Rest easy sweet Angel

First of all, I would like to say a BIG BIG thank you to everyone who has visited, phoned, sent an SMS, left a comment on the blog or just thought of us. Nothing can take the pain away but it really helps knowing that so many people out there are thinking of us, even people we don't know. I know some people find it hard, not knowing what to say to us, but believe me, even a hug or a squeeze of the hand helps. I cannot reply to all comments left to my previous post but know that we have read all of them and each one has touched our hearts.

We will be saying goodbye to our little angel on Thursday, although we know she will never be far from us. We have found a lovely memorial park in Durbanville. Here are the details.
Date: Thursday 30 March 2006
Time: 2:30pm
Where: Durbanville Memorial Park, Cnr Klipheuwel/Darwin Road, Durbanville.
(From Durban Road turn into Wellington Road towards Klipheuwel and drive for about 3km. Park is on the right, just past Corobrik)

Please wear happy colours. We will be celebrating her life and not mourning her passing so although many tears will be shed we would like it to be as bright a day as possible.

Goodbye sweet Holland

This is the most difficult post I have had to do. On Friday evening (24 March 2006) at 11 months and 1 day old, my little angel left this earth. Sweet Kendra had been ill since Tuesday and was in ICU. Her little heart could no longer take the strain and gave up the struggle on Friday evening. If you can measure a person's worth by how many tears have been shed for them then Kendra was worth a lot. I will give you more information when I am more up to it. We still have to finalise details of memorial service etc. Thank you to everyone who has been there for us in these last few days.

Time for an update

This is Kendra having her first taste of pawpaw. Don't think she liked it very much! We have not been very adventurous with our eating since then. It is difficult enough just getting her to eat her purity at mealtimes. Somedays she will eat (with some persuasion) and others she just refuses. She has also gone off her breakfast cereal. I have tried some different types of porridge but she is not terribly interested.

It has been a while since the last update, my apologies, things have been a bit hectic. Last week we went to see some professor at Panorama medi-clinic. The paediatrician got us to have Kendra's head x-rayed and said we should take the xrays to him. She was a bit concerned about the head shape and the fontanelles. The prof. had a look and he says everything is fine, there is nothing to worry about. She has slight indentations on the side of her head which he says may have something to do with the Ptosis (eye not opening). He says that we should speak to the neurologist next time we see her about maybe doing a brain scan just to make sure everything is ok there but he says that we don't have to rush into it.

Also took K to physio again last week. We are now concentrating on getting her fingers to open more and trying to flatten her hands and put some pressure on her arms as she is a little concerned about them. I need to find a mat like they use at physio as K rolls to the side much easier on the mat than on the mattress at home. I think they are quite expensive though. I must get a list of suppliers from Petra (physio).

This coming week we have an appointment to have K's eyes checked out again. We have been patching now for about 6 months and I think we will still have to for quite a while longer as the eyes are still not focussing. We will also be going to see someone at Chere Botha's school for the disabled. Hopefully she will be able to give us some guidelines on how to improve K's general development. The physio suggested that we see an OT (Occupational Therapist) as well so that appointment is for the following week. It just never ends!

Kendra is being much more responsive now. She takes more interest in what goes on around her and if you give her a rattle she really shakes it. She has had quite a nasty cold this past week and her nose has been very blocked up. Shame, even when feeling so miserable she is still such a sweetie! Full of smiles and still sleeping through (touch wood, she wasn't very happy this evening).