Jolly wonderful

linking up with amazing PJ

Well like Meghan, I have had a poop of a week. The family drama that happened last weekend has really rocked me. Shaken my world.

But. I do have something I am thankful for!

This morning was amazing. We went to the zoo with my sister Nikkey and her cuties. Her big boy (all of 5) took control of the map and with the help of his compass (tied securely around his neck) attempted to herd us around the zoo. Hysterical and very cute!

We also had some special guests with us. Rupi's birth father, J, his lovely girl friend, cute little sister, Mom and step-Dad joined us. J has not seen Rupi in about 9 months so it was heart melting. The whole family really gels with us and it was great to be able to let go and trust them with the kids. There are those who like the kids and interact with them but don't keep an eye on them, make sure they are ok and cherish them. These people do all that. I could even turn my "mother-hawk-eye" off. Nice. No, more than nice, jolly wonderful!

Hows this for goose bumps? Rupi and J. Now that's something to be thankful for!

A different kind of weekend

We got given a night away. Wonderful. It meant I had to get over being separated from Blossom for the first time since she was an embryo, but I worked through that one. Then a family drama threatened to derail the whole event but my sister Nikkey came to the rescue so we were on!

As we drove we dreamed and talked of just the two of us. We had visions of an evening of intimate chit chat over excellent food. Our evening would end with a bubble bath (for me) and us snuggled up in a giant fluffy bed with cable movies and glasses of wine. We had it planned.

We headed off into the sticks to this place. An estate (dahling). We drove up a gorgeous driveway and as we got out of the car we were greeted by name by a charming lady. Wha? She shepherded us into an old house where we were confronted by a group of people sitting in a large living area. She introduced us all and showed us our room. Which opened off the living area. Told us to leave the bedroom door open so the room could warm up and then come back out and have coffee with everyone. Clearly this was not going to plan.


We escaped around a corner to a big squashy couch and tried to readjust our expectations. This was really a posh house party where everyone was expected to be social. There were quite a few outdoor activities we could have had "time alone" doing but it was freezing and raining. So we hibernated on the couch and then eventually ventured out.

The other people were really lovely and we quickly got involved in conversation. The manager was incredible and anticipated our every move. She seemed to know what we were doing or wanted before we knew ourselves. This is what it must be like to be very rich and have an attentive butler. Must be honest, as a middle class pleb, I am not sure I could get used to it!

Dinner was communal, of course. The manager set up the tables with like minded people and she did a great job. The people at our table were funny and charming. The food was superb. We had a rugby mad couple at our table who wanted to watch a game. The only issue was that the TV was in the main living area. The one with a number of bedrooms opening off it. No problem as at about 10.30pm the manager came in, grabbed the remote off the rugby watchers and muted the sound. Done. They watched the remainder of the game in silence.

We DID have a good time though! All in all a great weekend away, just very different to what we had expected/ planned. For your info, when someplace has the words "estate" after it, this is what you get! No anonymity allowed.

No photos from my actual camera either. Wasn't the kind of place you could whip out your camera and take photos of the food. No sirree.

Blossom's week

The roller coaster with Blossom's health continues. This may be an epic saga but I pray not. She had her skin prick test for inhalant allergins last Friday. Nothing. No reaction at all. NOTHING.

We went for coffee afterwards at a cafe where she held a soft toy and later that afternoon we visited a big dusty library where she played with their giant collection of teddy bears. She then proceeded to start a huge allergic reaction that has lasted 7 days ##**&#$#!!!!!!!

The little darling has been so sick. Vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing 24/7, not eating, wheezing, puffy face, eczema flair up, not sleeping. It's been a horror. Back to the doctor and he says based on clinical observation (ie me observing her) she has a severe dust mite allergy. With a side of dairy intolerance.

We do have a bit of a plan though:

1. I need to be (lots) more observant about where we go and what it's like when we get there.
   
2. No being around sick people during a reaction (Blossom also got a cold which added to her woes)
3. We have steroids now for when a reaction starts which will dull the severity of it and a super dooper anti-histamine. Not thrilled about the potential use of steroids but even less thrilled about going through another week like we've had.
   
4. We are making the house more "anti dust mites".
   
5. We are on the wait list to see the immunologists/ allergy specialists at Starship. Apparently they are renowned and very wise. Yay!

Not much else to say really. Blossom is now a skinny minny with stick legs. Her pants are falling off her *sigh* Today we battled to get food down her and she's off her bottle completely. Still she's snugly tucked up in bed, warm and sweet smelling, prayed over and with the vaporizer going and utterly sound asleep. Good one.

Right now

Isn't it amazing how we sudden happenly upon encouragement? And they say there isn't a God.. HA I tell you!!!

These two blog posts have really encouraged me over the last week. One is by Beth Moore (I die. My hero.) She has this tangent in this post which really isn't a tangent for me, but such an encouragement. About being a non-dependable friend. Which is what I am at times and it kills me. Crazy how a tangent from one person is the God breathed encouragement for another. (And please ignore my slightly ranting comment at the end of this post- if by chance you are one of those people who reads the comments at the end of a post. I may be alone in this madness.)

And the other is from another working Mom, Kristen. Love this girl and her honesty (plus she's an adoptive Mommy). Being a WAHM (work at home mom) is the hardest thing ever and I feel such guilt that I find it hard. But wait! Beth Moore & Kristen have gone through what I am going through and that's encouragement enough for me. I am not alone.

