Crafts & Jabs

**Spoiler Alert (in case any of our family members actually read this blog): Here is little A SMILING (yes--that is what happens when we say 'smile' and pull out the camera) and making Chinese New Year's cards that we will be sending home (and which will be arriving late). She really likes to make crafts and cards, although she is very fussy about not getting dirty--which makes it a bit of a challenge. This is how we occupied ourselves this morning.

Later, when N woke up from his nap, we went for a short walk to my friend Monique's place. Right now, she is my closest neighbour/friend, but at the end of this month she'll be moving 'off-compound' (I feel as though I've mentioned her before). I wanted to drop off a Nestle dark chocolate bar for her--as we discussed how I've been craving the chocolate almonds and this bar has been helping me out. It is made in Australia (her homeland) and so she was intrigued. I picked up an extra for her on my last shopping trip, and wanted to get it out of the house a.s.a.p. I feared (correctly) that if my bar ran out, that I would go after hers, with only a moment's hesitation and guilt. So, we dropped over intending to put a smile on her face (and some chocolate in her very lean and trim belly), and she put one on all of ours in return. Seems she was having a bit of a 'clear out' of baby toys (her youngest is just two months younger than A), and we happened to be in the right place at the right time. Look at how much A and N are enjoying their 'new' toys--it's nice to have some toys that I can use as leverage to encourage sharing from little A.

This afternoon we got some great news about our 10.0 kg son. The doctor (who shared my concern about his 1.4 kg gain over 2.5 weeks) thinks he is responding very well to the treatments, and has discontinued his injections. He booked a 'follow-up' in March with us, and believes that he will likely discharge baby N as his patient at that time. He is pleased with the progress N has made to date. He did advise that I go back to feeding N 'intuitively' as I was doing before, instead of following the 'there should be food leftover in the bowl' philosophy of feeding (which I attribute to his rapid expansion). Dr. Jamal cemented his place as my favourite of N's 'specialized team', when we shared a laugh, before I left his office.

I think that should wrap up our day today. Peter is home from work and has been told that he looks like he is growing up and is in need of a hair-cut (don't know where A comes up with this stuff). We were supposed to go for a swim at the Shang-ri-la (with the new friends we have made who are living in the serviced apartments there)...but it's getting late in the day and I doubt we will make it before supper and bed-time activities begin.

I hope there is room for one more in 'the garden'!!