Taking the Bad (Back) with the Utter Happiness....

I neglected to tell you in my previous post that I 'did' my back in last Tuesday. There couldn't be worse timing, let me tell you. It was the final week I was spending in country Victoria, a week I had been looking forward to with the anticipation of moving on towards our new chapter. But I buggered up all that excitement by bending down to pick up a piece of laundry off the floor when "shit!"

Long story short - was very much out of action for a good four days with me completely resting, sitting for an hour, hobbling around for a bit then sitting back down. I was in agony sitting down and then standing up. Agony lying in bed. I visited a physio a couple of times which helped and I will have to find one now in Cairns for visiting permanently, as it was noted that it might be a reoccurring thing, seeing it has happened twice before over the past two years. However last week's incident was the worst yet.

One thing I am thankful for is that MrL's parents had Monet stay over for three nights whilst my parents looked after Lily (and myself).   Lily was brilliant.  Being very much a 'mummy's girl', she quickly became a 'Grandma's girl'.  There were a few firsts last week, but the big one was Lily getting to sleep by putting herself to bed (in a big bed at that!) and falling asleep rather quickly without having her Mum near by.

So here, I will publicly thank my in-laws for looking after Monet for three nights and four days and to my parents, especially to my mum, for letting me do bugger all and looking after Lily.   It was shit timing doing my back, but in a way, good timing that it happened in a place where my girls were able to be looked after by others.

Sunday saw my parents drop Monet, Lily and I off at the airport, where we checked into the Park Royal Airport for the night (takes the stress out of getting to the airport in the morning, when you have to travel two hours to get there).   The girls thought it was great fun - so did I as I didn't have to share a bed with a certain 2 year old, after sharing a bed practically each night for the past six weeks!!

I can't describe to you how it felt to be flying back into Cairns after a three and a half years absence. I'm pretty sure I was close to tears (of happiness and relief!)

I'm pretty sure it was the same feeling I got roughly three hours later when MrL rocked up in a taxi after his flight from Abu Dhabi. Six weeks without your best friend and father of your children was (at times) tough going.

MrL's mother arrives tomorrow for a week - she's up here to see MrL, who she hasn't seen for over a year, and the short term apartment we are in is a three bedder, so I said if she wanted to visit she was more than welcome to. I didn't have to convince her. MrL leaves for Abu Dhabi again on Monday for another four weeks. Not before seeing Monet off at her new (lovely) school on Monday morning!

So our new chapter has begun. And what a chapter it is starting to be. Awesome.

A Poorly Christmas

We had plans this year to spend Christmas Day lunch at the Saadiyat Gold Club with a handful of friends, but the four people in this household had to cancel.

Monet was ill for four days, which wasn't fun for the seven year old.  The 'four day tummy bug' has been going around and it seems to have missed the rest of us here, which is a good thing.  Lily though has a sore throat and a head cold and a voice that sounds like Donald Duck, but she is now slowly on the mend after sharing the head cold with me.  She's been sleeping solidly which is fabulous, considering on her first night of a sore throat she was awake and crying after every sleep cycle (ie. every 40 minutes).

Santa still dropped off presents for our girls, which was just as well!  It took Lily a little convincing that 'Santa' wasn't hanging around downstairs when she came down and then after she spied what he had left,  spent the rest of the day saying that 'Santa is a good boy'.  Her little wooden kitchen was a hit.  Monet laid on the couch as MrL put together a beautiful little dolls house for her, poor poppet.

One positive thing, living in a Muslim country is that all the shops are open on Christmas Day.  So as we cancelled our Christmas Lunch outing, MrL went and bought a rolled pork, a chicken, a bottle of champagne and other bits and bobs.  So whilst the girls napped, and both without appetite, MrL and I sat and drank and ate.

A very different Christmas and we will look back in years to come and talk about Christmas 2011.

This following photo was taken at a Christmas Party a week previously.  

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and everyone was fit and healthy, which is more than what I can say about my little family here in Abu Dhabi.  =)

Friday Morning Snippet...

