Tom Lenaghan

The wait is finally over. We have finally met our beautifully little boy Tom Brian Lenaghan.

Tom was born on Wednesday the 26th at 1.19pm by emergency C section. I did go into labour on my own this time, it started about 8.30pm on Tuesday but after labouring away all night and half of the next day, we weren't progressing very quickly and then Tom decided to drop his heart rate to 40 beats......... panic set in and we were rushed into theatre with the nurse yelling, we have 4 minutes to get this baby out!!! I was in panic mode and praying that everything would turn out OK. Thank God it did and we have been blessed with the most handsome little man I have ever seen.

We are so lucky as he is eating beautifully and we are getting some sleep at night.

The girls are besotted with him. Grace has stepped up to the plate and is just being the best daughter and sister we could ask of. She is helping out with the housework, entertaining Caitlin when we can't quite get there and giving Tom as many cuddles as she can fit in.

Caitlin was a bit hesitant at first with Tom, but now, when we put him on her lap, she giggles her head off and is really enjoying him being around.

I am the happiest Mum in the world right now and Paul has not stopped smiling about the fact that he has a son.

Until next time........

One foot in front of the other

Well, only 1 week and four days until this baby will definitely be here..........

Life has been turbulent to say the least in the last month and we are still a long way from being settled. Caitlin's is improving but its a long, slow process and Paul and I have run out of puff. The pneumonia is fine, not a problem, the lip ulcer from biting, the diarrhea and the sleepless nights are still a nightmare.

I am nearly ready to pack my bags and say catch you later, I don't have the strength or the energy to dance this dance anymore and I know Paul is feeling much the same way. It would be so nice if there was someone that could take her, even just for a night and let us re cooperate. Not so, therefore, we keep putting one foot in front of the other, put on the brave smile that everyone expects and we carry on.

Grace is still struggling, now having nightmares every night that bring her into our bed in tears. They have been about her sister and it is heartbreaking listening to her recall the horrors inside her mind. She is trying sooooooo hard to make it all better for Paul and I as she can see how we are beside ourselves at the moment. She carries her book everywhere with her and the moment she hears Caitlin crying, she is there, reading away, just to keep the peace. She asked Paul and I to have a sleep while she looked after Caitlin for us on the weekend because she recognised the fatigue we are experiencing.

On a brighter note, Grace has started netball and is doing really well. I will show you some photos of her. She also got an honour certificate at school for being a kind and caring class member. She has taken it upon herself to look after one of the kids in her class who has special needs. My Grace is a super star!!!!

Hopefully next time I write I will have some very exciting news for you all.......................................

that being, we got some sleep!!!!!!!!!

Until next time

Not Great Preparation!!!

Well, with only three weeks and one day until this baby is due, I was hoping that the next hospital visit we would have would be to meet our newest edition..............

Of course, things never go quite as you planned them and all of our carefully layed plans have been thrown into chaos. Caitlin is sick.

Not just sick, she has pneumonia and has been in hospital on oxygen and IV antibiotics since Sunday. I would love to be able to tell you that she is home and all better but unfortunately, she isn't. She is home though. I had had enough of no sleep and missed the rest of my family so yesterday we came home. I figured that since they had stopped the IV antibiotics and put us on oral, and she was no longer requiring oxygen, there was nothing that they were doing for her that I couldn't do at home.

We came yesterday and I put the nasogastric tube down as she has shredded her bottom lip ( a sign Caitlin gives us when things are really distressing for her is to bite her bottom lip until it is so ulcerated, we don't know what to do with ourselves ). Hopefully this will take some of the stress away for her and for us.

Grace hasn't coped very well with this hospital stay. It is a lot for a little person to take on, and after what happened earlier in the year with our beautiful friend Emma, that played heavily on her mind. We had more tears from Grace last night as she watched Caitlin screaming in pain from yet another lip bite!!!! She snuggled into me and said " it's just not fair Mum...." No it's not, and it breaks my heart to see both of my beautiful girls struggling but hopefully with a bit of sleep and lots of cuddles, we will all bounce back in a couple of days, all just in time for the safe and extremely exciting arrival of Lenaghan baby number three!!!!