It's all good

Just a quick post to say that G's kidney scan is all OK and she doesn't need any more tests or antibotics. What a relief! Life sure is good when you get good news from a medical specialist.

Now there's just Emma's first filling to get through on Monday and I can relax and start thinking about Christmas.

Adventures in Hospital Land

G. (two and a bit) and I spent yesterday at the Royal Children's Hospital and Nuclear Medicine Department so that she could have a renal scan. I was kind of dreading it as it involved putting in an intravenous cannula and then having a small dose of radioactive stuff injected before waiting three hours to have a 45 minute scan. So....after a mad rush to get the puppy organised before being locked in the laundry, the children and myself breakfasted, dressed, toothbrushed, and sunscreened and out the door to take E. to school on time, G. and I headed for the hospital.

We fronted up at the children's casualty area as directed to get the cannula in which involved putting on the helpful cream first and then filling in an hour while it worked. I was loathe to let her play in the little indoor playground in casualty as a few years ago, we tried that with E. and we were back at the hospital two days later for 5 nights with Rotavirus (very nasty gastro bug). But of course, G spotted the playground straight away and was desperate to go in so I gritted my teeth and checked that I had a pack of nappy wipes handy. Eventually, a gorgeous Irish registered nurse and a very young, pretty, doctor put in the cannula with a minimum of trauma (well...enough to make G. pretty upset but not too bad in the scheme of things). Then we waited for a volunteer to escort us to the other side of the hospital to do the next stage. G. was exhausted from a restless night with a temp and runny nose so of course wanted to doze on my lap. When it was time to set off, I grabbed my bag of food supplies, spare clothes, etc, hoisted G. on my hip and pushed the stroller with one hand down endless corridors with the elderly volunteer. Eventually I asked if she thought she could manage the stroller which she kindly did. Then, when we were almost at our destination, I realised with a sinking feeling that I had left my little black backpack on the chair beside me back in kids' casualty. When we arrrived in the Nuclear Medicine Department, they rang to try and locate my bag and were put on hold for 20 minutes. So....sitting there with a miserable toddler and waiting for a radioactive injection in my darling's hand, I imagined the phonecall to my husband at work.... "It's me...(stifled sob)....can you come and get us? I've lost my bag with my keys, mobile and $200 cash). I told myself, it doesn't matter as long as G. is ok but I sure was relieved when after an hour or so, someone rang to say they had found it. Of course, by then it was too late to come home for the three hour wait between injection and scan but that didn't really matter.

There was another mother with a very sick little boy (and his big brother) in the waiting room. I looked at his bald little head, the nasogastric tube in his nose and his skinny little arms and my heart went out to them. I only had one day at hospital with my little girl and all over the world there are families spending week after week enduring all sorts of misery. So...it all helped get my whingeing over puppy mess and sleep deprivation into perspective.

The main purpose of this post is to say how grateful I am for the kindness of the hospital staff. This is one time that I WILL actually buy a thank you card and send it. Because G. was unwell and dozy and I was stressed by the lost bag experience, a nurse who became my new best friend found an unused room for us with a big comfy reclining chair and brought us a jug of water, sandwiches and a blanket before turning out the lights and closing the door. Of course, G. promptly woke up before I could close my eyes so we filled in the next two hours reading Bambi ("Oh...that's a bit sad" she said) and Snow White and going for a big walk downstairs to buy "chippies". Eventually, my beloved little black backpack was delivered in a sealed brown paper bag (complete with $200 cash inside!).

Finally, we went in for the scan which involved strapping G. to a moving bed while a machine moved slowly in all directions around her. "Just like a ride at Chermie" I said encouragingly. My little girl lay perfectly still, holding my hand and watching a Hi 5 dvd for 45 minutes. I was a really proud mummy. Now...fingers crossed that the results are ok. I'll let you know.

Stuck for words

Just can't find any inspiration for blogging at the moment. Too much going on with storms as well as the normal juggling of day to day stuff - you know....kids, dog, housework, part time job, other people's children's birthday parties, trying to find and return those pesky library books, banking cheques, shopping for Christmas presents etc etc. And I have a husband who does a huge amount of domestic/parenting stuff.No wonder our mothers didn't expect to work after having children. Running a household takes such enormous time and energy. My mother met my Dad working in a bank and obediently resigned upon marriage. I guess it was hard to argue with a bank in 1960.

The nice thing about blogging and peeking into other people's lives and thoughts is that for every mother who is seemingly baking biscuits while whipping up a patchwork quilt and doing craft activities with her well behaved and designer clad children, there is another one who is muddling along, just doing her best and perhaps managing to squeeze in the odd moment of cooking or sewing or scrapbooking between cleaning up mess and breastfeeding bubbas to sleep. So hello to all the lovely mothers who confess their struggles in their blogs. It makes me feel a whole lot better.

