My brave big boys...

Mitch and Harry started school today and were so very excited! Poor Harry was so excited he fell over outside the classroom and badly grazed his knee. So day one and we already know where the sick room is! The boys went to their classrooms (they are in different classrooms) and happily joined in the activities. Luckily Kev is on leave for the next 3 days so he was able to help me with settling the boys into school - not that they needed much help! They were busy chatting and drawing as we left and not a tear was shed (not even from Mummy).

This afternoon when I went to collect them they were so excited and happily told me all of the activities of the day. Mitch also proudly announced that he did "a huge poo in the toilet!". This had been a big concern of mine as toilet training is still a work in progress, but the teachers are taking him to the toilet 3 times a day which is wonderful. Nevertheless he has spare clothes just in case.

So the first day of school! What a milestone. Kev commented to me today that just over 5 years ago we could never imagine just how far our boys would come. And even if we had dreamed we would have imagined a special school or profound disabilities... how fortunate we are that our little men have turned out the way they have...

Wishing all Mummies and Daddies with children heading to school a smooth transition into the new school year,
Hugs,
Lisa

Preparing for school...

We are officially on the countdown for school! Only 3 days to go and Mummy is getting excited. It is well and truly time for the boys to start - they are getting a bit stir crazy with Mummy always needing to look after Jack and are keen to spend time with friends. Don't get me wrong I have made sure to include lots of play dates - but these have been a bit limited. Nevertheless the school holidays have been a lovely time and the boys have had fun.

So not too long until they hoist their school bags onto their backs and head off into the big wide world of school. They will be in seperate classes (this was our decision) and this will be a new thing for them. In kindy they were in different groups but only some of the time - this will be a whole new experience. BUT I think it will be good for them both. They are very different both in appearance and personality and this will be yet another way of stamping their individuality on the world :-)

So as we gently slide into the new school term the world is full of promise and I can't help but think back to those tiny fragile little babies born over 5 years ago who so desperately clung to life. How we hoped and prayed that they would survive and how we had no idea of what impacts prematurity would have on their little bodies. And here they are now ready to face school - dealing with more than their fair share of challenges, but still happy and excited about being "big boys"...

Hoping your New Year is full of excitement too!
Hugs,
Lisa

The trials and tribulations of Jackson Kevin Reid

First of all I must apologise for the distinct lack of blogging on my part! In my defence I must say that the past few months since our little man arrived have been full on. Partly because Jackson has had settling issues and partly because the workload associated with a new baby and two very active five year olds has totally overwhelmed me. I must confess to being taken by surprise at just how tired I am and I have spent many nights worrying about how I will manage (as if there is any other option). Don't get me wrong I love being a mum, it is simply the logistics of organising the older boys for kindy whilst our latest addition screams blue murder which have had me often on the verge of tears. You see I like order and control (surprise, surprise I hear you say) and Jackson has thrown my life into chaos! I adore my little man with every fibre of my being, but it is very hard when he cries for hours and nothing I do seems to help.

Luckily (if you can call it luck) I have found some wonderful community resources and we ended up going to Torrens House after a particularly fraught weekend in which Jack cried for 16 hours straight. Torrens House is a live-in facility which provides support for parents of babies with a variety of issues including feeding, settling and behavioural problems. The Torrens House' nursing staff are so wonderful that words can't even express it adequately. They take frazzled families and gradually reinstill confidence in handling and caring for their precious babies. The staff there recognised his symptoms as being Reflux based and helped me work on settling him whilst also providing medical support. It would be wonderful to say that now he sleeps like a dream, but that isn't always the case... however he does usually sleep overnight for 3-6 hours between feeds and does sleep for short periods during the day. Which so so much better than the 15 minute cat naps he took day and night before.

And our precious little man is now much happier in himself and often enjoys laying on the floor madly kicking away at his toys and smiling at everyone which is a joy to behold. He loves his big brothers and they in turn dote on him, although at times Mitch has introduced him as "my brother who cries all of the time"! And now that he isn't so overtired and in pain we are able to see his personality shining through.

As for Mitch and Harry - only one more week until they start school! It is hard to believe that the tiny, fragile babies we brought home after 5 long months in hospital are now the big boys preparing for this next exciting stage. Their clothes are labelled and their lunch boxes are ready to be packed with food... all that remains is for Mummy to face their first day at school. BUT I will be brave!

So that is what has been happening over the past few months - lots of activity and a steep learning curve, but as we face the coming year I am excited at what 2010 will bring.

Much love to all,
Lisa xx