Finally Annika's birthday

Since our computer is now working for at least 5 minutes I'm finally going to post some photos of Annika's 4th birthday party.

Annika was weighed last week and was 12.3kgs, hopefully she can keep this weight on until her paediatic appointment next week.

Annika's horsey 4th birthday cake

Annika in her cute ladybug/Queen of Hearts outfit

Annika is doing really good at the moment. She has just started going to Puddleducks 2 days a week as well. She loves it. Anytime I take her out in the car she will sign Puddleducks. Such a swap from May and June where she didn't want to go to Puddleducks at all (very quick on learning how to manipulate the teachers with tears). Puddleducks were great at changing Annika's behaviour.

Back to work full-time and the chaos that now reigns

I can't believe how time has flown.
Since my last post Bella has lost 2 more teeth (only swallowing one of them) and has turned 7! Bella has also had her hair cut short into this cute bob and it really suits her. We went to the hairdressers where Bella told them just what she wanted, hair cut to just above the shoulders, which ended up being just below her ears (which is why I've always hated going to the hairdressers). She loves her haircut though and it really does suit her, I think I missed her lovely long hair more than she has. She looks so grown-up now and it really is much easier to look after her hair now.
Here's some photos of Bella's birthday party. They had an awesome time and it seems 7 is still a good age for fairy parties. Bella was very spoilt with a Dora the Explorer jersey from her Great Auntie Ruth, a tennis racket and a fishing rod (pink of course) from us. A jewellery box from Nana Chris and lots of games, books, a pair of pyjamas from Nana Corkran. Lots of cool stuff from her friends and many cards.

Bella's star birthday cake.

Bella and Annika (the beautiful fairy sisters together)

All the kids at Bella's fairy party;

Bella, Annika, Brayden, Nicole, Brittney, Emily, Skyla and Caragh.

Annika has finally put on all the weight that she lost in Austria. Yay. And the paediatrician has finally said they are happy with her progress. Annika's speech is going really good and she has over 90 words now (not that many words in sign though). Just when we think things are going well with Annika though she seems to like to remind us what our priorities are in life. Annika ended up in hospital again in May, on Mother's day of all days, no breakfast in bed for me. Annika had developed supra ventricular tachycardia (SVT for short) again and is now back on flecainide to control it. As this blog has been in draft for a month already I'll publish it finally and add Annika's birthday party to the next blog. Very soon hopefully!

Another tooth gone

Well Bella's fourth tooth has come out (and was swallowed too!!).
That makes 3 out of 4 teeth swallowed so far!!
I have to download a picture next time as Bella is so excited about having her 2 top front teeth missing. She loves to hear the song "All I want for christmas is my 2 front teeth". All the kids in Bella's class have at least one tooth missing too. She regularly wiggles her other teeth saying that they're ready to come out. She does it so often that now Annika also wiggles her teeth with her fingers too.
The day after the tooth fairy visited Bella was very excited that Tinkerbell and Isabella the air fairy (yes, she has 2 tooth fairies) left some fairy dust behind. She wrote a note, all by herself, that she would like some more fairy dust too please. Bella was so excited when the tooth fairies left her a envelope full of fairy dust (read glitter) this morning. However when she went off to try out a spell with her fairy dust she was a bit disappointed when it didn't work (what have we started!). I wonder what her spell was?

February and back to school

Wow the 1st of February already!!


Gareth had a birthday, which had a zero on the end and we therefore went out for dinner again. 3 times in 3 months, yay. This time we went to Bangkok Thai which was lovely.


The 26th January was a great day. Gareth's birthday was on that Tuesday. Annika had put on weight again. Up to 11.5kgs now. After 3 months, I'm finally relaxing about Annika's eating. She has very typical 3 year old eating behaviour really and she'll eat when she's ready.


And finally, on the 26th, Bella's top left front tooth came out! She didn't swallow this one, like she did with her first 2 bottom teeth that came out! The next top tooth is only just holding on, Bella is waiting until school starts before she loses that one. Can I show everyone? Can I take it to school as news?!

Bella's favourite photo of the moment!! Bella is cuddled up with her beloved Tiger.

Not to be left out Annika must have a snuggle too!

Weigh-in #5

11.35kgs. It's amazing what makes you happy and stops you stressing. Annika has finally put on some weight!! Well we weighed Annika for the fifth time since we came back from Austria and she now weighs 11.35kgs, up from 10.85kgs when weighed 2 weeks ago. Of course, like the stress machine I like to be, I think 500gms is too much weight to put on in 2 weeks!! But I know that our paediatrician at the hospital will be happy now!! We have been asked to put Polycal (20cal per 5g scoop) in Annika's food which we have been doing for the last 2 weeks but I feel they are worrying too soon about Annika's eating and lack of weight gain. We'll definitely stop the polycal if she puts on too much weight. I do wonder if they would worry if she was too fat (Annika was overweight when she was 7 months old and entirely tube fed but that didn't seem to worry them, the more weight she put on the happier they were - the only one who mentioned she was overweight was the plunket nurse, who also was the only one who noticed that Annika had a squint).
Bella is enjoying her christmas holidays. So far she's flown to Christchurch and spent 6 nights at her Uncle Jimmy's, with her Nana, which she loved. Done most of her craft things that she got for christmas; painting a mask, making a fairylite (ahh! nothing like the smell of melting plastic in the oven), made a rainbow fairy mobile. She has also started swimming lessons today and decided she would like to do ballet and gym if possible this year?! "But I'll only do gym if it's on at the same time as ballet, Mum".

Here's some great photos from the end of last year.

Annika in her labybug dress-up she got from us for Christmas

Gareth, Nana Chris, Annika, Bella and Nana Corkran


Our new addition, Tiger!!