Bits & Pieces

Conversation on the way home:

Mummy (to Little Bear): Are you my girl?
Little Bear: NO!!!
M: Are you Daddy's girl?
LB: NO!!!
M: Oh, OK. Are you Cheetah's girl?
LB: NO!!!
M: Well whose girl are you?
LB: I Ma-Mar's girl ! Hmph!

Hours later:

Mummy: Come and get dried
LB: I don't want get dried!
M: Don't you want your Scoobie Doo jammies on?
LB: I don't want Scoobie Doo Jammies on!
M: Don't you want a bottle?
LB: I don't want bottle!
M: Well what do you want?
LB: MA-MAR !!!!!!

(Ma-Mar is Grandma in Little Bear language).


And this little gem from Cheetah tonight (who is in Grade 5)

Cheetah: Mum, how long is there between grade 7 & grade 8?
Mum: What do you mean?
C: I mean how long between grade 7 & grade 8?
M: You'll have to explain what you mean. Are you talking about the holidays?
C: Kind of, I mean between finishing grade 7 & starting grade 8. Do I get like a year off or something?
M: No.

I think there might have been some disappointment that he didn't get a year off, but I'm not sure what he intended to do with his gap year when both his parents work ???

(For non-Queenslanders, Grade 8 is the first year of highschool here).

You might also notice that Cheetah's explanations leave a bit to be desired. He thinks an explanation is to repeat the question word for word, slowing it down, emphasising the important words & raising his voice.

IT'S A BOY !!!

CONGRATULATIONS

ROO & REE

Baby K born at 9:20am.

Weight: 6lb 10oz

Length: 50cm

I can't wait to see photo's

Ree is a very good friend of mine who lives way too far away. Today she and Roo brought into the world a beautiful baby boy who will be known here as Baby K until we find him a better name.

These guys have had it a bit rough in the past but they are a gorgeous couple and will make a lovely family. I am dying to see photo's of their little man (c'mon guys - it's been almost 10 hours already!!!) and can't wait to meet him, although that will be a few months away yet.

Congratulations guys!

(and seriously - photo's already !!!)

Update on Little Bear

Back at the doctors today with Little Bear - this time the Pediatrician.

We saw the GP on Tuesday who diagnosed ANOTHER chest infection (that's 3 in less than 3 months), prescribed antibiotics, requested a chest x-ray, and referred us to the Pediatrician, Dr J.

Dr J was booked out until the new year, but was lovely enough to make room for us so we had our appointment today.

Dr J did a very thorough workup (we were in her office for a bit over an hour). She thinks the chest infections (which are bronchitis) are a seperate issue to the recurring fevers. She has given us a prescription for stronger antibiotics & told us that Little Bear will need to take them for at least 2 weeks, maybe 3.

We have to get another blood test done in a couple of weeks & this time we need to get it done when Little Bear is relatively healthy.

She thinks the recurring fevers are something called PFAPA, which means they will keep occuring until Little Bear grows out of them, but they are treatable & not life threatening, just annoying. Prior to dealing with the fevers though, she wants to get this recurring bronchitis sorted out.

She doesn't think Little Bear has asthma, but she said we do need to keep an eye on that given that both her parents & her brother all had childhood asthma. She said it is possible that there is an asthma component to the bronchitis but it seems unlikely at the moment, as she couldn't hear any wheezing & I haven't noticed any wheezing.

So the game plan is stronger antibiotics, a blood test in a bit less than 2 weeks, doctors appointment in 2 weeks & we'll see what happens from there.

Blood Tests Today

Little Bear is sick ... Again ... It's been on average every 2 weeks for the last 5-6 months.

This morning we go for blood tests. We are visiting Grannysaurus straight after & then Aunty McTavish & the clan this afternoon to try and help us (both) forget about the blood tests.

Please pray for answers. Little Bear gets so sick each time it's heartbreaking to watch and not be able to do anything.

Little Lost Boy - needs good home !

