2 Big Days for Possum

DAY 1 - Possum's First Haircut

Possum had his very first haircut today and went from this .....

OK, this one was taken a few weeks ago but you get the idea.

to this :-)

Sorry for the grubby face.  The tape leaves a 

nasty residue which seems to last for days :(

He was very brave, no tears at all and he didn't seem to mind the noise of the clippers.  We did Bugsy's hair first so we could gauge if he was going to meltdown with the noise but he was fine.  It was easiest not to try and hold him still but to let him down standing at the edge of the bath.  It's one of his favorite places to be!  He was well rewarded with a bath afterward to get rid of all the little bits of hair stuck to him.

My boys sporting new haircuts.

DAY 2 - Oxygen Therapy to be Ceased Immediately

That is what the respiratory pediatrician said to me today at Possum's review.  Wow!!  Way to go Possum!  He's been so busy growing and getting stronger since his heart surgery which happened to be 1 year ago today.

In February we had a sleep study and the results said that Possum maintained a mean oxygen saturation of 97% overnight with the lowest recording being 91%.  This is amazing considering during his first study his mean was 91%.  He had 50 episodes of central apnoea but the longest episode was only 8.6 seconds so they are not of any concern, and very normal in children who were born as early as Possum was.

It's very exciting.  Hopefully Possum will adjust well and begin to sleep better at night not having the cannular to deal with and oxygen blowing up his nose.

The Dr was quick to point out that this year will be very testing on Possum's overall health.  He will not receive the RSV jabs this winter, nor will he have the respite of oxygen at night.  We will need to remain vigilant about only socializing with healthy people and avoiding crowds over the winter months.  A small price to pay to keep my little boy healthy.  I'm so glad that we homeschool and don't have to deal with all the classroom bugs!

First Day of Homeschool 2012

Back to school pictures.

Chicky age 4 starts Aussie Kindy.

Bugsy age 6 starts Aussie Year 1.

Flossy age 7 starts Aussie Year 3.

Oreo Ice-cream Cake

I created an Oreo ice-cream cake.  I've never made an ice-cream cake before and had a brainwave whilst chatting to Bugsy about what kind of cake he might like.  He loved my suggestion so we went with that.  I've never seen this done before, but I've seen similar concepts, I just winged it :-)

First thing your going to need is a pudding bowl, or a similar plastic bowl.

Now depending on the size of your bowl and the number of people your planning to serve depends on the quantity of ingredients.

2-4 packets of classic Oreo biscuits (I used 2 packets)

2-4L vanilla ice-cream (I used 2L) either make your own or buy a nice creamy one

1 jumbo packet of Maltesers

First off you will need to line the bowl your going to use with glad wrap.  You need to do that do you can get your cake out later.

Put your ice-cream on the bench to soften.

Whilst the ice-cream is softening line the inside of your glad wrapped bowl with Oreo biscuits.

Tip the softened ice-cream into a large mixing bowl and add the jumbo pack of Maltesers.  Mix them through so they are dispersed somewhat evenly.  You don't want the ice-cream to be runny, just soft.

Now carefully put the ice-cream mix into the Oreo lined bowl.  Put a little in at a time and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to squash it down and smooth it off.

Fill the bowl up to the top of the Oreo lining then fold over the glad wrap overhang to completely cover the top and put the entire thing into the freezer.

I recommend leaving the cake to firm up overnight.

When your ready open the glad wrap covering the top, which is going to become the base.  Carefully tip it out onto a plate and remove the rest of the glad wrap.  Leave it to soften  on the bench for a few minutes, probably 20 mins depending how hot the room is. 

Enjoy :-)

Bugsy It's Your Birthday ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUGSY!!!

Big Happy 6th Birthday to Bugsy!!  It's also Possum's 1st corrected Birthday :-)

We started the day early at 5.47am.  The rule at our house is no presents until everyone is up.  Rusty had already left for work so the boys and I were waiting on the girls who followed not long after, around 6.15am.

Lucky Bugsy received a Razor Powerwing Scooter, a Lego Stormtrooper watch and 3 Automoblox mini cars.  All greatly received and appreciated.

Everyone is keen to know what's in the parcel, so cute! 

I put the scooter together and there was a bit of frustration from Bugsy working out exactly how to ride on this kind of scooter.  There were a couple of spills but after a while he had the hang of it.

Still in his PJ's but getting the hang of the scooter.

The watch was immediately adjusted and put on.  He's spent most of the day trying to tell the time :-). He's ok if it's on the hour or even half hour, no so great at working out the minutes otherwise.  But that will come with practice.  Now he's got a watch I'm sure he will have it sorted in no time.  I can hear him now, "Mum you said we'd leave at 10.40am, we're late!" LOL

Showing off his new watch.