Our working week here (in case you didn't know) is Sunday to Thursday, but MrL is under the pump at his work (hand-over to the client is coming up) so today, being Friday, he had to go to work.  Ho hum.  As I have a head cold (which I am blaming on the change in the weather), I sat on the couch with iPad in hand watching the 2nd episode of the Aussie series 'The Slap'.

The girls were off playing happily.  Imagine my surprise when I saw the scene behind me going on.

It was very sweet, Monet and Lily playing 'Mummies' with their 'babies' and all sitting around the table having a mid-morning snack.

It was one of those moments I had to capture.  And I had to blog about.

Monet had prepared them all snack food and arranged them on four (!) individual plates.  Her plate presentation seems rather familiar... (See here and here)

Sing

There are serious moments when, as a parent, my heart sings.  Those of you who have children (and maybe some of you who are not parents) hopefully can identify with me saying this.  It sings when I see either of my girls do something - nothing in particular, just something.

Take the other day, for example.

I got a phone call from the School Nurse saying that Monet was not well so I immediately dropped everything, scooped up Lily and drove to get her.

Back home, Monet showered, put her pyjamas on and went to bed for some well needed rest.  Upon waking and declaring she was feeling a little brighter, Lily and I joined her in her bedroom.

Then I witnessed this.

It made my heart sing.  I don't know why, it just did.  Little acts of kindness from big sister to little sister, little sister acting very funny, big sister enjoying little sister and vice-versa.  Nothing out of the ordinary, just something that made my heart sing.

Sometimes things like that happen few and far between, but then sometimes I witness little singing moments every day.

Better to be Safe than Sorry

Had to take our Miss 6 year old to one of the local hospitals this morning. Here in the UAE when you need to see a doctor, for whatever reason, you can actually go to the hospital. You either go direct to the specialist (ie Dermatology) or to the GP rooms. That's what Monet, Lily and I did this morning.

Monet found out last week at school that she is a bit uncoordinated (like her mother) when it comes to play equipment. She feel off the monkey bars, landing a bit hard on one of her legs. She said she cried and a teacher on duty took her to the school nurse, who examined the leg and sent her off after a little rest. Hmmm.

"Okay", I said, "just take it easy and stay OFF the monkey bars, even if other kids are playing on them, doesn't mean you have to".  (HATE monkey bars - I was never a kid who used them - can't you tell?)

That, was last Tuesday.

Monet had a couple of crap days of school - think she was feeling a little unsocial and a bit scared to keep playing on the new play equipment whilst her little buddies clambered over the monkey bars, down the slide, through the tunnel etc., etc., However, she was fine at home - had a bit of a limp, no bruising and was using the pool like an Olympic swimmer training for the 2012 Games.

But still having a little limp.

MrL and I couldn't work out if she was exgaggerating the limp or not and so last night was the last straw.

"We're getting this leg looked at tomorrow!" I told her as I tucked her into bed.

So this morning we went off, arriving at the hospital at 8am where she was looked at some 30-odd minutes later. We were sent off for her to have an x-ray, just to see if there could be any slight cracks in her bones. Brave Miss Monet had to enter the room alone and have the x-ray done without me being there, as I had Lily with me and she wasn't allowed in. *oh my heart* Thankfully the x-rays gave us the all clear. It seems as if she has a bruised muscle and we left the hospital with a bagful of pain relief ointments and medicine.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Happy to get school (that's my girl!) she was all ready to tackle the day from 10am.  I hope she's having a better day today.  =)

*You may have noticed I have changed back to using the real names of MissM and MissL - I think most of my readers know their real names anyway, no biggie*

Naa-stee

Yep.  

Things are nasty around here.  

I might have a lovely newbie but since I have been home from the hospital I have had a run of bad luck.  They say things go in threes so hopefully next Wednesday sees me a glowing picture of health!  

What am I talking about?

