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Tova woke up at 6am ish on Sunday morning breathing horribly. So we gave her pred.

As usual Pred makes her look like a vampire. She was happy enough, but a little bit flat.. So we canceled our fun events for the day and spent the day looking after ourselves. 

I like to keep her close to me when she gets croup so I can listen to her breathing. She was breathing wasn't great, but not hospital worthy.

She woke this morning breathing fine, after sleeping very well last night.

It is great to see that things are hopefully finally changing regarding the croup.

I have been sick for about 3 weeks. I usually get this cough and feeling crap in August, maybe that is why I have babies born so early in August?

In other news, Nissim and 5 of his school friends had a joint birthday party. They decided that instead of presents, they would like people to donate some money to Jewish Care Children Respite House. They raised over $1200. I'm so proud & Jewish Care are so grateful! They are such good kids. 

So, both kids in the house are 6! 

Nissim came home from visiting his friend Violet (they have been friends since they were about 3, they were best friends at creche and have kept the friendship even though they haven't attended the same school/kinder for about 3 years, which is lovely).

He was all excited to tell us that he had swallowed his wobbly tooth and that it would come out in his poo! hehe. 

He said he didn't even notice until he went to wobble it with his tongue and it was just 'gone'. 

Cute. 

Tova has recently had her second lot of stem cells, we shall see what comes of that. The first thing I noticed was her desire to walk (aided) and not be carried.

 Here is a pic from horse riding the other day in the fog: 

2014-07-23

Nissim has his first Wobbly Tooth! It is pretty exciting. He looked quite shocked when I told him.. He is a funny one, a bit of a wuss.. :-) But then he realised that I was very excited and he decided that he would go with it being fun! We have been talking about the going rate of the tooth fairy these days. I have been informed that it is more than $1 now. 

I'm not feeling very well today.. So I went to get a prescription of pred filled incase Tova gets sick. The prescription had expired so I had to go beg a doctor to give me a new one without seeing Tova.. that was fun.. 

Tova is going really well with walking. She doesn't really use her walking frame anymore and has moved onto using walking sticks. 

I have invited all Tova's class mates to her birthday party and have only heard back from ONE person. It is very strange. I am also surprised that not one person has invited her to their party this year. Either no one has parites, or she isn't popular? The teacher says that the kids don't seem to have parties, so she has been giving them one at  school when it is their birthday. HOW STRANGE... Well we will be happy to have the party with her one class friend and the other couple of friends we invited from outside of school.. 

2014-06-19

Hi croup. Not nice to see you!

Oh well. I had a feeling that it was too good to be true.... not being in hospital since January..

Tova slept a bit badly the night before last and ended up sleeping with me (yuval went and slept in her bed). But she was breathing fine and she woke happy.

Last night she woke crying again and came to my bed again, swapping beds with Yuval... again.. that was at about midnight. At 4am she woke with stupid breathing. There was no fresh pred in the fridge and no 24 hour chemist that I know of. ... So off to hospital. We went straight in and not long after Tova was given Pred. We are home again now 7am. Tova is happy, watching The Wizard of Oz - the original.

I imagine that if we had a fresh bottle of Pred we wouldn't have ended up in ER.

No school today for Tova. We will stay home together and keep warm n cozy.

2014-06-07

I have an assignment due next week for my Auslan course. So, I'm procrastinating here. The assignment is pretty massive and boring not to mention written terribly, not my answers, but the questions. Tafe is quite different to uni. I remember assignments being hard at Uni, but not because they were written so terribly. This one is hard also because it requires so much research and i have a lack of interest in the subject matter. Some of it is interesting of course, I am a fan of lots-of-things-history, but the pressure is on and I just don't feel like writing about what I am reading. 

Some things that are interesting, The Deaf Community hate cochlear ear implants, especially if people opt to have two. I didn't know that, now I do.

Deaf people in history, way, way back were considered 'less than human'! 

AND - Hitler sent deaf people off to concentration camps, simply because they were deaf. 

Oh and another really odd one is that when society did decide that Deaf people were worth educating, there was a catch, they could only be taught by hearing teachers that could not sign, and no sign language was allowed. If a student tried to sign, they would have their hands either caned or tied behind their back, probably both at times too.. 

