A weekend in hospital (not me this time!), more lake, home life and some Joel cuteness...

The Bertrands love stories, and so Tim had this sign made for our house because it has a story! When he opened his bank account here, they spelt Bertrand "Bertland" (even though they were copying it from his passport!!)...and he thought that was very funny. So from now on, our house will be called Bertland. 

We welcome anyone who wants to come and visit Bertland too! We saw some motorbikes with CAA number plates at Nkhata Bay on the weekend...just saying! 

Just when he needed a boost, he got 'star of the week' at school!

Our first shot at sushi in Mzuzu! We found an avo, even though it isn't really avo season yet! I brought all my other sushi supplies with me. We haven't sourced salmon yet though haha- but I am keen to try making it with tempura Chambo (the local bream).

When we forget to put the geyser on we use the big bucket...for a thrill. 

Lou found a shank in the garden-so he sanded off the rust and cleaned it up. Wild child!

 He has loved helping our gardener to sort out the veggie patch and plant a some veggies. The challenge is to keep the monkeys and the caterpillars away!

Lily had a cold that turned quite nasty and was struggling to breathe properly. When I checked her oxygen level with my watch it said 85%, so we decided to take her in to the hospital to be safe. Sure enough it was accurate and so they gave her a nebulizer, took some bloods and examined her. It was a young Malawian Doctor who was very pleasant and friendly. He said he suspected that she might have pneumonia and would feel happier if she spent the night on oxygen. He also started her on IV antibiotics.

Having these 2 in a small room was fairly nightmare-ish and so Tim and I decided to tag team- he did night shift and I did day shift with her. She perked up by Saturday afternoon but had to spend a second night for observation.

The hospital is only 3 years old and it was very clean and comfortable. We had to take our own bedding and organise our own food but the staff was all very friendly and helpful. I might transfer my loyalty points from George Mediclinic even haha.

Lils was very brave and had to keep her IV line in to finish her 5 day course of antibiotics. Unfortunately the line didn't survive school and she had to have a new line put in for the final dose. She was very brave though, and we rewarded her with an ice cream.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Mulberries were growing! It makes for an awesome jungle gym and has provided many hours of entertainment for the kids. They even harvested enough for us to make our own jam. My Ouma would be so proud. She used to make and sell jam in Troutbeck, Nyanga back in the day.

Another fun afternoon spent at Mayoka Village. SUPs, pizza, yummy home-made ice cream, snorkeling and shade. It has become a bit of a Sunday tradition for us because they tend to do some kind of maintenance and so we often don't have power on Sundays.

My days are filled with Joel. Its easy to forget the blessing and responsibility of motherhood in the busyness of life. Especially when it is your third child. My life has been so busy and stressful since this little man joined our family and I am so grateful to be able to slow down again and be present for him.

I have been a bit concerned about him not turning towards my voice and only making eye contact when I go into his line of vision, so for my faithful prayer warriors, I would really appreciate your prayers on this. 

I am so thankful for my friend Lisa, who is a passionate OT. I have been consulting with her online- she has really helped me not to panic and once again I take comfort that I am not in control. I can't recommend her enough to anyone who has any concerns about their kids. She does online sessions too and helped me a lot with Louie when he started grade 1- I wish I had reached out to her when Lou was younger.

We will head through to Lilongwe on Friday to have Joel's ears tested because that is something we haven't checked yet. They don't have the special machine they use on babies in Mzuzu. Please pray for our sweet boy. I am so grateful to have my loving and supportive husband who reminds me to trust God and not stress, we will be able to deal with whatever He has in store for us because He hears our cries and gives us strength for each day. For now, I am thankful for all the sweet, adoring smiles I get from this sweet boy.