Hello 2011!!!

Since I last posted, Euan has grown up alot. He'll be 3 months old in a few days time and is due for his 3rd month immunisation jab on the same day. This little baby still is very sweet and considerate. He has taken to sucking his own fingers to comfort himself. During the night, he comforts himself back to sleep and only cry for feed if he really have to. Very thoughtful baby hahaha! He recognises faces and ask to be picked up in his own way. During bath time, you can ask him to kick the water and he would proudly do so with a big toothless grin on his face. These few days, it's as if he just noticed his tiny toes. He would wiggle them and move his feet in circular movement whilst watching intently. I guess his feet are always covered by his sleepsuit, hence he never knew. Euan adores his daddy and Tobey. He loves watching them play from a corner and would not take his eyes off them and their toys.

Euan watching daddy and Tobey playing Wii. These pictures were taken on the 5/12. When Euan was 2 months old. Will load up his recent pics soon.

See how he happily joined in the gang

Learning from his big brother

*** Warning- Long winded posting below***

December hasn't been a good month for us health wise.

It started with SK accidentally shut the door on Tobey's left ring finger on the 7th of Dec. We rushed him to A&E and his finger was x-rayed. It had a hairline fracture at the very tip. They bandaged him up and put him on a course of antibiotic to avoid any infection. We kept him home from pre-school but he still went to perform in his nativity play on the 9th as he had been practicing really hard for it. As he's a sheep for the play, he's suppose to take off his t-shirt before putting on his costume. He refused and wouldn't let his teacher take it off for fear that it might hurt his bandaged finger.

my darling with his injured finger

He got really bored midway

Posing with something we won in the raffles draw

We took him for further 3 check-ups. It's all healed now, but the boy still insist on having a bandage on until his new nail grows back. Whenever he accidentally pull off the bandage he would cry out of fear, as if his finger fell off. Silly bunny.

On the 19th, Tobey started to have a flu. For the next few days he had mild temperature at night and that followed by a terrible cough for a couple more days. Other than being snotty and very lethargic, he was well in himself, as in he still as active as usual. We wanted to bring to go to the church service on the eve of Christmas, but since he's still not completely well, we didn't. When he got better, except for a lingering cough, SK and Euan fell ill with the same virus on Christmas day! Both of them were being hit REALLY hard by this strain. SK was literally bed-ridden for a few days. It was so heart-breaking seeing them being so weak! I weren't so worried about SK, but was quite panicky for Euan. He was just 12 weeks old. I didn't want to leave any stone unturned and was ultra alert of the symptomsor changes. For the first 3 nights, I took him to see the out- of- hours doctors. The doctor on the first night even offered him antibiotics! I stopped after 24 hours as it did not take effect( after seeking approval from a doctor first of course) and I was then pretty sure it was a viral flu. Antibiotics would not help. I don't understand how can a doctor just put his finger in the air and simply prescribe antibiotic to such a small infant. On the second night, he vomited one of his feeds. The second out-of-hours doctor said it's just a very bad flu. Just treat him with calpol(children paracetamol) and neurofen (children ibuprofen) at home and let the virus run it's course. On the third night, his cough was getting so bad that it again triggered his gag system and he vomited twice. I was so anxious and thankfully the third out-of-hours doctor wrote us a letter and referred him to be seen by the paediatrician immediately. Euan was being examined thoroughly for the next couple of hours (wee hours of the morning till 5 am). I told them that my concern is his hacking cough that is so bad that it's causing his body to jerk and gag. He is being diagnosed as having Bronchiolitis. Apparently, this virus affects mostly babies between 3-6 months during the winter months. they have been seeing so many babies this winter down with the same virus. The symptoms are mainly coughing, accompanied by mild fever for the first few days. The coughing is the only way the babies use to clear their airway of mucus. Since babies aren't able to spit out phlegm like adults, they just retain it longer until it's being expelled in their diapers. The severity of the symptoms peaks at day 3 then it stays bad for 4 days and gets gradually better in the next 3-4 days. There's nothing the doctors could prescribe him. We were just instructed to keep him hydrated and temperature down. I think he turned the corner and started to get better on day 7, except for the irritating cough. Again, I took him to the our local Cambourne paediatric doctor to be checked out again, just to make sure he hasn't got any secondary infection such as a sore throat. He was alright. She told me that almost all of Cambourne babies are down with this virus this winter, it just went around the village. Great. Today is day 10 and he's 95% back to himself. There's still this stupid damn cough that appears a few times in a day. Oh, hubby's purchase of a vaporiser is worth every penny. It humidified Euan's room and help loosen his mucus from his nose and airway, hence made his breathing easier and gave him better sleep. And to think that I actually objected to this purchase a few months back. Sigh.

SK is also almost back to his usual self. He's alright, except that he felt cheated of his Christmas holidays. 8 days were used up to nurse this virus off system. I think before next winter break, I would try to keep Tobey off school for a few days. Really don't want any of us to spend another Christmas being sick.

As for me, I am just so glad that my 3 sweethearts are ok now. I only managed to go to the sales twice. But didn't managed to get anything for myself both times. However, I did quite good on the internet shopping front. Breastfeeding shrinked me a little, so I dug out many pairs of jeans which were banished to the top of the cupboard and suddenly have new clothes to wear..hehe.

To family and friends, here's wishing you good health and lots of love in 2011.