Commando crawling

checking that i can blog from my nexus one...

here's a pic of Felix (with poo eye) in the park this afternoon

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The weather

I think I am going to have to re-acquaint myself with some clothes....and shoes for that matter. It's fricking cold.

TVB news featured a student going to school, who said she was wearing 7 layers of clothes, plus a huge jacket. It was 7 degrees. And I saw on the ATV World news last night that a group of hikers went out to Tai Mo Shan at 3am in the hopes of seeing some frost because it was so cold. Sadly there was no frost, but that didn't stop them taking random night time photos of the shrubs in the surrounding area.

Ross bought a Hong Kong Observatory Calendar yesterday, from the General Post Office. It's not great this year, as the photos are just a bit boring. Each month has a little commentary on the month, here's February:

February is one of the coldest months in Hong Kong with frequent outbreaks of the northeast monsoon bringing wintry weather. Cold weather has an impact on people's health, especially the elderlies [sic]. This photograph shows people in warm clothing.

It also has informational nuggets about weather in Hong Kong each month, including records, such as "Lowest air temperature in January was 0.0 degrees celsius, recorded on 18 January 1893". Brrr!

Movement, 8 1/2 months

BP* has shown some definite signs of self-propelled locomotion today and yesterday. I think it's because I took him to Cath's last week, and he saw Holly Polly and Tom Tom crawling, and got jealous. Anyway, he's now scooting on his tummy a bit, and displaying some fine Downward Dog action too. Still a long way to go before he's fully crawling, but it's a start. I know that once he (and more importantly "they"!) start crawling properly, my life will become much more complicated, but I am pleased that he's started moving anyway. They are both getting so frustrated at not being able to do / reach what they want (I wonder where they get that from?!) so it's nice to see them achieve something.

Josh is still banging things with the heel of his right hand (everything's a drum for Josh) and Felix does the most awesome wobbly bottom lip sometimes. Josh has recovered from his cold now, but Felix got it as soon as BP was better...and Felix also has conjunctivitis now (another trip to the dr) so is still feeling sorry for himself. Eye drops, nose drops and paracetamol, poor little monkey. I also feel like a completely unfit mother since Granary noticed Felix's poorly eye last week, from 6,000 miles away. And I didn't notice it till it was all red. Sorry Filo.

The boys also have two teeth each, with more on the way I think.

Toys for 8 months olds

Fave toys at the moment are Sophie the Giraffe (of course!), the pop-up toy from Granary and Pa, the tug-of-war rings, and the classic stacking rings from Sam. Fave song is Old MacDonald, the sillier the voice the better, and fave story is We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

Where to buy baby coats in Hong Kong

I have tried hard to resist the HK way of wrapping babies up so much that they look like little Michelin men, even in the summer. But it really has got quite nippy here, and the lack of heating / insulation doesn't help. So I decided that the boys needed coats. I ended up getting two nice ones, one baby trench coat stylee from Zara at Times Square, one from Next Children (the UK brand, wierd huh?) which is in Windsor House.

* Baked Potato - Uncle Hairy christened Josh BP when he came to HK in September. Apparently Joshy's all round and solid.

Felix rugged up for the freezing cold weather (seriously, it's 7 degrees today!)

Poorly Felix
Joshy Elliot

Hong Kong Mothers of Multiples

I went to a MoMs lunch for the first time the other day, it was great! it was for new and expectant mothers, most of us have (or are having) twins, one person has year-old triplets. We talked about the merits (or not) of the Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam, and swapped labour and pregnancy stories. It was lovely to meet Jen, who I've been emailing a bit recently, and I've even been thinking about offering to join the committee, if they need anyone.

Mothers of Multiples Hong Kong

MoMs Facebook page

37 weeks, January 2011

Pre-Christmas playgroup at our flat

Playgroup in Victoria Park

The boys in the park with Daddy

Here's a picture of our place. We live in Lei Shun Court on Leighton Road in Causeway Bay.

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It's a pretty skanky old building that was built in 1958 (ancient!) and might be knocked down in the near future. More on that later!

Excuse the lengthy absence of updates...

So the boys are now 8 and a half months old. They have been pretty poorly the last few days - Josh got ill first, and I took him to see a really nice dr in Causeway Bay, Simon Wong. The doc said that Joshemy just had a cold, so time and paracetamol would help. He got better after a few days, but unfortunately Filo is now poorly with the same thing. The last week's nights have not been ideal, and we've been getting up a few times to administer paracetamol and extra feeds. It is so exhausting, it makes me wonder how we coped with getting up 10 or 12 times a night a few months ago. Of course the answer is that we didn't really cope!

I spend lots of time wondering what the boys will become. Joshy is always so thoughtful, and when he looks at things (like the door bouncer) he always seems to be trying to figure out how it works. And Felix is a giggle monster, who just loooves girls. Josh's just beginning to crawl at the moment - or at least he shifts himself onto all fours, then humps back and forwards a bit before screaming in frustration, and going splat on the floor! Felix shows no signs of crawling yet, but is manic about walking - I bought two pairs of shoes for them the other day, Robeez from Stride Rite in Windsor House (I got them "Mini Shoez", as I thought the leather soled ones would get too slippy on our tile floor) and also a pair from Mothercare in Lee Gardens Two.