The hot rods joined the Automoblox cars from Christmas 2010 in various races and crashes during the day.  A giant limo was created at one point.  These really are lovely cars!  Much, much nicer than matchbox cars.

The hot rods.

We had a pretty cruisey day.  Late in the afternoon we all headed out for a walk around the local park.  Flossy on her rollerblades, Bugsy on the powerwing, Chicky on the little scooter and Possum in the buggy.  They had a great time, but it was HOT.

Pizza was on the menu for dinner as per Bugsy's request.  Then came the peace de resistance, the Oreo ice-cream cake, yum!

1 Year Ago Possum Came Home

One year ago today I walked out of the big children's hospital with my baby boy.  He was still a tiny baby, just 2.7kg.

This isn't his homecoming pic.  It was taken 2 days before discharge when he was 

transferred between hospitals but shows how tiny he was in the baby capsule.

His 100 day NICU roller coaster was over.  He had made it!  It was a VERY emotional time.  On the drive home I stopped several time and what is a 2 hour trip turned into an almost 4 hour journey.  I didn't have the radio on, i was listening for every little noise he made to reassure me he was OK.

My little Possum had already come such along way.  Born at 25 weeks weighing just 875g with legs skinnier than my index finger and paper thin skin, no one could predict if he would ever make it home.

 This isn't great quality, it's a picture of a picture.  The original was given to me by the nursing staff, taken just 4 hours after Possum was born.  It was the first time i had seen all of him, he was whisked away so quickly after he was born, and i was unable to visit NICU during those first post op hours.  I remember thinking how perfect he was despite all of the wires, probes, tubes etc.  It was a lovely gesture and a picture i have treasured.

What an amazing year we have had with Possum home.  It hasn't been without drama, his heart surgery was another scary time!  Fortunately we escaped the flu season with only one hospital admission, so only two admissions for the year.  Our friends and family have been wonderful in this regard, understanding just how fragile Possum's health is and making sure we cancel gatherings if anyone is unwell.  I believe this has made a significant impact on Possum's ongoing health and strength.

Look at him now!  Who would think such a strong little one had had such a rough start to life.  I am continuously amazed by his strength, determination and courage.

At 15.5m actual, 12m corrected Possum -
has 4 teeth, 2 up, 2 down
can roll, crawl and pull up to stand
can walk holding his trolley (follow the link for a You Tube clip)
babbles LOTS
is still on nocturnal oxygen which will hopefully cease in February
has been cleared of pulmonary hypertension
has no ongoing heart concerns
happily feeds himself finger foods
has just learnt to drink from a sippy cup
still breastfeeds about 6 times in 24 hours
is approx 9kg (will be weighed on the 13th)
loves to splash in the bath

Today, we celebrate!  Where there is life there is hope.

Amber xxx

Precious Beads for Miracle Baby Mums

I stumbled across Peek-a-boo ICU on Facebook recently.  I'm not even sure how i came across them but i'm glad i did.  After i liked the page one of the first things to pop into my news feed from them was a beautiful bead, you know, like the Pandora ones, but it what a Micro Prem Bead!  I followed the link a little confused and what did i find...

an entire range of beads and bracelets/necklaces dedicated to babies who have been through NICU!  They are just beautiful, each bead representing something different and unique to those who have been there.

I could not help myself, my cart was loaded up quick smart and the order placed.  I must add that i loaded up my wish list too as a few of the beads that i wanted were out of stock.  I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival, hopefully before i go on holidays at the end of next week so i can post a pic :)  I was too excited to wait until it arrived to share with you.  Mum's of miracle babies, make sure you check them out!

PS - i did have a small glitch checking out but once i e-mailed their customer service it was taken care of quick smart and my parcel posted the following morning.

Proud Mummy Moment

When your told your week old baby has had a brain heamorage you wonder what the outcome will be.  Despite doctors telling you they *think* everything will be ok, they never truly know and neither do you.  You wonder if moments like these will ever come.  I'm a very proud Mummy, my heart is bursting!  I had to share it with the world!

I can't work out how to embed the clip so please follow the link :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzwb7n7Tg-s

Christmas Goodies

Look what made it's way into my house this Christmas.  A Nespresso Latissima+ for my lovely hubby Rusty.

VERY nice coffee with excellent milk froth.  Kids have been having baby choc cino's daily!

