What,when,how?
The past year has been quite a year for us,and I have spent more time in hospital than I have at home. Hopefully,this is all a thing of the past now and we can concentrate on our new life in our new home,and just focus on us as a family.
The most difficult part of being in hospital on and off for so long,was missing out on the development of my children. As Annie is older,it was easier to keep up with her progress as she is able,at 7,to share parts of her life with me and capable of expressing her emotions,frustrations and feelings. Therefore,although I have missed out on a lot of her past year,I have noticed her growing both physically and mentally. It has been a joy to watch her bloom,and progress so well at school among her friends.
However,Emilie has perhaps changed the most. When I was first admitted into hospital last August,she was not yet 3 years old. She still breast-fed at times,and could talk but not fluently in either Japanese or English. It was extremely difficult for her to understand what was happening,and why mummy wasn’t around. She went through very clingy periods when she had to be pulled off me when she came to visit,and she would scream and try to get back to me. On the days Kenichi couldn’t bring the girls to visit,she would ask to phone me before bedtime,and would just cry and cry. Other times,she didn’t want to come and visit,or be cuddled or to talk. Eventually,she settled into our new routine and loved playing with the nurses and being spoiled by the patients and doctors. When she called in the evenings,she sang to me and told me about her day in a strange mix of Japanese and English. And without me really noticing,my baby grew up.
The Art of Eating Senbei 
It is all look ahead now, Emilie is very beautiful just like her sister but with curls (where did they come from?). enjoy your family and KEEP WELL! Mother comes soon so look out!
Looking ahead,looking ahead,lol!And thank you,we think Emilie is a bit of a cutie too.And indeed,where did those curls come from?! Thanks for commenting as ever.Love to all,and especially to Millie’s curly friend,Megan;) x
Ah, she is such a cutie! It is seriously time we got our families together…
Yes,yes yes!xxxxxxx
And got more and more gorgeous!
Hope that you get all the good health you have earned from now on. x
Our twins are gorgeous,ne….what can I say??!
Hoping for that good health and working on it,hard;) Love to you all x
hopefully the hospital episodes are behind you all and it’s plain sailing from here on in. As everyone says, Emilie is such a cutie – and I love her bright eyes!
PS, how’re you set for our BBQ this year??? 1st Sun in Nov is the plan.
Plain sailing is in my sight,lol!And thank you…Emilie and her bright eyes are quite something.She is one little firecracker indeed.As for the BBQ……ahhhhhhhh….my mum arrives from the UK on the first Sun in November…….We are seriously,serioulsy fated with the BBQ dates but obvioulsy this year,great that I am not able to attend for a fantastic reason!Next year,next year:). xxx
……….. LOL Great that your mother is coming over, but yeah, we really must coordinate our dates better! LOL
And I was so determined that we would be joining you at last this year!Mum did change her dates BTW,so wasn’t really my fault,lol.
The beginning of your post is so sad, and I am relieved to read she eventually adjusted and knew that you would come home. All happy again! Whew.
Enjoy your home and I forbid you to ever get sick again !
Bye for now…
On nooo,didn’t mean to be sad,just saying how it was!But anyway,hopefuly that is all in the past and despite the emotional upheveal,a lot of good did come of the time I spent away and there have been a lot of changes for the better.
I also feel strongly that although the girls did suffer,antain they came out of the experience stronger and better for it,and the best thing of all,is the rock hard relationshipship they have with Kenichi.He has always been a fanatstic father,but being the primary caregiver for such long stretches of time,has meant that the children see him in a different light now and he has more understanding of what I have to do each day to juggle work and family.
xxx
I had a little cry at this. I know my situation isn’t even nearly the same, but I can empathise with the emotions, the concerns. These kind of unexpected circumstances, changes them. The truth is for the best, they learn these difficult life lessons that help mould them into more humane caring understanding individuals. It also helps them become more independent, which can only be a good thing. My son was 2 years 10 months old when I was put on bedrest, so similar to Emilie and he found it very difficult at first having to spend all day everyday next door in Baba’s… fast forward 10 weeks and he has an understanding beyond his years and a compassion that makes me beam with pride. Darn hormones here comes the tears again!! Anyhoo, I really do think that you and your family handled your hospitalisation and all the related challenges so amazingly, I swear I often thought of how positive you were on FB in the face of a much worse adversity when I first started on my current journey and it really really helped me. So thank you, THANK YOU for sharing your story then and continuing to share it now. xx
Your situation,IMHO,is so much more difficult.Having to care for your 2 little ones but not being allowed to move that much…oh my goodness,how tough?! It was hard for all of us when I was away but I could do so much that you can’t.And you talk of me being positive…my goodness,you are such a role modle to me and so amazing!!.Really,truly,I look up to you and am so honoured that I know you:).Not long now for the baby to arrive and my goodness,what a celebraton that will be:) x
Marianne, I honest to God feel the same way about you – you are an amazing role model to have and I feel honoured to know you. I will always admire how well you handled your hospital stays. I hope one day we get to sit down and get to be positively positive together!! xx
She looks absolutely gorgeous. Are you sure she’s yours ; )) ?
Enjoy the new house, enjoy your family and NO MORE HOSPITAL, do you hear me?
Actually, she’s mine.
The kid is gorgeous.And she has two mothers.Strange ,but true;)
Well this made me cry too..stupid hormones. Seriously though, it must have been really hard to be apart from your children, especially Emilie being so young. I remember being in hospital having Luka and not seeing Hannah (then one) for a week because she got chickenpox and couldn’t visit. It was a really stressful time, and only a week! Here’s wishing a much more together year from hereon out!!
Oh gawd,I must stop making pregnant women cry,lol!
It was hard, but at first I felt pretty awful and was more concerned about not letting the kids see me so unwell.And after that first month or so,they were pretty much settled with a new routine .It was bloody hard,of course,but we just had to count our blessings that I was in the same town and not in a hopsital further away.And as I mention again and again,all the staff are just fanatstic there so when the kids came to visit,it was a fun expereince for them and they were allowed to roam around,and indeed encouraged to talk with the other patients and even help out!
But saying all of that,it is something I don’t want any of us to go through again;).