Monday 30 July 2007

Happy 80th Birthday

... Grandpa... Dad... Father in law. Happy birthday to you

Saturday night we had my FIL's 80th birthday. He still looks like 70yrs old and works like a 50 yr old man.LOL, No he doesn't read my blog .

About 40 family & friends celebrated with him. The jukebox was down too low for me [never got to chose a song too] and the karaoke was not good. The oldest guest was Aunty J (86) still going okay living in aged hostel and youngest S & J.

Tonight we are having just a family dinner with him, his wife, and my SIL & brother (still down from Queensland)

Aunty J's, daughter B is my Dh's cousin but in her late 60's (JIC she ever reads this - she looks much younger) and she has twin girls (though now 34) so I chatted to her a bit.

It was so surprising discovering differences and similarities in twinships ... dominant twin , placid baby and one always being the one to be fed first. She also had two older children about 2 & 4 when they were born and her Dh never changed nappy (cloth) she said. She said her eldest daughter has a vivid memory she remembers most her mother saying "here take this dirty nappy to the laundry" LOL.

I am so thankful my own husband is a very hands on Daddy ...even if he still hasn't fully got the hang of modern cloth nappies. As long as I have AIO's he is great .

Ps. Update on Joel - likely a virus because we went to hospital so he could be checked in case he had a UTI (because of kidney reflux). His white cell count was actually low (probably from Bactrim to prevent UTI). Before this though they wanted to admit him just in case because he did look (motley skin and red cheeks)and sound unwell (grizzling). They even put a cannula in when they took blood. I knew he was okay he just didn't like hospital. The Paediatrician said I could go home because of nursing background. We live so close too.

The next day the Paed registrar rang to see if J was okay - he wasn't even the Dr who saw him but because the blood cultures were growing something but if J was well it was likely skin contamination. Knowing what I knew I think it was. J still had temperatures and not as happy but was just not that sick.

White eye Reflection ...

Looking back I am right here with wanting to get this week over too and it has only just started.

The past few weeks I have been so worried about S. I noticed when I was downloading photos to upload to my blog June 29th that Sam's left pupil had an unusual white reflection. I couldn't get it out of my mind. Dr Google had me envisioning some scary things ... leukocoria .

Though I knew from a previous eye examination one eye had an abnormality found normally in some people where the myelin sheath that surrounds the optic nerve is partially obscuring his disc but not in away that affects his vision at the moment.
myelin is the covering of the individual nerves that make up the optic nerve.
Normally myelin stops where the optic nerve enters the eye
but his didn't in left eye. Just means that makes it very hard to see his optic disc and a big problem should he develop an optic glioma -which was why he had an eye appointment 3 months to monitor for this. [That is another story related to a genetic disease he has (12% possibility of getting this and my cousin (22) did have one 20 years ago)].

I wasn't sure which eye it was. So I rang Westmead Children's Hospital about 2 weeks ago to ask someone from the eye clinic. Someone checked his medical records and conferred with me it was the left eye and that is was possible it was causing the white pupil reflex instead of red but that should see him to make sure. I was able to get an appointment for 30th July - today.

I hardly sleep much last night ... felt compelled to Google last evening and I should have known better . So it was running over and over in my head.I was so worried my precious baby had something more awful.I can't even say it out loud. I also found it in other photos since 19th June and one my niece took.

Thank God ! it is still just the myelinated sheath that is causing the white eye reflex. He may also be shortsighted in that eye and develop a turn (manageable/repairable but again something I would rather not happen). Today, his vision was fine ~ sadly I saw a blind little girl there today about 2-3 years. I can imagine a world without my sight.

Though I am almost blind in my right eye from a head injury I received at school when I was about 8 ~ causing concussion and bruising to my right forehead/eye and a undetected, partially detached retina. It was too late by the time they picked it up. I'd say I would be technically blind in that eye as I only have peripheral vision but I can't remember it any other way .

So just days before their birthday I went from being a super high to the lowest low - and I couldn't share it either.I'm over it at this point and feel a bit guilty for giving him this ... the last few days I have just felt speechless and on edge.

Everyone please note - white eye reflection is not normal and you should get a referral to Opthamologist asap if you see it in your photos. It could be life threathening if left unchecked.

