Finally a photo

I achieved my mission today! I got the long awaited photo for Ammon's passport application. Finally! No bumps, no bruises, no black eye's this week - but you can see his scar and he does have a few red spots on his chin from his dribbling (he's teething his molars this week) but ah well it's good enough! And your passport photo is supposed to be a TRUE-LIKENESS after all. So here it is...

The kids have not been fantastic recently, cold after flu after virus after teething after restless nights..... even today Leah didn't even want to finish her last day at gymnastics, her absolutely favourite thing to do ever, she just wanted to go home to her blankie. So we did, and both her and Ammon have gone straight to sleep. Here's hoping they have enough of a rest considering we have to pick up Em from school soon.

Speaking of blankie...Leah burnt her blanket on the gas heater and is most upset. Now part of it is not all beautiful like the rest of her blanket. She thought she could put it on top of the fire like she can at Papa's house to get nice and toasty warm, lucky Daddy was nearby and could smell it and remove it before it got any worse!

Reading

I have been going to book club with a group of friends from church for a few months now. We decided not to all read the same book, just share what we were reading, what we had at home that we liked or recommended and to be introduced to and try new authors and genre's we wouldn't try otherwise.
I chose to read THE BRONZE HORSEMAN by Paullina Simons. You can check it out here but the gist of it is a young girl meets a soldier the day war starts in Russia, and what they endure before and after they get together.
I enjoyed alot of the historical/factual side of it, what it was like to endure the weather, food rations, blockades, living conditions and the way of life. I liked the romance that develops despite it all and the challenges they overcome.
I think I learned alot from the character Tatiana, about the kind of person she was (in particular towards Alexander) and the strength she had and how she got through her trials. Of course it IS a love story and there was a fair bit of love in the story but as a whole it was really really good. It's the kind I just wanted to read and read - my poor neglected family! Didn't help that I read book 2 (The Bridge to Holy Cross) and book 3 (The Summer Garden) straight after that! Lucky them I don't have my hands on book 4 yet huh?

Another black eye

Well since Ammon's black eye (see a previous post) he's split his head on Aunty Jacinda's stairs and given himself another black eye in the same place as the first one by pulling our little telephone table over on himself. Crikey. What a boy! We think he'll have a bit of a scar from the stair incident but Nate has one just like it on his head too. If you faced them together it's like a mirror where their scars are. He really is just like his Daddy.
He's getting better. Not 100% but much much better. Thursday was his worst day. He just laid down the whole day, whimpering through much of the day and the night. We kicked Daddy out to the lounge and he slept with me, although I wouldn't say there was a whole lot of sleeping going on - especially at 3.30am when he seemed to perk up and get all wide awake and chatty. He'd gulp down water like a man in the desert and then puke it all back up again straight away. Friday he tried to walk a bit but was so shaky he would just collapse and cry, but he has more strength today to get around but not much more of an appetite. Tomorrow should see him back to his old self.
I tell ya, I've gone through the pamol this week! First Em, then Ammon. I need to go get a top up now. I remembered yesterday (!!) that I had a sheet that told me how much pamol to give at certain weights, well..... if only I had remembered that about 6 months ago! All this time I haven't been giving Ammon the full amount that he was entitled to, doh! Let's put it down to baby brain shall we?
After 13 months I gave up breastfeeding last wednesday. It was a good run and longer then I did with the girls (11 months each) but I'm real happy that I could go as long as that. It is SO convenient. I probably could have gone longer but nah, it's time. Of course I would decide to do that the week before he gets sick as I would have liked to have been able to comfort him with a feed when he was feeling completely crappy but I stayed strong, and even though the milk is still there you can't really go back can you? It's a bit of freedom now... I can wear any clothes (not just breastfeeding friendly ones) and go to a girls night out if I want and he can sleep over at Nan's if she wants... it's great.
Oh by the way I have a mission - to get a decent photo of Ammon for his passport application. Wonder if he'll stop getting black eye's long enough for me to do that??

Sick sick sick

Don't come visiting us at the moment. We're a house full of sickies. Emerson started on Sunday with stomach bug - coming out both ends but was fine by Wednesday, however Ammon got it that morning and I had it by that night. It's been a miserable day today. Poor Ammon! Nanny came over to give him cuddles so that I could have a bit of a rest, not that I had much of one. Why is it that even when your body is most tired, or most drained that you feel like you need to tidy up your house?? I've never learnt to just stop and go to bed and let it all wait. Nate can do it but I don't. Silly woman.

I've thought lots of times lately that I would update this when one of the kids have done something worth telling, but as you can see I haven't. Ah well... maybe it's a MacDonald thing (aye boys?).

