Em goes into hospital...

Back to our 'Bangkok home', one week ago, to try to get some answers on Em's month-long limp.

Taxi to the hospital (Em gets her 'wai' hands going again, 'Sawasdee Kaaaaaaa!'

Mum feeds Emily McDonalds in the pediatric waiting room. (Jon seriously went and sat somewhere else for the shame)

I liked how they gave her jarmies to match her colouring. Ha! The IV line went in without a hitch (Em practised her counting with Mum as it went in and barely flinched -- even though I told her it WOULD hurt!)

Dada enjoys some Mima cuddles between appointments

At 'the competition', seeing another specialist. You-beaut pediatric waiting room designed with not one but two indoor play areas and a completely non-enforced 'fevers' area, allowing both infectious and non-infectious children to mingle freely with each other. Yay. PLUS big TV screens showing violent cartoons for 2 year olds to watch. But wait, what's that? Oh, its a BOTTLE-FREE ZONE. Well, good thing they've got their priorities straight!

(This photo WAS goint to have me next to it showing non-compliance, but we figured we'd ticked them off enough by repeatedly turning off the violent cartoons [which they SERIOUSLY kept turning back on])

Having the peaceful Mrs Thom along was an absolute GIFT.

A Very Good Friday. Of sorts.

Well, it hasn't gone quite as planned :-) We've been doing 'Resurrection Eggs' - a gift from a good friend and a great way to remember the Easter Story. Each plastic egg has a little symbol in it that represents part of the story. Every time we open the one with the cross inside it, Emily's whole face opens wide in amazement. "Thomassss!" she cries with delight. Apparently it reminds her of Thomas the Tank Engine. So much, in fact, that she breaks into the 'Thomas song' and our little activity loses some of its sobriety (the remainder is lost by the inclusion of an m&m in each one, which warrants hopping up and down with unbridled joy. What's the bet she grows up thinking M&M's existed in the first century?). She's also super-cranky today and ate her hot cross bun all on her own while commenting that Jesus was 'swinging' on the cross. To top it all off, she was ticked off that the (admittedly rudimentary) model I'd made of the crucifixion scene was displayed 'on Emmy's PLATE!'. Personally I thought it looked like a cheeseball and the parsely 'trees' i used made great garnish, but it seems Em mistook it for a birthday cake to go with the candles we've been using for Lent. So she wanted to eat it. Sad. After several tantrums and meltdowns, Jon forsook his hot cross bun and has taken Emily up to bed for a nap.

I had so hoped this day would be a day of meaningful reflection. Kind of hard with two little ones at home (one decidedly out of sorts). And concern for Emily (what is going on in her body with this limp?!) is pushing to the forefront of our minds on a day when what our hearts most need is to remember the One who has done something infinitely bigger than what we are facing right now.

Sweet Mima is sitting on my lap tipping her head way back so she can see me. So precious. Perhaps I'll take her right now and we'll go have some quiet relfection time, just the two of us....

So far this year...

Grandma Knight passed away in late January, a few weeks after we had returned to Asia. Jon was very glad he was able to fly back for the funeral.

We had a couple of days in Thailand as a family around that time. Jon returned to Thailand shortly after to deal with some medical issues, and the girls and I returned with Mrs H the following month and stayed at Dolphin Bay. Jon was there again last week and will fly through there tomorrow -- that's a lot of Thai trips in less than two months!

In other news, Jemima (7mo) is rolling over and smiling almost constantly. She loves the jolly jumper and bumbo seat. Emily is talking up a storm, singing all the time, trying to order us all around and getting very frustrated at not being able to stand/walk/run at present on account of a sore hip. Trying to get a 2 year old to rest for 2 weeks feels somehow wrong. Jon is super-busy with a trip to Switzerland this week will back-to-back with the patron of his program coming here on a 12 hour visit! It will be a VERY big day and he has a lot on his mind. I am enjoying being with the girls so much. It has been pretty challenging lately and I lost my gratitude a couple of days ago (!), but it is a wonderful gift that I don't need to be working outside of our home and can give so much time and energy to the girls.

We are planning to move in the middle of the year, to a place that is better suited to our family's needs (and still not too far from Jon's office).

There is a Picassa link of recent photos I can send to interested family & friends - let me know if you'd like it!

And still some mroe catching up (hm.. lots of falling behind happening here!!)

We went back to Perth to celebrate Jesus' birthday with our extended family (here with Rachel's side of the family)

Jemima. Gorgeous.

Emily. Just as gorgeous!

Emily LOVED spending time with her cousins

Aunty Carms dropped by and met Jemima

Cuddles with Grandpa

Grandma and Granddad with all their grandkids (they were excited to meet Jemima for the first time!)

Emily & cousin Finn were a fine pair (and look like brother and sister with all that red hair!)

Em warms up after spending a LONG time in the paddle pool at Forrest Street

We are so glad Jemima got to meet her Great-Grandma Knight. Sadly, Jon's Grandma passed away a few weeks after we left.

Emily enjoying the "Wiggles Dinosaur!" wading pool that Aunty Nat bought for the littlies.

Catching up some more!

We're about to leave for Australia so we can celebrate Christmas with extended family. Yay! Not really the time to be blogging, but its been SO long, so I wanted to quickly do a bit of an update-in-pictures!! (oh, its in reverse order.... its going to take too long to move the pics around!)

Making a gingerbread house with Mrs Yen and Mrs Thom... Mrs Thom made the gingerbread and the ladies put together a 'kit' to decorate it. Wow!
Jemima and Emily did lots of watching :-)

Emily was mostly interested in the mini-gingerbread men (the 'babies')

Three girls holding hands

Happy Birthday Emily!

Ha! Love it :-)

We really need some photos of Dad and the girls!

Em had birthday cake in the lobby with the staff and some little friends

M, E and C came over to share birthday cake with Em too

Em was treated to a lovely birthday surprise by the Co's!!

Em opened this great birthday gift from the Millses over Skype!

'Emmy's dolly' must always been within close range

The Christmas tree is up!

Heading out to shop for a Christmas tree!

Uncle Andy came to visit!!

Cuddles with Mama!

Salsa made with the coriander that Emily grew in her garden!!

Jemima at 3 months

I went to a Women's Retreat organized through our church and Jemima came too... we had a lovely time together!