacular fence.

So for all your interested parties, here she is today in all her glory:

(Do please ignore the palettes - they will be made into framework for concrete very shortly. I hope anyway...)

The old girl seems to be a fair bit more rickety than my last photo, doesnt' she? The recent hailstorm we had was not kind to her at all. Would anyone like to make a small wager on how much worse it can possibly get before it's replaced?

Disco Fever

2008-10-25T16:24:00.003+10:00

Matthew had his second ever school disco last night. The first one he spent sitting on my lap, complaining that the music was too loud, the lights were too bright and the kids were too, well many. I believe we may have even left early...

This time though, I watched him get told to stop dancing on the stage with the DJ's and discovered he knows how to do the Macarena. Who is this kid?

Another tag

2008-10-24T13:12:00.003+10:00

Tagged by the Mother of All Ships.

1. Where is your cell phone? Currently in my handbag, under my desk.
2. Where is your significant other? At work I believe (and if I find out otherwise...grrr)
3. Your hair colour? Blondey / browny. Ever so attractive.
4. Your mother? Is starting to decline and is very set in her ways. Lays the guilt on thick.
5. Your father? Dresses badly, has a moustache and talks to freaking everyone. Likes to tell embarrassing stories about his children.
6. Your favorite thing? At the moment, my kitchen.
7. Your dream last night? I don't think I slept long enough to dream last night. All I can remember is changing the smallest boys sheets because he refused to go to the toilet before bed.
8. Your dream/goal? Ditto to Mothership. "To live to see my children grow into happy and healthy adults."
9. The room you're in? I'm at work in our delightful office.
10. Your hobby? I like to sew.
11. Your fear? Surviving my children.
12. Where do you want to be in six years? A lot richer than I am today.
13. Where were you last night? At home, doing domestic stuff.
14. What you’re not? Able to complete a task from start to finish.
15. One of your wish list items? A bigger house.
16. Where you grew up? Canberra.
17. The last thing you did? Went to Medicare on my lunch break. I like to live dangerously.
18. What are you wearing? Brown skirt, black shirt & attractive black cardi. It's cold in here.
19. Your TV? Is not a plasma, much to T's disgust. It's also on way more than necessary.
20. Your pet? Two girl dogs - Bundy & Ollie. (waiting for the comments to start...)
21. Your computer? Is probably infested with viruses but I love her anyway.
22. Your mood? Will be much better come 5pm.
23. Missing someone? My 3 boys.
24. Your car? Toyota Prado. Outside, semi-clean. Inside - disgusting.
25. Something you’re not wearing? Make up.
26. Favorite store? Ikea at the moment.
27. Your summer? Will be spent in the air cond. I wish we had a pool.
28. Love someone? See question 23.
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? About 20 minutes ago.
31. Last time you cried? Matthew's very first school concert.

Opthalmologist appointment - October

2008-10-16T15:15:00.000+10:00

I’m four days late with this post but I’m sure you all know how that old chestnut goes.

Left eye – cataract still stable (nothing short of a miracle)
Right eye – stable
General sight – 6/12 Right eye, 6/9+1 Left eye (down from last quarter)
Meds- no change
Follow up – 12 weeks (12 January 2009)

This is an absolutely brilliant result. Last visit the opthal reduced the topical steroids Matthew has been on in an attempt to begin weaning him off them altogether. The steroids are such a catch-22 situation. They are controlling his inflammation wonderfully but one of the side effects of long term steroid use, is co-incidentally, cataracts. It would almost be funny, if of course I could bring myself to laugh about it that is. For such a long time we’d kept the recipe the same because that cataract in his left eye was remaining stable, which is the goal but it was suspected that this dramatic reduction of meds would shake things up a little. It didn’t. It is truly unbelievable. Now, if only we can keep this pattern going for another 2 years…

The only downside of this visit was the small slip in his eyesight. We’ve not had a good three months, contact lens wise. Matthew had lots of infections and his lens has just generally been unsettled and irritable. We’ve been back to his optometrist, who claims that the lens is fine so why it has been such a drama lately still remains a mystery. Hopefully, with a bit of perseverance (and maybe just a little bit of bribery) we can push on with it and overcome the hassles. How fabulous would it be to see (ha!) 6/6 vision in the New Year?

Renovations - stage 2

2008-10-14T09:30:00.004+10:00

And so it begins again. Retaining walls are being toppled to make way for a ramp to enable us to finally put the shed up. I am particularly excited about this phase as it means I will soon be the proud owner of my very own shed. No longer are sheds the exclusive domain of the man of the house. I can store all manor of crap up there without impeding on his territory. So happy.

It also means the old kitchen will be removed from it's temporary home right outside my back door.

Simone

2008-10-12T14:21:00.003+10:00

I presume I would have been about 7 when I saw my tooth fairy in the flesh for the first time. I was grocery shopping with my mother and when we got to the check-out, we were served by a young girl whose name tag indentified her as "Simone". I remember thinking she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen and imediately decided she must have been a fairy - more specifically, my tooth fairy.

Tonight I am going to make my debut as the Tooth Fairy. I only hope I look half as good in my Woolworths uniform as Simone did...