Christmas in NICU

Last year Possum spent his very first Christmas in NICU.  It was VERY hard for our family.  Owing to NICU policies Flossy, Bugsy and Chicky were yet to meet their new little brother.  On Christmas Eve we were notified that the children would be able to meet their brother on Christmas Day for the very first time.  Possum was almost 3 months old!  There were VERY strict conditions attached but we were so grateful!


Recently a friend posted this poem on FB.  She had found it somewhere on the net, I would love to be able to pass on the proper credit but i've been unable to locate the source.  It's very touching and sums things up perfectly.






Twas the night before Christmas, and in each isolette 
Little creatures were squirming and getting all set; 
Machinery sat by their bedsides with care, 
In hopes that good breathing skills soon would be there.

... Day shifters were home all snug in their beds,
As visions of overtime danced in their heads;
While preemies on ventilators, and some on CPAP,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap...

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
The residents woke up to see what was the matter.
Away from the sink I flew like a jet
To make sure all was well at my baby's isolette.

Some bilirubin lights with their powerful glow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to babies below,
When, there before my wondering eyes, it would seem,
Was an oversized stroller and a medical team.
With a handful of needles with which they could stick you,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nicu.

More rapid than eagles his specialists came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Nurses! Now, Residents! Now, Neonatologists!
On, Social Workers! On, Respiratory and Occupational Therapists!
From the front of the unit! To the end of the hall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

Up to each baby's cribside they flew,
With the stroller full of toys, and St. Nicu too.
And then, in a twinkling, they stopped at each bed
And tucked in the babies and got them all fed.

As I looked at my baby, and was turning around,
Down our aisle St. Nicu came with a bound.
He was dressed in red scrubs, and I could instantly tell
That his clothes had an obvious hospital smell;
A bag of stuffed animals was flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
A little red pen he held tight in his teeth,
And a stethoscope encircled his neck like a wreath.

He was chubby and plump, with a few extra pounds,
And I laughed when I saw him there doing his rounds.
A turn of his clipboard and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke few words, but came straight to my side,
And running down his face was a tear he had cried.

And laying his hand on the back of my head,
He gave me a nod, and slowly he said:
"Each night you come here you're aware of the danger,
But your baby is loved by the One in the manger."

Then the medical team gave a thumbs-up and smiled
And St. Nicu placed an animal next to my child.
But I heard him exclaim, as they rolled out of sight,
"Merry Christmas, tiny baby, and have a wonderful night!"






Possum was very lucky and Santa did visit him in NICU leaving him a lovely reindeer bear, a treasured possession.  We are truly enjoying the magic of Christmas this year.  Please take a moment to think of the little ones fighting hard, hoping to spend their next Christmas at home with their loving families.

Christmas Read Aloud

We visited the library a few days ago and I picked up The Kingfisher Book of Classic Christmas Stories.  What a beautiful book!  We are loving reading the stories each night before bed.  It is such a shame that it appears to be OOP because it is a book worth owning!

Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread for the Gingerbread House

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Kids Cooking Book.  We love the AWW Cookbooks, lots of tried and true, yummy recipes :)

This recipe will make MORE than enough for the Gingerbread House we made, if you use the same template we did.  I put the link in the Gingerbread House post.  If you just wanted to make cookies or gingerbread men you could halve the recipe.

250g butter
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup golden syrup
6 cups plain flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground clove
4 teaspoons bicarb soda
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Before you do anything make sure you have enough spices on hand.  Don't assume you do because you have a bottle in the cupboard.  I JUST had enough when i made mine and they are now on the shopping list!

Preheat your oven to 180C.

Make sure you have enough baking trays and that they are big enough to fit on your house pieces so they are flat.  You don't want a wall with a kink in it :)

Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup in the microwave and 'nuke' them in small increments stirring in between until the butter is melted and everything is combined.  You don't want it bubbling madly, you just want it melted and combined.  SMALL increments!

Put it aside for a few minutes to cool.  You don't want to add the egg to it straight away or you will cook it.

Once slightly cooled add all the other ingredients putting the egg in last.  Stir with a spoon to combine.  If it's very crumbly here you can add a little more beaten egg.  You want it to feel like playdough.

Turn it out onto a floured bench or cheat like it do and put it on some baking paper.  Knead the dough lightly until it has all come together into a large blob.  Now separate it into 6 portions.

Roll each portion out until it is even and around 5mm thick.  Then use your template and cut the piece out making sure you cut the doors or windows where appropriate.  I do all of this on baking paper so i don't have to move the piece, i just slide the baking paper off the bench onto the baking tray and pop it into the oven.  Sound like a pro don't I, i've only done it once :P

You'll have plenty of dough, so once the house pieces are all done grab the cookie cutters as set to work.