You may recall I suffered a case of mastitis last week, last Wednesday night to be precise.  That was nasty.  The Wednesday night before, I woke up the following morning to discover a charming heat rash covering my torso (which disappeared before too long).  Last night (Wednesday night) I woke up to discover that my fingers had swelled into sweet little pork sausages, my face was puffed up like a balloon and I had swollen blotches over my chest, neck, arms.  Nasty.

I had got up to feed Miss Lily at 4am and knew I didn't feel good.  I woke Lyndon  for him to have a look at me.  My fingers were killing me, the fat little things they were.  Not good when you wear rings.  I managed to pry off my engagement ring but the wedding ring was staying put, along with the ring Lyndon gave me roughly 13 years ago.  

"Better get yourself off to hospital" Lyndon advised. 

So off Lily and I went (I was still in the process of feeding her so she had to come), leaving Lyndon at home to look after a sleeping Monet.

Our local hospital with 24hour Emergency is 10 minutes drive away (you can get there in 5!) and I was promptly looked at.  I must have looked a sight, let me tell you.  With a puff-ball face, red blotches up and down my arms, hair looking lovely from a 4am rise - I still had to stress that it was me who needed treatment and not my gorgeous little doll sitting in her capsule.  

Ends up that I had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics I am on for mastitis.  They treated me with anti inflammatory but we still didn't manage to get the rings off, though my fingers and face went 'down'.  I was discharged about 3 hours later with fingers back to normal and my face looking better than 4 hours earlier.  

Generally I am a well person.   For me to be allergic to something is a bit of a shock.  So I've had a rough run over the past three weeks.  Terrific.

I complained to Lyndon before that my legs are achy.  I hope I don't wake in the morning to find I can't walk.  It would be just my luck.  Humph.

In the meanwhile I will sit back and take it easy, before you all tell me so...

Sick Girl

We had to take Monet to emergency last night, at one of our local hospitals.  Her body temp rose very quickly (was up past 39 degrees) so we went and got it all sorted.

Our girl has a case of tonsillitis.

She hadn't been herself for a couple of days.  We only noticed this when for two days in a row (yesterday and the day before that), after retuning from Kinder she sat on the couch and slept.  This *never* happens.

Her appetite had all but disappeared.  (This should have rang alarm bells for me!)

Yesterday after Kindy she fell asleep in the car.  When we got home she got on the couch and slept.  I took her temperature and discovered it a little higher than normal.  I checked it an hour later and it was a little higher again.  Then, at one stage, it had jumped by a degree within 30 minutes.  

Lyndon had literally just got home from work when I said "we're off to the hospital!" (said in a little panicky tone mind you!)  Lyndon didn't have time to change, let alone have a cool drink after being out in the heat all day.  

We were seen to rather promptly and they ended up putting Monet onto a drip of antibiotics (she was very brave, let me tell you!) and we left about 3 hours later.

Today she has been okay, but still not our normal girl.  It is a battle to get her to take her medication (you have no idea!) and for her to eat.  Her temp is running up and down but steady.  

We're meant to be going to see Barney tomorrow, but we won't be if I can't see a marked improvement in our little girl in the next 24 hours.  Sorry Monet.

(Photos taken last week in our little back yard.  Ahh, the fun of a sprinkler, just like the good old days!)

I Feel Like Fast Food For Lunch...

All is well here.  Well kinda.  I have had a head cold over the past few days which knocked me around a little.  Along with 43 degree temperatures which didn't help me any.  I spent most of yesterday lazing/snoozing on the couch and willing myself to feel better.  I was in bed at 9pm last night and had a good 8 hours sleep.  

I got up this morning and showered, ready to come downstairs at 6:30 and who should be up and dressed before me, but Little Miss Monet.  She is enjoying Nursery School and was keen to be dropped off early.  *good sign*

Even as we walk into the School we get comments on her height.  I'm afraid she'll be getting this for most of her schooling life.  She is standing a good head above all the other kids and Lyndon wants to know why I have been buying her (a few) new clothes lately!  It is because she is growing so tall - lots of her dresses are turning into tops and some of her skirts are becoming mini-mini skirts!

