Caitlin's Story

What a Nightmare

2011-03-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a complete nightmare!!!

I have had all three kids at home sick. It started last Friday with Tom spiking 39degree temps. The girls followed suit in the coming days but they both got over it after about 48 hours. Tom on the other hand, just kept getting worse. I took him to the Dr on Monday thinking he might have had an ear infection. He didn't and she just thought it was a virus. Yesterday he woke up covered in a rash and was inconsolable so back to the Dr's we went. I thought it was probably still an ear infection and he had had lots of diarrhea so I thought I would get told it was a virus, go home and ride it out. Well, actually that is what I would have preferred to have been told. Instead I got told to take him to Joondalup Hospital so they could have a look over him.

Arrived at Joondalup and they weren't concerned about the rash but they thought that he had a hernia on his groin. Still not overly worried at this point because I know these are fairly common problems and fixable. They sent him for an xray to make sure there was no bowel in the hernia. I was told that if the xray was OK, I would be able to take him home and they would refer him to see a surgeon as an outpatient at PMH in the coming weeks. I was sure that this would be the outcome!!!!

I realised things weren't quite going to my plan when the Dr came and asked if she could shut our door because Tom was screaming so much and she couldn't hear the Dr's from PMH on the phone. I asked her if she was talking to them about Tom and she said she was!!!! This was not the news I was after.

She came back to the room and told me to pack him up and take him to PMH where the Dr there was waiting for us. They said that where there should have been gas in his stomach there wasn't and he needed further testing to find out what was going on and possible surgery tonight.

We arrived at PMH with him still screaming and were taken straight through - thank God as there was a long waiting line. The Dr saw us straight away. They gave him some drugs to knock him out and he finally stopped screaming for a bit.

While he was calm, they examined him and decided he needed an ultrasound because they didn't think he had a hernia but that he had an inverted bowel - if this was the case, he would need surgery tonight to fix it as it's a serious problem.

We went upstairs to find we had the head sonographer doing his ultrasound and it was the same man who did Caitlin's brain ultrasound to give us the diagnosis of CP - arghhhhhh. Nervous now!!!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, he didn't have an inverted bowel, he doesn't have a hernia, he has a severe case of lower abdominal gastro and the lymph nodes in his groin and stomach are really swollen and that is why he is in so much pain.

A good dose of Painstop every 6 hours for the next few days and we should have a happy little camper back on our hands!!!

Talk about a stressful day!!

2011-03-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

2011-03-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

I Can't Believe It's March Already!!!

2011-03-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what is happening to this year but it is just flying along.

My little man is already nine months, my girls are in years 4 and 5 and I am back at work!!

Life has been really exciting but really busy lately. Grace (as usual ) is keeping us chasing our tails with all of her sport. Tball has now finished for the year. She finished up playing her 50th game and then had the State Championship Weekend last weekend. She won her teams fairest and best player which she was so excited about and they came third in the states weekend.

She has also been swimming and playing soccer. She has her Club Champions Night for her swimming on the 26th of March which should be a lovely night. Paul and I are taking her while Mum and Dad look after Caitlin and Grace.

Caitlin is doing really well. I don't want to jinx myself but she has been completely medication free for 3 months now and so far so good. Let's hope it stays that way. I still get jumpy and watch her like a hawk at times but she just keeps on trucking. I am wondering how long, if ever, it will take for that jumpiness to go away!!! She is doing really well with her communication PODD book and head switch at school. She told her speech therapist that she went to the circus the other week and she asked her teacher where one of the Teacher Assistants was when she was away. This is such an exciting time for us. She is just so clever and giving her a voice will allow us to see just how clever she is. I couldn't be a prouder Mum when I get these stories from school. How nice it will be to finally be able to talk with my girl and find out all of her thoughts and dreams!!!!

Tom is my miracle man! I know I dribble on about him all the time but I still just find myself staring at him in amazement that I actually have him. He is the easiest baby in the world. He sleeps perfectly, eats like a horse and is just one very content little person. He adores his sisters and follows Grace all around the house. He is still just cruising the furniture and crawling. When he doesn't realise I have let him go, he will stand for a few seconds but the moment he cottens on to the fact I have let him go, he plonks down onto his backside.

Legs is back at work. Don't know that he is all that excited to be there. I think he is much happier in the primary school environment but for now, he will stick it out where he is. He is working hard with helping me with the kids and doing most of Caitlins ABR. I am so blessed to have him!!!

Well, I am going to try and post a video and some photo's for you all so wish me luck,

Sam

2011-02-11T04:04:00.000-08:00

Grace won player of the day for a triple play!

Caitlin showing off her new glasses - what a spunk!

Tom doing his naughty face to make us laugh!

Tom's pretend sad face - that bottom lip reminds me of Caitlin's bottom lip!!

Stupid Computer!!!

2011-02-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how either stupid I am or how frustrating compueters can be. I have done a couple of posts and somehow they have not made it onto my blog page!!!!!

Not sure if I am doing something wrong or there is something wrong with this computer so hopefully this one will work.

Girls have settled back in to school beautifully. Caitlins teacher seems really lovely and so interested in making her as happy and as included as all the other kids. At the moment they are doing school swimming lessons and this is definately a highlight of Caitlins day. She loves going on the bus and over the bumps. The squeals of delight as they fly over the bump can be heard from miles away. She is so lucky that her teacher assistants get into the water with her and they make her work hard. It is so nice to see Caitlin trusting other people in the water with her. I have thought about this a lot and it must be very terrifying for a little person to go in the water with someone they don't trust when they don't have the ability to save themself if something goes wrong. She can't tell them what she's thinking or feeling so she really does just have to trust that they will keep her safe, I don't know that I could be that brave. Knowing that if they fail her, there is nothing she can do to help herself!!!