Essential Gadgets

2008-10-12T13:51:00.004+10:00

So our new kitchen is finally in and I am just in love. So far, it functions perfectly, has room for all our stuff & looks about a million times better than the old one. I guess I could have been waiting a long time for faded grey, chipped laminate to come back in fashion. ;)

Anyway, here's a quick tour of the gadgets that I adore most. Firstly, the bin. Isn't it fabulous? It tucks away neatly in the very cupboard that piss me off most about kitchens (always such a waste of space), has a separate compartment for recyclables, and a shelf on top. I'm in love (& in need of a life but we all knew that...)

Here's my incredibly sexy microwave. I lurve the way it sits flush in the wall, instead of taking up loads of bench space. It also grills, which excited me no end when we were purchasing it.

The tiling is nearly all finished. Now just waiting for the glue to harden so we can grout.

The plight of the working mother

2008-10-01T09:53:00.003+10:00

Today Matthew is sick and I am at home with him. My self-professed "family friendly" employer took this news less than happily because Wednesday happens to be the day that the person I job share with has her RDO.

The feeling of worry I had earlier today about his health has been washed away and now replaced with guilt. Guilt that I have asked to have the day with my sick child. Guilt that others have had to re-arrange their schedules to accomodate my family. Guilt that I am now feeling guilty about work instead of focusing on my son.

$28.00

2008-09-29T13:45:00.004+10:00

It took the Optometrist 10 minutes (+ 15 minutes waiting) to check Matthew's eye (yes, singular) tell me the focus of his lens is perfect, the fit is perfect and he'll see him again in 6 months. Money well spent, you think? Well, you'd be wrong. The appointment was completely bulk billed.

The $28.00 was for the fucking parking.

Toys I love

2008-09-22T11:34:00.006+10:00

What is keeping your children amused these school holidays? I highly recommend this book:- The Superhero Starter Kit. It's just brilliant and oh so much fun for little boys of all ages. It's so nice to break free of the Batman/Spiderman/Superman hero mould that has dominated our house for so long and just see some garden variety, generic heroes getting about instead.

In other news, Keybots have rocked our world. How cute are these guys?? My SIL brought them over from Singapore when she came recently and the boys are hooked. Such a simple gadget but is keeping the kids amused for ages, building and rebuilding them. Each Keybot comes with a key that is unique to that robot. The head, arms and legs click in to the main cube and can only be released with the key. Finally a toy that is sturdy, robust and keeps the kids entertained. I love them and hope to import some more simply to indulge my inner child...

If

2008-09-20T06:47:00.012+10:00

I have been tagged by both Shel & Jenn for this post and I'm not sure where to start. I've been pondering over it for a couple of days and am still not sure what I actually want to write about so I thought I'd just bite the bullet and do it and see what crap comes pouring out.

The obvious one first - If I'd actually applied myself in highschool instead of spending my days smoking behind the science block and sneaking out at night I may actually have a job that I love, instead of one that I barely tolerate just so the bills are paid each week.

If I hadn't made the choice to follow the boy I thought I loved many years ago, I would never have met the wonderful man I do love today. And the thought of not ever having met this wonderful family that we've created is almost too much to bear.

If we'd decided to keep the very first house we'd ever bought instead of selling it off prematurely we could be retired and living on a tropical island, spending our days drinking Mei Tai's & lolling about in hammocks. Yeah, okay maybe not but it is something we regret.

If I'd continued attending lectures instead of dropping out, I would be a primary school teacher now. Wow. Scary.

If I'd asked to change piano teachers instead of giving up because one teacher gave me the creeps (here's looking at you, grubby old Mr Brown), I might be able to play more than "Chopsticks" and "The Rose".

Righto Jodie, Ellie, Little White Dove, Claire & Red Haired Girl - here's the rules.

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. List 5 things that could make your life very different should it come true.
3. Tag 5 other people.

Now off you go...

Monkey in the Jungle

2008-09-20T06:47:00.006+10:00

Matthew had his school concert on Thursday night - dear Lord, it was breathtakingly cute. 100 prep kids all dressed in various costumes, singing and dancing to Bindi Irwin songs was more than I could take. I believe I even shed a tear. Gosh, I forget how little he is sometimes and expect so much of him.

10 points though to the reader who can pick Matthew in this photo. If you are really lucky, I might even send you a homemade, real live, tangible present in the mail since that seems to be the done thing these days. Go on, try me. You just never know...

Karate Kid

2008-09-03T11:45:00.004+10:00

Matthew started Taekwon Do lessons last night. He's been asking for a long time now to be allowed to have a go but I've been reluctant. I wasn't sure that a Martial Art was the most appropriate sport for an arthritic child given it is fairly punishing on the joints but Matthew's physio has given him the go ahead, so here we are.

So now we get to meet Sporty Matthew. He's suddenly developed a keen interest in sit-ups & push-ups and thinks he has been given a licence to perform swift kicks to his little brother when he's being a pest. God help us all.

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to

2008-09-01T15:49:00.008+10:00

T & I survived Matthew's first official birthday party - you know, the kind where the kid gets to select the guest list and invites all sorts of strange kids you didn't even know they talked to, let alone hung out with. Anyway. The first lesson we learnt, and which I shall be so good as to share with all of you who may be about to embark on the same journey, is that parents are not afraid of doing the good ol' "drop and run". Consider yourself warned. We found ourselves well & truly outnumbered as 7 minature superheroes began tearing around the backyard. It was a little like watching spider monkeys on speed. Thank god for beer, I say.

Nevertheless, a good time was had by all. There was only one split lip and a few other minor injuries to report - nothing we could be sued over, I don't think. :s

Batman & the pinata.

