Our Little Boy

No kiddy splints so the ambos wrapped him like a Christmas present.


Traction (aka torture for a 2 year old little boy).


Sleep, at last.


Bedside vigil.


Balloon soccer with the good leg. You can't keep the boy down.





Decorating cupcakes with Oma.

For those who don't know, Langlan fell off a trolley at IKEA on Saturday evening and broke his femur (thigh bone). He's still in hospital in traction but fingers crossed he'll be getting a cast on today and coming home soon. It's been awful ( for more reasons than the broken leg, hospital policy and the NHS are not always my friend, and neither are doctors who won't prescribe the needed and Liz-approved pain medication) and it's not over but hopefully today is a new day and I really don't think it could get any worse than yesterday.

Thank you to my family for prayers and texts. They've been helping keep me going. Keep them coming. I know every single one of you would love to be physically here to help out but you have to know that what you've been doing has been so, so helpful. I love you guys (and I love hearing my phone buzz and seeing it's one of you). (This includes you, Ash and Rohan.)

Thanks to Rach, Stephen and Rupert for their 4 mile detour to visit. I needed a cuddle from blood ( sounds weird I know) and Rachey, thanks for knowing that and coming. And offering to come back. Wow.

Thanks to Sarah for humming a beautiful song while I laid on the bed and held my little boy. It calmed us both down. And thanks for the cups of water. I really needed them, they were a really thoughtful little thing that actually made a huge difference. They kept me feeding Liefie, gave a second of pause while I drank, and made me feel loved. Thank you.

Thank you Liz for being a paediatric pharmacist. The best person to have around when your little boy is writhing in pain and asking for more medicine. Thanks also for the little bell you put by my bed so I could call you during the night if I, or Lief, needed you. It reminded me of Mum and assured me I was not alone. A little bell may not make a big sound but it made a big difference to me.

Thanks to Mark for pacing the halls with Liefie and passing her over when she needed feeding, only to take her back and pace the halls again. My little girl was in good hands and meant I could focus on Langlan, it meant the world to me to look over and see her curled up on your chest. Thanks also for the late night car ride and listening to my slightly hysterical chatter, it was hard leaving the hospital but I knew I was in good hands.

Thanks to Dave for being a goofy uncle who buys the BIG airplanes. Every little boy with a broken leg needs an Uncle Dave who gets as much pleasure from sending balloons and planes hurtling across the hospital bed as the little boy does. Distraction helped Langlan so much and Dave, you were good!

Mike, thanks for looking after the chooks and thinking of their well being during our extended stay! I'm looking forward to having you around to help entertain a little, immobile boy. I think you're going to have your full of book reading in the next few weeks.

Thanks to Liefie for happily being passed from hand to hand, feeding in awkward and bizarre positions and just being a total trooper. For an 8 week old baby we've put you through a lot and you've just kept on smiling, eating and sleeping. Pooping too. Lots of pooping.

Andrew, I didn't realise when we got married the full extent of your marvellousness. You are the only person I would want bedside me (and off harassing hospital staff) in a situation like this. Thank you for everything. And I really mean EVERYTHING. We've still got a long way to go but we make an awesome team with you safeguarding our family like the protector you are. I think the hospital will be happy to see the back of your polite, but very firm, head. I don't know how it's possible but I love you a little bit more every day. Ummm, and that's not because I think you're hard to love (!) but because I love you so much already.

And lastly, Langy-Lou. What a trooper. Everyone who has been involved has commented on how amazing you've been. You even had the ambo fooled because you were such a star. I'm hoping things will only get better for you from here but I also know that no matter what happens you'll be ok because you're strong, resilient and keep telling me you're getting better. You melt my heart every time something happens and you quietly tell me to 'Never mind.' I love you little boy.

I know that a broken leg isn't a big deal in the great scheme of things and it's going to make a funny story one day but keep praying, keep loving my little family, and thank you everyone!