She had botox in her left arm and both of her legs on Monday. Again, she showed how much braver than mum she is. You think I would be used to seeing her go under anaesthetic by now but I still cry every time they put her to sleep and ask me to give her a kiss goodbye. I hate the whole lack of control I have. I would much rather stay there and watch. Once I leave through those doors, there is nothing I can do to help her and I have to place my faith in the doctors looking after her.

I do find it hard heading into PMH now. I am constantly reminded of our little friend who went in and never came out again. I know I shouldn't but I can't help wondering if that could be me one day and I just know that it can't ever be. I'm not strong enough to get through anything like that. This whole issue has been wrecking my head for the last 12 months so I finally got the courage up to ask Caitlin's Dr. With the biggest crocodile tears rolling down my cheeks and a definate quiver in my voice, I asked about her life expectancy. It was THE hardest question I have ever asked but I am really pleased that I did because the answer was a positive one. She told me it was long and good. It won't stop me completely worrying about it but it sure has eased my mind a lot.

Grace has settled really nicely into year 4. She is still swimming lots and playing tball but she is happy and settled. She is such a great help to me. Always looking for ways to make my life easier. This morning she got up and fed Tom for me as Leg's is away and she knew I would be pushed for time. How could I ask for anything more from her.

Tom is hilarious. He has learnt some funny faces to pull to get a reaction from us. He is into everything now. Crawling all around the house and pulling himslef to standing and cruising furniture. He hasn't got any teeth yet but they can't be too far away!!!

Legs and I are great!!! He is on school camp and I am busy with school committments. I have put my hand up to be a HOPE co ordinator this year so I am busy going to meetings with the parents to explain what it is about and try and recruite volunteers.

I have to go, I can hear that Tom has just woken up and is needing a cuddle.

Till next time,
Sam

Girly Day!!!!

2011-01-18T04:12:00.000-08:00

What a day the girls and I had today.

I decided that the girls and I needed a girly day and Tom and his Dad needed some boy time so I set out for a really special day.

The girls were spoilt rotten and it's really lucky I don't do it very often cos it cost me a small fortune but it was worth every penny!!!

We started off by going to pick up the girls order for school which was quick and not very exciting but the day did get better from there.

We then went and ordered Caitlin some really groovy glasses. Her prescription has changed and thankfully she no longer needs the milk bottle thick glasses. She now has lenses that aren't very strong and so she can go for a regular frame rather than one that can cope with the thick lenses. This improvement is because she is growing up and so the shape of her eye is growing and changing too. We tried on a few pairs with her and with Grace's advise two pairs were chosen. One of them is the same pink colour as her wheelchair and the other is a purple lens. She looked so grown up in the and very smart!!!!
After that the fun really began. I took the girls up to my favourite shop in Joondalup "Shens". They do really good, deep and cheap massages so the girls layed on the table and had a massage from top to bottom. Caitlin giggled and sang out the whole way through it, she absolutely loved it. Grace looked like she was going to nod off to sleep at any stage but she was also a bit worried that they were going to massage her butt. I had to ask them not to do her butt and she also wouldn't lye down, she would only sit up because she had a dress on. Despite all of that, she had the massage and really enjoyed it.

We then did a bit of window shopping. The girls looked at the clothes and showed me all the things they loved. After lunch, ( where Caitlin ate a whole plate of pasta ), I took the girls to have their finger nails painted. Actually we got Grace's finger nails and Caitlin's toe nails done. Caitlin chose a blue glitter which looks absolutely fab and Grace got green and gold fingers!!!!

We then decided that Caitlin needed a pair of thongs because she doesn't have a pair and she needed some to show off her toe nails so we went into Kmart and found a pair that fit and were on special - excellent.

After that we went home and picked up all of Grace's pocket money that she has been saving forever and I took her back to Joondalup where she brought a pair of "Heelies". These are the shoes that have the wheels in them so they can either walk or roll along. She was the most excited girl in the whole of Perth I think!!!!

After that we went to swimming. While Grace trained, Tom had a splash around in the water. He loved it when the water bubbled up from the jets and being a typical boy, he positioned himself so he was sitting on it!!!!!!

So that was our day today, what a ripper it was for us all.

We're Home Again

2011-01-08T04:33:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a short but sweet post tonight as I am completely wrecked!!

However, I am wrecked in a great way. We have just got home from a holiday of camping, fishing and ski biscuiting down south in Augusta.

It was an awesome time away, spent with some fantastic friends. It was our first camping trip away with Tom and I have to say, he did very well. He travelled beautifully in the car and was such a good boy while we were away, despite the fact that he only got put down for a sleep once while we were away because the rest of us were having too much fun!!

Grace went flat out on the ski biscuit and took a couple of spectacular spills off it. She came up each time with a massive grin on her face and asking for more. Caitlin didn't get in the biscuit behind the boat this time because it was a big too rough and then it was too cold for Mum to get in. She did flung around by her Dad in the water and Chris gave her a super fast and bumpy ride all by herself in the boat which was just perfect according to her.

We did a bit of fishing as well. Caitlin was able to rotate the reel handle all by herself a number of times which was pretty exciting for us and she felt very proud of herself!!! WE had mixed success with the fishing. Some expeditions were successful ( until we tried to fillet them ) and some were absolute failures. No matter, we had a ball doing it and Caitlin really enjoyed herself.

So, after my big drive today, I am ready and raring to hop into my own bed. I will put some photos up soon.

Speak soon
Sam

2010-12-28T02:37:00.000-08:00

2010-12-28T02:20:00.000-08:00

Tom Giving Kisses

2010-12-26T21:39:00.000-08:00

2010-12-26T21:15:00.000-08:00

This is Grace at the State Championships Carnival!

Legsy and I at U2!!! Another highlight of my year.

U2!!!!! I had the best night out

Grace in her new Ski Biscuit on Boxing Day. Too much fun was had by all.

Tom at Moore River.

Caitlin in the Ski Biscuit! How happy is she????