Leah-in-a-box

Who needs Jack-in-a-box when you can have Leah instead?

We bought a new computer monitor but hadn't put the box out for recycling yet, and so found Leah watching tv like this....

NB: I added a photo of Ammon to the last post.

Taking after Daddy

Usually when Nate plays rugby he'll come home with a black eye or two each season. Well this is his year off, but the tradition continues.... Ammon has his first black eye. How'd he manage that? A face-plant onto his ball popper toy. It would probably help if he was a bit more steady with his walking. He didn't much fuss, he didn't much cry but over the past week it's really developed into a good one.
Like Father, Like Son!

What we've been up to

Rock Climbing. The girls loved it! I think we need to try the one in Auckland though, that sounds fun.School.... Kindy.... Work.... real fun stuff.

The Elders joined us for Family Home Evening on Monday. For the lesson they had us draw something we enjoy doing as a family. Leah's was going rock climbing, Nate's was camping and jumping on the trampoline. Mine was sitting together for dinner and Emerson's was what everyone else had drawn.

It's Mothers Day tomorrow - so Mum - Happy Mothers Day. I appreciate all that you do for me and I'm really glad that you look after Ammon and that he has such a great time with you. I hope you have a great day.
As for me, I'm having a day without children. That doesn't seem quite right somehow but the girls are far more excited about going to Ryan's birthday then spending the day with me, so I'll just enjoy some me time (and it will be just ME time 'cause Nate will be at meetings probably). Mmmm... lonely....

Birthday Boy

April 27th was Ammon's 1st birthday.
He and I spent it visiting Nana and doing grocery shopping, exciting stuff! Our only plans for his birthday was dinner with his grandparents and a little cake to follow. He demolished the cake quite well after putting his finger in the candle flame(!)...

and seemed quite taken with his Thomas the tank engine from Aunty Yvette.I can't believe he is one now, that we've had him for a whole year. The time has gone fast and except for the lack of sleep I've loved it all.

Ammon now weighs 11.0kg and is 78cm tall. At the same age Emerson was 9.9kg & 81.5cm and Leah was 9.4kg & 77.4cm. Here is the three of them at age 1 (Em on bike, Leah eating cake).

Cousins

The girls got to spend a night each with Brooke/Elisa and Ryan/Logan and they had a fab time. I asked them what their favourite part of the holiday was and their response:
Leah - the beach and Lollipops Playland
Emerson - the spa, mini putt and McDonalds (with Papa on the way home)
You can see pics here.

It was a good way to do it not sending them to the same house at the same time, then they didn't fight over who got to play with that cousin or get left out from the play altogether.
Ammon even got to have a holiday with a night at Nanny's. He is teething again, his third tooth finally arrived during the week and number four is on it's way too.

Nate took the girls to the ANZAC dawn service this morning followed by a pancake breakfast with the youth at the chapel. Now they are settling down to play with Ryan's train set we have borrowed. Leah is very keen on trains. Must get that from her Papa.

Home again

Well we made it home last night after picking up Ammon from Mum's (thank you so much for dinner Mum!) and all went to bed early. The girls were fast asleep at 7pm, Ammon at 8pm, myself around 8.30pm and Nate sometime after that.

We arrived at Hospital at 9am Sunday, but she didn't get her medicine till 12pm. Each dose is 6 hours apart so she couldn't have another one that day hence not alot happened. She amused herself with colouring, reading, watching movies, playing games, admiring her viewand watching the older girls in her room and wishing she could "hang" with them but they weren't too interested in a younger girl hanging around. She was not allowed to eat before her medicine and after that could only have sugar-free juice, diabetic jelly and strained soup. She was so hungry! Of course there was no way I was going to eat in front of her so I fasted most of Sunday and had something to eat when she was asleep or visiting with family. Her visitors were Nanny, Papa, Daddy, Jennie, Ammon and Leah.

We shared her bed (so much better than the lazyboy!) and dealt with her throwing up at 2am.

Monday medicine arrived at 8am and the playroom opened at 9am so she spent the entire morning in there doing art and craft. She loved it. She couldn't handle anymore soup or jelly so decided not to eat anything on Monday and was thrilled when Papa brought her some sprite-zero that she could drink - a new flavour. The playroom closed at lunchtime but they gave her a tray of things to do in her room for the afternoon. Next medicine was at 1pm and things finally started happening. The doc came in at 4pm and said we could go home and to continue at home as we have been doing all along. You should have seen her face when the doc said she could eat now!! My goodness, such delight!! She has been eating since.

So we are sticking close to home today in case her medicine still affects her, but tomorrow Emerson and Leah are off on holiday to their cousins. They are so excited.