Little man L had his evaluation this morning and was his charming self with the therapists. He is such a little charmer - I swear he will one day be an absolute hit with the girls regardless of looks. He just oozes charm and personality.
The Speech therapist is very happy with his progress and will make a final evaluation in 3 months time.
The Occupational therapist is very impressed with his fine motor skills but worried about his gross motor skills. She believes if his core strength muscles can be developed further he will probably be fine. He definitely has low muscle tone and compensates with body movement where the muscles are too weak. She will evaluate if he needs OT in 3 months time.
The Physical therapist also diagnosed the low muscle tone and believes that the early diagnosis will save us a lot of problems in future. We are starting with Physical therapy next week for a 3 month period after which evaluation will take place again.
The asked me a couple of questions about myself and pointed out that I have low muscle tone (wow- that explains a lot to me!) and that I am also tactile sensitive - that is not news to me - I am really bad with funny textures etc. I can not get oatmeal into my system or tapioca or anything like that. And a scratchy jersey will irritate me even through layers of clothes. I can barely wear a polo neck jersey. So they have suggested I do Pilates and start again with my yoga asap. But where will I find the time for that?
Well, we are very positive that the little man will move forward rapidly and develop quickly. The mom is off course another matter all together.
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Monday, 28 July 2008
10 Month report
We had our 9 month check-up at the nurse practitioner just a bit more than a week before our 10 month and 3 and a half year check-up at the Paediatrician. So I decided to make this into one post.
So, fist the turn of The Little Miss:
She is continuing on her growth curves - her length being on the 98th percentile and her weight has moved from the 50th to between the 50th and 75th. The Paediatrician is very happy about this as she is moving to a more balanced weight length ratio for the first time in her life.
She made her mommy a very proud mom by doing all the developmental tasks requested and the doctor is very impressed with her language and vocabulary development - she estimates her home language at a 5 year old level and her English at 3 and a half, which is spot on. Her mathematical development is also a bit ahead and she got a clean bill of health.
We need to encourage three items to the 4 year mark ( 3 things the doc seem to think we need to get in line for 4 years) - pedalling a tricycle or bicycle (she can do it but not with great gusto - I just think we are not spending enough time to encourage this), learning to eat with a knife and fork (she is starting to do this ok with her kiddies size utensils) and developing her upper body strength. This last item was also mentioned by the school in her report for the last term.
In general, nothing to be worried about. A lot to be proud about.
Currently she loves everything to do with a princess (that is a whole post on its own), dressing up , loves reading and drawing and running outside. She loves the swing and rocking horse. Her favourite DVD at present is "Aladdin" followed by "The Gummy bears" and "Cinderella". She is only allowed to watch a DVD early in the morning to give mommy the chance to get ready for work and feed The Boys. Weekends she can watch an hour TV in the morning ("Barney" and "Noddy" mostly - also "Postman Pat") and one DVD per day. Her favourite book at present is "The horse flower" and "Nightlight bedtime stories" with a Christian theme. We have also started reading "The little prince".
Little man C:
His is continuing on his growth curve with his length near to the 50th percentile and his weight between 25th and 50th.
Weight: 8,9 kg (19,6 pounds)
Length: 72,5 cm ( 28,5 inches)
Head circumference: 45,5 cm (17,9 inches)
He has been saying"Mamma" for the last two weeks and are making all sorts of sounds an gurgles.
He comes onto all fours and rocks front to back. He also crawls backwards and is all over the place. Both the doc and the nurse are expecting him to crawl in the next two weeks. His fine motor skills are fine.
His hair is getting really long and thick and we will have to make a plan to cut it soon. He still has the same ice blue eyes and blond straight hair and a very light and sensitive skin. He has way more hair than The Little Miss had at this age.
His favourite toy is the Lamaze Frog in the picture - he spends hours chewing on the insects.
He has two bottom teeth and the left front top tooth. The right one is just under the skin and have been keeping us all awake for the last two nights.
He loves bananas but hates spinach and is not too fond of meat.
He is very enthusiastic about clapping his hands.
He loves it when mommy reads a story to all and listens and show interest in the pictures. He is not very interested in paging books on his own.
He can be quite a grumpy little man but thrives on attention - from anybody, stranger or friend.
Little man L.
The first shock I got was his growth and mostly his weight. He has dipped on his growth curve with his weight falling from the 25th nearing the 5th. His length is on the 25th which is a little lower than it should be.
Weight: 7,99 kg (17,6 pounds)
Length: 71 cm ( 28 inches)
Head circumference: 45 cm (17,7 inches)
The nurse was very worried about his weight and prescribed a high protein diet and a plan to increase his weight. She also requested the doctor to check for low level infections. The doctor was not as worried about his weight seeing that he was sick 4 times since his last weighing at the doctor. But she has asked us to weigh him again in two weeks time at the nurse and send the results to her. I am worried about his weight but he has started eating very well in the last few days so I am positive this will improve.
What I am very worried about is the fact that both the doctor and the nurse have diagnosed him with low muscle tone development. He is going on Wednesday for a full assessment at the Baby Therapy Centre. My poor darling can not even support his weight on all fours!
He said "Pappa" yesterday to his dad and to daddy's great joy have been repeating it all day. He is a very verbal baby and is busy "chatting" the whole day.
He has very sparse light brown hair that could possibly be curly and lovely grey-blue eyes. The colour seems stable and not changing any more. His skin is darker - like his sisters.
He also has two bottom and one top tooth (left front).
He loves meat and prunes but hates pumpkin.