Caitlin and I ski biscuiting. She did not stop giggling the whole time we were out. Legs drove the boat very nervously but it was so worth it. She LOVED every minute of it.

Grace

Tom

2010-12-13T16:37:00.000-08:00

Some pictures!

2010-12-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

Thought it was about time I got some more pictures up! This is Grace with her winnings at her swimming carnival a couple of weeks ago,. She was the most excited girl EVER to have won a medal and it took three days for it to come off her neck

This is Caitlin enjoying a picnic. Shis is happy as always and very excited about Christmas just around the corner

Tom helping us with the Christmas Tree!!! It was a night a will treasure forever. All three kids were gorgeous!

Tom loves to run around outside in his walker. He loves chasing the dogs!!!!

Mr Blue Eyes!

Another Crazy Week

2010-11-30T04:51:00.000-08:00

Well, things are certainly getting silly as we head towards the silly season for our family.

Grace swam on the weekend and did a super job. She did a PB in her butterfly by 3 seconds which she was pretty pleased about.

This weekend she is swimming in two meets, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Hopefully she will do really well on Saturday as she will finally be swimming against 8 year olds instead of the older kids. We will see how she goes, there are so many good swimmers out there!!!!

Caitlin is cruising along. WE are getting very frustrated as we have been waiting on a new head rest and head switch for a while now and we were promised it would be sorted before the end of the year, however, surprise, surprise........ I have just found out even if it arrives before Xmas, we can't get a booking in the workshop to have it all fitted so at the very earliest, it's going to happen next year, just in time to interfere with her going back to school!! I would love to scream right now, but I just don't know who to scream at anymore. The system is a joke and I'm OVER IT!!!!!!

Tom is due to have his immunisation tomorrow. Poor little fella. Hope he is as brave this time as he was last time!!!! Hope I'm as brave as well.

I have meetings tomorrow and Thursday and then hopefully Tom and I can have a quieter Friday but somehow, I don't know that that will happen. Things just seem to keep popping up.

Legs is busy trying to get his units of work for next year done at the moment. Thank goodness his reports are finished!. Legs is going for his skippers ticket on Saturday with my Dad and my Brother. Wish him luck cos he thinks he is going to need it.

I will let you know how he goes next week.

I'm getting off this computer now as I have all of my night time chores to do still. See ya!

Go Grace!

2010-11-25T22:27:00.000-08:00

A big weekend coming up, particularly for Miss Grace.

The weekend is starting off tonight with a game of indoor soccer for Grace and her friends. They are having a mixed season, winning some and losing some. Then we are off to Mum and Dad's with Ant, Beve and Paya where we are having a games night and sleep over. I'm sure there will be a couple of very sore heads in the morning! It should be a great night and one that we are really looking forward to.

Tomorrow starts early with Tball. Grace is supposed to be there by 7.30am. We are lucky to get there by the start of the game some weeks. I can't understand why it has to be soooooooo early. Then she has State Championships training in the afternoon.

The really BIG day is on Sunday for her. She is swimming in a meet at Challenge Stadium. This is a big meet with over 600 competitors so I'm told. She is swimming up a year level as there isn't any races for kids her age so she won't do very well but it will be great experience for her as I'm told this is a pretty scary meet to participate in. Hopefully this year will make next year not quite so scary for her.

The meet starts at 8am and finishes at 4pm, a massive day for us all. She has been chosen to swim in a relay which is fantastic, a bit of a feather in her cap and something she will really enjoy I think!

Well, it's time to go and pick the girls up from school. Caitlin has had some Singapore exchange students with them today so she was very excited! Tom has finally fallen asleep, just in time for me to wake him up - it's always the way.

I'll put some more photo's up soon
Sam

Some Christening Photos

2010-11-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

Finally I have got my backside into gear and put some photo's of Toms Christening up. We had him Christened on the 1st of Oct 2010 at The Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scarborough where Paul and I got married and we had Grace Christened too. Tom has two of the most beautiful people I know ( Rob and Clare )as his God Parents and he has now got two God Brothers ( Shane and Michael ). What a lucky boy!!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-11-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a short and sweet post as I am completely running on empty and need to get to bed.

Life has been fun, hectic, exciting and tiring all at once.

All of our visitors have left us now which has left us all feeling a bit flat. Their departure was followed straight away by our next ABR clinic. The clinic ran really well and we are starting to see some exciting changes in Caitlin. She has begun to use her right arm to support herself when you push her over to her side. It is still weak but she now has the ability to get her arm out and away from her body rather than tuck it in and under and she can take some of her weight through it. This is a big step in the right direction!!! Unfortunately the left arm is not there yet but we will continue to work on it. She is also sitting a lot better on her pelvis now. Such small gains with so much still to work on but we will happily take whatever we can.

I can't believe that Caitlin is going to hit the double figures this weekend. She will be ten on Sunday. I have been trying to work out what she wants to do but so far, she wants to do everything I am offering. It looks like we are going to the pool for a swim, meeting Nan, Grumps, Ant, Beve and Paya for a picnic and then going out for dinner. I think we might need to refine this a little bit. I love the fact that she can let us know what she wants, she is so clever!

Grace is flat out as usual. Mum and Dad took the girls camping on the weekend in the caravan and they both had a ball. Grace made a park full of new friends and Mum and Dad only saw her at meal times. She came home completely exhausted.

Tom is doing the backward caterpillar and he is getting up on all fours but he hasn't figured out how to go forward yet - it won't be long though. He is sitting up by himself for short periods of time but he gets quite frustrated because he wants to move around. He is really showing his personality now and he still melts my heart every day.

Legs is busy at work and is starting to think about what to do with his long service next year .............

Well, that's it for now. I will put up some photos when I can find five minutes so you can see how much Tom has grown.

By for now

Fun, fun, fun

2010-10-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

Well, most of the family have come and gone now and while we are missing them desperately, we have some fantastic memories of our time together.

The kids had a ball. We did lots of fun things together and they were flat out the whole time.

