My parents came to stay for the last week of the holidays. Our third bedroom is full of boxes and my mum is quite invalided so we gave them our bed and slept in the twins room - they thought it was fantastic - musical beds at every turn. We put an air matress down between their two beds. It was lovely to see the folks. I hadn't seen them since Christmas. The twins loved it too. We went for a couple of shopping excursions - Mum has one of those motor scooters to get around with. Her health was quite good until Friday when her sugar was low. She and Dad drove home (a 12-14 hour trip) in one go on Sat and she was not well - last night Dad got a doctor to come visit - he gave her an injection because he said that she had a lot of fluid build up. This morning Dad called the ambulance - she has pnuemonia and at the moment her heart is racing and we are waiting for the cardiologist to see her. My sister who lives in brisbane near them is home sick - her little boy is also sick and she'll probably have to take him to the dr tomorrow. So Dad is at the hospital all alone. At Christmas he at least had my sister with him. He must be so worried. Last time she went into heart failure and they were asking Dad whether they should rescuitate her should she go into heart failure again. I hope he doesn't have to face that sort of decision again.

My mum is an amazing woman. I have always had a very close relationship with her. Mentally she is as agile as ever. And boy she can be so hornery! I am typing this filling in time till I hear the next call from Brisbane. Let's hope it's good news.

Week One Holidays

Ballet? Maybe next year!

Well the first week of the school holidays is behind me. I spent the Monday busily cleaning and enjoying my new house. Then Tuesday - disaster struck - a nasty runny nose and sore throat, headaches ... yup - no joy there. I cancelled the lunch I was meant to have woth friends and hunkered down with the brats for a quiet day. They were fantastic. On Wed I was feeling a bit better so we did some painting together and made some scones. Thursday we had a friend and her little boy for lunch and then another couple of friends for dinner - so yep Kit is catching some sleep between visitors int he top photo! We had a busy weekend - with a birthday party for my nephew Hamish on Saturday and a party for Kit's friend from Ella yesterday. I think the kids have had a nice 'holiday' even though we haven't gone anywhere and money is tight so we haven't indulged much either!

Ecstatic!

Hannah started signing and moved on to single words really well - years ago. Then as we wanted her to move onto two word utterances she seemed to slow. I ahve been focusing on getting ehr to say more than one word - and she does - but mostly at home and often with a prompt. She ahs been getting better - ie - fewer times I have had to indicate what I want her to say by beginning the sign (such as milk, please Mummy). At the same time as this was happening - her hearing tests were getting worse. Grommets, tonsils and adenoids aren't necessarily done automatically here - so she had her first set of grommets 2 weeks ago - after showing at hearing tests that her hearing was getting worse at each test. Her speech thorugh this was still improving but SLOWLY.

Last night she came running out of the bathroom after her bath, all exctied (sqeaky clean with atowel wrapped afrpund ehr after her bath) calling "Mummy, Mummy, Mummy!!" as she does. I was in the kitchen tidying up. I knelt down, cuddled her, inhaled her gorgeous scent and as usual said "What Hannah?" Using the Hanen technique, I waited for her reply. ... "Iloveyou Mummy!"
Wow - it was so exciting!! I yelled for P who was getting Kit out of the bath and she repeated her words int he same excited voice. BLISS - I don't think I've ever heard those words sound so good. I love you too sweetie pie.

It was totally unexpected. It isn't a phrase I've been drilling for her to say - but it is something I sayt o her and her brother every day, without thinking about it much at all. How sweet it is to hear from my little girl.

Otherwise all good. I am on school holidays. My folks are visitng form QLD int he second week so that will be good. Kit came with me yesterday to the growers markets in Pyrmont. He had a ball and was lots of fun. Then we went to the park with another family who live nearby and have a daughter a year older than the twins who has DS too. SO everyone had a lot of fun.

Today I am baking 2 cakes - one for the family gathering tonight and one for P to take to work tomorrow for some celebration can't recall what exactly!). Have a good weekend.

Friends I have been slack in checking blogs and keeping up with this one. I hope now we have moved and almost unpacked that things will be better. I have been thinking about the importance of friends lately - I know I have been neglecting too many online friends who I love to read about.
The twins have been offered 2 days at the local preschool next year. I say offered but it feels more like 'won' as places are so tight here. It is attached to the local state primary so the preschoolers get to go to assemblies, see the bigger kids and interact at differetn times - in other words a great opportunity to transition them to primary school - especially Hannah to mainstream world.
I hope she makes a friend or two there. I know how important friends have been to me. I can name a number of them who have been very improtatn to me at different times in my life. I often wonder what life would be like if I had 2 'tyipical' children - I'd miss out on all the wonderufl friendships that i have made as a result of Hannah's diagnosis - and Lord knows that reminds me all the itme how improtant it is to have friends.
Hannah plays with other kids and sees them around a lot but it is really only Rosani (in the top photo) that I would see as a genuine friend. The others are kids she knows, runs with, parallel plays with - but Rosani - there is a bond there - a communication that is just for the two of them - and it is so gorgeous to watch. Rosani's parents are very good friends of ours but the girls clearly love each other - something that is not just a fruition of their parents encouragement or proximity - they LIKE being with each other - just as they are. And how lucky are we that our new house is just around the corner form Rosani, Subash and their parents?? Today another good friend visited with her little one - Sasha - and Hannah was more assertive in trying to draw her into play (Sasha is 14 months - my goddaughter) so maybe there will be another similar friendship for Hannah. I hope Hannah finds a few more friends like that at preschool.

The new house is FANTASTIC. Lots of families around with kids going to the local schools.
The deck and yard are great. The twins have already spent more time in the yard - just because it is so attached to the thouse - not set away from the back doors or living areas as it was in the rental.

Getting the new lounge room set up

Unpacking the kitchen

My FIL turned 70 and had a bit of a bash - here is Hannah in her party dress for Pop's Party.

The kids playhouse has been set up in the backyard.

We're all loving the island in our kitchen - it is command centre - from which all orders are issued and where reports on the day are lodged. I finally - at age 40 - have my first dishwasher - Lovin it.

Reading to the brats before bedtime.

Kit and Hannah just love their friends Rosani and Subash. In fact Rosani is the only 'friend' or other child that Hannah has that I know she sees as a friend and loves to spend time with and reciprocal in her actions with. Kit has Rosani, Subash and a little boy he has been friends with from childcare - Toby on his freinds list.

Plaits - the other day I gave Hannah her first set - she thought she was pretty cute - and she was right!!