God's word lately is NOW. I find myself asking myself at points during the day, "how is this moment?" "How are you here right now?" And most of the time, this moment is good. The next hour and the evening to come and the tomorrow may hold too much for my little life's jar but now is good. And somehow when I get to there, in an hour or a night or a day, God is also there before me and His Grace is sufficient and I am generally fine in that moment too.

Because I am so aware that this time is fleeting. My little miracles won't be little for too much longer and I don't want this season to have been about struggle. They are too precious for that and deserve so much more. I want this season to have been real (and hard) but joyous and amazing. So I find myself asking my soul "How are you NOW?" And I love that 9 times out of 10, my soul is good.

³⁴"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

Vaccers

*Disclaimer- this post is not open to a vigorous debate. I respect your opinion and so (pretty) please respect mine.*

Yeah, so we're non- vaccers. That means that Rupi and Blossom have never had a vaccination. I am not convinced about them and the research I have done confirms my belief. But. As of next week we are starting the process with Rupi.

To choose to non- vaccinate is fraught with emotion. People are seriously passionate about it and even close family members have had a go at us. The media pull out all the stops and when debating it, bring in the nuttiest crack pot they can to talk about it. There's a lot of ill feeling out there for non-vaccers.

So we've been pretty quiet about it and not talked about it much. Much as I would prefer never to vaccinate we realise that life is not ideal. I would like to always eat organic, never to have been infertile, never to have been on antibiotics, to have breast fed until my babies were over 12 months and use all natural stuff at home. But none of this is realistic or been do-able.

We have never been completely anti vaccinations. We just wanted to give the kiddies immune systems time to develop. And I am glad we've waited. Neither child had had an illness that is serious, no ear infections etc. Aside from Blossom's allergies, they are both very healthy. And maybe that's due to not vaccinating and maybe not.

It's time to start. Rupi starts pre school in November so it's a good time. There are some diseases that have dire consequences and we don't want to risk them. And yes, there's a whole debate about whether vaccinations actually prevent disease or not. I am not convinced either way but at this stage we are erring on the side of caution.

We are going to spread them out. No multiple injections for us and if we can split them we will. I am also going to dose Rupi right up on Vit C in the days leading up to each vaccination as this helps the body to cope. And we'll assess each vaccination and may choose not to do some.

It's a big decision for us. I think all parents make the best choice they can and this is the best one for us. We are strangely excited about it as it means that our little boy is now a big boy!

Goggas

A friend visiting from the States brought a box of realistic giant plastic bugs for Rupi. They give me the absolute heebie-jeebies. Seriously. One of them *shudder* was lying on the floor near his high chair this morning. I pulled back the curtain and exposed it in all it's bug glory and jumped a mile high.

They are gross. But I am trying to be cool as apparently the smallies take on your fears. Just another method of heaping on the mother guilt if you ask me. So anyway I am attempting to pretend a whole lot of real-looking plastic bugs (also known as goggas if you are South African) are ok residing in my house. Really though, they make me gag. And I want to use the fly spray on them...desperately.

radio silence

Sorry to be so absent, I am still here! The truth is, I am still trying to figure out how to fit everything into this amazing life I am leading. My life is a jar that seems one size too small. I have so much to do, so much I would love to do and be and my jar is that bit too small.

Work is huge (so grateful) and my children are small amazing beings that need me. Between the two and wanting to be the best I can for Dida, there's not a lot of room left in my jar. These three big beautiful stones fill my jar. They deserve the best and the most of me and so they get it.

So with the rest of my limited time I try to keep up with two blogs, see family and friends and maintain a house. Well, the house does not actually get maintained by me and the cooking? Hmmm, that's make do at the best of times.

And I have a longing in me for more of Him. I was so inspired by this on Sunday during prayer meeting. He can and will give me strength to live in a space of joy and thankfulness. For what He's given me is both bright and beautiful.

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. Colossians 1: 12 (MSG)

Living

This weekend I had a list:

• do groceries (the pantry is bare)


• get into the gardening as it looks like a wilderness


• do the washing as we have NO clean clothes left


• tidy up and try to restore the house to a semblance of normality
  

Instead we just lived. It was glorious.

We met the cousins at the park. There was mud and slippery grass. It was wet and freezing. Pretty much a little boys paradise!

Dida took Rupi fishing off the local pier. They caught sprats and everyone was thrilled. Mama was thrilled that Rupi was tethered to the pier (see the rope?)

We caught up with Nana and Poppa. There was oodles of little girl adoration going on which was super cute. Luckily there was yummy food and a giant toy truck to keep the rest of us occupied!

We made memories and had a wonderful weekend. And the list can wait until another day!

The saga of Blossom

Went to see the doc Friday. Our usual one. NOT green smoothie guy.

[Warning! Tangent...
I go to a holistic practice and they are great. But sometimes you just need the drugs. Green smoothie guy is the one I see when I can't get into our doctor. His standard response to anything (cold, cough, allergy, loss of limb, gangrene) is to try green smoothies. I am all for veggies and the benefits. But Blossom is a bit beyond a green smoothie. I had to force him to give us a referral to the paediatrician last time. He wanted us to try a new recipe with kale in it.... enough said.]

Our doctor said that Blossom IS intolerant to dairy. Sometimes allergins don't show up in test when children are very young. As she improves dramatically when she's off dairy, he believes we should keep her off dairy for another 6 months.

And he thinks she has an inhalent allergin too -mould, dustmites, pet hair etc. So we'll get a skin prick test for those and see.

Oh and he says that she doesn't have anything sinister or malignant. [My primary worry and you know how dramatic I can get. It's a gift (ha!)]