We took all of the kids to Adventure World and we got to throw Caitlin down the water slides again!!! I had forgotten how fast those slides went and Caitlin took a dunk at the end. It threw her for a bit but she recovered and dared to go again!

We also got Tom Christened. He was the star of the show for sure. He was such a good boy and smiled the whole way through it.

Legs had his party and it ended about 4.30am with a dance and sing a long in the backyard!!!! It was a great night and one that I know he really enjoyed. It's always so special to have all of the the people that matter and that you care about in the one room, it's just hard to spend time with all of them at the same time!

Grace has been down South with Jack, Fran and Saraid. We have spoken to her every night and she is having the best time. Such special time for her to have Jack, Fran and Saraid all to herself and no doubt is being spoilt rotten...... We have defiantly missed her bubbly noise around the house but it has been really nice to cuddle my husband on the couch in peace by 7.30pm.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2010-09-27T05:58:00.000-07:00

Holidays are supposed to be a time of excitement and relaxing. We have the first bit under control, the excitement is building in our household until we are all nearly at bursting point!!!!

Our family arrive from the eastern states on Wednesday. My house will be transformed into the party house as we attempt to squeeze 18 of us into it. The shower roster might be an interesting one, either that or we all just put lots of extra deodorant on.

The relaxing part is far from coming. The last few days have been spent with party preparations for Leg's 40th and getting the house ready for the hordes. I will relax when the holidays are over I think!

While all of this is going on, I also have to remember that there is an ABR clinic just around the corner and I am responsible for organising it. Luckily for me, I got most of it done straight after the last clinic, knowing that this was going to be a mad time for me but as always, there are little bits that just have to be done at the last minute.

We did Caitlin's video tonight. I'm unsure how I am feeling about it. I know there have been changes and so many of them in the past, but I'm just not sure I can see much. Have we hit the wall and got as much out of ABR as we are going to get?????
I hope not but as she is getting bigger and stronger and harder to handle, it is hard to see the positives. But then I have to remind myself that the surgeon was really happy with her and doesn't want to see her for another 2 years - most families I know that see the surgeon, walk away with a date for surgery. ABR has to be partially responsible, if not completely responsible for this.

I guess I will have a better idea after I get to talk to Sarah and Jenson and tell them how I'm feeling. Maybe it's just because it is such a long slow process and I'm getting a bit sick of it all. Time for a break maybe???

Can't wait till I write my next post as the family will be here and I will be on cloud nine ( and probably very stinky ). Until then.........

2010-09-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Caitlin and her Catherine Centre Teacher Mrs Burton

Many people have come into our lives with Caitlin but not many of them are as inmportant, compassionate and dedicated to our princess as her teachers. This is Caitlin at her First Holy Communion with her teacher Mrs Burton. Mrs Burton is not only an amazing teacher, she is someone I would call a friend who not only cares for Caitlin, but for me as well. She is there to fight the fight with me and to share in all the little milestones that are so huge in our lives.

Caitlin loves Mrs Burton and therefore, loves going to school every day. How blessed are we!!!!

Catilin did so well at Communion and she really enjoyed the whole process. She was so excited in the lead up to it that I think when the big day finally arrived, she was exhausted.

We are so very proud of you Caitlin, you are a star and we love you dearly.

Happy Holy Communion to you my girl!!!!!!

EXCITED!!!!!

2010-09-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

This week is turning out to be one of the best we've had since Tom was born.........

To start with, my Mother and Father in Law are arriving from the East tomorrow. They are coming over to help us celebrate Caitlin's First Holy Communion and then Leg's birthday.

Caitlin makes her First Holy Communion this Sunday and she is very excited about it. We have the dress and the shoes all ready to go and she looks beautiful in them - so grown up!!! She is carrying one of the gifts to the alter. She will be carrying the flowers on her lap while one of the girls from her class pushes her. Her Dad is going to take her up for Communion and help Father get the timing right with placing the Host in her mouth, otherwise he could lose a finger or two. What a spectacle that would be.

Grace is entering in her first Australian Qualifying Swim meet session this Friday night. She is a long way off getting her Australian qualifying time but that is what she is working towards and doing a bloody good job at it if you ask me. I couldn't even do 1 metre of butterfly, let alone 50!!!! We are very proud of her and hoping she does well and enjoys the whole experience.

But the best news we have had this week came yesterday after a trip to Princess Margaret Hospital. We were there to see the Neurologist - an appointment for years I hated going to because it was always bad news. Yesterday, however, we got the news that her last EEG was all normal and because she has been seizure free for 3 years, we can start the process of getting her off her medication. For years all we heard was bad news so it is so exciting and refreshing to get some positive things coming our way!!! We think she is a real rock star and we are so proud of her.

We also saw the orthopaedic surgeon last week and he is super happy with all of her bone structure and doesn't want to see us for 2 years unless something goes pear shaped in the mean time. Way to go ABR I say!!!! Thank God we found it and thank God I have the most amazing husband that is willing to put in the hundreds of hours to get these results!! We are a great team and we are reaping the benefits of it.

The good times don't stop there because after Kath and BJ arrive, we then have the rest of Paul's family arriving to party with us for Leg's 40th. It is all too exciting for us......... and we are loving it!!!

Giggling Tom

2010-08-28T04:22:00.000-07:00

Giggling Tom!
August 2010

2010-08-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been full of excitement for the girls, especially Caitlin.

We spent the weekend out in the bush, off road following some very brave, but very stupid friends who did the Avon Descent. It was Tom's first experience of the Avon and while he slept through a lot of it, he loved being out in the fresh air. Caitlin of course loved the bumps and crashes that 4WD in her chair causes and Grace, well, she was just Grace and loved it all!

The girls also had dress up day for book week which is always the bane of my life, but a huge highlight for them. Caitlin wanted to go as a clown and Grace went as Eleanor from the book The Day my Bum Went Psycho!!! Tom even got into the spirit and wore a Winnie the Pooh outfit. The girls paraded across the stage and the smile on Caitlin's face was priceless. These are such special memories, I have to try and remember them for always.

