While the Christmas stuff will stay up til the 6th...

Aimee, do you see your print on the left?

I took the chance last night (my night off, i.e. at home) to start sorting out the messy study. 

• Put all the Christmas cards that were left (about5 or 6) back in the card box 
• Put all the gift labels back Packed the gift wrap that is reusable away 
• Got the two little Christmas crafts (very little - don't get too excited) ready to take some pics in better light this morning 

The other night I tackled all those photo frames on the bed.

First I lay the prints on the frames to see if they look right - sometimes I have to switch pics around to make it balance visually.

So the other night I put the pics in, dusted frames and walls, used up all my Command Hooks and got those things on the walls.

The house is looking fantastic because there are frames everywhere.

Some of them are slightly skew (tell me if you're twitching) but I let go of perfectionism to just get them up. I even put up the beautiful mosaic cross Cat made me.

In other news:

1. Two other kids have joined us in paediatrics - a two-week-old baby girl who's not breathing properly and a two-year-old boy who reminds me so much of Connor, but is slightly naughtier. This little guy didn't settle til 9:30 tonight and I'm wondering if they go through this every night. I would be permanently shattered.
2. I'm turning into the paparazzi. The little boy came running into our section to see what I was taking pics of... :)
3. I now know it's not just K who screams at the mere sight of the doctor. The little boy did the same thing. However, I do very little talking (she's going to scream anyway; why waste my breath? :)) and I see the other mother gets very agitated and tries to talk the boy into being quiet.
4. I have a pimple on my chin from the emotional eating. Yes, I'm eating lots of sweets and crappy food. 
5. It's horrible to say this but today when D told me his mother wouldn't be visiting I went "yay" inside. It's not that I don't want her to see K; it's just exhausting having to make conversation days and days on end. Usually we have 3 - 4 weeks between visits and that's how I like it.
6. K and I had a lovely visit from a 3 am friend on Sat. Our only visit besides MIL. I was so energised after she'd left - it was fantastic.She also brought Happy Feet penguins for the kids which we've since named Penny and Percival :), and some fun food. I need to put up a video of K praying. They both pray for this friend (first person outside family, or sometimes just the first person overall) every night, totally unprompted by us.
7. Speaking of friends, Connor has a thing for Aunty Roz. There was a period of a couple of months where I/we got lots of things from Roz (kids' birthdays, my birthday, cards, letters, flowers for gall bladder op, etc) and now if I say to D, "guess who gave me/ us ____?" Connor says, "AUNTY ROZ!" Too cute!

Do you know the MINUTE I get home I'll be switching on the kettle for a big mug of decent tea?!

So how was your Boxing Day? (this is what we call the day after Christmas although I think it's been renamed Family Day)

PS This picture-heavy post is brought to you by Louisa. I am eternally grateful to her for showing me a nifty feature that's making blogging with pics a breeze. If you want to know exactly what that is, tell me in the comments - I'll write up something.

Kendra

Last week Dr S took a urine sample which they sent away to cultivate for a few days.

They phoned on Monday to say everything was fine and I said, "she's still got the fever though".

On Wed they phoned again and this time said, if she has another fever to bring her in on Thurs.

She had three.

So in we went yesterday and it was HELL.

He drew blood, sent us for x-rays and scans of her bladder/ kidney area and all that showed was enlarged tubes or something like that.

I get very vague with the details...

We went back to him and he ordered more scans - similar to an HSG where they squirt dye into your body.

This time to squirt dye into Kendra's bladder to see where it went - up into the tubes properly or if it was blocked somewhere.

We just finished that one (another horrible experience for both K and me) when they told us to go straight up to Dr S's rooms.

Uh oh.

Yes. He had the blood results back and it was "not good" (his words, not mine).

3 things were out of whack.

Leucocytes, _____ and _____ :) The last one's normal range is between 1 and 4. Hers was 211.

Yes.

So he had her admitted to the hospital immediately.

We had a chance to go home to fetch her stuff and say good-bye to Connor who told us he "missed Daddy, missed Kendra, missed Mummy".

Of course I've been crying too, imagining the worst, but also just because she is so traumatised when they do anything to her.

And I get it!

I am exactly the same with all these needles, pushing and shoving.

Thank goodness for D.

So K's laying on her bed and I'm squashed into a tiny corner (it's going to be fun when D sleeps here tonight!)

Oh, yes. We both left work before 2 yesterday so we still have a good half a week left before we can go on holiday.

We've had to compromise because someone's got to be here with her at all times.

He's gone in to do everything he needs to so he can be off properly tomorrow, a day early, and I'll do what I can from here (emails and such) but the real work I will have to do tomorrow, at work. I need access to some of our systems.

So that's where we're at.

We're going to be here for 5 long days.

Christmas in hospital!

Who would have thought?!

Especially since I read that post you linked to, Ginger, on Melissa's blog?

Here's another video of Kendra telling me she wants to go in my bag to work. Background - when they're being particularly cute, I say, "K, you're so cute, can I take you to work in my handbag?"

Anyway, all prayers (for her and me!) are very welcome.