He has started clapping his hands and waves good-bye with a lot of encouragement.
He loves it when we tickle and talk to him and shows a lot of interest in complicated toys with small parts like the toy he is holding - his favourite toy. His fine motor skills are very good.
He is developing a bit of stranger anxiety - early like his sister, but in general is our little man sunshine.
I will keep you up to speed on what the evaluation shows - he will be evaluated by a Physical therapist, Occupational therapist and Speech therapist. The doctor is expecting Occupational therapy only but we will see what the recommendation is.
So, fist the turn of The Little Miss:
She is continuing on her growth curves - her length being on the 98th percentile and her weight has moved from the 50th to between the 50th and 75th. The Paediatrician is very happy about this as she is moving to a more balanced weight length ratio for the first time in her life.
She made her mommy a very proud mom by doing all the developmental tasks requested and the doctor is very impressed with her language and vocabulary development - she estimates her home language at a 5 year old level and her English at 3 and a half, which is spot on. Her mathematical development is also a bit ahead and she got a clean bill of health.
We need to encourage three items to the 4 year mark ( 3 things the doc seem to think we need to get in line for 4 years) - pedalling a tricycle or bicycle (she can do it but not with great gusto - I just think we are not spending enough time to encourage this), learning to eat with a knife and fork (she is starting to do this ok with her kiddies size utensils) and developing her upper body strength. This last item was also mentioned by the school in her report for the last term.
In general, nothing to be worried about. A lot to be proud about.
Currently she loves everything to do with a princess (that is a whole post on its own), dressing up , loves reading and drawing and running outside. She loves the swing and rocking horse. Her favourite DVD at present is "Aladdin" followed by "The Gummy bears" and "Cinderella". She is only allowed to watch a DVD early in the morning to give mommy the chance to get ready for work and feed The Boys. Weekends she can watch an hour TV in the morning ("Barney" and "Noddy" mostly - also "Postman Pat") and one DVD per day. Her favourite book at present is "The horse flower" and "Nightlight bedtime stories" with a Christian theme. We have also started reading "The little prince".
Little man C:
His is continuing on his growth curve with his length near to the 50th percentile and his weight between 25th and 50th.
Weight: 8,9 kg (19,6 pounds)
Length: 72,5 cm ( 28,5 inches)
Head circumference: 45,5 cm (17,9 inches)
He has been saying"Mamma" for the last two weeks and are making all sorts of sounds an gurgles.
He comes onto all fours and rocks front to back. He also crawls backwards and is all over the place. Both the doc and the nurse are expecting him to crawl in the next two weeks. His fine motor skills are fine.
His hair is getting really long and thick and we will have to make a plan to cut it soon. He still has the same ice blue eyes and blond straight hair and a very light and sensitive skin. He has way more hair than The Little Miss had at this age.
His favourite toy is the Lamaze Frog in the picture - he spends hours chewing on the insects.
He has two bottom teeth and the left front top tooth. The right one is just under the skin and have been keeping us all awake for the last two nights.
He loves bananas but hates spinach and is not too fond of meat.
He is very enthusiastic about clapping his hands.
He loves it when mommy reads a story to all and listens and show interest in the pictures. He is not very interested in paging books on his own.
He can be quite a grumpy little man but thrives on attention - from anybody, stranger or friend.
Little man L.
The first shock I got was his growth and mostly his weight. He has dipped on his growth curve with his weight falling from the 25th nearing the 5th. His length is on the 25th which is a little lower than it should be.
Weight: 7,99 kg (17,6 pounds)
Length: 71 cm ( 28 inches)
Head circumference: 45 cm (17,7 inches)
The nurse was very worried about his weight and prescribed a high protein diet and a plan to increase his weight. She also requested the doctor to check for low level infections. The doctor was not as worried about his weight seeing that he was sick 4 times since his last weighing at the doctor. But she has asked us to weigh him again in two weeks time at the nurse and send the results to her. I am worried about his weight but he has started eating very well in the last few days so I am positive this will improve.
What I am very worried about is the fact that both the doctor and the nurse have diagnosed him with low muscle tone development. He is going on Wednesday for a full assessment at the Baby Therapy Centre. My poor darling can not even support his weight on all fours!
He said "Pappa" yesterday to his dad and to daddy's great joy have been repeating it all day. He is a very verbal baby and is busy "chatting" the whole day.
He has very sparse light brown hair that could possibly be curly and lovely grey-blue eyes. The colour seems stable and not changing any more. His skin is darker - like his sisters.
He also has two bottom and one top tooth (left front).
He loves meat and prunes but hates pumpkin.
He has started clapping his hands and waves good-bye with a lot of encouragement.
He loves it when we tickle and talk to him and shows a lot of interest in complicated toys with small parts like the toy he is holding - his favourite toy. His fine motor skills are very good.
He is developing a bit of stranger anxiety - early like his sister, but in general is our little man sunshine.
I will keep you up to speed on what the evaluation shows - he will be evaluated by a Physical therapist, Occupational therapist and Speech therapist. The doctor is expecting Occupational therapy only but we will see what the recommendation is.
Friday, 25 July 2008
5 Things Friday...
I have noticed that some of you seem to be interested in the fact that we are in the midst of winter, or have winter at all, so today 5 Things Friday is about winter in South Africa:
1. Yes, we do have winter now- we are in the Southern Hemisphere thus have reverse seasons than any of you that live up in the northern hemisphere. Joining us is South America, Australia and Nieuw Zeeland.