Dr Wong - Room 1006, Capital Centre Tower 1 - opposite CB MTR exit F. 2890 3316
Also you can search for english speaking doctors in Hong Kong

Josh learning to walk with Verginia. Verginia is our wonderful live-in helper, and she's quite short, it's not that Josh is an 8-month old giant...

Felix getting to grips with a beer on Jo and Gareth's rooftop at a New Year's Day BBQ

Feeding time at the zoo

A playgroup a while ago, at Caroline's house in Clearwater Bay

Waking up the twins

Josh holding his head up, 5 weeks

Josh playing

A video taken today of Josh playing with one of his toys (taken with Tessa's camera). This is really the first time they've shown any interest in anything! He's 3 and a half weeks old. Check out the head-holding action - he's got the neck of a prop.

The arrival of Joshua and Felix

We're over the moon to announce the arrival of our twin boys! They are: Joshua William Jackson, born at 5:33pm on Sunday 25th April and weighing 5lb 12oz, and his younger brother Felix Samuel Ferguson, born at 5:59pm the same day and weighing 5lb 8oz. The weights are bang on average for twins, Sarah is doing great, and everyone is now at home.

Apparently the first couple of weeks are the easiest, but I think we've both been hallucinating from lack of sleep already! I think (hope?) that we'll get better at coping with it.

Hope you'll be able to come and see them before long, either here in Hong Kong or back in the UK (or even elsewhere?!).

Thanks so much to all of you who have sent us messages over the last week and a bit, we really appreciate your thoughts.

Ross and Sarah and Josh and Felix.

Josh waking up

37 and a bit weeks...

Just a quick update from me. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, at 38 weeks (can you believe I got this far?!) and at that appointment we'll set a time for me to be induced early next week, maybe Monday or Tuesday. Although I was very keen to avoid induction, I am getting a bit desperate now. I have had a heavy cold since last weekend (what's that all about?!) and I'm just so uncomfortable and heavy and tired and sleepless. Anyway, I'm very pleased that the boys are happy and healthy enough to stay where they are this long, but enough's enough.

I'm really excited now (in between the bouts of insomnia) and I'll definitely let you all know how it goes. Ross has always predicted that I'll get as far as the day I'm due to be induced, then I'll go into labour spontaneously, so we'll see! For now, every twinge or strange feeling makes me think it's all starting, but it's all wishful thinking.

Thinking of you all, hope I have some useful tips (and a couple of minutes to write to you all) in a week's time.

Photos

15th November 2009


13th December 2009


28th February 2010 - 30 weeks

33 weeks





37 weeks

37 weeks - this week I have been mostly...

...speaking from home!

I am finally on maternity leave, which is great. So far I have realised that a) going to work was way too much, not least for my poor cankles and b) just because you do nothing all day doesn't mean you still have bad days. Even I must admit that I look huge today, and somehow yesterday was really hard. Never mind, today's a new day. I think that the 1 night in hospital was a bit of a watershed for me, after that I kind of admitted for the first time that this is getting bloody hard. Luckily after that I had a few days off, then the long Easter and Ching Ming weekend, so didn't work much since that time.

...getting impatient...

It's got to the stage now where I am contemplating the curry / leg massage / sex / grapefruit options! I just feel like I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER! I'm sure I'll regret this in a few weeks, as they're undoubtedly a lot easier to manage inside than out. Dr's appointment tomorrow, where we will talk about induction.

...thinking about labour again...

I have read a book about coping mechanisms http://www.amazon.com/Juju-Sundins-Birth-Skills-Pain-Management/dp/1741750970 which is great. It's Aussie, but many of the best things are here! Seems really practical and realistic. Of course when the time comes, I can't quite predict how I (and we) will turn this theory into practice, but I feel pretty well prepared now.

...worrying a little bit about breast-feeding...

I had my friend Millie with her 7 week old daughter Jemima around for tea the other day, and also Gretchen came over with 6 week old Thomas. Both have had problems to some extent with feeding, so I'm a bit nervous about that. There are lactation consultants in the hospital, but I have been told that they are a bit variable and don't speak English. I have a back-up plan if I get nowhere with them, I'm sure it'll work out one way or another. I have a special twin feeding cushion, which is great - it was 2^nd hand like most of our things. That's one great thing about the lack of space here, everyone wants to get rid of baby stuff asap! The only things we have bought new are a small number of tiny baby clothes and sheets/blankets/Moses basket mattresses.

...having a baby shower...

Which was lovely! I totally wasn't planning to have one, until I went to Gretchen's and Millie's a couple of months ago. It was really good fun – everyone came to our flat and brought cupcakes / fruit / cookies / quiches / egg tarts, lots of yummy stuff! Lynette was here, which was kind of weird – she just sat on her bed, with the door open, staring into space... she likes to help (which is her job after all) but I find it pretty annoying when “helpful” people won't let me do such strenuous tasks as getting some plates out of the cupboard. Anyway, it'll all settle down. Lynette's back in the Philippines now as her visa ran out, and she'll be back in 4-6 weeks. My mum arrives on the 11^th May, hurrah!

New photo of Sarah - 37 weeks