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It has been hectic but fantastic to have James at home, the daily routine is slowly being established with much to do, preparing medicines four times a day, making up his overnight feed from a variety of tubs and packets to a recipe provided by the dieticans, sterilising bottles for James and Lauren, boiling water to drink, and then cooking......
We have greatly enjoyed all the meals together and are trying to get James to have a varied diet, but Ham sandwiches are still being made and each meal the meat always disappears first with cries of "More More"
The nights have been more settled then when he was on TPN althougn we have been woken several times by his pump beeping when he lies on the tube or by cries for a new nappy and now his little sister is getting her teeth through she has done her bit too. 
Being stuck at home in isolation means that our routine is much the same day in, day out. James has got so much more energy than he had pre transplant and is really ready now for pre-school. However he cannot have any social contact for 3 months, and for the next 3 months must be re-introduced to only 2 - 3 friends gradually. This is what James misses most.
Jamesloves nothing more than to run around with his friends, and whilst he loves his baby sister, crawling on the floor with her is not quite the same. Mum and dad are also going slowly mad. Our only outings are the regular trips to hospital, either to Chester for weekly bloods or Birmingham for clinic.
James was supposed to have his weekly bloods taken at home by the community nurses, however he does not have easy veins for this so after one week where he had two attempts on the Monday followed by three on the Tuesday we finally took him into the Countess on the Wednesday to be looked at by one of the clinic nurses who takes blood on a regular basis.
Unfortunately after his last clinic appointment in Birmingham we all came down with colds, which obviously hit James worst. However after a few days of worry he managed to shake it off again.
One morning in the middle of February James decided that now he is feeling somewhat better he no longer wants to wear nappies. From that day on he has been wearing "big boy pants" and has had only one accident so far. Amazingly ever since that day he has also been completely dry at night despite always having a big drink just before bed and recieving half a litre of fluid feed through his naso gastric tube overnight.
We always try to eat with the children, as much for Lauren's sake as for James'. Up until the age of 10 months old Lauren has never sat down to eat with anyone. It was always a case of shovelling food into her as fast as possible before James saw and got upset. This has obviously not been ideal as babies learn eating and social skills from others. We are trying to make up for lost time now.
March Update
