long update, get coffee!

Tim, is adorable, he has a fan club of note. People who know him adore him. He is handsome and has the most expressive eyes. He smiles readily, and his eyes light up. He has an amazing way of smiling and his eyes crinkle up too. He is, as we already know a bit regressed physically and still now cannot sit up on his own, although I did spot him trying to get up on Tuesday morning on his own. He has started to try to reach and push his body a bit more, and may start getting to the crouch prior to the crawl stage soon. His teeth are coming through in a really crazy fashion. He has an eye tooth, a front top tooth, a bottom tooth and a molar. Very odd. The other two front teeth are so close to breaking through the gum, they are peaking up nearly the same size as the other teeth. He also has a molar that is close to the surface. He broke a tooth on Tuesday and on Wednesday at the hospital the molar / gum area started to bleed. So they gave him platelets – to start the clotting. And he calls me Geh!

Hospital Whilst we were in the hospital they explained they had done a particular test which ascertained how high the bone marrow of the donor was compared to Tim’s own. It came back 90 % to 10 %, but the problem is that they are not sure who’s is the high one. They did say that it is possible that the chemo wiped out the leukaemia and that the bone marrow has rejuvenated and that the 90% is Tim’s or that the 90% is the donor. But as the donor was male, they cannot separate the two conclusively. So it is a wait and see game again. But the Drs are very happy with the progress and also love Tim to bits! The last patient that had JMML at Red Cross has his own bone marrow active and has healed with no re-occurrence (so far). The other patients, parents and nursing staff all are so fond of Tim, he goes into the day room and is greeted by calls of Hello Tim, by so many. Coralie has met so many fantastic moms and dads at Red Cross. They are all so fond of each other and are so supportive of each other. Special people are Sue, Razia, Jeannine, Cathy and Karen. Karen met us through bringing J&J products for Tim and Robin. She and her husband are expecting a baby March 2011. So she has fallen pregnant since meeting us. They are incredible people and have an amazing bunch of friends who have also taken Coralie, Tim and Robin into their lives.

Robin is the cutest baby ever. He is chubby, happy and chats away. He is easy going, he just has a bit of a problem getting to sleep at night, 4 or 5 tries is normal. But he is easy to feed, no real reflux problems; in fact as a baby he is great. Teamed with Tim, there is a bit of baby tag team happening with them sometimes – nicely – taking it in turns to be difficult, but some times, both screeching at the same time. So, life is a bit difficult then. Tim is about 9.5 kgs, and Robin 6.5. So they are in very similar sized clothing already. How many times did I try to dress one or the other in the wrong clothes? Lots! When I took Tim to the Red Cross on my own I took one baby grow that was in his clothes pile to wear, and it was Robin’s – he left with the top bit on and a blanket covering the bottom bits!

Coralie looks exhausted. When I got there I was horrified how tired she looks. Tim wakes up in the night thirsty, he only drinks out of a glass, no bottles for this baby! So he has at least one night wake up, Robin seems to be calming down to one wake up a night at about 4am. The nanny Florinda, is great with the babies, but has such an attitude. Last week I noticed she didn’t bath the kids every day, when I asked her about it, she said because I had already changed the kids – Robin had been wet through – and she wasn’t going to! She tells me the biggest lies, she said they had moved with no washing at all, and that the 15 loads had accumulated since they had moved in the house ( in a week), now seeing as there was only Henk’s and Robins washing, um, yeah!! I did tell her that was not possible. She tells the most amazing stories about how she does so much around the house – and blows that story out of the water by not doing anything. She didn’t realise that Florence comes in on Saturdays to do housework, Coralie cannot manage with the two boys. And suggested to me that one of her friends come in and help out during the week. She is full of it, Coralie is thinking about getting an agency nanny.


Dog Jet is an idiot and cooked his goose when he escaped whilst I was there. It was all my fault, I had wanted to shake out a towel the cat had pooed on out in the garden – the kitchen door leads to the garage and the door into the garden is the one I am referring to. I closed the door as the dog was right there and I was not in the mood to argue with him, he just does not listen at all. The garage main door was open and the garden door opened – I am not sure if Jet opened it himself as he can slide the heavy security gate with his nose. So he was out on the road. After catching him, and he is a bugger! He decided to try to strangle himself with the choke chain, and then started biting me. I bleed quite a bit, but after a hospital visit for a tetanus inj and cleaning up, they were mostly scratches and a lot of bruising. I have a black nail – lovely! At one point I shoved my fist into his mouth as I could see him eyeing for a better place to bite. Henk was so upset, he said he cannot trust the dog, Jet has bitten him before, but with the babies…. So it will be tickets for Jet soon.

Cat Coralie’s cat is still so lovely, he sat with Tim and I on the couch we were cuddled up with hot water bottles and blankets. That was Sunday evening – we were so cosy and warm. He has mange, I think, he has massive hair loss on the inside of his back legs and on his sides. I have no idea what to do about that. And not having a car was a bit painful as I would have popped into the pet shop to ask about it.

House Their new house is lovely, a bit small, and no BIC as yet, but clean and brand new. And a built in stove! It would fit inside our downstairs easily, but is great for the boys. Sunny as it is north facing and a tiny garden, they do not need any more.

Interview I am going for an interview tomorrow – Friday at 10am. Light those candles please and some positive thoughts beaming! I feel this is the one! I was in the oncology ward when I got the call, and the company has some oncology drugs, it sounds just right! ;-))