She is not the only one growing.  My tummy is too.  I can hide the pregnancy quite well under certain tops and I guess I too have my height to thank for this.  I visited my doctor on Saturday for my latest check-up.  My Estimated Date of Delivery (EDD) keeps changing due to the fact that baby#2 is growing well.  Another big baby is on it's way, but we are sticking to my original dates of when it is due.  I got this all the time with Monet too and she arrived smack, bang on her due date.  Currently this baby is weighing 500 grams.  Usually a baby this far along is roughly about 400 grams.  See what I mean?

I am hoping I can cope with the heat as I am sure it will be a long time till we see temps back in the low 30's again - it is averaging about 39 every day now - Abu Dhabi does get up to constant temps of mid to high 40's over summer, with the temp only dropping a few degrees overnight.  We knew what we were in for when we moved though so 'I no complain'. (A million bucks that I will complain though!)

And yeah, I feel like fast food for lunch!

Playing...

I'm suffering here from Blogger's Block.  

However, today I have been fooling around with this program.  With thanks to H&B.  And to quote her,  "Addictive.  Don't stay up all night." 

In other news here, Monet hasn't been too good over the past few weeks, with a nagging night cough.  We've been to the doctor a few times now trying to cure it.  She's currently on antibiotics and not her usual self.  I'm thankful she's asleep in bed, but I'm expecting the usual midnight coughing attack.  

*sigh*

Update...

For someone who rarely gets sick, I've been sick! Urgh. I spent Thursday evening looking inside the toilet bowl which is not a good image, I know. Lyndon had to take yesterday off work to look after Monet whilst I spent the day in bed snoozing. I feel much better today, thanks for asking.

We've got a lot going on at the moment in our household, so I don't know if it was all catching up on me or if I had a 24 hour bug or what. I do suspect it might have to do with dehydration for the fact the past week has been so rainy and cool by Cairns Wet season standards (about 29-30 with about 85% humidity) and then on Thursday the temperature to jumped up to about 33-34 with even higher humidity. The weather is playing with my body. I'm putting it down to that.

It is not long before our big holiday and we'll be jetting off in a silver jet bound for the other side of the world. Monet cannot wait for the fact she actually 'gets' the clothes I have up high in my wardrobe for our trip. I never knew my daughter was so 'into' clothes until now. Talk about fussy and Little Miss Independent (you have no idea!) She has chosen all her new threads which we had to buy because her wardrobe is a constant 'summer' one, so some 'winter' threads have been purchased. She's become obsessed with cooler weather, wanting to constantly wear scarf, mittens and hats. What have I done!!!???!!! I swear she changes her clothes she's wearing about 5 times a day lately. Think she's so good being able to reach them in her wardrobe and put them on by herself. As I type this she's changing her clothes for the 3rd time, no actually, the 4th time today and it's not even 1pm.

I have been busy booking and organising our trip. We're visiting Venice for a few days and have confirmed our accommodation where we'll be staying here...

Of course I'm not spilling the beans on the hotel's name but it looks gorgeous. (That's the entrance) I'm hoping it will be as nice as what the pictures look as you can never be quite 100% sure can you?

Train tickets have been purchased, planes booked and hotels too. My birthday is coming up and I have requested tickets for a morning tour for Monet and I do see this, not far out of Paris...

I *simply* cannot. In case you are wondering, it is Claude Monet's House and Garden. It's been my dream for about 20 years to visit so it is a must! I think I'll need to purchase another memory stick for my camera as I imagine I'll be taking thousands of photos, the majority being taken at Monet's garden!

I hope you're all well, looking at Monet's garden makes me feel a whole heap better...

A New Hobby.

Somebody in this family is now beginning to take a keen interest in taking photographs using my camera.. (Both my digital camera and my mobile phone! Bless her.) I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that I am always taking photos? Hmm.

I've shown her how to hold the camera and where abouts to look on it to take an image. She is slowly getting the hang of it, but nowhere near the professionalism of H&B's 3 year old son.

Give her a few months.

Here is one of her Barbie dolls, Suze and her favourite doll, Heidi. (Both named after my friends mind you!)