2. We have a very short winter (we live in sunny South Africa after all), from about mid May until about the end of August and a very mild winter. In Pretoria where we live, the average minimum is about 3 degrees Celsius (37,4F) and the maximum about 19 degrees C (66,2 F). We sometimes do get nights that goes down to freezing point but the daytime temperatures are very comfortable. The lowest we get for daytime temperatures is around 13 degrees C - the lowest in history was earlier this year at 9 degrees C.
3. In Pretoria winter is our dry season - we might get one or 2 showers during the winter, but that's it. It gets very dry and dusty (and lots of sinusitis doing the rounds) at about August, before the spring showers. In the Cape winters are very wet.
4. Because the climate is so mild our houses (unless you are in the very top income group) are not heated. Therefore the winter is cold for the kids (and for me - I am not a winter person) - we have panel heaters in the kid's rooms and a gas heater in the living area. The rest of the house is not heated.
5. There is very little snow around in South Africa - the last time it snowed in Pretoria was in 1913! It does snow on the high mountains sometimes, but very seldom elsewhere. We have only one ski resort high up in the Drakensberg - they heavily rely on snow machines to add snow even in top snow season. The first time I saw snow apart from in the distance on a plane was at age 19 in Istanbul, Turkey.
What about summer/winter in you part of the world?
Playing along today: Nancy
1. Yes, we do have winter now- we are in the Southern Hemisphere thus have reverse seasons than any of you that live up in the northern hemisphere. Joining us is South America, Australia and Nieuw Zeeland.
2. We have a very short winter (we live in sunny South Africa after all), from about mid May until about the end of August and a very mild winter. In Pretoria where we live, the average minimum is about 3 degrees Celsius (37,4F) and the maximum about 19 degrees C (66,2 F). We sometimes do get nights that goes down to freezing point but the daytime temperatures are very comfortable. The lowest we get for daytime temperatures is around 13 degrees C - the lowest in history was earlier this year at 9 degrees C.
3. In Pretoria winter is our dry season - we might get one or 2 showers during the winter, but that's it. It gets very dry and dusty (and lots of sinusitis doing the rounds) at about August, before the spring showers. In the Cape winters are very wet.
4. Because the climate is so mild our houses (unless you are in the very top income group) are not heated. Therefore the winter is cold for the kids (and for me - I am not a winter person) - we have panel heaters in the kid's rooms and a gas heater in the living area. The rest of the house is not heated.
5. There is very little snow around in South Africa - the last time it snowed in Pretoria was in 1913! It does snow on the high mountains sometimes, but very seldom elsewhere. We have only one ski resort high up in the Drakensberg - they heavily rely on snow machines to add snow even in top snow season. The first time I saw snow apart from in the distance on a plane was at age 19 in Istanbul, Turkey.
What about summer/winter in you part of the world?
Playing along today: Nancy
Monday, 21 July 2008
The Kidmobile has arrived.
Yes, we have done it! Bought a kidmobile for me - a mommy's taxi. I used to drive a double cab bakkie (I guess you guys will call it a truck, the Aussies call it a Ute) but the diesel consumption was getting very heavy and space was starting to get an issue. We didn't want to sell the truck as it is probably as close as H gets to a girlfriend and he uses the 4x4 when he goes off road and does his outdoorsy stuff. So we bought a secondhand MPV (I think the Americans call it a mini-van?). The car is well looked after, has all the conveniences I can ask and has very low kilos - and we got it for a bargain from diplomats that have ended their 4 year post in South Africa.
The weekend was busy in a very nice way - I got the chance to do something for myself. I spend a very relaxing 2 and a half hours at the hairdresser on Saturday morning, after which I took The Little Miss for her swimming lesson and after that, had a lovely out ride at the stables. Poor H had a tough day with The Boys, fussy and clingy, and at bath time we discovered why - each cut a new tooth - the same one on the same day!
On Sunday we had a lovely relaxing breakfast at an outdoor cafe after which we paid my mom a visit - she had another quick visit to the hospital to do another repair on her retina.
And we got such a fright last night - while bathing Little man L H noticed that his lips were blue - and his hands! I rushed him to the emergency room, just to show the doctor a rosy faced, lipped and handed baby. He does have tonsillitis though and the doctor thinks it could be excessive saliva that obstructed the vocal cords temporarily. We have their 10 month check-up at the paediatrician today so she should confirm this.
The weekend was busy in a very nice way - I got the chance to do something for myself. I spend a very relaxing 2 and a half hours at the hairdresser on Saturday morning, after which I took The Little Miss for her swimming lesson and after that, had a lovely out ride at the stables. Poor H had a tough day with The Boys, fussy and clingy, and at bath time we discovered why - each cut a new tooth - the same one on the same day!
On Sunday we had a lovely relaxing breakfast at an outdoor cafe after which we paid my mom a visit - she had another quick visit to the hospital to do another repair on her retina.
And we got such a fright last night - while bathing Little man L H noticed that his lips were blue - and his hands! I rushed him to the emergency room, just to show the doctor a rosy faced, lipped and handed baby. He does have tonsillitis though and the doctor thinks it could be excessive saliva that obstructed the vocal cords temporarily. We have their 10 month check-up at the paediatrician today so she should confirm this.
Friday, 18 July 2008
5 things Friday..
I have to mention that we had our first puke-free night in a week! Great!
And to go with the other post today, 5 things I have done that I am proud of:
1. I have met Madiba! I brought him tea (and he drinks hot milk in his tea) at a function at our church shortly after his inauguration as president. He thanked me for the tea and we had a short chat about my life ( he asked lots of questions) after which he spend 2 hours chatting to the children of the congregation in Afrikaans, my home language.