In other news. Tova's teacher wrote to me the day after I approved Tova wearing a helmet at lunch time (so she could walk around using canes, not her walking frame), without giving teachers heart attacks when she falls.. well the teacher said Tova walked all the way down the school corridor (which is long) before she decided that crawling was her preferred option. So, there is that! Which is completely astounding. 

I ordered canes at the beginning of the week after I was told that the funding for Tova's bike (over $1k) had fallen through for what ever reason. So they should be here (just the canes) some time next week. I hope. 

Nissim has been on school holidays all week, which has been nice for me to spend some time with him, just him and me! He is such a little dude. 

2014-06-04

Tova's teachers asked me today if during lunch Tova could wear a helmet in the playground. Hehe, that made me laugh, the reason is, Tova has started to be almost walking, more than ever before and they want her to stop using her walking frame and use just sticks (proper ones, not from trees obviously;.).

Sometimes in the playground she doesn't have 1:1 with a teacher, so a helmet will protect her head for her very likely falls.. funny, cute, amazing.

Well I recon horse riding with RDA Harkaway once a week has contributed to her success..  (Or could it be the combination of that and: conductive ed, stem cell treatment, hydro therapy, physio therapy, speech therapy, OT, Feldenchrist, bowen therapy, hbot, chiro, and every thing else that child does). If nothing else I love going out there once a week to pat those beautiful animals. I am in love with Jake the horse..

Not sure if I mentioned last time, but we went to see 42nd Street, Me, Tova, Nissim and my mum. Tova LLOOVVEEDD it. She loves everything music. 

2014-05-20

There has been no hospital since Adelaide - that is since January! Which is incredible. 

I'd love to take Tova back to Ability Camp. And perhaps we will, I guess it all comes down to money. We are also hoping to go back to the Adelaide program in January 2015, fingers crossed!

Both kids are loving school. Both kids are doing well at school!

I'm trying to get Tova some new canes, it has taken ages. Hopefully they will arrive soon. 

Tova has been loving walking around in her frame, she has had it for years, and has always used it, but now for some reason she is excited when she uses it. 

She has become quite amazing at walking while holding one adult hand too, that is fun, slow but fun. I can see that walking isn't too far away. She most certainly wants and tries to walk. 

The bike we want for Tova may or may not happen, that too is because of money. Special needs bikes are crazy expensive eg: $3k.

Tova has been focused this year, possibly something to do with all the therapy she has been having. 

Nissim is doing well with learning English, Hebrew and Auslan. 

Yuval and I have been learning Cert 2 - Auslan at Tafe this year, and are enjoying it. It is hard to imagine that we will ever be fluent. 

One incredible fact that I would like to share. Each Tuesday Tova comes with me to drop Nissim off at his school, it is a small school, with pretty much no parking on a tiny street and is always chaos at drop off times. There is one disable parking spot out the front of the school and about 10 regular spots. Every Tuesday I aim to park in the disabled parking spot and every Tuesday it is available. There are parents and carers parked everywhere in that street, but that one spot is always free. That is almost unheard of. I am so impressed.  And yes, Tova has a disabled parking permit which is stuck in my car for those who are wondering.  It is very good to see the respect the community have for people that need that spot. Especially as most parents don't get out of the cars, they just let the kids out and drive off, so it would be very easy to just stop in that parking spot for those few minutes. But they don't!! Which is WONDERFUL! It is so helpful. 

2014-04-08

It has been a while. 
Tova has been well, and when she hasn't, she has stayed home. 

Tova is now on school holidays, term one of grade one done. Amazing. 

Nissim still has the rest of this week before he is on holidays. He is loving prep and he and Tova have been doing homework together. Tova is more advanced with reading than Nissim so she helps him know when he gets words wrong etc, and Nissim tests her reading too. It is very cute to watch. 

All the therapy that Tova has been having seems to be doing amazing things. She is so focused and progressing with everything. 

Today she had a hearing test, if she had fluid on her ears she would have had grommets next week. But nope, there is none.. so no surgery! Not that I would have actually gone ahead with the grommets, but at least now I am not made to feel guilty. I just know that it is the chiro that has cleared up her ears. Hearing test before chiro = fluid, every hearing test since seeing chiro (she sees him every week or $o), the fluid has been less and less. Amazing. Truly amazing. 

2014-03-11

Last week Tova was touch and go with the good old croup. She managed to stay home the entire time. We gave her Pred, but didn't need to call the ambulance. We possibly could have at one stage, it was very close, a very hard decision to make. 