It is a simple examination.The only part where he was a bit uncomfortable was when they put drops in to dilate his eyes. It is very quick when they did it and S didn't cry too long. It wasn't a painful cry, it was probably more of annoyance to him to have something squirted in his eye. It takes about 30 mins for the eyes to fully dilate. Though he also didn't like the tape patch on his eye and being held down for them to see. I forgot to take his sunnies for afterwards - too as the eyes are sensitive to light for a while.

Today, I also had to make an appointment for J to have a head u/s too because his head circumference has gone from 50 %tile to 95%tile and Paed just wants to make sure ? As if I don't need something else to worry about ... it isn't till 14th August.

Friday 27 July 2007

Argh ... the teeth are in the house

or the mouth ... teething sucks !

Sam has a top tooth emerging and he is definitely not as impressed about this milestone as we are. Last night he went to bed late ... after he didn't much sleep at all yesterday and then screamed several times overnight like a banshee . He has his fingers in his mouth all the time. We tried BFing lots, teething gel and panadol to no avail. Then this morning he had to woken at 10.30 - I kid you not.

Today, looked like are a repeat of yesterday with no sleep -fell asleep on the boob but once his bod hit the cot he was screaming and arching his back-waking J .Thankfully after being wrapped and put in side car bed he is sleeping .His bottom gums are bumpy and sore too ...

Joel has similarly bumpy gums and a grumpy bum. His teeth are very close.Every nappy is pooey and getting progressively looser with bum getting redder. He is not as happy as usual but happier than his brother. He also had a very short sleep yesterday and today.

We are participating in the Australian Twin Registry teeth emergence and oral health study. So I must remember to faithfully record which twin , which tooth and the date ... we still have to send back our DNA testing ... I know 100% Sam is mine - Joel ? and DH (their daddy)- I hope so - mix ups only happen in the movies.

Mummy is also very grumpy today ... chocolate isn't even helping. What can I cook ? and eat !

Ps I knew J wasn't himself - just checked his temp 40.4 ... now we are off to Dr's.

Wednesday 25 July 2007

GDUNH...and sleep sharing

Great Down Under Nappy Hunt - I registered today for a bit of fun and if I win something - hey it is a bonus.Basically it is an Internet scavenger hunt with the chance to win random prizes (MCN related) and get to see a few new WAHM (work at home mum) sites.I think I am going to like this game.

Already, I found a great link to sleep sharing (co-sleeping) by Elizabeth Pantey when I was browsing the GDUNH forum. A post by Tribalbaby got me interested and I followed a link.

By coincidence they were talking about Elizabeth Pantey's book No Cry sleep solution at the ABA meeting yesterday.

I also found some great info on feeding to sleep ... which I confess I do most of the time except when the boys fall asleep in the car or in my arms (as Sam did yesterday at ABA meeting - very unusual) or in Daddy or big bro D's arms. Because if he is in my arms and it is time for sleep he is on the (.) 99% of time.


It comes down to nurturing your children the way that suits you and your family.I hope in everything I do I can follow this advice as long as we do it safely and with regards to their rights.


It’s very important to eliminate your need or desire to satisfy
anyone else’s perception of what you should be doing. In other words, no matter
what your in-laws, your neighbours, your paediatrician, or your favourite author
says about sleeping arrangements, the only “right” answer is the one that works
for the people living in your home.

I love sleeping with my babies, we keep each warm and I know they are safe with us. I love snuggling with them and stroking them.I get a good enough sleep and our breastfeeding is maintained easily. We all pretty much sleep through the night. I know people look surprised when I mention they both sleep with us.

Here are more good reasons for sleep sharing from tribal baby.

Don't worry I won't be EC 'ing ... look it up -as if I wasn't busy enough now with twins LOL ... maybe in summer I 'll give it a try.
I like her site though it has some very interesting ideas. I feel a bit reassured too with baby-led introduction to eating solids. Not that I trust Internet advice over that of professionals but it is good to see that Sam's eating pattern is a little like this child. I started him on Pentavite anyway as a good measure for his iron needs and to hopefully stimulate his appetite.

Though my DH has the opposite quite high iron levels -it is being monitored by GP but not yet bad enough for medication. He says when he was little he had Giraffe medication ... to make him grow tall like giraffe LOL !