Caitlin is busy practising for her First Holy Communion and last night we had a Parent and Student information evening. Caitlin was THE most excited person there. She was so vocal throughout the whole night and we had such a special time together, just the two of us, which seems like a rare thing these days!

We are also trialing a new head switch and head support system, in conjunction with a PODD book for communication and she is really thrilled with this. It's taken us so long, and as with everything, a long, hard fight where Mum ended up bursting into tears and throwing a patty at the therapists but we seem to be making some progress now. Thank God for her teachers and her school that gave me 110% support and also went in to bat for us. We are so lucky to have them.

This system now means that we are working on Caitin having her own voice and can innitiate conversation for herself rather than only being able to respond to what we ask her. This has to be the highlight of the year for Caitlin so far. It's such a huge thing to think that we might finally be able to really get to know our beautiful, intelligent and funny little girl. She may not feel so isolated now, however, I am a bit scared about what she might tell me in the future when she gets going with it all!!!!!!

Ben Cousins is about to be on TV and I really want to watch the second half so I will leave it there for now and write again soon

2010-08-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

Not a whole heap to report this week. Life is busy but it's all good.

Winter is nearly over and Caitlin has remained flu free so far but I am touching every piece of wood I can find right now.

Tom is smiling, giggling and so alert. He is sleeping through the night, having a feed at 9.30pm and then not another one until 6.30am the following morning. He does wriggle around and sometimes has a bit of a squawk at about 4am but it is so short that we don't have to go to him, he just puts himself back to sleep.

Caitlin is doing some amazing communicating with her head switch. She is so clever and loving the little bit of independence it does give her. She loves to be a bit cheeky with it sometimes. Its so exciting to see that there is a way for us to hear her, however, I am a bit scared what she might tell me when she finally gets a communication system that gives her a voice.

Legs is now officially OLD. He turned 40 on the 4th!!!! We had a small gathering on the weekend of his birthday just to mark the occasion but the big party is happening in Oct. We are waiting until then so his family can fly over from Victoria to celebrate with him. I'm not sure who is more excited, Legs or Grace who is hanging out to spend some time with her cousins.

Grace is still flat out with all of her sport. There isn't a day when she doesn't have something on. She dotes over Tom and is still the most amazing help for us.

Me, I'm just the most content person getting around. I have my two beautiful girls who amaze me all the time and then there is my little man who just makes my heart melt. I am so lucky to have him and I am truly treasuring my time with him. To top it all off, I have the best, most loving and supportive husband. What do I have to complain about .........absolutely nothing!

tom aug 2010

2010-08-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

Tom and Legs, Aug 2010

2010-07-31T05:41:00.000-07:00

Clever Caitlin 3

2010-07-31T02:27:00.000-07:00

Clever Caitlin

2010-07-31T01:28:00.000-07:00

Clever Caitlin

2010-07-31T00:13:00.000-07:00

Some Weeks just suck!!!!

2010-07-27T04:10:00.000-07:00

Well, this week has not had a good start for us.

Our family has suffered a devastating blow. My beautiful aunt and uncle were killed in a horrible accident and my cousin was injured and has a huge mountain to climb.

I have such fantastic memories of both my Aunty and Uncle. I remember my Aunties amazing cooking and going mud crabbing with my Uncle. I remember driving in their green jeep that had no roof and thinking it was the coolest car ever and I remember them coming to watch me play tball and freezing their back sides off when everyone else was hot!!! I remember my uncle taking me to the most northern part of Australia and showing me a cave that had bats in it!!!! It's very unfair and my heart is truly aching for my cousins, especially the one who was in the car.

This week has made me realise how much I love my family and how I need to make more of an effort with the extended family that I have around me. Family is so important and should be treasured, not taken for granted.

I have three beautiful children, the most loving and supportive husband, amazing parents, an awesome brother and the most delightful in laws and their families - how blessed am I !!!!

Holidays are over.....

2010-07-20T05:39:00.001-07:00

Well, the holiday have finished and the girls are Legs are back to school today. I love having them home and miss them when they go back to school but it is nice to get back into my own routine and catch up with friends for coffee!!!!!

We had a pretty quiet holidays by our standards. The first week was Legs and Caitlin in Singapore and the second week was pottering around home, learning the new abr exercises a lovely day spent at Hillaries with my Mum and niece at the Marine Discovery Centre and then a picnic at Brigadoon with my brother and his family.

Caitlin went to the Recreation Studio again on Sunday and they had a picnic, did some cooking ( Zucchini and choc chip cookies!!!!!) and they made a mask. She had a great time and seems to be really enjoying her time there.

Grace decided the weather wasn't cold enough to keep her out of the freezing water at Brigadoon and Tom really enjoyed the bush walk in his baby bjorn with his Dad.

All in all, the holidays were a success and now we are just counting down until the next lot!!!!

We All Survived!

2010-07-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

Last week, Legs and Caitlin went on a trip to Singapore without Grace, Tom and I.

They had a ball and got to spend some quality time working with Leonid which Legs found fantastic and was very relieved to find out from Leonid that his technique was OK - a horrible thought to think you are putting in all these hours and your technique sucks!

I had the week at home with Grace and Tom. I found it really hard putting Legs and Caitlin on the plane and think I cried all that day. I missed them terribly but after day one,I settled into a routine with the two kids and we ended up having a nice time together. I took them both to Aqua to see the sharks. Tom slept through the whole thing but Grace really enjoyed it. I think she just enjoyed having my attention all to herself.