All hell breaks loose as the pinata busts.

Ze cake.

He tells me he had his hand over his mouth so he didn't blow the candles out accidently. Awww.

The smashed cake.

Some of the heroes in a quieter moment - perhaps reflecting on crimes fought & won?

He's 6

2008-08-28T08:41:00.000+10:00

Gosh, it feels like only yesterday he was a tiny little nestling, now he's my big strapping school boy. Time certainly does fly.

Happy birthday Biggest Boy. It's been a wonderful 6 years... :) xx

How to spot your husband in the throws of a mid-life crisis

2008-08-19T07:39:00.004+10:00

He'll come home with one of these:

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to update his life insurance...

Pirate Party

2008-08-19T07:15:00.005+10:00

Matthew went to his best friends 6th birthday on the weekend. BF's dad put A LOT of work in to this party - so much so that when it is my turn to provide an elaborate party for the boy in 2 weeks time, I fear he will be the laughing stock of the school yard. (Aside: good thing it was a pirate party - eye patches are the one thing there is no shortage of around this place...)

Meet the pirates:

Pin the eye-patch on the pirate

Fishing for treasure maps

Small pirate captured by big, drunk, bush-whacking pirate

Climbing across ladders spanning large, crocodile infested creeks.

They also had an open fire for the kids to toast marshmallows, a treasure hunt in a snake-infested gully and a home made pirate ship to decorate. The kids had a ball.

For Matthew's birthday I planned on throwing the boys in the backyard with a pinata & a lolly hunt and calling them back inside to have cake at some point before loading them up with lolly bags and sending them home to their parents. I may need to review my plans... help please?

A little trip down memory lane

2008-08-11T09:14:00.006+10:00

Love that eyebrow - he still gives it to me on occasion.

We stumbled across some old photos of Ryan last night that we'd forgotten even existed. Awww, so cute.

I really ought to get the boy a photo album so we can admire his pictures more frequently. The poor kid suffers badly from "second child syndrome"...

6 Random things

2008-08-01T11:41:00.003+10:00

I was tagged by Ellie to write 6 random things about myself.

Here are the rules ...
1. Link to the person who “tagged” you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

Right, well lets get started...

1. I have never lost a molar tooth naturally. All of mine were pulled before they were ready by my dentist to stop my over crowding problem.

2. I have moved house 13 times in the last 10 years.

3. The longest I have ever lived in the same house is 2.5 years (current house)

4. I once pierced my ear with a safety pin – no ice.

5. There are a pair of suicidal ducks that race out in front of my car at the same time & same spot each day when I’m on my way to work.

6. I once set my hair on fire trying to light a cigarette when I was drunk.

Okay, I'm tagging (sorry girls...) :

Jenn
Little White Dove
Sarah
Ruth
Car
Red Haired Girl

The blog list sucks

2008-07-29T13:44:00.002+10:00

Why does mine never update reliably?

Photographic evidence of our boganity...

2008-07-26T14:58:00.003+10:00

Dream on

2008-07-23T15:10:00.001+10:00

It’s been a busy few weeks here at The Shack. Lots of grown up decisions to be made which never makes for fun times. Some of you know we recently considered relocating the family (yet again…) and were very close to actually doing so when all our plans fell apart at the last minute. To say it was rather fucking annoying is somewhat of an understatement… It was at this point T & I did a bit of soul searching and made the decision late last week to pull the house off the market.

So now what? Well, I guess we stay put. Disappointing as the whole situation was, it has in a way inspired us to continue with our own plans. Plans we’d almost forgotten we had made. It’s so easy to lose sight of your goals if you don’t keep them foremost in your mind and easier still to become focused on the seemingly endless long commutes to work, slap-dash dinners and piles of washing.

So for now, here, the fire has been re-ignited and we are at ease with our decision. The days are once again looking rosier and we are both excited to once again be back on the same page with our ideas. Now, to stop procrastinating and actually carry them out… (See, some things never change.)

Finally...

2008-07-23T14:07:00.006+10:00

It’s finished! Took a long time though, I must admit and there was even a stage when I wondered if it was destined to become another one of my many half completed projects stuffed back in the sewing box. It did take me many weeks to psych myself up to do the binding – for some reason I was terrified. First I wasn’t sure if I would have enough of the fabric I wanted to use and next I was put off by the thought of having to hand stitch the back of the binding. Ugh, boring…

Anyway, I learnt many things along the way:

Hand stitching the binding is not that hard after all.
I really need a thimble.
And a walking foot.
During the quilting stage, even when you think you have more than enough pins to keep it all from moving, add 10 more.
3 year olds should not be allowed to “help”.

Here’s a close-up of the binding from the back:

Probably not perfect, I imagine the CWA ladies would have a field day with the faults but there has been too much self-congratulating going on for me to worry about that sort of nonsense… ;P

Lovely friends

2008-07-22T13:50:00.004+10:00

Aren't they nice to have? One of mine has just sent me an enormous stack of ill-gotten sewing patterns. God love her & her loose morals... ;P

Jesus - I'm in the negatives!

2008-07-16T15:43:00.003+10:00

-31

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

Take the test!

Okay, now that result even shocked me. I'm taking it again...

-7

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

Take the test!

Right, shit. That wasn't much better and I was even rather liberal with my good points. Stupid online tests...

