March 2013 Doc Update

Gabe had his doc check up and everything looks good, his weight is up again to 7.96kg....when i saw that i was so relieved. And Dr H was very pleased, so all looks set to proceed on the 23rd April for his catheterization. Unless Gabe has a fever, then the procedure will go ahead as planned. Dr H says that the schedule of the actual surgery after the catheterization is uncertain because he will need to discuss Gabe`s situation with the surgeon and many surgeries have already been scheduled. So there will need to be some planning and depending on how urgent Gabe`s case is. But Dr H did assure me that the maximum will be 2 months wait because since Gabe`s weight is increasing rather well and that could cause his pulmonary flow to be unstable, we do not wish for an emergency situation to occur. So, anywhere between 1-2 months wait for the surgery is ideal.

But my concern is that weight often fluctuates especially with toddlers. One minute they eat everyhting and the next they peck like birds. This is Gabe...recently past week, he`s been rejecting snacks and even lunch or dinner, he eats less than he did past months. So yes I`m terrified that he will regress and lose weight. I can`t go back to that since I`ve worked so hard to get us here. Some call me too worried and panicky, but i can`t help it.

Gabe has never been a big eater and i struggled so badly past year with his feeding, with so much pressure to make him gain weight. And here we are so so close. This operation i believe will be a major milestone for him. right now, he doesn`t have enough stamina to try to walk long or stand long and even in therapy it`s obvious. So i think once we get it done, he`ll be making bigger progress. It`s true you can`t force them to eat, but i sure can make sure he doesn`t get away with it too much. So now, i try to give him as much snacks as he can eat, and even lunch now i feed him earlier then top it up with milk after that. Then in the evenings, he eats at 5-5.30pm, then when i eat i try to give him abit, then 2 hours later he has his milk and biscuits.....crazy? Yes i think so, but no way we`re regressing, no way.

And yes i panic when he doesn`t finish his meal or rejects his milk...i`m entitled to it. And i have to try to outsmart this lil rascal.

Gabe, you`re stubborn, but fortunately for you, you have an even more stubborn and willful mother. You@re a lucky guy!

Karuizawa Short Trip

We decided to take a short trip overnight to a nearby popular getaway, about 150km from Tokyo, called Karuizawa. Apparently Japanese love to come here especially during the hot summer because it`s about 7 degrees cooler than it is in Tokyo. Perfect for a short weekend trip. So we booked our hotel online and set off at 9am.

The hotel called Kajima No Mori did not disappoint. The room was spacious and clean but i think it was low season so there weren`t many people around. The weather was still cold and windy, not my cup of tea really. We did a little resting at the room and then headed to the Prince Outlet Mall, huge huge shopping mall. Unfortunately i didn`t manage to get anything, but my 2 boys did. Had lovely tea and cakes and then dinner...let me tell you, it`s supposed to be tourist area and yet, all the shops and some restaurants close at 7pm!! Unbelieveable...i mean there probably isn`t much to do anyway, so i don`t understand why they do not want to keep the shops open till later....people spending money is good wot isn`t it???

Annyway, yeah, we went back to the hotel after dinner coz there wasn`t anywhere else to go....I`m not sure i`d want to go back there again...maybe in the summer, but even then 1 night is way more than enough...

Gabe did enjoy himself, eating udon and making a fuss at breakfast.





It was a good weekend away from Tokyo...wish we could have gone abit further.....

Our New Nest

We have been MIA due to our move to a new apartment. Yup, we`re finally oout of that cold and small 1 bedroom apartment to a 3 bedroom apartment...and it`s so near my fave mall. So yeah, we`ve been super busy packing and unpacking. Right now, we`re about 97% done, just need to unpack and sort out some small items.

The new apartment is a big change and Gabe is very happy coz he has his own play corner filled with toys and a new tent and tunnel from IKEA. And tons of space for him to crawl around, which he does. And, plenty of doors for him to open & close. All 3 of us are very happy and contented right now. We`re thankful for having found such a beautiful apartment and so close to a nice mall. Plus, there`s a gorgeous river bank nearby for Gabe to play when he can walk.

I`ve got some pics, sorry the place seems a bit messy....