Rose crying at her nappy change. Visible is her new scar, healing well.

EXCERPT FROM EMAIL TO FRIEND IN THE UK

Written from home, after bringing Rose home from her week-long hospitalization for initial surgery.

"We had the most harrowing week in hospital with little Rose. Her first night post-surgery was spent writhing and screaming in agony. I cried buckets, and Shane wasn't much better. Neither of us left the hospital for the entire 7 days and nights.

The good thing is that Rose got better each day, initially hooked up to 4 different tubes, gaining a naso-gastric tube, losing it again, then losing one tube each day till she was freed on the last day.

She had no food at all for 4 days, then was allowed 5 millilitres of breastmilk every 3 hours for a day. It was torture for us to watch, as it's instinct to want to feed your child, isn't it?! Then 10mls, 15 mls, 20mls - then graduation to "all she can eat" on the breast.

Her wound extends right across her little belly - as though she's been cut in half! When we saw the size of the surgeon's hands, we could see why this was necessary! Shane reckons the guy has big builder's hands! But even her wound looks great today - and she's no longer in any pain.

In fact, at home today, in the Melbourne sun, she looks like a normal little baby. You just can't tell by looking at her, apart from the scar, that she's been through such a huge week."