2. I started with horse riding lessons at the age of 30 and became a good rider in the space of a year. I won two dressage rosettes (a second and third place) in my first dressage competition an year after starting riding lessons.
3. I bought my first property on my own at the age of 23 when a lot of my friends (even the married ones) were still renting. I could sell my flat at a profit when we bought our home.
4. I backpacked through Europe with a friend for 3 months at the tender age of 19 (I turned 20 in Rome) and learned (very fast) to become independent. Up to then I led a very sheltered life.
5. I can throw pots on a wheel - this was a real accomplishment for me. I used to be a good potter ( is that the right term?) pre-kids and hope to return to it soon.
And to go with the other post today, 5 things I have done that I am proud of:
1. I have met Madiba! I brought him tea (and he drinks hot milk in his tea) at a function at our church shortly after his inauguration as president. He thanked me for the tea and we had a short chat about my life ( he asked lots of questions) after which he spend 2 hours chatting to the children of the congregation in Afrikaans, my home language.
2. I started with horse riding lessons at the age of 30 and became a good rider in the space of a year. I won two dressage rosettes (a second and third place) in my first dressage competition an year after starting riding lessons.
3. I bought my first property on my own at the age of 23 when a lot of my friends (even the married ones) were still renting. I could sell my flat at a profit when we bought our home.
4. I backpacked through Europe with a friend for 3 months at the tender age of 19 (I turned 20 in Rome) and learned (very fast) to become independent. Up to then I led a very sheltered life.
5. I can throw pots on a wheel - this was a real accomplishment for me. I used to be a good potter ( is that the right term?) pre-kids and hope to return to it soon.
Happy 90th birthday Madiba!
Today is the 90th Birthday of everybody in South Africa's favourite grandfather - Nelson Mandela. Today there is a general feeling of joy and celebration in South Africa, some buildings have Happy Birthday wishes hanging from the windows and on the radio stations birthday wishes are being played non- stop. He is truly an inspiration for us all.
Veels geluk Oupa Madiba!
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Puking extravaganza
Yes, I know I should report on our 9 month well-baby appointment, but seriously, it didn't go so well and I would like the paediatrician's input on Monday for their check-up with her before posting anything. Let's suffice to say we are very worried about Little Man L. In the same breath - I am indeed exhausted. Last night was the 6th night in a row spent with a puking kid in bed. Night 6, kid no 3 - maybe the end is in sight.
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Bar Mitzvah, rugby and family get together.
The weekend was filled with all sorts of activities.
On Saturday morning we were invited to a second Bar Mitzvah. H. had to go to the airport with the kids to pick up the In-laws arriving from Dubai, so he missed the occasion. As a dedicated Christian and having grown up in a Christian home, I had absolutely no idea what to expect of the occasion. Just for background, you get a second Bar Mitzvah when you are 83 - 70 years (three score and 10 according to the Torah) after your first Bar Mitzvah at age 13. This was the second Bar Mitzvah of our old business partner - a person for whom I have a lot of respect and who has always shown respect and compassion for my religious beliefs. He attended our wedding and the kid's christenings. So I attended my first Bar Mitzvah. It was also his granddaughter from Nieuw Zeeland's Bat Mitzvah. I found the experience extremely interesting and moving - the music beautiful and the community spirit uplifting. I could not help thinking that we are praying to the same God - the God of Israel who has made us all His children. (don't understand me wrong - I am absolutely dedicated to the love and grace of Jesus - but this felt like "family")
I was absolutely stunned to find a female Rabbi presiding ! Yes, she is American and this is a Progressive Jewish congregation - apparently working towards a non discriminatory and sexist Jewish congregation. And it is only in South African that you find a black boy with a nice Rastafarian hairdo that is a Jew! Yes, he was adopted by a Jewish family as a baby and is a full blown member of the congregation - his Bar Mitzvah was 2 years ago. What I really liked was the concept of "generation to generation" - Nedor vahdor ( do not know how to spell that!) The Torah was passed on from grandfather, to father and to daughter -as the Rabbi explained, the past, the present and the future of the faith. After a 2 and a half hour service, it was time for the big party. Gosh, the most incredible food and not a spot of meat (due to Kosher rules) in sight. I had so much sushi, I think I had my fill for the next 2 moths or so. And the chocolate fountain for dessert was an absolute favourite. Strawberries in Belgian chocolate is just stunning. I also need to add that this weekend was extremely cold for Pretoria. The clever wife of the "Bar Mitzvah boy" had a small knee blanket for every woman embroidered with his name.
I returned home to find all in a very festive mood - the Springboks (South Africa) won the All Blacks (Nieuw Zeeland) in a rugby test on Nieuw Zeeland home ground. This was great reason to celebrate and the usual braai followed that night.
Little man L sitting on gran's feet - watching rugby and Little man C sitting in dad's lap and contemplating a sip of daddy's beer.
On Sunday we had a small family get together at Auntie Tina and Uncle Bert's. This is my MIL's sister and her hubby. The kids love them and Auntie Anne-marie, their daughter. We had a lovely brunch with croissants, vetkoek (fried dough balls), quiche, and lots of fillings. Sunday was really cold so The Boys got to wear their very seldom used Pumpkin Parch parkas, hats and gloves.
Auntie Tina has every little girls dream - a whole couch full of teddie bears. The Little Miss always has a lot of fun playing with them - her favourite, off course, the pink bear.
She also had great fun chasing the geese (and in return being chased by them). She calls the little bolero she is wearing her marshmallow top - very descriptive.