Early & Late Birthday presents

2008-07-15T13:54:00.012+10:00

I was absolutely stumped for ideas for my nieces 6th birthday (which was actually in June...ooops) so have stolen Ellie's idea of sending a crayon/texta/pencil roll. Ta love... :)

So because it's either a feast or a famine with me, I thought I'd also get in early for her brother's 5th birthday in October. I figure by the time I manage to actually remember to get to the post office and send them off, it will be at least August - dead smack in the middle of both birthdays. I'm a genius.

While I adore my niece's texta roll (and am secretly considering keeping it for myself), cutting in to a sheet of Amy Butler fabric did feel a little like I was desecrating a sacred garment. It really should come with a warning...

15 July

2008-07-15T13:25:00.005+10:00

Breathing easy... for now

2008-07-14T11:31:00.005+10:00

Opthalmologist
Left eye - Marvellous
Right eye - Marvellous
General sight - 6/12 Right eye, 6/6 Left eye.
Meds - eek, complicated change.
Follow up 12 weeks.

Medication:
Maxidex - Once per day in right eye for 1 month, then change to Flucon
Homatropine - One drop every 2nd day both eyes
Flucon - cease drops in Left eye

Redipred - 1ml every 2nd day
Methotrexate - 10mg per week
Naprosyn - 250mg per day
Folate - 50mg per day

Phew. I think that's it. The next review is going to be hairy though. Because Matthew is responding so well to his current cocktail of drugs it is now time to try and ease him off some of the topical steriods (ie eye drops he is on). Firstly dragging out his Maxidex to every second day, then reducing him to a lower strength steroid (Flucon). The Flucon has been stopped altogether in his right eye. (Breath Shannon...) In the event that he responds well to this new regime, we can in time look at getting him off the more toxic drugs like Methotrexate. If he doesn't respond well, well fuck, I just don't know... Lets not go there right now, okay?

Anyway, all that aside, it was a great review. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of why we are subjecting him to so many irritating little procedures on a daily basis so it's nice to be able to look back and see a result. Keeps you motivated for the next 3 months. Next challenge, to keep the goddamn contact lens in his eye, instead of in a container of saline on the microwave...

Suddenly nervous

2008-07-13T10:46:00.000+10:00

It's the eve of Matthew's opthalmologist appointment again - the first time since we went 12 weeks ago. Last time we had a long break like this between visits his eyes went to hell in a handbasket. His cataract was completely occluding his vision, inflammation in his eye was out of control, he needed surgery immediately & lots of horrible, horrible phrases like "blindness", "glaucoma" & "losing his eye" were bandied about.

Please friends & neighbours, cross your fingers for a good report. Send vodka too if you have some spare. I'm a little jittery...

It's official - My 5 year old is braver than I am...

2008-07-11T06:40:00.003+10:00

Matthew is holidaying at his grandparents place for few days over the school holidays and yesterday included a visit to a local zoo. Confession time though - when he emailed the photo to us last night, his father and I initially agreed that the snake had to be fake. Matthew is the kid we often have to hand-hold to encourage him to pat the frogs but I am assured the beast he is holding in this photo is real. I desperately hoping this hasn't encouraged him to add "snake" to his upcoming birthday list...

~ ~ ~

In other thrilling news, the toilet training seems to have been a great success. Ryan now seems to be reliably trained and has even started waking in the night to ask to go to the loo. 3 nights running with dry night nappies. Long may it last, I say...

Before & After

2008-06-17T16:13:00.010+10:00

Before: looking very unkempt and vagrant-like.

After: Too grown up.

I'm not sure which is worse. :(

Perfect timing

2008-06-15T09:44:00.005+10:00

Lately it would appear that Matthew has started to notice that physically he is not up to the same standard as the other boys in his class and it seems his ego has taken a blow from the realisation. It doesn't help that one of his best friends seems to excel at sport and attends swimming, rugby union, is starting to train for a triathalon and has recently won an award for tennis competing against kids from grades Prep to 3. We've tried to explain to Matthew that his arthritis has caused him to have a bit of down-time and also to reinforce the notion that we can't all be good at the same things and reminding him of the things he is good at. I don't know how much of it he is buying but we keep trying.

Last weekend he managed to score himself a Super Swimmer ribbon at swimming lessons for using his "big arms" and generally trying hard to do his best. It was such a timely reward and appeared to give his ego a much needed stroke. He took it to school for News (Show & Tell for those from the same era as me) which we video taped to as a visual reminder for him of how proud he was of himself (and us of him). I did try to upload the video but blogger didn't seem to want to play the game. You'll have to settle for a blurry photo instead.

~ ~ ~

In other momentous news this week Ryan has worn undies since Monday with only three accidents. (and why yes, I do realise I have just cursed the poor child by making this public announcement...)

Slice & Dice WIP

2008-06-15T09:19:00.007+10:00

Many thanks to the very talented Helen for her slice & dice tutorial. She did a wonderful job outlining the steps involved and it was really quick and easy to whip up, especially for a beginner like myself.

I *think* I've worked out how much binding I need and how to do it so just need to finish quilting it and I'll start on that. Wish me luck.

He sleeps

2008-06-04T13:02:00.000+10:00

7pm - 6.10am. What a champ.

This is the Ryan I know and love. Long may it last...

4.30am

2008-05-24T05:40:00.004+10:00

Today is the 34th day straight that Ryan has deemed it necessary to wake at an ungodly hour. To make matters worse, there seems to be no conceivable reason for it. He's not cold, hungry, going to bed too early or late; he's just awake.