Cook each piece until golden brown then cool on a cake rack.

Now your ready to make your royal icing and put it all together.  Have fun!

Gingerbread House

I've never made a Gingerbread House before.  I've seen the kits you can get at the shop and thought about it, but never given it a go.  There is something about prepackaged that i don't love LOL.  This year Masterchef had an episode where they made the most magic Gingerbread Houses and i saw what they did from start to finish, and i thought, hey, that wasn't too bad.  I think i can do that!  Well, not quite so grande, but i could do a small one.  So i decided that we would give it a go this Christmas.

I already have a gingerbread recipe that i love so i didn't have to hunt one down which made life a little easier.  I just had to find a template.  Google to the rescue :)  This is the site i found, we used the first pattern, the house template.

I doubled my regular recipe and it was MORE than enough.  We made some biscuits with the balance.

I left it all to cool and waited for peace and quiet before attempting to put it together.  I made up the royal icing by hand.  Oh, my!  Never going to make it by hand again, my arm almost dropped off from so much whipping!  I don't know how chefs manage it.  Ofcourse it would have helped if i actually had a whisk and wasn't using a fork!  In the end i was using 2 forks and yes, it was more effective than 1.  You think i would have learnt when i doubled the gingerbread recipe that i didn't need to also double the royal icing recipe, slow learner here.  I doubled that recipe too and had MORE than enough!  At the suggestion of a friend i made the icing VERY stiff.  It set very quickly which was just what i needed.  I loaded it in a snap lock bag, snipped off a corner and set to work.

With the assistance of some tinned beans and fruit the house went together quite smoothly.

Once all the walls were up i let them set before putting on the roof panels, door and window shutters.

I put the icing in the fridge overnight so that it was ready to go for decorating in the morning.  The kids had a wonderful time discussing and deciding on decorations.  Next year i know we need a few different supplies to what we had this year, but i guess that is all part of the learning process.

We were all VERY HAPPY with the final result.  We wont be waiting until Christmas to eat it.  I'm sure it will be all gone by the end of the week!

I think we just started a new Christmas Tradition :)

Christmas Traditions

Does your family have any specific Christmas Traditions?  Rusty inadvertently created a beautiful Christmas Tradition for our family and i'd like to share :)

In the lead up to our very first Christmas together Rusty and I discussed gift giving and decided that we would not give each other anything that year.  We were saving for a deposit on a house, our wedding and a trip to Europe.  We were both quite happy to be putting our money towards these things than buying a gift at Christmas just for the sake of it.  However, unbeknown to me Rusty did buy me something for Christmas.  He purchased our very first Christmas ornament, a Swarovski Christmas Star.  I had never seen anything like it, it was just beautiful!

We discussed and made a decision that from that moment on every Christmas we would purchase a Swarovski Christmas Star and if they stopped making them we would find something of equal weight.  We also decided that on our travels we would collect Christmas ornaments to remind us of all of the places we had visited.  It is our hope that our ornaments will be passed on to our children and their children and so on, creating a treasured set of family heirlooms.

This year we are hanging our 10th Swarovski Christmas Star on our tree :)

Here are some of our precious ornaments.

2010 Swarovski Christmas Star

Hand blown Mickey Mouse from Disneyland, Paris. 

2008 Swarovski Christmas Star

Teddy Bear with snow globe Eiffel Tower from Paris.

Hand blown glass orchid from Singapore.

Queens Carriage from The Tower of London, England.

 Cow bell from Geneva, Switzerland.

2009 Swarovski Christmas Star

Hand blown glass crayfish from Busselton, Australia.

2004 Swarovski Christmas Star

The children also each have their own birth bauble which has their name and date of birth.

Here is a pic of our tree.

We'd love to hear what your Christmas Traditions are :)

Miracle Babies Foundation Picnic

On Sunday we went to the inaugural Miracle Babies Foundation picnic for NICU and SCU graduates. It was a wonderful day, beautiful weather and location. The kids had plenty to do with the fire truck and bouncy castle being star attractions. They also enjoyed the face painting and for an amateur, the lady did an awesome job! Santa was also a hit :)

Glasses off while the paint dries.

I think Bugsy has found himself a new career path. He'd now like to be a fireman! He really enjoyed chatting to the firemen and being shown all of the equipment and how it all worked. They were wonderful with the children and more than happy for them to touch and try everything.

I can't help but plug the major sponsor of the event, Sutherland Rose.

I'm currently in the process of becoming a volunteer for Miracle Babies Foundation and hopefully in the coming 12 months i can be a valuable member of the WA team.

Rusty and Possum enjoying the festivities.