But for what ever reason, we decided to keep her home and she recovered over about 5 days. 

At horse riding Today, Tova was amazing. She is getting so good at it. She is a bit cheeky, as is her horse, they are a funny pair. The horse gets a bit frustrated with Tova because she lets go and stands up etc. The horse nips the very tolerant lead walker from time to time, I'm sure it is from being annoyed with little Tova. 

Nissim and Tova have been playing so well together recently. They are doing their home work together and everything. It is very cute. Tova is a bit ahead of Nissim in reading, but she loves going over the golden and red words with him. He is also getting very good at reading hebrew! So Nissim is learning, English, Hebrew and Auslan.. what an adult this young man is going to be! 

Tova is pretty much refusing to crawl anywhere at all at almost all times. She will actually wait for an adult to come over to her to hold her hand to help her, or for someone to bring her the walking frame. It is very cool, she is progressing. We also met a young boy today, he must be early teens that only just started talking recently, which gives me some inspiration for Tova. She does try to talk, I'm not sure why she doesn't use her voice, but either way, talking or Auslan or other communication devices, it is all good with us. 

Tova and Nissim Studying together:

If anyone wants to know about stem cell treatment here are a few useful links you can follow up.

I'm not comfortable writing about the treatment Tova may or may not have had as it is so controversial and other things. I'm not interested in being involved in this political debate publicly.

So, here are some links for anyone wanting to know more.

http://www.regenetec.com/

http://www.globalstemcells.com/

http://www.adistem.com/

http://www.repairstemcells.org/

http://www.donmargolis.com/

2014-01-30

Today Tova went back to school. Grade 1!

I drove her in as I wanted to see where her class room is and also wanted to meet her teachers. I did make the point of saying I will remove her from the school if she is 'strapped' to anything, such as her chair. The bike sure, she needs a seat belt, but I'd rather her learn to do what she is told such as "Tova please return to your seat" than her being trapped. Harsh words, but I need it to be completely understood. I'm not really that intense, but I do worry and so, as I am not there during the day I need to 'sound' intense. They didn't mind anyway.

She was happy to be in her new class room. One of her friends from her prep class is in the same class, so that is nice.

Nissim! Well... He started school today for the first time! Prep! Amazing. Mum and Yuval took him. They sent me a photo, he looks gorgeous. They told me that he is 100% comfortable at school. They didn't know where his class room was, he showed them. He is so smart to remember the way (I was there with him yesterday to have a 10 min meeting with his teacher before the first day of school). Apparently he told mum and yuvie to leave too. So, he is at school now! I wonder what he is doing. I hope he makes friends quickly and is so happy. Lots of the kids there know each other. Nissim went to creche with a few of them, but can't remember them because he was 3. His cousin is at the same table as him too, but they also don't know each other very well and his cousin has been going to that school creche for a few years. I'm sure he will be fine, he is not a shy child, actually he is quite the opposite, but also he is sensitive. My little dude.

Ok, well Yuval and I are now parents of two school kids. It is going to be a busy life now. Driving here and there dropping kids off, picking kids up etc.. :-)

2014-01-26

My alarm woke me at 6am on Saturday. I still had some packing to do, not much, but the trips down to the car and back were annoying. There is only so much I can carry at one time and the distance between the car and the room is quite big, including a flight of stairs and narrow pathways. I got the car all sorted and woke Tova up at about 7.30am.

She got up ate and we left. We got out of Adelaide at about 8am Adelaide time. I was planning on 7am, so 8am is quite reasonable.

We drove, and drove, and drove. It was boring. Very boring.

We drove more, then drove more.

Tova watched DVDs for about 7 - 8 hours of the day. We stopped a few times, ate, stretched our legs and all that. But unlike the drive to Adelaide I rushed our breaks a bit. I wanted to get home in one day.

Once we did eventually get home at about 7pm I decided that if and when we do that again, staying overnight somewhere makes it so much easier. It really is a boring drive. My legs kept hurting from doing nothing. I felt motion for hours after getting out of the car too.

But, it was nice to be home already.

I beeped the car horn when we got home and our boys came out to greet us, including my wonderful Bosun. He leaped over a fence and came bounding towards me. I picked him up, he is so cute, patted him and tried to put him down. He didn't let me.. and dug his claws in when I tried.. Funny cat. I love him. He has been my best friend since something like 2001. He is such a dude.

