Reflexology

Mommy managed to get me a quick appointment before the school hols started. Yay!!!

Manny

Mommy's found a manny called Stuart to look after me. He's come highly recommended, he's looked after 2 other boys for the past 8 years and he's even worked at a school for children with special needs. Everyone speaks very highly of him and the fact that he comes recommended is a huge bonus. Mommy going to spend most days this week with him to make doubly sure though.

Mommy sacks my nanny

Mommy has to go back to work on the 26th. She's going back morning's only so she can spend the afternoon's with me. yay!!

the nanny came to learn how to feed me. mommy showed her everything and told her how much i hated to eat. i was laying on my playmat and the nanny gave me a bit of a sweet. it fell to the back of my throat and i choked. Mommy put me on her knees and slapped my back really hard. i was so scared, i couldn't breathe at first, but then i had a vomit and everything was ok. Mommy sacked the nanny that evening, she didn't feel right about leaving me with her... she's had to take next week off as hols to find someone else to take care of me. It's only for 5 hours in the morning, really hope they find someone nice.. don't really fancy choking like that again.

Busy day today

I had my feeding group this morning, then hydroptherapy, then mommy had to take me to the doctor's, we needed to get more supplies for my feeding tubes. It seemed like non-stop. I'm very tired and just want to sleep.

Hannah's birthday

It's my cousin Hannah's birthday today, she shares her birthday with her dad. She lives in Langebaan. I met her for the first time in april. She's great fun and made me giggle a lot, she used to pull funny faces at me. She's also a really great big sister to erin, i hope to see her again next year when we all go back to south africa for a visit. Happy birthday Hannah!!

Reflexology

Had my last session today for a while. :-(
They close for summer holidays.

Opthamologist

Went to opthamologist at great ormond street hospital today. They are worried about my blocked tear duct. they said it should've corrected itself by now. when i have a general anaesthetic when i get a gastrostomy they're going to look and check that everything's propertly formed. It'll just take 5 minutes. My vision seems fine though which is good. I really hope everything's ok with my tear duct though, really don't fancy another operation.

Physiotherapy

I'm still working on my crawling, really don't like that position much. Mommy has to push me more with that, but i'm now putting my arms out when Katherine rolls me on the ball, i never used to do that so i'm really pleased! I'm also sitting really well now too and reaching for toys more.

I have my first party!

It's not my birthday yet, we'll be in italy for that so mommy wanted to have a party with all her friends and the people who care about me. It was such good fun. We had a braai and mommy even baked me a chocolate cake.


She wasn't sure how to put a 'one' on it, but suzie who lives in new zealand had a great idea for her. She made a template out of paper and sprinkled icing sugar around it. It worked and was so easy to do! Thanks Suzie! I got to try a tiny bit of cake but i spat most of it out. I got so many presents, i really got spoilt. Tara and India came, it was really good to see them again.

Weighed at the doctors

Mommy takes me to get weighed every 2 weeks. That's if we're not on holiday or don't have appointments. i weigh 9.9kg's today! That's a really good weight. I'm quite tall for my age though and think i take after the potzas side with that!

Hydrotherapy

I had my first hydrotherapy session today. Katherine, my physiotherapist organised it. We went straight after feeding class. Daddy took me cos he's the one who swims with me on saturday so he thought it would be important to see what he could do with me at the swimming sessions. It was quite hard work, not the same as my saturday fun swims but i still enjoyed being in the water so can't really complain.

Reflexology

I had reflexology again today. It was really nice, i had a bit of a cough so mommy was shown what areas of my foot to massage to help my chest. the palace is closing soon for a few months for the summer holidays so i won't be having alternative therapies for a little while. But it's ok, i think we could all do with a bit of a break... I'll start them again in september. There's plenty for me to be getting on with in the meantime.

Physiotherapy

I had physio again today. We have to work on my crawling. Mommy has to make me lie over her legs so i'm putting weight on my arms. i HATE this excercise and always try to roll out of it. This has been the hardest one for mommy to do so far. It's all to get me to crawl though so mommy knows she has to do it, but i certainly won't make it easy for her!