A self portrait.

Dora and Boots on the telly. She was pretty excited having taken their photo!

Another self-portrait, though with me in the background probably blogging. Monet will probably be starting her own blog in the months to follow!! Hee hee. Oh, that's right, I don't think I'm joking.

By the way, our Lyndon is home ill from work today. He spent the night vomiting so I hope whatever he has, he doesn't pass onto his partner and daughter. Get well soon L-G.

The Return of biglittlesister....

Thank you everyone for your kind words during my illness. Don't think they went by unnoticed.

So, I don't know who I should 'thank' the most. Monet or my parents?

Monet, during my time feeling rather poorly, you were a wonderful grandchild, entertaining your Grandad and Grandma (who used to be called Nanma, but over the course of the week, Nanma turned into Grandma!). You were fantastic, especially during the days when I couldn't lift my head off my pillow and I slept practically all day. You knew I was suffering from 'headaches' and I hardly heard you. You behaved so well by all (or most) accounts. I thank you.

And mum and dad? Well, I would've been lost last week without you being there. So would have Monet. You know what you did for me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Just being there for Monet's sake means heaps. Don't think it was unappreciated. You know I did. I'm sorry your holiday turned into a weeks babysitting but I know that you both didn't really mind. Thank you for everything. Everything.

I'm just about back to my normal self now. I am well rested and looking better than this time last week (and two kilos lighter!) I didn't know someone could sleep and dream as much as I did! My headache from hell (boy, was it from hell or what?) was fixed overnight by a prescription painkiller. I honestly don't know how people get addicted to those pills? They left me feeling nauseated and dizzy beyond belief. My 'pox' have all but disappeared. Phew.

It's times like those that you forget how important your health is. Be thankful that you are healthy. Being poorly is terrible. I was also pretty thankful it was me and not my daughter.

Stay tuned for more *regular* posts. Thanks everyone.

So you remember how I had that migraine....

...it was actually the start of something different altogether.

Chicken Pox. Yep, you read right. I'm 34 and have Chicken Pox.

I'm not well, with a nagging headache, a sore hairline, a sore throat and itchy blistering welts that cover my body. URGH!!!

Adult bloody chicken pox, was the diagnosis this morning at the doctors.

Great.

Lucky for me, my parents arrived yesterday for their planned 9 day holiday, so they are looking after Monet for me. They're currently at the Playground.

I woke up on Saturday morning feeling like I had a big hangover, yet I hadn't touched any alcohol since Wednesday. Yesterday morning I woke to an assortment of welts on my torso, arms and hands. This morning I woke to them reaching from my scalp to me knees. I look revolting. I feel terrible.

I hope to feel better soon. I want to get back into the 'swing' of things.

Morning Antics of a Little Cutie

I have been feeling a little under the weather this morning (and last night), but I am beginning to feel better, thanks to the codeine pills given to me by my pharmacist. *hehe* Monet's been a very girl girl this morning whilst her mother dealt with her slight migraine which has practically disappeared. *phew*

Monet came into my room this morning whilst I lay in bed.

"Mummy just wants to lie in bed a little longer this morning, okay?"

Out she walked into the living area (our bedroom has double sliding doors which lead out into this area). I heard her sit on her Dora beanbag and she was busily chatting away to Pickles, her teddy. (She didn't even turn on the television!!)

As I dozed I heard her in the kitchen. She then came back into my room, holding up one of her bowls, one of her spoons and a box of All-Bran cereal, which Lyndon would have left out on the bench before he went to work at 6am. She wanted some.

"Remember you have tried that before and you don't like it", I reminded her.

Out of the room she disappeared, taking with her the box of cereal, her bowl and her matching spoon.

I got out of bed about 10 minutes later, entered the living area and saw this...

...and laughed. A lot. I had too.

Very apologetically, she said "Sorry Mum". I was too busy giggling and taking photos to care. I even forgot about my headache for a mere second!

