Busy has taken on a new meaning with one new baby and a toddler (well in a babywalker) on dialysis. We had appointments every day this week: three visits to the chiropractor, one newborn hearing test, Jasmine’s second MMR, and our monthly dialysis delivery. To say nothing of an endless round of midwife and health visitor home visits, who promise they will come early morning and then don’t and make you stay in all day. We also squeezed in trips to the chemist for hand cream and bandages and the doctors to register Calista.
The weather has been lovely, but it means that we have to do all our dialysis chores in the morning as the flat gets too hot in the afternoon (average temperature 28o c). Calista is settling in nicely and is sleeping five or so hours in the night. Jasmine has been learning how to do stickers in her ‘In the Night Garden’ book (thanks to Auntie Claire and Uncle Iain), and has been applying her new knowledge to peeling stickers off the bus which indicate where people are supposed to put their wheelchairs.
After much research (i.e. stopping strangers in the street), we have decided against a double buggy. They are too heavy, too wide, you can’t go down the tube steps, on the bus, or in a black cab with them, so we have bought a second single buggy and now go everywhere in convoy. We now need a couple of walkie talkies to complete the convoy effect, so we can shout 10-4, 10-4, at each other, or whatever it is you say. Jasmine keeps leaning over to grab the other buggy, causing the wheels to get locked together, so now we have to go in single file. I laughed so hard the other day about being in convoy that I thought Neil was going to cross the road and leave me.
My scar is healing up nicely, and I am walking better thanks to the chiropractor. My legs are now the same length again, which is a good thing. It never occurred to me that I was limping because my right leg was shorter, I thought it was just that I was in pain. Calista’s navel has healed up, and Neil’s wrists are looking a bit better. I have been doing the exit site and injections so the poor man only has to wash his hands in surgical scrub for 15 minutes a day instead of the usual 20 minutes. This week I am going to start doing the machine to give Neil a break.
CONGRATULATIONS, what a BEAUTIFUL little addition to the family, she is truely stunning. Has made me very broody seeing the pictures. I am so happy for you all. Jasmine is doing fantastic, and 9kg is amazing. Not long till the transplant now. We really MUST meet when you have recovered from the birth. I am sure Jaiden would love Jasmine xx
Congrats again and hope you get some cooler weather. Don’t want your summer to be spoiled either. It has been raining for 4 days in a row in Montreal.
Some walkie-talkie lingo I remember, growing up in the US in the 70s (I’m sure this is all on Wikipedia now):
What’s your 10-20? (where is your location?)
Have to make a 10-100 (need to stop at a toilet)
Catch you later on the flip-flop (see you on the way back)
Smokey (Police car, but I don’t think they give speeding tickets to babies in buggies, so you won’t need to use that).
adorable! I think we may need to find Neil a superman shirt, or at the very least stiitch a cape to the back of his shirts (: I am glad to hear of the demise of the short leg and that you are back in functioning status! The girls look so cute! I now have to pray for two things for you…a new kidney for Jas and sleep for the rest of you! I also think that you should consider wearing camoflouge on your next outing, just to make it more intresting, and roll in selective places to keep the specators on their toes! There is talk of maybe (a big maybe) of fling to London next year, if so maybe we can get together! Hugs to you all! What a beautiful family!