Nonna and Nonno come to visit

I love seeing them, they give me so much love and attention. Nonna is impressed with how much i've changed and grown. She plays with me a lot. Mommy jokes that we're nearly the same size, i look much bigger when nonna's holding me cos she's so little! They took me for a walk to the shops in my buggie.

Feeding therapy

Had another feeding therapy session today. It's pretty much like the first one, i really enjoy it. Everyone's really nice and patient. It's good because it gives Tim a chance to see how i am around food. He can see that i bring my hands up to my face as a form of defence when someone tries to feed me. The only thing mommy can do for me is food play. I don't mind playing with food. I also don't mind having a messy face and messy hands, that's a good sign. I just don't like eating it! in fact, i like putting everything in my mouth except food!

My first swimming lesson

Mommy found a pool not far from home where we can go swimming every saturday morning at 8.30am. Daddy's going to take me but mom will watch. My class goes up till the age of 2. we play in the shallow water with toys and have a splash about, then we go to the deeper water, the swimming teacher shows daddy what to do with me. She said i'm a natural and was really impressed with how relaxed i am in the water. I love kicking my legs and making a splash. Sometimes daddy makes me go right under the water, when i come back out he laughs and jokes, i think it's to stop me from crying or panicking. After the swim we all go sit in the jacuzzi to have a chat and warm up a bit. the jacuzzi isn't very hot though, it's the temperature of my bath water at home.

Physiotherapy

I am getting good at putting my arms out to stop me from falling. I have to lean forward when i'm sitting, Katherine suggested using the blue vibrating snake for me to hold on to. That would encourage me not to fall back, it's meant to be better if i fall forwards. Katherine thinks i'm going to be a bum shuffler. Bum shufflers walk later than crawlers. This is because crawlers need their hands to explore, so will stand quicker.. bum shufflers already have their hands free so are in no rush to get walking! Mommy and daddy don't really care when i walk, so long as i walk sometime that's the main thing.

Are we moving house?

We all went to see a house that mommy and daddy are thinking of buying. I like it, my room's really small but it'll do for now. Let's hope it goes through and we can move in sometime soon. It'll be nice for mommy and daddy to own their own place. I'd be moving from camden borough to islington borough. Maggie who supplies all the tubes for me said that islington is a better borough for children with special needs. I think they're both good, as long as we stay in one or the other, they both have good reputations.

Maja's birthday

It's my cousin Maja's birtday today. She's 3. She lives in Zimbabwe. I haven't met her yet but i hope i do soon. It's horrible being so far away from all my cousins but London's the best place for me right now cos i get so much help and support. Her mommy (aunty sandy) is pregnant and is going to give Maja a brother or sister. Happy birthday Maja!

Feeding Therapy

I had my first feeding therapy today. Tim's my speech and language therapist, he's really fun! We sing a hallo song to everyone, they do sign-language at the same time, i found that really interesting cos i've never seen sign language before. We sing 'old macdonald had a farm..' and we have to dig out animals that they've hidden in jelly. Mommy has to guide my hand to reach though, the jelly's quite stiff and i'm not quite sure what to do. Then they stimulate my oral area. Tim has a vibrating thing that looks like a snake. I love biting into it and it wakes up my mouth and tongue! Mommy even bought me one off the internet cos she could see i liked it so much. Tim told us a story about a bear hunt. it was really good.. these kids sneak out at night and go hunting for bears. On the way they come to grass.. but they can't go under it or over it, they have to go THROUGH it, then Tim holds a bowl of lettuce in front of us to touch and taste. I like chewing on it but if any breaks off on my tongue i spit it out. Then the kids come to a river... they can't go under it or over it, they have to go THROUGH it. Tim holds out a bowl of water for us to touch and feel, i love water, i recognise it from swimming and my bath times. THEN they come to mud, they can't go under it or over it, they have to go THROUGH it.. this is the best part cos we get to eat melted chocolate, it's very messy and i get chocolate all over me but it's worth it! Then it snows and we get to touch marshmallows, they're all squishy and sticky.. i don't like them much. The story ends when they find the bear and tim growls at us with a teddy bear... it doesn't scare me though, i don't think tim growls like a real bear.. but don't tell him i said that ;-)