We both sat on the lounge and had a yogurt each. Monet is very much 'into' yogurt at the moment. Thanks to the marketing skills at Nestle and Dairy Farmers, Monet has each morning a 'Hi-5' yogurt, or a 'Princess' yogurt or a 'Dora' yogurt or a 'Happy Feet' yogurt.

10 minutes later she did this...

Must be good for the skin. I know it must have felt nice because she kept on doing putting it onto her legs.

It wasn't till a while later when I went to one of the utensil drawers in my kitchen that I saw this...

Life with a two and a half year old can be very amusing. Even with a migraine.

A Dental Relief

We had Monet's big Dentist appointment today. The one I had been counting down towards, one that I have been worried about for weeks. I was unsure how she would react to anesthetic, the Dentist etc.,... I was thankful Lyndon took some time off work to come with us...

I didn't think I would cry (I know, anyone would think it was me getting a dental procedure done!) but I did. I had too. It had been bubbling underneath the surface for weeks and when the anesthetist did his job and I saw my baby lying on the dental chair surrounded by dental nurses, the dentist and the anesthetist I couldn't help it... I felt better for it.

The procedure (fillings) took, what seemed to me, forever. I'm not sure how long. I couldn't tell you. But I knew Monet had started to come out of the anesthetic as I could here her screaming, which is apparently a good sign. The screaming lasted for a good 20 minutes or so. Her throat must be killing her.

A disoriented and very (very) upset Monet was waiting for us in the recovery room. It took her quite a while to come around but I was rapt to see her open those beautiful blue eyes of hers and look right at me. *relief*

The Dentist came in and told us that all was okay. And she will be fine. Besides the back two teeth, the rest are great. I gave the Dentist a bit of a hug (I couldn't help myself, mainly out of relief!) and thanked him.

Our drive home was eventful. Don't ask. Okay, I'll tell you. My poor little baby was sick and spewed, mainly over me! Mmm. But I think it made her feel better. That and having a wee nap in the car.

We're back home now and Monet is happy. She's got on her favourite Dora Terry Toweling dresses (sooo trendy and oh-so 1980's!), she's eaten a sausage roll, drinking water, she's had her medicine and she's now watching Hi-5 on DVD. And she's smiling. And she looks happy.

Seems as if I have my old Monet back. *fingers crossed*

We're off to collect Monet's Nanna (Lyndon's mum) from the airport in half an hour or so which is a nice treat for Monet (and Lyndon and I). She's staying for a week so it will be nice to have Marianne here and my happy daughter! *relief*

Princess Tooth Ache

My little princess is going along okay. Thanks to everyone for their sympathy. A tooth ache is one of the most painful things to have, we can all agree on that yes?

So we went to another dentist yesterday, just to get a second opinion. I've never done that before (got a second opinion) and I am so glad I did. I think I will get second opinions from now on - trust me. The first dentist we saw on Monday, said in his Irish accent "Out with the teeth". The second dentist whom we saw yesterday said "Let's save these teeth". Do you know how relieved I felt to hear those words?

Monet has some cavities that have to be attended to which will be fixed in a couple of weeks. The poor little love has to go under a general anesthetic so I will be besides myself no doubt, but we will get through this and she will be fine. The cavities could be caused by grazing throughout the day, but they really aren't sure why. She brushes at least twice a day and she doesn't have a lot of sugar in her diet. She still doesn't realise that the 'lolly/sweet' aisle in the supermarket is full of sugary treats. She thinks its just another aisle.

I was very proud of Monet yesterday. I have never seen her open her mouth so w i d e. The dentist was very pleased to see her do this. But she's had a few days practise of doing this. The dental nurse was fabulous, simply fabulous. I could have hugged her. She was kind and playful and Monet thought she was terrific. And she gave Monet a lovely pink balloon and some stickers and some funky bubblegum flavoured 'Princess' toothpaste.

Monet is still in a bit of pain but she is on medication and is a happy chappy when she forgets about her tooth. But talk about whinge when she remembers! Oh. My. Can my girl whinge? But I think a toothache is worth whinging about. Ouch.