Legs and Caitlin went to Singapore with Leg's sister Mic and they had a ball by all accounts. I was very jealous of the two of them, and especially of Legs getting to spend such quality time with Mic. They went on the Singapore Eye which I was very relieved they did without me cos I have no desire to do that EVER !!!! I would totally freak out. They also visited China Town and had a couple of swims in the pool. The best part was the positive report they got from Leonid though, it is always great to hear that things are heading in the right direction. I wish I had been able to hear it all though as sometimes it hard to see the changes when they are so subtle and so slow to come. We have such a long way to go and I just hope we can sustain the motivation to keep going for however long it takes. That's why getting the positive feedback is so valuable as it motivates you to keep going and keep getting the positive changes.

Only a couple of days left of school holidays and then we return to normal life. I Love school holidays so will be sad to see them end and everyone return back to school. Its so nice to have them home.

Have added a couple of photos of Tom. They are ones that Mum took when he was first born so they are about 7 weeks old now but I think they are very cute and worth sharing.

My Babes!

2010-07-05T02:21:00.000-07:00

Just some photo's I thought I would share of my beautiful family.

I love ALL of them very, very much

School Holidays are Fast Approaching!!

2010-06-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Only two more days to go before Legs and the girls are on holidays and we are all hanging out for that.

It's been a really long term this term and particularly for our family with the ups and downs that went along with it. Life is never boring for us and we love it when it's all smooth sailing. This term Caitlin had Pneumonia and was sick for a very long time and then we had the birth of Tom so it has been a pretty turbulent ride, but we have weathered the storm and come out with smiles on our faces ( especially when we look into Tom's tiny little face! )

We are all really excited for Saturday to come because my sister in law is flying in for the day and we will get to spend some special time with her an introduce her to Tom. She is coming over to help Legs take Caitlin to Singapore. They will be gone for four days and I'm really wishing we were all going with them. Never mind, we will all definitely go next year and show Tom all the sights and sounds that we have come to know and love. As for the rest of the school holidays, we don't have many plans. Grace is doing a netball clinic for one day and of course there will still be swimming to run her backwards and forwards too and she has a couple of sleepover and play dates organised. Caitlin will be going to the Recreation camps run by the Centre for CP and we will probably do the trip to the zoo but other than that, just spending time as a family will be perfect.

Mr Tom.....

2010-06-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow, Tom turns 1 month old. I can't believe how much he has grown already.

We had a rough week last week with him suffering with colic but after a bit of research on the Internet, I found a chiro in the USA who taught me some stretches and baby massage to do with him to release the wind and within 24 hours there was an amazing improvement.

He is now back to being the beautiful, content little man that we all love so dearly.

Life is starting to beat to a regular rhythm for us again. The girls are happy ( busy as always ) and Legs has got all his reports done and is counting down his time until holidays.

Tom is doing really well at night and I am counting down the time until I can drive again. Being stuck at home is starting to drive me a bit bonkers!

Grace is still swimming three nights a week, doing netball and playing soccer. She got a beautiful report and has been asked to join the Sparks class next term which is a huge honour for her and we are very proud of her. I think she would prefer to be doing the Sparks Art program but it is such an achievement to be chosen for Sparks that I hope she enjoys it and gets a lot out of it.

Caitlin is still doing ABR and is just back to being the delightful soul we all know her to be. We are looking at getting her into a recreation program on the weekends but are yet to start that.

Tom is really looking around now and is such a sticky beak when there are people around.

I still can't believe he is here and so perfect!!!

The Long Weekend

2010-06-15T00:35:00.000-07:00

What a way to spend the long weekend! We took the girls and Tom to Moore River for the day and we did a bit of fishing. The only person to catch anything was Grace. She managed to catch 2 small brim while we all watched on.

Tom was a good boy and slept the whole time we were fishing and Caitlin enjoyed winding in the line. She especially enjoyed her time fishing with Grumps.

The weather was beautiful and all of us enjoyed getting out of the house and taking Tom on his first big adventure. It won't be long until he is fishing too!!!!

Tom - 2 weeks

2010-06-14T23:54:00.001-07:00

Here is my beautiful boy. He is such a good baby most of the time and lets me get some sleep at night. I am so in love with him, as are the girls and Legs...... there are plenty of fun times ahead.

So Happy!!

2010-06-05T01:13:00.000-07:00

Well, my baby boy has been home for a week today and we are all SOOOOOOOO happy.

Caitlin is back to herself. She is sleeping, eating and back to good health. She has got very used to us dropping everything and running to her at the first sign of discontent, therefore, she is being a bit demanding but compared to where we've come from, that is a HUGE improvement and something we can work on. After being a bit apprehensive of Tom she is now very excited and loves to have a cuddle and laugh at all the strange little noises he makes. I think she was a bit worried to start with about the fact that we would pop him on her lap and she felt very vulnerable about having him there, I think she felt powerless to stop him falling off her lap. Since we have come home, we have taken it a bit more slowly and reassured her the whole time that we have him and it has made the world of difference to her. It just goes to show how clever she is and how much she thinks about these things. Sometimes we just don't give her enough credit or stop to think about how these things that we take for granted, may effect her!!!

Grace is just the proudest big sister. She is constantly wanting to cuddle him and help out with his care. She loves it when he comes to school and she can show him off to her friends. We were worried that she might feel a bit of resentment or jealousy towards him, but that is definitely not the case. She is a special little girl and one I am very proud of!!!

Paul and I just keep staring at Tom and are continually amazed at the fact that we were able to make something that is so beautiful and so perfect. I know we are biased, but he is one good looking rooster!!!!
Legs is back at work this week so it will be interesting to see how we all go. I wish he had more time off work as I have really enjoyed having him around and watching him glow with pride every time he looks at Tom. I am possible going to go stir crazy as I am unable to drive and therefore housebound but I will do my best to be patient and I will just enjoy my time with Tom.

Tom Lenaghan

2010-05-31T23:32:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-05-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

Getting ready

2010-04-19T04:13:00.000-07:00

Thought I would put some photos up to show how busy we have been over the holidays getting ready for the arrival of baby number three!