I've tried to convince him it's still dark time, ergo sleeping time but he's not falling for that. I tuck him in bed with me in the vain hope that sleep is contagious, which results in nothing but him fidgeting and delivering mule-like kicks to the small of my back until my kidneys can't take it anymore and I admit defeat.

Once up I am forced play waitress by ferrying bowls of weet-bix, cups of tea and toast to His Majesty while he watches a seemingly endless episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. All before sunrise.

34 days friends and neighbours. No wonder I'm so bloody cranky all the time.

Go google yourself...

2008-05-22T18:40:00.003+10:00

I just did. Apparently in my spare time I'm a professor and run an active behavioral neuroscience laboratory with paid, volunteer, and course-credit opportunities for exceptional undergraduate students. How lovely. I always knew I was capable of bigger and better things.

(and yes, I'm also a narcissist...)

The Long Weekend

2008-04-28T18:02:00.003+10:00

ANZAC Day - Ryan and I hosted our own little dawn service. He's been waking at crack of dawn lately for no conceivable reason, which is just about killing me. We hung around watching Dora the F'ing Explorer until it was light enough to head off to the park to feed the ducks, which turned out to be an adventure all of it's own. Apparently there is now a bloody great black swan residing at the river which makes the normally grumpy ducks even grumpier. Lets just say Ryan was lucky to come home with all his digits... Later that afternoon we had an impromptu BBQ with one of my best friends from school with her lovely partner. Many beers and wines were consumed, which when a certain boy-child decides to repeat dawn service the following morning does not make for a happy start to the day.

Saturday morning saw our hungover selves heading off first thing for Matthew's rountine blood test. He's now collecting the knitted bears donated to the Red Cross by volunteer knitters - our latest arrival is the green stripey dude in the front.

Note the bear in Bronco colours that's played one too many games of football...

We then struggled through swimming lessons, clutching our dreadful McDonald's coffees tightly before heading off to buy Ryan a proper big kids bed - the rest of the day was obviously spent assembling the blessed thing and re-arranging furniture to accomodate it.

Sunday - our day of rest. Hallelujah & Praise the Lord. (And yes, I am aware that that sentence alone has guaranteed my place somewhere hot for all of eternity...) Actually, it wasn't all just lolling around. T did wave the chainsaw around for a bit up the back yard and I did some decluttering of ugly furniture and baby items that were clearly just taking up valuable real estate so we were a teeny bit productive. Just nothing that makes you feel like you actually accomplished anything. (Shel, we might need your help...)

So there you go, another fascinating weekend in the life of the Us. Could any of you have possibly been even more boring than we were?

I don't know where he gets this stuff but it couldn't be from me...

2008-04-27T11:26:00.002+10:00

Grandad: Hey Ry, come over here for a minute.
Ryan: Piss off.

It was at this point I chose to make myself scarce.

Annual JIA Family BBQ

2008-04-20T08:15:00.009+10:00

Every year the wonderful Montrose Access host a BBQ for families living with JIA. It's a great way to catch up with all the other families in an informal setting and see how all the kids are going and also to meet new families. Our first BBQ was three years ago but I remember vividly the rush of emotions I felt- relief at discovering we are not alone, devastation when I realised that just how many kids are afflicted by the disease and how cruel it can be, a spark of hope watching how well the older kids cope with their disability.

