Another doctor's visit

Gosh it just feels like we are constantly at the doctors with Kien for one reason or another. Today I took him for a follow-up from last week because he is now coughing and has a really snotty nose. He is still on antibiotics - 8th day today of a 10 day course. His ears are a lot better and not so inflamed, and his tonsillitis has cleared. The doctor said we just need to ride it out with this new virus, which he more than likely picked up from daycare, again.

This is the second week Kien is on an elimination diet as prescribed by the dietitian we are seeing. She is working in conjunction with the allergist. So he cannot have any chicken, rice, corn, celery and of course milk products and any nuts. Elimination of rice is the hardest thing for me, because Kien likes to eat rice cereal. I also used to add rice cereal to practically everything I made for him as a thickener. So I have now cooked and tasted quinoa for the first time ever, and it is pretty yummy. Kien seems to like it too so that is good news.

I'm back to work next week - only 2 days a week until Xmas. I am actually looking forward to it. What's even better is that my first day back (Thursday) I will only be there in the morning, and then we are going to Waiheke Island in the afternoon for my team's Xmas party. Being paid to party...now that's my idea of work.

Sale Street rendezvous

The family that consists of 2 adults and 1 child went on another afternoon rendezvous to Sale St yesterday. It was a lovely warm day, and when we arrived there was a musician playing his guitar/singing in the courtyard of patrons also enjoying the sunshine.

Kien sat quietly in the buggy watching the musician while I drank cider and Jef had some red ale. I started feeding Kien some fruit soon after, and of course he vomited - lots. Jef caught most of it in his hands! After we cleaned up Kien was no longer sitting in his buggy quietly. I guess he felt a whole lot better after spewing. He crawled around our legs under the table and had a great time.

We walked back home via Victoria Park.

Very proud

I still can't believe Jef went out there and ran the Auckland marathon without any training whatsover! I wouldn't call a few plods around the apartment months ago and one 22km run 3-4 weeks ago training.

Still poorly

Antibiotics again for the last week to clear conjunctivitis and the gunk that has been in Kien's sinuses for infinitum (well that's what it feels like anyway). So the whole household is back to having lack of sleep, and Jef & I are also poorly as well. At one point my head was so stuffed up I felt like it was going to explode as it hurt so much! If that was how I felt then no wonder Kien is having a difficult time. Here's hoping we all get well soon.
Yesterday turned out some stunning weather so we went for a walk to Victoria Park. Kien got to play on the swings and we sat and watched some cricket being played...fabulous way to spend a lazy recuperating Saturday afternoon.

All in one place

Kien has exhibited an interesting behaviour - he puts things into one place. We scatter toys all around the lounge floor for him to find, and they end up on the table. He gathers them one at a time, crawls over to the table and puts them on top. When he is in the bath he puts his toys in the hole at one end of the tub. And when I am in the kitchen and he is behind the makeshift gate he drops all his toys over the fence.

We are teaching him how to clap at the moment and he is slowly getting it. Still no baby signs yet although I have been doing milk, mummy, daddy, eat, all finished and bath to him. I try to sign as much as possible when I remember. I've been waiting for him to do a sign back to me, and then I will ramp up the signing.

He is getting the hang of mimicking a few sounds/words we make. Kien's sound for "Hello" is "Uh-oh", and most of the time when we say it to him he will say it back. He also says "mama" if we say "mama", and "dada" and "baba" as well. Also he will mimick a rising squeal if we do it.

The other day Kien crawled over and handed me toys, twice. He has handed me things before (more like dropping things in front of me or in my hands if I catch it), but this time it was an obvious handing over of his toys, and Jef witnessed it too.

All of this development is so exciting!

40 weeks

We were looking everywhere for a rubber duck but couldn't find a classic one in any stores. Then when we had the interview with "Growing Up in NZ" they gave him one as a gift. He loves it too.

Bathing him in the kitchen is now a thing of the past...as of tonight. We have migrated to the bathroom, finally. He just splashes around way too much and was getting water all over the kitchen floor. Now he can slap the water to his heart's content.

OK, so Kien has now spent more time in the world than inside my womb. I guess I can stop counting his age in weeks now.

He has sprouted another tooth already! The tip is showing under his bottom left gum. He has been pretty cranky this last week so good thing something has appeared. What is interesting though is that he is grumpy until I drop him off at daycare, and as soon as we arrive he is sweet and smiley. What is with that? I don't take it personally. I'm glad it's not the opposite reaction though as that would make me feel horrible leaving him.

Plunket paid us a visit on Tuesday for the 9 month checkup. Kien has lost some weight due to being sick - he is only 7.1kg. So he has dropped off the world health organisation's third percentile. He is however still a tall little boy - 73.5cm, which places him around the 75th percentile. I've been trying to feed him as much as he can consume. He isn't doing too badly with his solids. I've been cooking up a storm and have a freezer full of pureed food adventures. Lets see how long it will take for him to finish everything.

Say mama

On Monday Kien said mamamama - first time he has been able to say the m's. It's now is new favourite sound so we are hearing a lot of mamamamam around the house.

Last Saturday evening I did a spot of babysitting for Linda and Jason so they could attend the fashion show. Jef did the evening bedtime ritual all by himself for the first time; feeding, bathing and putting to bed. He did a splendid job and sent me this adorable photo.

I finally went to a coffee group meeting on Tuesday for the first time. It was really nice to be amongst a group of like minded women with kids the same age as Kien. I've been hesitant to attend any of these types of things because I had an idea in my head of what it would be like - and I didn't like what my mind had conjured up; gossipy women who love to spend time at the mall. But it wasn't like that at all. The women in this group were all roughly the same age as me, taken a year off on maternity leave just like me, and into fitness too (2 of the women do 1/2 iron men events). It was a pleasant morning drinking coffee and eating homemade scones in a beautiful sunny villa in Herne Bay while the children played so nicely together. I walked home with Frana who lives on Richmond Rd, a woman who is finishing her physiotherapy degree and has just started a business importing french baby clothes. I am looking forward to catching up again in a fortnight.

That night Kien came down with a major fever - 40 degrees actually. Needless to say we had a sleepless night as he was also vomiting everything he was consuming. In the morning we took him to A&E, and then to Starship as his heart was beating quite rapidly. After a few hours there the Dr was satisfied Kien was OK to go home. We had to feed him small amounts of milk often since he continually vomits. I am still doing that today and have just cleaned up some more spillage.

Well hopefully we get a good night sleep tonight and I can send Kien off to daycare tomorrow.