Tova is so happy to be home. She is now very good at signing MELBOURNE with a big smile. I love it. She is so focused now. I know it is a combination of things, but Future Footprints has alot to take credit for. And the independent play the have brought out in her is outstanding..

The bathroom is almost completed, completed enough to give the kids a bath in there. It is so very much better than the mouldy disgusting bathroom that was there before. And huge now. Thank god.

It is very nice to be home. I'm still unpacking and imagine I will be doing that for a while as it seem so overwhelming.

The kids start school on Thursday. Tova Grade One. And my little Man, well, he starts Prep. His first year of school. I put his uniform on him today to make sure of the sizes before I put his name on everything. Wowzers he is swimming in it. He looks very cute. He is very at peace with starting school. I hope he loves it.

Adelaide was amazing. Even though heaps of it we were sick, the actual reason we were there, the conductive ed was brilliant. Future Footprints is brilliant. I would be tempted to live there for a year if they offered full days 5 days a week. It is probably a good thing they don't. They do have programs 4 days a week and 3 hours a day all year (not in school holidays). But i'm not convinced that is the right thing for us at this stage. Things change all the time though.

We will go back next year I imagine. Now to start saving! Time to win the lotto. I did win $25 the other day.

The photo is of Tova playing with Yuval's shoes this morning when she woke up in her own house! 

2014-01-25

Ok. I forgot to write yesterday and today. 

Yesterday I woke up much better. Of course just in time for going home.

Tova had a great day and there isn't much else to say. 

Today was the last day. Tova was super excited about that. She kept telling me about Melbourne and the boys and School finished, with the biggest smile ever.

The team at Future Footprints were fantastic. They do run throughout the year but only 4 days a week for 3 hour sessions a day. So it is a big decision to come here and miss school for that. But we'll see. 

Tova slept quietly the entire night. Thank goodness.

I woke up with one eye all crusty! NICE.. However, they aren't hurting as much... HOWEVER, they aren't great. A very clever friend suggested going to the eye dr, so I have an appointment with one tomorrow morning. (Thanks K).

I haven't taken panadol at all today, so it must mean I am getting better.

But I haven't really moved at all for 3 weeks. I wonder how unfit and chubby I am now.. great.... Oh well.. It has been a break, perhaps not the best break, but nice to be lazy for a while. I just hope my gym clothes fit me when I get back. I may have to hide in the back dark corner of the room for the first few weeks..

On a more interesting note:

I was telling Tova that we are going to Melbourne in about 2 or 3 days and she signed Aba and Nissim! Omg, she is so focused these days.

The Conductor showed me a video of Tova from today. They have mentioned to me that they noticed Tova doesn't play independently very much and gets adults to do things for her and play with her or she will pretty much do nothing. The said that it must be very hard for me and Yuval.. "Yep, you hit the nail in it's head" I said...

So the video they showed me was of tova, not one adult near her, and her playing with two hands stacking shapes on a stick, and other stuff with the shapes like putting them in one bowl then another.. by her self! OUTSTANDING! We would love Tova to play by herself. Nissim is very good at it... most children are. But not Tova, she kinda shuts down if no one is interacting with her. We use the TV to help with this, but try to limit it.

Ok.. here is to an easy night..

No hospital before we leave!

2014-01-21

I'm on edge a bit. Worried that Tova will get sick in the last days. She was very drooly today apparently. Last week when that happened she ended up being all sick and having to stay home for 4 days. 

My eyes are still from hell. If I wake up crap tomorrow I am going back to the DR. They joys.

I am so glad this didn't happen in Canada.

Well, apparently she was cheeky again today. They again said she is now 100% comfortable with them, so she is now testing the boundaries, which is GREAT.

She is so excited when I pick her up it makes everyone happy, she almost jumps out of her skin! Then in the morning the first thing she asks me is "School?" (Auslan), and shakes her head. But when we get there she is happy to be there. 

Nissim got his school uniform today with Savta and Aba. How cute. He is swimming in it apparently, as is Tova in hers. The uniforms always look so massive on these little people. Two school children starting next week. Craaazy!

I hope Tova and I wake up in the morning fit, healthy and happy! please! please! Please!

No photos as I can't really go anywhere looking the way I do. I did take some photos of my eyes, but I can't bring myself to post them for public viewing - even though only 3  people read this! haha. mum, dad and me! kidding..