Yesterday we met for the first time a seven year old girl who also has Uveitis. Until now, Matthew had been the only child registered with Montrose with the eye condition associated with JA so it was indeed exciting find another mother who could relate to our situation. Her daughter has had a total of 15 surgeries in her seven years, six of which have been on her eyes. Around 12 months ago she had the lens in her right eye removed due to cataracts and now wears a contact lens in the same eye as Matthew.

~~~

On a related topic, my thoughts this weekend are for my dear friend Jodie, who also had JIA as a child. J noticed yesterday that her gorgeous little girl has a swollen knee. She's off for a blood test Monday to rule out Arthritis. Fingers crossed for a clean bill of health. xx

Before it gets too far away from me...

2008-04-15T10:21:00.005+10:00

...I thought I'd better blog about the momentous event that occured on Saturday. Ryan had his very first swimming lesson in the "big boys" class. The one that doesn't require me to don my baggy faded togs and jump in with him. Praise the Lord.

I predicted disaster from the get-go. Our Ryan is not keen on separation from his parental unit at the best of times but to dump him in a pool with a strange woman (yes, one stranger than I) and three other unfamiliar tiny-tots was probably pushing the friendship. I escorted him over to his new teacher, who boomed in a friendly, but firm voice, "Hi Ryan. I'm M. You going to come for a swim with me?". What choice did the boy have? He nodded with wide eyes and went to her, possibly too afraid to consider doing the bolt.

It went well. He dived, paddled, kicked and blew bubbles. He Humpty Dumpty-ed from standing when the other boys opted to sit. He monkey-ed for his life and only asked to get out once and thankfully, there were no tears at all. From him, anyway...

Appointments - part two

2008-04-14T13:30:00.004+10:00

Amazing how quickly 8 weeks goes, isnt' it?

Opthalmologist
Left eye - cataract stable.
Right eye - inflammation & retinal swelling stable.
General sight - 6/9 Right eye, 6/6 Left eye.
Eye Pressure - well within normal range. (No glaucoma, thank Christ.)
Meds - no change.
Follow up 12 weeks.

Did you get that, friends & neighbours? I said, 12 weeks. This the longest we've gone without an opthal appointment in 2.5 years. Happy days indeed...

Muddy toes & tantrums

2008-04-12T18:27:00.005+10:00

And I can assure you there were plenty of both.

5 glorious days of swimming, fishing, sand, yabbies and water so cold it seized our internal organs. It was wonderful.

Not written by me but I'll take the credit all the same...

The muddy toes part of the title, obviously.

No spinal injuries were reported, thankfully.

Awww...

The token tourist-y shot. The boy children in front of the barges to Fraser Island.

For Cylie & Ellie

2008-03-31T06:33:00.009+10:00

See, I have been sewing. Here's the proof.

I'm still not sure if the spots work. I kept telling myself not to do the whole thing in spots but I ended up not being able to resist. I heart stripes and I heart spots - what's a girl to do? Also remind me next time not to sew after 10pm. Terrible things happen to my eyesight so best if we don't look too closely at that one.

I've also developed a weird obession with appliqué lately. If it stands still, I will sew something on it. Just ask the kids. I noticed them starting to look all nervous and cautiously grab each others hand when I begin ratting through their cupboards but they can relax now that I've run out of plain t-shirts & singlets... Hmmm, do you T would like some appliquéd undies?

A haiku for our plumber

2008-03-26T10:09:00.002+10:00

hot water system
precious fluid leaking out
we are broke again

I think that just about sums up the rest of our weekend, what do you think?

21 March 2005 - 4.48pm

2008-03-21T06:50:00.020+10:00

"Throughout my whole pregnancy I was really undecided about whether I wanted to attempt a VBAC or not. I had a long and traumatic labour with my first DS and at about 25 weeks DH & I made the decision - we would have a repeat c/sec. I was comfortable with this decision and it was just a simple matter of booking it in with the hospital in early April - how wrong was I...Well, it all happened very quickly. I was 33 weeks pg. About 3pm on Monday afternoon I was at work and I got my first contraction. I honestly didn't know at the time that it was a contraction though - I thought I was just severely constipated and I tried to go to the loo a couple of times, but didn't have any success. DH had just driven to Mackay (about 4 hours away) for work that morning so I rang him and told him, but neither of us really thought I was serious. Anyway, I had a Drs appointment at 4.15pm so I thought I'd go along to that and she would be able to tell me what was happening. I drove myself to the doctor (bad move - I was contracting all the way) and went straight to the toilet once I got to the doctors. At this point I still didn't believe I was in labour. Once I was on the toilet I felt the urge to push and I noticed blood. I told the receptionist and she got my doctor in to me right away. Dr examined me and I was fully dilated and pushing - ambulance was called and the whole surgery was pretty much in a state of panic, as clearly they weren't equipped to deal with a birth, let alone a premature one.The ambulance arrived really quickly and took me to hospital. In the ambulance I was given some gas which was just wonderful. I remember the ambo telling me that we had arrived at the hospital and that the birth suite was waiting for me. I was telling the ambo that they had made a mistake, I needed to go to theatre. I think she just nodded and humoured me. When we arrived at the birth suite I was examined and was told that there was no time for a c/sec or even an epidural. I would have my baby soon - all it would take were a few good pushes.My son obviously has a sense of purpose - he arrived face up and very, very quickly, only about 20 minutes after arriving at the hospital. All up, my labour was 1hr 48 minutes. Ryan Alexander weighed 4lb 15oz (2.245kg)DH missed the whole thing unfortunately and it was pretty scary doing it all alone, but I made it and am feeling really good now. (still in a state of shock, but good!!)At the time the pain was almost unbearable, but it is so nice to be up and walking around only minutes after giving birth and not having to rely on everyone to perform the simplest tasks. I am still a bit sore, but nothing that even compares to the pain I was in after my c/sec.Ryan is still in SCN at the moment, but he is getting stronger every day and we hope to have him home with us in a couple of weeks." ~ 27 March 2005.

