And we still aren’t sleeping. The girls are on to getting molars and being jealous of each other.
In the last two months it has felt like at least one of us has had a cold the whole time – there are a lot of us though and it feels as though our family is growing the more mobile everyone is getting.
Mobility is a great and wonderful thing. Hannah has been walking for about a month now and is loving chasing her brothers. Hannah walking was a massive motivator for Ellie – after a week of crying everytime her 3 older siblings left the room without her she learn to go from sitting to lying down to sitting up again. Two weeks after Hannah started walking Ellie began to crawl. She is better than this video now much she looks so much like a miniature person compared to Hannah and is just adorable as she moves around the house.
It was organised by the hospital that we would have a carer come to our house to help with the three youngest kids. Sarah comes Monday to Friday and has been amazing especially with school pick-up and drop-off – but especially when Ellie gets sick and I am running around with her to various doctors and the such. Ellie got quite sick again last week and we managed to have a suction (think the little sucker you get with fess – but industrial sized, I always joke her brain will be sucked out) at Sutherland Hospital and a slight increase in oxygen at home while keeping in contact with her GP and paediatrician to keep her at home throughout it all. Due to the continued viruses that seem to be plaguing our family this winter Ellie is holding on to her low flow until at least Summer, regardless of how good her results are. We have however been able to get rid of Ellie’s NG.
I started this a few nights ago – how did we ever write every night??
More and more I am wondering how we did what we did. The support we had was a big factor, but wow the full reality is starting to set in. There is a poster I made on my kitchen wall – it was meant to be one of those vision boards – it has some quotes on it and I read them now and they have so much more impact. I just looked up the date March 30th 2017, Ellie would have been home for 2 weeks and obviously I was getting more sleep…..
I focus on the ones I’ve circled red. Never forget where you have been. It is so easy to do, as the life we use to live seems further and further away, I forget that the ramifications are still here. 12 months in hospital isn’t just wiped away after 4 month at home. Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength. For 9 months Hannah was by my side. People actually asked me if she was premmie too….. Not many Mums of ex 26 weekers, cart their fresh out of hospital baby around with them to sleep in hospital beds and hotel rooms and apartments on the ground floor of convents. If someone now told me I would have to do that, I think I would probably laugh at them. Who would do that! Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. There is my answer.
Today, Hannah said bubbles. Ellie tried to copy animals sounds in her own little way. Nate has rounded out 5 days off school with temps and the family virus and Levi is full of energy in a house of exhausted people. Not sure how strong I am, but man am I tired and I’m so incredibly grateful I have beautiful children that keep me up at night and pick up toys and put them in random places around the house and drag a cord 9 metre around and pull along anything in it’s way and whinge and give the most amazing hugs and kisses and smile and babble and eat and drink and play and love each other. I feel very blessed to have my amazing family and incredible kidlets.
*Deb
hannahroseelliegrace 