I woke up this morning still feeling sick so made the decision that I should take ME to the doctor today. I took some voltaran (MAGIC stuff) and got Tova ready. She looked so beautiful today in her new top/dress that Aba got her yesterday. 

I dropped her off and went to the medical centre where I had taken Tova the other day. I waited for about an hour (which is less time than when I was waiting for Tova) and got given some antibiotics and eye drops. My eyes are on fire. He says probably from the public pool or beach.. great.. My vote is the revolting public pool. I hate public pools and avoid them usually. 

Tova had a good day at her therapy. They said that she was very cheeky today. As if now she is completely at home there and ready to show them her true personality. I imagine she was doing mostly the opposite of what they were asking her to do and laughing. She is so funny. 

I am loving the cool 28-30 degree days now. Glad the 40+ days are over. It is hard to do anything in such heat. 

It isn't as bad today without the boys. Last night was horrible. Today kinda just went back to normal. I'm comfort eating too, which is fun!

Tova is eating back to normal, which means, she is eating heaps happily. She is on day 7 of her antibiotics. Only 3 more to go. She is 100% recovered now. Thank god.

Only 4 more days of this amazing program left for Tova. I'm so looking forward to coming back to do it again, and again, and again as much as Tova needs. 

The boys just left.

It, I, Feel very empty.

They were great to have here.

5-6 more days and Tova and I go home.

This hotel room/apartment is so quite tonight. soooooooooooooo quiet......

So here is what we got up to since I last wrote on Thursday.

Friday- We dropped Tova off at Future Footprints, we stayed for an hour and spied on what Tova was getting up to. Nissim was a good boy and did a drawing and chatted with us and therapists. Tova knew we were there but still did her 'work'.

After that we went to the beach in Semaphore, it was stunning. The day was heating up to be a 47 degrees day, so we didn't stay for too long.

We had lunch at a very average sushi shop, I don't think they use sushi rice, so it was a bit unusual and crumbly. I don't remember much else of the day but pretty sure Yuval picked Tova up and brought her home because it was seriously way too hot to go outside.

Saturday, we were all together. It was really nice. We took Tova on the ferris wheel that was like being inside the pontipines carriage on the ninki nonk according to Nissim and Tova. That was nice and relaxing.

The boys went on dodgem boats and Tova and I went on the carrousel. Again, I don't remember exactly what else we did, but we did it together and it was nice.

Sunday, Today. We went to the city to see the city market, which was closed. So we went to the mall, it was also closed.. BUT opened at 11am. Tova made us stop at every busker, as she always does. She LOVES music. Today was a reasonable temperature too, even with a cool breeze.. which is a very nice change to the 40+ that we have been having.

I have been sick over the past few days too. I have had aching muscles. No idea what that is all about. I took some voltaran today, MAGIC stuff. I feel quite fine now.. but my eyes look like red balls of pain. I tried really hard to not kill the weekend with my stupid let-me-down body, but on Saturday at some stage when we went home for a rest I fell asleep for a few hours, which I never do in the day.

Tova and I took the boys to the airport this evening and watched them board their plane. They are back in Melbourne now. It is so close by plane.

Next year, if and when we come back (I hope we do) I think I will get them to come at the end and drive back with me, because it is such a strange empty feeling here now.

Today was good. Tova well again and eating mostly. .. Not quite back to normal, but again it is 47 degrees.. 

The boys and I dropped Tova off at therapy. She was happy enough to go. 

We then went to a public pool (yuk, I didn't go in, the boys did). 

When we left there was a Koala in the tree down the bottom as he probably thought it was just a touch too hot up the top. Someone had given him a bucket of water too. Poor little dude. 

Then the boys and I had a look at the Adelaide Museum.. not much to see, but air conditioned. 

We picked Tova up in the arvo and pretty much did nothing as it is seriously too hot outside.

The boys are here!

Tova is back at therapy.

The day was an improvement for sure!

And yes, even though I promised myself that there would be no way at all that I would cry when the boys arrived, I had no control. Bloody hell. How embarrassing. Nissim must think I am nuts. 

Tova didn't eat much today. It is 46 degrees, so that could be a contributing factor. I kinda wish it would stop me eating a little.

I love seeing the boys. Nissim is such a dude and Yuval is wonderful.. 