3 years ago I stroked him through the holes in the humidicrib and wondered what lay ahead of us. Today I watched him eat cake, rip presents open with the vibrancy only a small child can harvest and fall soundly asleep, still clutching his brand new Spiderman hat. Happy birthday, Little Man, you've come a long way... xxx

What's not to smile about?

The highlight of his day - cake smashing...

My best friend

2008-03-14T11:16:00.006+10:00

Many cheers to Ellie for providing me with a topic to write about after 2 weeks of stagnation.

My best friend and I have known each other since we were 12. We met in grade 8 (she was a boarder also) my partner in crime ever since. For ease of reference, I shall reduce some of the more interesting points of our (extremely) complicated friendship down to dot points:

- She has two beautiful children, Boy 6 & Girl 5.
- We never acknowledge each others birthdays.
- We actually haven’t spoken IRL in better than 12 months and rarely by email.
- She has moved to a town 3 hours from me yet neither of us have bothered to make contact again.
- She taught me to smoke.
- I taught her to burp (but I’m still better at it than she is…ner ner)
- At her 18th birthday party her mum smacked me on the bum and sent me to bed because I was very drunk.
- She is the most unflappable person I have ever known. Nothing stresses her. Ever.
- She’s extremely generous and would do anything to help anybody out of a jam.
- She is however bloody hopeless with pets. She once ran over her own cat in the driveway.
- Every night before going to bed she has have a cup of black tea with sugar and a cigarette.
- She’s one of those annoying people who are completely coherent the moment they get out of bed whereas it takes me ages to work out what the hell is going on when I wake up.
- She was my lucky charm at school. I would never get caught doing something naughty if she came along – if she wasn’t there I was invariably in hot water.
- We once walked from school to town to go to friends birthday lunch. We arrived soaking wet because it seemed like a good idea at the time to frolic in the sprinkers outside Oxley’s on the River along the way.
- In grade 11 I promised I would be able to make her hair a lovely lustrous shade of black by dying her hair with Magic Silver White. I threw the whole bottle in for a more dramatic effect and managed to stain her face and hands purple for the next two weeks. I still don’t think she’s forgiven me for that.
- She was once nicknamed “Truckie” by a male friend of ours. (I really hope she’s not reading this – I will be in a world of pain for disclosing that particular titbit).

I’m not big on this tagging thing. I’m pretty sure I only have 3 regular readers who have blogs of their own so I am running rapidly out of tagees. So, Jenn, Candi and Amoir, take pity on me and consider yourself tagged. The rest of you, go get yourself a blog so I don’t look so lame.

Why I blog

2008-02-26T14:29:00.004+10:00

I have been tagged by the lovely Jenn to share Why I Blog. The short answer is, I don't rightly know. I've never been good at keeping a diary. The one time I did seriously maintain a diary my grandmother found it and treated herself to an afternoon of reading over a cup of tea. I was devastated - there was nothing murky in it, I was 10 after all but it was my space, and my space alone.

I did dabble at university with a "diary like" book. I hesitate to use the word diary as I guess it was more a scrapbook. I rarely wrote long entries in it but it did contain quotes, photos, poems etc that related to me at that point in my life. It was raw, emotional and crude. I set fire to it a few years ago.

I started this blog mainly as a way of recording the insignificant events in the life of my boys. I planned to include as many photos as I could, especially while they are so young. I want them to remember the afternoons we spent at the river, or at the park. I want them to remember the mornings we have coffee and a milkshake at the local cafe or the days they danced in the rain and splashed in the puddles as they are the times I cherish most about my childhood. I'm not sure that the direction this blog has taken strictly aheres my initial vision, but hey I've never been known for my consistancy so why start now. I think I'll just keep it fluid and see where it leads us.

Since that concludes this weeks thrilling episode of A Day in the Life of Shannon, I hereby tag Ellie, Cylie & Sarah. Off you go girls...

People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one...

2008-02-26T14:05:00.002+10:00

This just makes me smile...

Monday memories - week 3

2008-02-25T13:44:00.003+10:00

My mother recently located this photo of me doing my GI Jane impersonation. I was 20 and joined the Army Reserves. T & I lived in Rockhampton at the time and I had to travel to Townsville to my recruit course - this photo was taken minutes after my Passing Out parade. I was officially a Private.

This photo is actually really hard for me to look at. My father was thrilled beyond all belief when I told him I was joining up - we are a military family from way back and my brother had never shown any interest in enlisting. It was not long after that T & I moved back to Brisbane and I joined up with the Transport company at the Enogerra Barracks. I had just suffered some ear problems when our platoon was made to told we would be taking on what was affectionately known as "Heartbreak Hill" - a gruelling 2km run up a steep moutain. Needless to say I didn't make it and with my ego left in tatters around me I did what I do best. I quit. Dad and I have never officially spoken about this decision however I do know for a fact that he was shattered.

Appointments

2008-02-19T10:05:00.005+10:00

The last two days have seen us catching up with three of our very best friends; Matthew's Opthalmologist, Matthew's Optometrist and Matthew's Rheumatologist. We also threw in an appointment with our local GP for good measure. I would hate for them to feel neglected.

Anyway, the results are in:

Opthalmologist
Left eye - cataract stable. Surgery avoided for at least another 8 weeks.
Right eye - inflammation & retinal swelling stable.
General sight - 6/12 Right eye, 6/6 Left eye.
No change in medication.
Follow up 8 weeks.

Optometrist
Contact Lens - fits perfectly. Many pats on his own back for being such a clever Optom. (insert eye rolling here). Dramas associated with inserting lens are fault of mother apparently. Note to self - must work on insertion technique.
Follow up 6 months.

Rheumatologist
Joints - wonderful!! No sign of swelling, warmth or inflammation in any joint. Almost full range of movement regained in knees/ankles. Naproxyn dose halved, Methotrexate dose reduced to 10mg per week.
Follow up 4 months.

Monday Memories - Week 2

2008-02-18T17:59:00.003+10:00