The she and Oupa helped Uncle Bert to pick naartjies (tangerines) and lemons for us to take home.
And her best friends for the day were the two Labrador/Pyrenees mountain dog cross puppies- yes, they are only puppies - 8 months old. Still growing!
And on Sunday night the puking started - and is still continuing with The Boys joining in yesterday and last night.
On Saturday morning we were invited to a second Bar Mitzvah. H. had to go to the airport with the kids to pick up the In-laws arriving from Dubai, so he missed the occasion. As a dedicated Christian and having grown up in a Christian home, I had absolutely no idea what to expect of the occasion. Just for background, you get a second Bar Mitzvah when you are 83 - 70 years (three score and 10 according to the Torah) after your first Bar Mitzvah at age 13. This was the second Bar Mitzvah of our old business partner - a person for whom I have a lot of respect and who has always shown respect and compassion for my religious beliefs. He attended our wedding and the kid's christenings. So I attended my first Bar Mitzvah. It was also his granddaughter from Nieuw Zeeland's Bat Mitzvah. I found the experience extremely interesting and moving - the music beautiful and the community spirit uplifting. I could not help thinking that we are praying to the same God - the God of Israel who has made us all His children. (don't understand me wrong - I am absolutely dedicated to the love and grace of Jesus - but this felt like "family")
I was absolutely stunned to find a female Rabbi presiding ! Yes, she is American and this is a Progressive Jewish congregation - apparently working towards a non discriminatory and sexist Jewish congregation. And it is only in South African that you find a black boy with a nice Rastafarian hairdo that is a Jew! Yes, he was adopted by a Jewish family as a baby and is a full blown member of the congregation - his Bar Mitzvah was 2 years ago. What I really liked was the concept of "generation to generation" - Nedor vahdor ( do not know how to spell that!) The Torah was passed on from grandfather, to father and to daughter -as the Rabbi explained, the past, the present and the future of the faith. After a 2 and a half hour service, it was time for the big party. Gosh, the most incredible food and not a spot of meat (due to Kosher rules) in sight. I had so much sushi, I think I had my fill for the next 2 moths or so. And the chocolate fountain for dessert was an absolute favourite. Strawberries in Belgian chocolate is just stunning. I also need to add that this weekend was extremely cold for Pretoria. The clever wife of the "Bar Mitzvah boy" had a small knee blanket for every woman embroidered with his name.
I returned home to find all in a very festive mood - the Springboks (South Africa) won the All Blacks (Nieuw Zeeland) in a rugby test on Nieuw Zeeland home ground. This was great reason to celebrate and the usual braai followed that night.
Little man L sitting on gran's feet - watching rugby and Little man C sitting in dad's lap and contemplating a sip of daddy's beer.
On Sunday we had a small family get together at Auntie Tina and Uncle Bert's. This is my MIL's sister and her hubby. The kids love them and Auntie Anne-marie, their daughter. We had a lovely brunch with croissants, vetkoek (fried dough balls), quiche, and lots of fillings. Sunday was really cold so The Boys got to wear their very seldom used Pumpkin Parch parkas, hats and gloves.
Auntie Tina has every little girls dream - a whole couch full of teddie bears. The Little Miss always has a lot of fun playing with them - her favourite, off course, the pink bear.
She also had great fun chasing the geese (and in return being chased by them). She calls the little bolero she is wearing her marshmallow top - very descriptive.
The she and Oupa helped Uncle Bert to pick naartjies (tangerines) and lemons for us to take home.
And her best friends for the day were the two Labrador/Pyrenees mountain dog cross puppies- yes, they are only puppies - 8 months old. Still growing!
And on Sunday night the puking started - and is still continuing with The Boys joining in yesterday and last night.
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Oh no!
Oh my gosh guys, I have by mistake rejected some of the greatest comments left on my blog ever! It was just a slip of clicking the wrong button - reject iso publish! And Blogger says: "Rejected comments are deleted and cannot be recovered. ..." Please accept my sincere apologies. I do still have them in my mailbox, so I will add them manually - if your links are not there, sorry girl. In my defence - I have a terrible head cold, can not take much medicine (breastfeeding) and hardly slept last night - yes, Mr C. is teething and The Little Miss was in bed with me, puking twice and runny tummy 3 times. You girls rock! Thanks for the support. If you want to know what Tinker and I are on about: our blogging buddy Tertia is being accused by some misdirected christian that she was a murderer because she had IVF etc. If you are interested - have a read on her blog - go back a couple of days. Hope to do the weekend report later today and tomorrow we have our (a bit late) 9 month well baby check-up.
Monday, 14 July 2008
Weekend madness.
So, according to the breastfeeding consultant, I am really abnormal, or just plain exhausted. Let me explain: I breastfeed and pump on my regular feeding schedule during the week. On weekends, I breastfeed exclusively (if I can) on the same schedule. Any breastfeeding consultant will also tell you that breastfeeding is better stimulation than any pump. Thus, on a Monday you should have ample milk to pump and it should decrease as you head towards the weekend. Well, I have an acute milk shortage on Mondays and by Friday have a good supply running. Her conclusion- my weekends are so exhausting that it decreases my milk supply. Well, I think she is correct - and that is exactly why I do not blog in general during weekends. I am just too busy and too tired.
This leads me to a very contentious issue - I actually find it more exhausting to spend the weekend with my family than being at work. This makes me feel like a very bad mommy! Maybe we should concentrate more on doing fun things on weekends rather that trying to do as much chores as possible - not that I get much done in between taking care of the kids. And this again leaves me feeling inadequate.