There is someone for me to talk to now, the hotel manager will be please about that as I bug her a bit with my words about things. :-)

We took the kids to the beach after therapy today. Tova loved it. Nissim loved it. I loved it. Yuval loved it!

Little Tova went to sleep so quickly last night and stayed that way with only a few wake ups during the night (that were quite short lived). She then slept until MID DAY! 

I think she slept the remainder of the sickness off. She is good to go today. 

It is 42 degrees today, so we didn't do much. At one stage in the early evening we went for a walk, but I was worried I would boil her, so we went home. 

THE BOYS ARRIVE TOMORROW MORNING! I am so excited. Tova is also excited and knows that once she does her day at Future Footprints there will be an Aba and a Nissim here! woohoo!

So, I will set my alarm and take this young lady back to her conductive ed therapy! OMG this has been quite frustrating. 

I'm not sure what to do with the boys tomorrow as it will be 42 again. Perhaps right to the beach quickly. Or perhaps we will go to the beach with Tova after therapy.. OR BOTH!

Tova didn't eat too well today, but MUCH better than her pickings yesterday. 

Not much else to say. 

It is hot, I love it. Tova is getting better, I love it. 

So the tour of Australian Hospitals continues.

Tova had a very restless night filled with pred, ventolin, neurophen and a cool wet face washer to cool her down. Great... 

When we woke up she was hot and shivering.. Great...

I drugged her up some more and took her to the Children's hospital. I needed to talk to a paediatrician not some random GP. 

After confirming with a family that were getting into their car that they were leaving, I waited for their parking spot. They drove out and a car sped out of the car park next to me and took the spot.. It was unbelievable. I was shaking from shock. He totally knew, there is no way he couldn't, people in the park were shaking their heads. Security came out to see why I was beeping, I shouted at him to rot in hell and then I found a better spot! He was such a jerk "I was here first" he said.. hahahhaha, there was no car on the road but mine. It was a quite side street.. whatever. boring. 

So, we got to emergency spoke to someone right away, talked to a nurse right a way and then were whisked away by a doctor right away. And talked to by him right away! For ages! He had all the time in the world for us. It was outstanding! Brilliant. 

I know Tova looked reasonable. I know her fever had gone from the panadol, I know that her breathing was ok from the breathing drugs, I know I looked like a crazy person. They didn't' mind. I know they don't mind. My biggest hope was that they tell me to go home and not to worry. But he looked at every inch of Tova, even her skin to see if she had any rash, or insect bite.. or anything in the world. He looked in her ears 'A bit red'. He listened to her chest and did everything doctory. ... 

He then said that he wanted to look in her mouth. I said he was about to be very unpopular. So I told him to sing and she would be a little more willing. He sang Chim chim from Mary Poppins.. haha. So funny. So wonderful. Tova 'let him' look in her mouth. That was the AHAAA moment. He found it, he found what was wrong.. Her tonsils have puss (GROSS). I almost cried, actually I had one tear fall down my cheek, from relief of finding the cause. It can be treated now. I knew it was strange she had a fever, I knew it was strange that she wasn't eating. Such relief and such sad too. I feel so bad for her. I should have taken her there on Friday. Who cares if they think I am a crazy person. 

So today she has stayed home all day. Most of the morning was in the ER, the rest she went to bed with the ipad. Now TV to shake it up a bit. I would like her to eat something, but she doesn't want to. 

I have never been in a hospital that is just for kids. It was very nice, very kids... Monash isn't like that. 

It is so hot outside. It would be nice to be at the beach, but we are inside keeping cool. 

So much for getting work done. Tomorrow perhaps?

The boys arrive in two sleeps. They will get here and Tova will be 100% like nothing happened. Typical, be perfect for the daddy! :-) I am very excited about them coming here. We are going to have FUN! As if we were on a holiday (where I have to work to make up the days I just lost)!

Future Footprints is such good therapy for Tova, I hope Tova doesn't have to miss anymore days! It is such a shame. 

Last night was horrible. 

Tova woke many times, spent the night breathing badly and crying from time to time as if she was in some terrible pain. 

It wasn't her ears. I don't know what it was, maybe her tummy from all the drugs I have been giving her - Panadol, Ventolin, Pred, Antibiotics. She hadn't really eaten very much during the day either. My poor little one. 