Last night DH & I decided that we would like to see a show. There was some sort of variety concert showing at the civic theatre which we thought would be nice.

At half time however, we were surprised to find this little urchin sitting amongst the foliage staring at the theatre goers with his big beautiful eyes. He was a bit scruffy & very dirty. Obviously doesn't have a mother. He was a happy child though and after chatting to him for a little bit (he has a magnificent vocabulary for an orphan - we couldn't shut him up) we heard his story.

He is an orphan. He lives in Neverland with a group of other lost boys too. He loves this carefree life, but I could see from the way he looked at us, that what he really yearns for is a family.

I asked if I could take his picture and I might be able to find him a mother. He gave me his sweetest smile and I think this is a very good looking picture if you can just look beyond the ragged clothes & dirty face, there is a really sweet little boy in there who would make someone a very good son.


























Actually - never mind!

After looking at this photo again & remembering his innocent excitement as he chatted to me about his life in Neverland, his fear at the evil pirate Captain Hook who tries to kill Peter Pan and the lost boys, and those beautiful eyes...

I think I will keep him instead.

When is a fever not a fever?

Just to update you on Little Bear.

Perhaps all those prayers worked a little too well (if that's possible).

Today she still has a temperature (around 37.5) but it was not high enough to keep her home from kindy & definitely not high enough to justify turning her into a human pin cushion when the likelyhood is that this is just a cold. Her temperature hasn't gone down, but at the moment, it doesn't seem to be going any higher either so I will wait & see what happens overnight.

I really don't want her to be sick, but I am dreading these blood tests (having gone through an agonisingly traumatic experience - for both of us - when Cheetah was 3) & I just want to get them over & done with & get some answers. The longer it takes, the more anxious I am getting about the whole testing procedure.

Party Pictures

OK, I have given Mummy McT a week to be the first in with the birthday photo's but as she hasn't done it yet, I'm not waiting any longer.

Here are some photo's of our lovely day at the park last weekend, celebrating Lion & Dragon McTavish's birthdays.

This is Uncle Romeo & Aunty Juliet playing with Cheetah on whatever this aparatus is called. It was funny to watch because the combined weight of Aunty J & Cheetah was still barely enough to lift Uncle R.

I love this photo. I never got one of them all smiling & looking at the camera, but at least in this one they are all very happy. Such a close family!

This is one of Mummy McTavish's quite famous birthday cakes. Green coconut icing for grass & crushed flake for dirt. You can't see the back, but Lion had been getting stuck into all the dirt the construction men had dug up & dumped down the back of the cake.

BTW - Nobody was turning 53. Lion was 5 and Dragon was 3.

This is Great Grandma chillin in the shade with little Monkey. I took about 10 photo's & Monkey only had his eyes open in 1 (and his hands in front of his face for that). As soon as I put the camera down, he opened his eyes & kept them open.

Cousin Wilbie & Cousin E were there. Cousin E is actually mine & Mummy McT's cousin, but she is the same age as Cheetah.

Now when Mummy McT told me the boys were having 2 parties, one for family & one for friends but I (well actually the kids) were invited to the friends party too if we wanted, I declined the invitation because I said if Little Bear keeps to her track record, we were due for another fever the weekend of the friends party (ie. this weekend).

Sure enough, this morning she had a slight temperature & it has been slowly going up all day.

She didn't have any lunch today but still had her bottle at lunch time. I gave her some panadol for the temperature & then she got an oven mit, placed it on the floor & lay down on it. Not sure why she chose to get off the couch to lie on the floor - perhaps the floor boards were cooler? When she gets sick, she gets very whingy and she starts to get shiny dark circles around her eyes, even before her temperature has gone up much. She also starts waking up through the night before she gets the temperature so we kind of suspected since Friday night that this was coming.

Wish the doctor was here so I could tell him "I told you so". But I'm sure I'll get my chance. In the meantime, we will be getting blood tests done tomorrow morning so please keep Little Bear in your thoughts & prayers. I'm sure it is not going to be a pleasant time.