Today I am literally exhausted! 3 nights of very little sleep have left me a zombie. Friday night was Little man L - I think he was awake 10 times - dad took over about half the time. Saturday night it was actually H that kept me awake with a high fever (he has flue) and snoring like mad. Little man L also did his part waking up about 5 times - and only I got up because dad was sick. Last night was the pits though - The Little Miss has a tummy bug - I cleaned her and some puke about 5 times last night, H was also restless, and Little man C woke up 4 times (he usually sleeps through) - I think he is busy cutting a tooth. And Little man L slept through! Add to this that the In laws were visiting.....
More about the weekend to follow.
This leads me to a very contentious issue - I actually find it more exhausting to spend the weekend with my family than being at work. This makes me feel like a very bad mommy! Maybe we should concentrate more on doing fun things on weekends rather that trying to do as much chores as possible - not that I get much done in between taking care of the kids. And this again leaves me feeling inadequate.
Today I am literally exhausted! 3 nights of very little sleep have left me a zombie. Friday night was Little man L - I think he was awake 10 times - dad took over about half the time. Saturday night it was actually H that kept me awake with a high fever (he has flue) and snoring like mad. Little man L also did his part waking up about 5 times - and only I got up because dad was sick. Last night was the pits though - The Little Miss has a tummy bug - I cleaned her and some puke about 5 times last night, H was also restless, and Little man C woke up 4 times (he usually sleeps through) - I think he is busy cutting a tooth. And Little man L slept through! Add to this that the In laws were visiting.....
More about the weekend to follow.
Friday, 11 July 2008
5 Things Friday
5 Things you might or might not know about breastfeeding my kids:
1. The Little Miss was exclusively breastfed until 6 months when I introduced solids. At 9 months I introduced formula for daytime feeds ( in order to stop pumping at work) but she still nursed for the morning and night feeds. At 10 months we went on a romantic weekend and after that she refused the breast - she weaned herself! (This was followed at 11 months refusing the bottle and taking to her formula in a sippy cup - also initiated by herself)
2. I am still breastfeeding The Boys and pumping at work. Sometimes I have to supplement with formula added to the EBM.
3. I tandem fed The Boys until they became too tall to do football hold at about 4 months.
4. I plan to continue breastfeeding them at least until the end of winter - around September and their first birthday.
5. And yes, they are starting to bite me - especially C. I give a stern "No!" in an angry voice and it really works. The only time that the bite actually broke the skin was the first and only time L bit me.
So what about doing your own "5 Things Friday"? And letting me know if you do it.
Joining in:
The Zimmer Zoo
1. The Little Miss was exclusively breastfed until 6 months when I introduced solids. At 9 months I introduced formula for daytime feeds ( in order to stop pumping at work) but she still nursed for the morning and night feeds. At 10 months we went on a romantic weekend and after that she refused the breast - she weaned herself! (This was followed at 11 months refusing the bottle and taking to her formula in a sippy cup - also initiated by herself)
2. I am still breastfeeding The Boys and pumping at work. Sometimes I have to supplement with formula added to the EBM.
3. I tandem fed The Boys until they became too tall to do football hold at about 4 months.
4. I plan to continue breastfeeding them at least until the end of winter - around September and their first birthday.
5. And yes, they are starting to bite me - especially C. I give a stern "No!" in an angry voice and it really works. The only time that the bite actually broke the skin was the first and only time L bit me.
So what about doing your own "5 Things Friday"? And letting me know if you do it.
Joining in:
The Zimmer Zoo
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
I am not her friend anymore.
That's now The Little Miss's friend. Her school has a strict rule that no toys from home are allowed apart from "show and tell" days. So, when she refused to let go of her Cabbage patch kid in her carrycot this morning, mommy pried the fingers open and forcefully removed said doll and carrycot. To hear the phrase" You are not my friend anymore". Like a knife in the heart I say.
So, with hysterical kid in tow, I arrived at school, just to be told that yes, they are allowed to bring their dolls for this week (all the girls are) as due to the winter holidays there are only 28 kids and 10 teachers so they can keep an eye on the toys. This was told to my mom who picked her up at school yesterday - and who did not care to convey the message when we had a chat on the phone last night. And I am feeling like worst mommy in the world ever! This will teach me to believe my daughter sometimes. So, I drove back home, fetched doll and carrycot and am hopefully forgiven. Maybe she will be my friend again.
So, with hysterical kid in tow, I arrived at school, just to be told that yes, they are allowed to bring their dolls for this week (all the girls are) as due to the winter holidays there are only 28 kids and 10 teachers so they can keep an eye on the toys. This was told to my mom who picked her up at school yesterday - and who did not care to convey the message when we had a chat on the phone last night. And I am feeling like worst mommy in the world ever! This will teach me to believe my daughter sometimes. So, I drove back home, fetched doll and carrycot and am hopefully forgiven. Maybe she will be my friend again.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
I've survived!
Referring now to my 5 days alone with the kids while H was away hunting. I knew that the weekdays should be ok - the nights will probably be rough. It was the weekend that I was really worried about. And you know what, it all turned out fine.
Friday night I got an sms (I think you guys call it a text) from our good friends Stefaan and Ilse, asking if A would like to go to a puppet show with her friend Emma. Off course, I jumped at the chance and after an initial 2 hour date, it grew to a day long playdate. (Everybody slept right through on Friday night as well! Good kids!) Which left me and The Boys to do a run to the shops and have a nice quiet late breakfast at Cafe Paradiso where I could read a bit of Jodi Picault and The Boys could watch the ducks. Back at home they had a nice long nap and the Puppies and I had a quick game of catch in the driveway. All went fine, peaceful and quiet.