Like Ellie, I am actually lying when I say this weeks photo has a memory attached to it. It seems neither myself or my dear parents can actually remember anything related to the interesting item in this photo (which IS NOT my Holly Hobby undies, just in case you are wondering). Friends and neighbours, I'd like you to focus on my footwear...

The first three or so years of my life, I wore correctional shoes. Apparently. Can anyone remember why I wore these Gump-esque appliances? No, they cannot. Did anyone think to retain them for sentimental purposes, along with the staggering collection of 1970's baby clothes that simply had to live on? No, they did not.

You will be pleased to know they did however carefully save every one of my big brother's baby teeth. Second Child Syndrome, do you think?

Somebody is 33 today...

2008-02-17T07:11:00.001+10:00

Happy Birthday, you old dog. We love you - mwah!

Monday memories - Week 1

2008-02-11T12:35:00.000+10:00

Starting Grade 8 - 1990

It has been suggested by the lovely Ellie we liven up the pages a bit by subjecting ourselves to some humiliation. The next few Mondays will feature a photo and blurb of a moment/object that we remember well and share some details about it. In honour of our boys recently starting school for the first time I have chosen a photo of me about to trot off to boarding school at the ripe old age of 12.

Firstly, this photo was staged by my mother. It isn't actually the day I was going off to school but one of the days leading up to it. It was taken at my Nan's house, in front of her frangipani tree. (The tree itself holds a special place in my heart but I'll talk more about another day.) I remember being enormously excited about venturing off to school - for months I had been packing and repacking my stuff in giddy anticipation of the big event. I can't rightly recall why I was so excited, after all I was moving thousands of kilometres away from my family, my home and my friends but I suspect it had a lot to do with feeling very grown up and embarking on a big adventure.

My first day/night went well. I went from having all my life only one older brother to play with suddenly having 30 other 12 year old girls with me morning and night. Playmates on tap - I was in heaven. I only remember one afternoon of tears about 3 weeks in to the term when the enormity (and probably permanence) of the situation hit me other than that, I was hooked. Boarding school rocked. Good thing too because I had another 4 years of it to get through... ;)

For Cylie

2008-02-04T19:08:00.001+10:00

Blurred photo but trust me, it's completed. I have RSI to prove it.

A shit of an afternoon...

2008-02-04T16:49:00.000+10:00

...literally.

So I go to pick Matthew up from school. In my haste to get from the school to the car in the pouring rain I have not paid much attention to my offspring. I bundle them in the car and set off to do some shopping. *Sniff* - wtf is that smell? Ahhh, turns out Ryan has stepped in dogshit on the way back to the car. Okay, not a big problem but the fact that he has his be-shitted shoes resting on the back of the seat in front of him is concerning me a little. Thankfully I have wipes in the car so the crisis is temporarily averted.

25 minutes later, wandering around Target I can still smell it. And what's worse, it appears that I am cause of the stench. Yes, Ryan shared the love and wiped his shoes all over my legs as I was putting him in his carseat.

Total number of shops I visited before this fact dawned on me: 4.

Vandalism

2008-02-03T21:27:00.000+10:00

So, what do you think the chances are of him seeing his third birthday?

Prep - the big day

2008-01-29T21:04:00.000+10:00

Matthew started Prep today. I've been imagining this day for
so many years but when it finally arrived I think I was more terrified than he was. He was so brave; there were no tears at all but a little bit of clingy-ness and the need to be reassured that I was actually going to come back for him at the end of the day (which I did, just for the record... ;) )

At going home time I got there early enough to spy through the window without him seeing me and he looked happy as a lark, sitting on the floor with the rest of the class listening to a story. He very excitedly told me he had a great day and was even going to go back tomorrow so a success all round, I thought. I am yet to actually determine what he did on his first day or who he played with but I'm sure I'll get used to hearing that very same thing over the next 12 years...

Ladywhatzits

2008-01-19T09:12:00.000+10:00

Right, I've officially given up attempting to conceal my identity. B1 = Matthew & B2 = Ryan. There. I feel so much better now... Just promise not to stalk me, okay?

~ ~ ~

Ryan & I were laying on the floor in his bedroom this morning, chatting about the meaning of life etc etc when the conversation flowed to the patterns on our doona covers:-

Ryan: Matty got boats? What I got?

Me: Jungle animals this week.

Ryan: What Mummy got?

Me: umm, flowers, I think...

Ryan: Noooo!

Me: Well, what's on mine then?

Ryan: (Looking at his insect stickers on his window) You got...Ladybuggles!!

I can't bring myself to correct him.

The Little Things

The poor forgotten middle child

One perfect day

Catch up

30 weeks, 3 days

Baby Love

*Chirp chirp*

2010

Halfway

Sweet relief

A stitch in time

Scared

I got nutthin'

You gotta see the baby...

School holidays - Day two and I already want to kill myself.

...cast off!

"Ugly" fabric

Opthalmologist # 4 & Rhuematologist

Cast on...

Broken wing

Flooding

Hi there, remember me?

Opthalmologist appt #3

Making progress

Prematurity,the gift that keeps on giving

And another year passes...

Matthew's questions

If only it was always that easy

Chatting to Ryan

Statistic

Thank god for little boys...

Grade One

17 hours...

Appointment #1 - Opthalmologist

He rides

I have no imagination

Christmas dinner

Rheumatologist appointment

At least it wasn't me this time.

Stoopid parenting decisions.

Creative people - I need your help

Dreamworld

Giveaway at Old Red Barn Co.

Fencing update

Disco Fever

Another tag

Opthalmologist appointment - October

Renovations - stage 2

Simone

Essential Gadgets

The plight of the working mother

$28.00

Toys I love

If

Monkey in the Jungle

Karate Kid

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to

He's 6

How to spot your husband in the throws of a mid-life crisis

Pirate Party

A little trip down memory lane

6 Random things

The blog list sucks

Photographic evidence of our boganity...

Dream on

Finally...

Lovely friends

Jesus - I'm in the negatives!

Early & Late Birthday presents

15 July

Breathing easy... for now

Suddenly nervous

It's official - My 5 year old is braver than I am...

Before & After

Perfect timing

Slice & Dice WIP

He sleeps

4.30am

Go google yourself...

The Long Weekend

Chirp chirp