Letters to my Grandchild

Hello my noo-noo!        Mark has taken a couple of weeks leave and said that he has had a 'baptism of fire' with you walking everywhere.  You have started letting go and taking off - sometimes lurching, sometimes stumbling.  Its really scary!  I don't allow you to walk alone when I'm around so I hold onto the back of your shirt and onto one hand and walk behind you, doubled over, all over the house!  Sometimes you take us by surprise.  You'll be standing next to a table or chair and the next minute you've let go - it freaks me out!  We all said that it doesn't matter if you only learn to walk when you are two but now that you are 21 months old and are starting to take steps, we are all holding our breath!!  I really, really hope that you do learn to walk without any falls, accidents or fractures but every time you fall we nearly die - like today in the lounge you tumbled side-ways onto your hip and poor Mark went whi...

Whoo-wheee!!!!  Mom sent a message to say you had taken your first steps!!  You stood up, in the middle of the lounge and took four steps unaided!  If I had been there, I would probably have rushed forward and grabbed you as you took the first step!  We are baby sitting tomorrow night and but I don't think you'll be doing much walking on my shift!!

I went away for two weeks Em.  I accompanied Patty on her dream trip to Russia.  Patty has wanted to go to Russia for a long time but her health has deteriorated so much that she thought she would never get there.  So, on 22nd June we left for St Petersburg for a river cruise on the Neva, Svir, Volga and Moscow canal system to Moscow.  It was wonderful but I missed you while we were away.  Last weekend you had to go into Parklands for your PAM treatment.  Mom said that Dr\Roos was away so Dr Jonathan Egner did your treatment.  I've known Jonathan for a long time - since the early days of SAIDA.  Did I ever tell you about SAIDA?  It stands for South African Inherited Disorders Association and in the '70a and 80's it was really a big, busy, active organisation with about 16 affiliated genetic disorder self-help groups.  Jonathan was involved with the CF (Cystic Fibrosis) group - I think he still is but his prime interest is paediatric...