Days 287 - 299 Getting into the Swing of Things

Mickey with her cheeky dopey grin... I love it :)

I have been meaning to blog for ages.... I spend many a night in my bed trying to fall asleep with a hundred things I want to say in my blog... but actually never get to writing it.... at least I am still having these thoughts out in my head... otherwise I think you'd have to send me to the silly-bin!

What have the last couple weeks been like in this house? Well, unpredictable... but I suppose there's a certain amount of predictability in the fact that our days are unpredictable. How illogical is that? Well, in this house... pretty logical, actually.

Miks was quite badly constipated about a week ago... nay... REALLY badly constipated. But I think I have come to a sort of solution... she needs to drink LOTS of water. Of course, the dietitian pointed out the need for her to have more water.... but with me now keeping a diary of exactly what she's eating and drinking and how it effects her... er... bodily functioning.... well, it's so easy to see now that when she only drinks a little bit of water, it invariably leads to her being more constipated! Mind you, when it comes to Miks, its never quite so black and white, but at least I know to make her water consumption a priority.

We've started her on solids yesterday again. She had the wierdest thing... she vomitted up a whole lot of the formula and cereal she was eating... but her vomit was white, flecked with... violet. Yes. Violet. As in purple! Anyway, I chatted to the dietitian, and she thought perhaps it was just some dye from the op that has been stuck in her stomach lining, that decided to come out. But I tell you, when you've put nothing purple in, and purple comes out... it's... well... disturbing :) Kinda like when I go on a boat at sea, and I end up hanging over the side of the boat, gazing on the carrots that I hadn't eaten!?! Ok. That's gross. Enough of that!

So Miks sleeping has been up and down too. When she's constipated, she's obviously a nightmare, but when she isn't, she's not too bad, only waking up once. Her appetite has been phenomenal. She is eating so well at the moment- with us seldom having to use the PEG. The dietitian thinks perhaps she had silent reflux, and that the op has perhaps sorted this out... we're THINKING she might have has a Nissan Fund done at the same time, hence the improvement on the reflux. I will ask the surgeon when I take her for her check up.

In terms of the PEG: As I said, we aren't using the PEG too much- although, when she's been difficult with her eating, we've had the option to give her the PEG, meaning that we know at least she's always getting her food in. It really has changed our lives. It did start getting a bit inflamed and infected... a by-product of her constipation, can you believe it!? But we seem to have nipped it in the bag.

And Mikayla? Well, with all the eating, she is more alert, more active, more interactive.. and has put on around 280g (we weighed her today!).... she's still very much T18, and still has all the challenges, but she is definately happier.....more smiley, and really cute! Other than at 3 in the morning, I am really enjoying her at the moment.... (at 3am she has decided that the thing to do now is just cry til she has company. Not cos she's hungry, or thirsty, or anything.... but just cos she quite fancies having someone with her.... not impressive!)

Here's a cute little clip of her from the other night....



As for me... well, I have around 10 weeks til this little baby comes. I feel completely enormous, and am really looking forward to not being pregnant anymore.... but am quite nervous about how we will cope with two tiny babies. Mainly at night.... this lack of sleep is quite tough! The one thing is that I am really looking forward to seeing the boys with this little baby. They're going to love having a baby who interacts more with them.... it'll also be interesting to see what Mikayla thinks of having company!

We're also not sure how to arrange the kids. We have 3 bedrooms, for 4 kids. Do the babies share, or do the boys share? It's a strangely difficult decision. We've never been the kind of parents who have the baby sleeping in our room with us, so that's not an option.... I think, at this stage, I am just living in denial for as long as I can. Maybe I'll just leave it until I am in hospital, and make it Russ' problem :)? No, just kidding!

Keep wondering what God has in store for us. It still sometimes strikes me as strange that the person who likes to plan and "be in the know" (me), is living a life that is now so out of my "control"... we really have to live one day at a time, because we just never know what tomorrow will bring. Strangely, that's true for EVERYONE... we just KNOW it to be true more than perhaps some. It's humbling, to say the least (and at times completely frustrating!).

So what do you think? Pink or Blue? Tee hee... I'm not telling.... :) Baba is well... mid February, bubs was around 900g (apparently big)... mind you, given my size, I certainly hope it's a big baby! I feel like a huge hippopotamus! I think I look like one too. *sigh*