Grace has moved ( her birthday present ) into her new room which is very PINK !!!!! and she loves it. We painted all the furniture which included a bed side table, tall boy and desk and her walls. Her pink wall has an overcoat of fairy glitter. She thinks it is so special and we have troubles getting her out of her room at the moment. I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon.

The babies room is very neutral as we don't know whether it is a boy or a girl yet. Only 5 weeks and 4 days until it is due ( not that I'm counting !!!!!) We are all so excited about it's arrival, we can't wait to meet it.

My very clever Mum has made the Cot quilt using patch work. I really love it and I really love that she's made it. My Mum is very clever and has hand stitched little pictures of lady birds, rainbows, bucket and shovel etc on it. It will be perfect for either a boy or a girl.

The girls are back at school tomorrow and I am going to be a bit lost without them and without having to rush off to work, but I am really looking forward to it!!! I will let you know how I manage to fill in my days soon........

ABR Perth

2010-04-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we have just returned home from sharing a meal with Sarah and Jensen after another busy but successful week of ABR.

I always come away from these clinics feeling revived and ready to tackle the next 4 months with enthusiasm. It is so easy at the end of the four months, just before we see the trainers again to have self doubt about why we are doing this and how much longer we can keep going for. Sometimes I just want all of the big, milestone changes NOW and I don't want to wait. I need Sarah to sit down with me and show us all of the fantastic changes that are happening to Caitlin's structure and to remember where we were before we began our ABR journey.

It is so rewarding to sit back and look at the photos that prove there is change happening and know that it is because of the hard work that we as a family are putting in that is making these changes possible and then I think about how these changes are making the functional changes happen for us and I feel so proud, not of myself, but of my whole family. ABR is a whole family commitment and we all just get on and do what we have to do without too much complaint because we love Caitlin and want only the best for her.

It is only on reflection that I think about the sacrifices we are making. Legs does most of the ABR at the moment as my big fat belly that is full of arms and legs makes it hard for me to maintain the positions comfortably, but while he is doing that, I am responsible for making sure that the rest of the household is able to run smoothly and all the "other" jobs are done. Grace makes a massive sacrifice as there is just an expectation of her to do what she has to do without us reminding her or supervising her. There is also a lot expected of her to just get on and help out with the house work, to be responsible for her own things and help out with Caitlin where it is needed. A big ask for an 8 year old and yet she does it all without making a fuss and most of the time so lovingly and then there is Caitlin who just gives 100% to everything we ask of her and happily allows us to put in the hours of ABR on her while she lies quietly.

How lucky we are as a family that we have not only found ABR and have a lot of hope for Caitlin's future, but that we are such a strong family unit that we can work through it all and make it work for us. I love my family so much and I am so thankful to each and every one of them, and how exciting to think that in about 6 weeks time, we will be a family of 5 and not 4!!!

Eggs hausting Easter

2010-04-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

We are a big fan of Easter in our house hold and we are all particularly fond of the Easter Bunny and his special visits.
This year was no exception!
We had my cousin and his family come and stay and they brought with them their 2 year old boy, who had never experienced the Easter Egg hunt before. Needless to say, he was very excited every time he followed Grace and found yet another egg. Caitlin was whizzed around behind the two of them with her bag collecting her eggs with a big smile on her face. She ate Chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner and enjoyed her day.

Grace on the other hand, started off with all guns a-blazing and then fell in a big hole. She has been running a high fever ever since, complaining of a belly ache and a beautiful hacking cough on her. Poor little bugger has not had a good start to her holiday, she has managed to do nothing more than lay on the couch and watch TV, something she rarely does when the sun is shining outside.

So far, Legs, Caitlin and I have managed to avoid it. We are crossing our fingers that it stays that way. We definitely don't want Caitlin getting it as we all know how fast she can go down hill and how it can easily turn into something more sinister in the blink of the eye.

We have our ABR clinic starting up this week so we need her to be in good form so she can show off all of her changes. I have to say, doing our videoing for Leonid always gives me an indication of how I think we are travelling and while last time I was very frustrated and disappointed, this time I was pleasantly surprised, particularly by the quad positing. I was able to get her into the quad position a lot easier than in the past and she was able to maintain it herself a heap better, encouraging signs for us all. I will let you know how we go at the clinic and what changes we are able to find this time...........

Graces Massive Week!!!

2010-03-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

Grace has had an enormous week!!!!

It started last weekend when she stayed with Nanny Jo and Grumps for the whole weekend with Caitlin while Mum and Dad took a break at a respite retreat in South Perth. The girls were spoilt rotten by their grandparents, going to the Museum and the Art Gallery and just generally being loved and adored by their Nan and Grumps.

On Monday, Grace swam in her Top Gun races at the Arena and did a PB in 50m butterfly by 10 seconds. An amazing effort and one she was very proud of.

On Tuesday, Grace competed in her first school swimming carnival, picking up two third places in the "A" division races and one fourth. She got third in backstroke and breastroke and fourth in freestyle. She was pretty wrapped with her efforts and so excited about getting the ribbons that went with that.

On Thursday she took the day off school to come with me to see the Doctor and have a look at the baby on ultrasound. Grace had a list of questions for the doctor which she asked and listened very closely to the answers. She was given her own photo of the baby which is now in a frame, and sitting proudly on her bed side table

Then on Saturday, Grace celebrated her 8th birthday. Her present from Mum and Dad was a new bedroom. She was relocated into a bigger room with a new paint job for the walls ( one pink wall with fairy glitter all over it, and the others an off white ), all new furniture that was hand painted to match her walls and a new doona cover. She celebrated her birthday with 3 of her friends who came for a sleepover and had a disco in the front room and then tonight, she had to go to mass to make her commitment for her reconciliation that she will make later in the year.

It has been a massive week for us all, but particularly Grace!!!! It's hard to believe my baby ( for only a little while longer ) is 8.