Someone called Tammie made me laugh yesterday. She posted a photo of some gorgeous looking biscuits she had baked that were sitting on a pretty plate before confessing that the plate was only for the photo and that nobody in her house ever uses a plate to eat a "cookie". They just get stuffed into people's mouths while doing other things like vacuuming. ( I think that was the most ungrammatical sentence I have ever written, but hey, this is a blog, not an honours thesis).

Good things from today - catching up with some friends at a relaxed kids' party at the local pool (well, the pool near where my husband grew up); eavesdropping on my daughter and two neighbourhood friends playing "mothers" on our patio and hearing things like "I'm just going to get some petrol. Can you mind my baby?"; getting a phonecall from my big brother; having my gorgeous 13 year old niece sleepover last night and watching her patiently allow my girls to sit and lie all over her for hours on end; coming home to find that my brother-in-law has nailed a plank of wood under the back gate to keep the puppy from escaping. I'm a lucky woman, that's for sure.

So anyway....hello to any of my buddies who are reading this. Here's a couple of photos of my girls at Shorncliffe a few months ago to liven up this uninspired post.

Amazing images by Carleen

Here are the magical images I scored of my two daughters after the talented Carleen offered to "play around with them" for me. I especially love the one of G as she is a big toddler now and not that little baby any more. The photos were taken at Melbourne Zoo when we all went down for the Australian Breastfeeding Association conference in August 2007.

Anyway.....my mate Le has another giveaway competition on her blog. This time you could win some of Carleen's arty photos for yourself. So click here if you want to check it out at Le's very entertaining blog, Third on the Right.

Dog day afternoon

Despite my best efforts to stay calm and positive in the face of constant mess at the moment, it all became too much two days ago when the puppy started pooing OFF the newspaper in the laundry where he lives (until we get the bloody fence built!). The first time it happened and he walked around with little pooey footprints, I thought "Oh well....a little accident. How revolting but never mind". I dutifully cleaned up with the mop and bucket. Then, after school, I found one small head louse on my daughter's head so did the requisite combing with conditioner and fine toothed comb. This involved much protesting and bribing with leftover smarties from her sixth birthday party on Saturday. (We had two birthdays and two parties this week as E. was born two days after her Daddy's birthday. I think this contributed to my current state of lack of coping ability). Just when the hair combing was over, I discovered a fresh deposit with footprints on the laundry floor. I lost it and thinking "I have had a gutful of children and puppies", I started cleaning up again while dissolving into pathetic tears. I'm not sure it's good for my daughters to watch their mother stamping about with a bucket and mop while sobbing and saying unkind things to a small dog, but I was at least comforted by their supportive attitude. G. (only two years old, god bless her) brought handfuls of tissues to the childproof/puppyproof gate in the laundry doorway and said "Here Mummy....here Mummy". Afterwards, E. cuddled me on the couch and said soothingly (and a little accusingly, I might add) "He's only a baby, Mum. He doesn't know".

Not such a disastrous day compared to those who are dealing with war, famine or life threatening illnesses, but we ex-nurses have our standards and they don't involve head lice or dog poo on the laundry floor!

Here's a photo of my big girl with her puppy on her birthday, and the cakes she proudly decorated to take to school....and the treasure hunt for chocolate coins in the garden at her party.

gorgey pendants

Check out the gorgeous pendants at this shop - one of which my mate, Le, is giving away at her blog..... I can't remember the last time I saw something I loved this much. I'm not really into jewelry but I do love beautiful things and these are such beautiful, quirky designs. To visit Le's blog at Third on the Right, click here.

Phew...I'm exhausted after all that tricky blogging cutting and pasting. Fingers crossed that it works.

Bye for now. (Hello big brother!)

love H

Here's to friendship!

A big thank you to my buddy, Le, who has given me my first award in blogland. Not sure what to do next, but Le is going to guide me through it!

First....the questions.....here goes...

1. Do you have the same friends since childhood?
I have an assortment. I have had my oldest friend, Kathy, since she could sit up and I couldn't. My other oldest friend is from grade 7. She moved into the next street and we were soon inseparable.
Now she lives in Sweden with her husband and two little girls. Hi Annie!

2. What do you value most about your friends?
Their patience when I moan about how hard my life is, when really I have a wonderful life.

3. Are your friends sounding boards?

Absolutely...

4. What is your favorite activity to share with friends?
Eating chocolate (particularly if watching a good movie in a gold class cinema)

So...now I get to award my friendship blog to some other souls. As beginner blogger, I have made only a few cyberspace friends but that means I appreciate their visits all the more! Here's to you, girls!

Dee from Down Under - a very thoughtful "poster" and a welcome visitor
CGDK a friend of a friend who is generous with her help on all sorts of creative stuff

wee hour stitches my first blogging friend from halfway around the world!

Have fun passing this award along to your favourites. See you in blogland!