At something horrible like 4am (which thinking about it is really quite reasonable, it means I had about 3 solid hours sleep before she woke me, which means she probably did too), Tova woke me up by tapping me. Her breathing was horrendous, she was so hot I could barley touch her and she was gasping for air between croup coughs. Croup coughs sound like a seal barking and are quite scary. I had set up all the drugs before I went to bed so that they were all close and I knew where everything was. I hate searching around in the dark half asleep in a panic trying to find life saving tools.

So. I grabbed everything I needed, including my phone to call 000. But there was no time to call 000, yet. I had to give her some potential relief first. So I started with Ventolin, then pred, then panadol then a drink. The Ventolin actually worked, I have never noticed it work before. She calmed down heaps, which doesn't mean much considering how bad she got. But it was calmer. I would have liked to give her an oxygen mask just for half an hour. That is something I don't have. I wanted to wait for at least half an hour to see what the pred did before I called the ambos. She didn't get worse as I watched her second by second. 

Eventually the pred must have kicked in because she calmed down just a touch more. The panadol helped too I am sure. Her fever was horrible. It was all horrible. 

We fell asleep. I kept waking thinking I heard worse breathing. She was the same. 

We woke at something like 9.30am. 

She cried when she woke up. I was sure it was going to be a hospital day. But I touched her face and it wasn't on fire. Wowzers. 

She ate breakfast too, which was a good sign.

We pottered around for an hour or so and then went out for some fresh air. We drove to the beach touched the water sat on the steps leading down to the beach, drank iced coffee and ate avo + banana. She coped. I think the air was good for us. But it was getting very hot and I wanted to keep her cool, so we went to the shopping centre and bought some neurophen, walked around a bit and went home. She has kept the fever off today. Her cough is fair and she seems happier. Not as floppy as yesterday. 

I never know If I am doing the right thing. I hope I did the right thing last night. I really didn't want to go to the hospital. It is really hard to know what to do. I do know that if she had got worse or she hadn't calmed down at all I would have taken her for sure. 

If she is crappy again tonight I will take her. It is getting a bit silly now. 

I don't know what they can do for her though. They do what I do, but in a noisy, bright and yucky place. At least here is quiet, dark and 'home'. It is really hard. 

She didn't have much dinner, but it is hot and she in recovery (hopefully). I'm not worried about the eating. I love that I can say that! 

3 sleeps till the boys get here. I told them to wear bathers on the plane as we are going straight to the beach.. 

I hope Tova is well enough for her therapy tomorrow. PLEAASEE!

Tova is sick. Last night was hard. She was breathing badly and restless all night. I gave her Panadol at various stages. She slept in, but once she was up we went to the chemist spent a million dollars on Ventolin and went to the doctor. There was one next door to the chemist, so I went in. There was simply only the receptionist in the waiting area. Not one single person waiting, yet, she wouldn't let Tova see the doctor without an appointment, and I could only get one NEXT WEEK! ummmm. Nice work lady!

I seriously want to avoid going to hospital. We drove down the road to a medical centre, waited close to 2 hours and eventually spoke to a doctor. 

I'm not convinced about his approach, but Tova is sick in a different way to usual, so I don't know what to do.

She has a fever. I don't know her temp because I don't have a thermometer and neither did the doctor.. (wtf). 

But she is HOT! So hot to touch. She also keeps telling me she is cold and has goose bumps.. gawd. 

The doctor gave me antibiotics. So I will give her that because I am scared. I am also giving her ventolin because she doesn't' seem croupy (no stridor) but she possibly sounds wheezy. 

She has spent much of this afternoon in bed laying down with the ipad. She asked for a bath and then went to bed and fell asleep. There hasn't been much eating today. I think she ate a few bits of banana and almost half an avocado. So unusual for my massive eating T.

Katrina, husband and daughters visited today. It was really nice to meet the girls and hubby. They all seem lovely. I finally can see a small resemblance in one of the daughters to my other sister when she was at a similar age. 

It is quite exciting and bizarre to know them all now. I am happy about knowing them. 

I hope Tova gets better quickly. 

I hope we don’t have to go to hospital. 

I wonder how she got sick. I feel crappy for not protecting her from getting sick. We were supposed to be at the beach having too much fun today. I was going to upload heaps of summer images of us playing in the water and building sandcastles and on the ferris wheel. 

This is not how I imagined our first beautiful weekend of summer at all! 

Poor Tova, she is really sick, really hot and really flat. She is totally lethargic.