Until the night - I had The Little Miss waking and crying 3 times during the night - this NEVER happens - I think she missed her daddy, L waking up twice and taking an hour to settle down around 2 am. And puppy B having the jitter guts at 1 am, me posting The Puppies outside in the cold (they do have a nice warm kennel), and cleaning the bathroom with antiseptic . I think I totalled a 2 hour uninterrupted stretch from about 4 to 6. The rest, well, hugely interrupted and very cold running around the house in the wee hours of the morning.
My mom called early on Sunday morning to invite us over for lunch with one of her friends, a lovely lady and one of A's favourite people. So we spend the whole day there with some much appreciated help. Great stuff. Came home about 2 hours before H arrived - just around bath time.
Oh, it was so great to see him again - looking all handsome with a bit of sunburn on his face and a huge smile. I know it was tough, but it was so great that I could give him the chance to have a break with his old buddies. I know that in some way he will reciprocate.
Friday night I got an sms (I think you guys call it a text) from our good friends Stefaan and Ilse, asking if A would like to go to a puppet show with her friend Emma. Off course, I jumped at the chance and after an initial 2 hour date, it grew to a day long playdate. (Everybody slept right through on Friday night as well! Good kids!) Which left me and The Boys to do a run to the shops and have a nice quiet late breakfast at Cafe Paradiso where I could read a bit of Jodi Picault and The Boys could watch the ducks. Back at home they had a nice long nap and the Puppies and I had a quick game of catch in the driveway. All went fine, peaceful and quiet.
Until the night - I had The Little Miss waking and crying 3 times during the night - this NEVER happens - I think she missed her daddy, L waking up twice and taking an hour to settle down around 2 am. And puppy B having the jitter guts at 1 am, me posting The Puppies outside in the cold (they do have a nice warm kennel), and cleaning the bathroom with antiseptic . I think I totalled a 2 hour uninterrupted stretch from about 4 to 6. The rest, well, hugely interrupted and very cold running around the house in the wee hours of the morning.
My mom called early on Sunday morning to invite us over for lunch with one of her friends, a lovely lady and one of A's favourite people. So we spend the whole day there with some much appreciated help. Great stuff. Came home about 2 hours before H arrived - just around bath time.
Oh, it was so great to see him again - looking all handsome with a bit of sunburn on his face and a huge smile. I know it was tough, but it was so great that I could give him the chance to have a break with his old buddies. I know that in some way he will reciprocate.
Friday, 4 July 2008
End of June weekend
So, before we hit this weekend, I should probably talk a bit about last weekend. My FIL and MIL were visiting, much to the children's delight. A and I went to pick up Grandpa Curry Buck ( as she calls him - the curry we can explain as he often cooks curry, the buck part is a complete mystery) at the airport. She was on her best behaviour and gave him the welcome I am sure he longed for. Both arms tightly around his neck , a full juicy embrace. We all spend some quality time together, eating, chatting, etc. until they had to leave for the airport by 4 the afternoon. Well, they're off now to meet their newest little granddaughter in Dubai - we will see them again in two weeks time.
And off course, The Boys turned 9 months on the 25th - we waited until Saturday for Grandpa to arrive to celebrate. From left, Oumie (Grammy) - my mom with C, Oups (Grandpa) with the 9 months cake and Ouma Annie (Grandma Annie) with L.
5 things you might know or might not know about.....
I have so many ideas about posts in my head that I have decided to do a series of "5 things" posts - a lot of these items each actually warrants a whole post. I also realise that some of you might find the fact that I am living in South Africa interesting, therefore the first "5 Things Friday" is about:
South Africa
1. Most South Africans are at least bilingual - a big chunk of the population speak at least 3 of our 11 national languages. I am bilingual (English is not my mother tongue), H also speaks some Xhosa.
2. We live in a country of incredible contrasting beauty. We have mountains to rival the alps (The Drakensberg), cities so beautifully located that they are know as the most scenic in the world (Cape town), stunning desert landscapes (Kalahari), beautiful sub tropical scenery ( the lowveld) and more.
3. No, we don't actually have lions roaming the city streets, but we have nature pretty close to us. Where I am sitting right now in my office, I can see duiker and blesbok in a tiny reserve inside the city ( but I am probably one of only 50 people that have this honour). We do have a small reserve about 30 minutes drive from home where we can see zebra, antelopes, hippo and even rhino. We live a comfortable 1 and a half hours drive from the Pilansberg national park (big 5 country) and 4 and a half hours drive from the famous Kruger National Park.
4. New cars cost a fortune in South Africa - in fact, in comparison to other countries cars are very expensive. About 3 years ago a fancy car could cost half of what your house cost. House prices has since increased.
5. We are also shocked about fuel prices - we are paying more than the Americans, but less than the Britons.
South Africa
1. Most South Africans are at least bilingual - a big chunk of the population speak at least 3 of our 11 national languages. I am bilingual (English is not my mother tongue), H also speaks some Xhosa.
2. We live in a country of incredible contrasting beauty. We have mountains to rival the alps (The Drakensberg), cities so beautifully located that they are know as the most scenic in the world (Cape town), stunning desert landscapes (Kalahari), beautiful sub tropical scenery ( the lowveld) and more.
