27 December 1983

Letter: Who can do the jab?

Letter 27 / 12 / 83

We've had three different doctors ring us from TI, trying to work out what to do.

My being "Rhesus negative" is the big problem. I should be having blood tests and 'anti-D' injections.

There should be some anti-D on today's plane (it should have been here by last Friday at the latest) but there is no one here who can administer it. Peter's going to give it a try, provided we can get a syringe from the clinic. Well, he's practised injections into grapefruit before when we were at "Jungle Camp"...

Alison is not well either - she's had a fever for the last couple of days and nights. She is having trouble with her top teeth, four seem to want to come through at the same time, 2 are already cut, so we hope that's the reason for the fever.

Its still very wet here, and so nice and cool most of the time. Nights go down to 25 degrees sometimes, and days are never over 30 degrees.

Happy Ducks

No eggs from our duckies yet, but they are very big!

And hungry - boy can they eat!

Some of them still have fluffy down between their wings and tail, but otherwise they have all their adult feathers. Some have a black patch on the top of their heads.

They love the rain - you should see them, bills up facing the onslaught, chests thrust out and (it looks like) hands behind their backs. When it is finished they all busily preen themselves, and then they look beautiful.

Energetic kids and tired mother

James is a restless body these days, he's 'a mess'. Roll on kindy! But he does go eagerly in the boat with Peter (I don't go any more, I get so sea sick) - and promptly falls asleep in the bows for the duration of the trip!

Must hurry on while Peter has Alison for a few minutes. She is such a vigorous child and I find it very hard to look after her while I feel so weak and sick and tired.


Island Dances

Lots of feasts these days with island dances late into the night. Its fascinating, but somehow we never make it past the first couple of dances. Our kids won't sleep at feasts like everyone else's. James loves the dances and, being a really good mimic, really pleases everyone by his attempts to join in.

Must dash now.