3. No, we don't actually have lions roaming the city streets, but we have nature pretty close to us. Where I am sitting right now in my office, I can see duiker and blesbok in a tiny reserve inside the city ( but I am probably one of only 50 people that have this honour). We do have a small reserve about 30 minutes drive from home where we can see zebra, antelopes, hippo and even rhino. We live a comfortable 1 and a half hours drive from the Pilansberg national park (big 5 country) and 4 and a half hours drive from the famous Kruger National Park.
4. New cars cost a fortune in South Africa - in fact, in comparison to other countries cars are very expensive. About 3 years ago a fancy car could cost half of what your house cost. House prices has since increased.
5. We are also shocked about fuel prices - we are paying more than the Americans, but less than the Britons.
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Sleeping baby pictures version 2
And here is the promised sleeping baby picture of The Little Miss - about 4 days old and having her tan. She was the worst jaundice case of all 3 my babies and had to stay behind in hospital after my release for another 2 days. A bit ironic that my twins went home with mommy but their sister (born at 38 weeks and 3,45 kg) had a longer hospital stay.
Flying solo....
Yes guys, I am flying solo - at home AND at work. Both my "husbands" are on holiday. I am often asked how it works being in a partnership at work with a male partner, much older than me. Well, it's a bit like having a second marriage going - with teenagers as kids. One have to look after their work and listen to their personal problems. But you also get helpers - I like to think of my secretary (great girl, bless her soul) as my nanny at work.
My partner left last night for a two and a half week trip to Spain and Portugal - I am so jealous ( a one day trip to a local spa sounds like heaven to me at the moment). And H is busy with the single most popular winter activity of the South African male - hunting. Ok, maybe watching rugby or soccer is more popular, but you get the idea. He is meeting his buddies from waaaaay back (some from kindergarten) for a hunt halfway (Bethulie in the Free state) where some of them stay (Port Elizabeth) and Pretoria, where we stay. The idea is to spend some quality time together, hunt for meat and biltong and if the opportunity presents itself, for a trophy animal. Sorry to the bunny huggers (I am to an extend also one) - but this is just the most healthy and tasty meat ever and the biltong* is great. By last night he had already shot a blesbok .
This obviously means I am really having my hands full at home and at work. Hardly slept last night (although the nanny helped out with The Boys) as The Little Miss woke up 3 times - eventually I just brought her to our bed. This is the very first time that she can remember that Daddy's been away for a night and I think that is the problem - in general she is an excellent sleeper - has been her whole life. The weekend will probably be a bit tough (understatement) but I will be ok. To an extend this is a test for me that I want to pass - being on my own with all 3 kids. Wish my mom could be more of a help sometimes.
*Biltong is meat, pickled in salt, herbs etc and air dried. Venison (game) biltong has no fat and is the ideal teething material for babies. People often say that it is the same as beef jerky - I have tasted jerky and it is not. It is probably the South African national snack if something like that exists.
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
A first Bday party actually for the one year old set.
I am seriously technologically dis advanced or something to that tune. After buying a new card reader, what do I notice? A nice memory card slot in my laptop! Has always been there, but never noticed by me. Can one woman be so stupid, I ask you?
You know how first birthday parties are actually for everybody except the one year old? Well to re-cap, on Saturday the 21st June we went to H's cousins little darling's first birthday party. The mom warned on the invite that this was a baby party and not really for the bigger brothers and sisters although they were welcome to attend. They each got a party pack with sweeties and the girls got hairdryer water pistols - big hit with The Little Miss. But for the babies she went all out to execute the absolute best first birthday idea I have ever seen. 
Present were 6 babies between ages 9 months (The Boys) and 13 months and older brothers and sisters (who by the way loved the little ones "tables" and joined in the fun). Each baby got their own "table" with food and activities. And although mine can not eat everything present I decided to ignore this fact and see how they enjoy this spread - and hoped two bits of wheat will not trigger some allergy.
Blue spaghetti was pronounced to be delicious by The Little Miss, mealie porridge coloured an shaped into animals was really enjoyed by C while L liked the pea and corn mix. A really digged into The Boys jelly shapes and before The Boys demolished the little wheat pourer, A had fun showing her brothers how to use it. In the tins were sweeties and a baby juice which you could decide to give to baby or not. The Little Miss scored with double extra juice and sweeties. One advantage to being the big sister to twins.
And my favourite photo of the day is the one on the top of The Little Miss. She once again is dressed in her favourite outfit for this winter. Seems like you are going to see this outfit gizallion times. I promise, she has other party outfits.
And this is how the party ended - C. and new friend Sebastian being the only babies still playing and L having a lovely snooze.
The mom also had a student photographer (daughter of a friend) who took pictures of the kids for her portfolio. We will all receive one photograph per kid as a thank you and will then be able to order more at a fee if we want to. I can not wait to see as we had nice ones taken of The Boys together, all 3 the kids together and The Little Miss on her own.
On Sunday we had a coffee date with friends Claire and Roland to see their new house and German Shepard puppies. The Little Miss is totally obsessed with cats and we are not owned by a single one. I am also not planning to get her one soon as The Puppies did not grow up with cats and merely chase the ones who brave wondering our walls. To her great joy she managed for the very first time to quietly sit next to Vincent the cat and to pet him. This was such a great moment for her, we just had to take a picture. ( note the tiara, Cinderella T shirt and ballet skirt over the clothes - Princess obsession rules at present).
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Sleeping babes
So Debi has a great idea - sharing sleeping baby pictures. Here are The Boys - all of 3 days old having the snooze of their lives under the cozy lights - both with jaundice.
I just had to include this picture of little L.
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