Caitlin has been fantastic, taking it all in her stride. She didn't get to compete in the school swimming carnival this year, but we have already decided that next year, she will compete in the kick board race. Unfortunately Mum didn't think about her entering for this year, but having been to one now and seeing how it all works, she would love the chance to participate and there is no reason why, with a bit of help, she can't get in the water and have a go. Luckily for us, we have an amazing coordinator of the special needs children who is more than willing to help us make this happen and is just as excited about the prospect of the previously thought of impossible to happen - how greatful to her we are!!!

Here's hoping that life will settle down a bit after such a big week, but I kind of suspect that's not going to happen for a while yet!!!!

I will keep you all posted........

A Weekend Away for Mum and Dad

2010-03-21T01:43:00.000-07:00

How lucky Paul and I were this weekend to have a weekend away with the girls before the arrival of number three.

With only 10 weeks to go until bub arrives, we made the most of an opportunity that came our way to escape to South Perth for the whole weekend. There is a VERY generous lady who lets Carers stay in her apartment that over looks the Swan River for next to nothing.

On Friday night Paul and I went out to dinner and ate Indian, then on Saturday, we caught the ferry into town and wondered around before having a massage together. When we had finished in town we meandered back to our apartment where I promptly fell asleep for about 2 hours. Legs took himself down to the pub and had a few quiet n=ones before my brother and I joined him.

As a very special surprise for my birthday, Legs took me to see Chicago on Saturday night. It was a fantastic show and I felt very spoilt. We loved our time together and really enjoyed each other's company. We laughed, we cuddled and we relaxed - such a rare opportunity to do all of those things.

Of course, it had to end and we are back running around like blue ass flies and beginning to wonder if it WAS just this morning that we were away. I have had to go to the markets and do the fruit and vege shopping, with both girls in toe. On the drive home and spare tyre fell out from under my car and frightened the life out of me, all the while, Legs was at home madly cleaning the backyard and sorting sprinklers out in preparation for Graces bday next week.

Thank goodness we had had the weekend to catch up on some much needed R & R or goodness only knows how we would be feeling right now!!!!

Camping

2010-03-10T04:31:00.000-08:00

The Lenaghan's have been flat out lately - camping!!!! Woohoo

We spent a weekend in Mandurah with Nanny Jo and Grumps and their caravan club. WE had so much fun together, it was really sad to see the weekend come to an end. Grace, Mum, Dad and Grumps tried their luck at crabbing but didn't catch anything we could keep. Dad caught a couple of little ones and so did Grumps but Mum and Grace just did a lot of giggling and squealing. They're scary things when they come straight at you!!!!!

At night time the caravan club held a musical quiz night which of course Dad's table won.........

Grace (as usual ) adopted another family with some kids to play with and Caitlin just got spoilt by everyone around her. Caitlin was laughing so much at the quiz night, especially when one of the men did a really loud whistle and frightened the life out of her.

The next weekend was a long weekend and we went to Pinjarra with two families from Caitlin's class. Caitlin had the best holiday ever as the girls took Caitlin under their wing and instead of being entertained by Mum and Dad all weekend, she was entertained by her friends. They took her for bush walks and night walks, they ran her around and played chasey with her and they loved her as a friend. Mum and Dad were so amazed at Caitlin's' friends and so grateful that Caitlin has these beautiful girls in her life - they are true treasures.

During the day, everyone headed down to the rived to try and cool off. Chris and Jo had a run about with a ski biscuit on the back so the kids all got turns riding the biscuit, while Chris did his best to fling them all off. Caitlin had a blast riding on the boat as Chris went so fast, Daddy was scared he was going to lose his balance and end up in the water with Caitlin.

After a couple of weeks camping, we are all in need on some quiet time at home now. We have time at home, we're just not sure it's all that quiet!!!!!!!

LOVING the weekends!!!

2010-02-23T04:18:00.000-08:00

The Lenaghans have decided to make the most of the weekends, and the beautiful weather before baby number three arrives!!!

Last weekend we went camping in the caravan with Nan and Grumps down in Mandurah. While we were there we did some unsuccessful but lots of fun crabbing! Grumps, Dad, Mum and Grace went out while Caitlin had a Nanna nap with Nanny Jo. Grace and Mum did a lot of panicking and giggling while Dad and Grumps tried to secure a good one in the basket but we had no success. The few that did end up in their baskets were too small or pregnant so we had to put them back.

It was so relaxing and we all had a lovely time together. We could have done without Grump's snoring but we still managed to get a bit of sleep!!

On Sunday, Grace swam in a swimming carnival and she got two firsts and a very close second. She made Mum and Dad very proud. All of the hard work she has been putting in at training paid off!!!

This weekend we are going camping again! This time we are heading to Pinjarra with two families from Caitlin's class. One of the girls is Caitlin's best friend and her name is Tessa. Tessa is so good to Caitlin and they seem to have their own language, it is so amazing to watch the two of them together.
Dad is taking his boat and will go for a paddle with the other two Dads on the river!

We are really looking forward to this weekend. When we get back, Mum will put some photo's up to share with you all, until then, goodnight!!!!

A Week of Up's and Down's

2010-02-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

This has been one of the toughest weeks we have had in a long time.

On Friday we went to Emma's funeral and it was so, so sad. I am still finding it hard to believe that she has gone and I will never get to see her again. Sarah and Michael put together a beautiful service that really reflected Emma. They talked a little about ABR and our trips to Singapore together. These are memories I will always treasure and never forget.

On Saturday, feeling completely emotionally and physically exhausted, we were up early and out the door for Grace's tball game and then a fundraiser for Caitlin. On one hand it was such a successful day and made me realise what wonderful family and friends we have surrounding us, that were prepared to come out and stand in the heat all day to help us, it also made me realise how generous strangers can be but it was tinged with a sense of guilt knowing that we were getting on with things and planning for the future while Sarah and Michael were at home struggling with their grief.

At the end of the day we raised over $3000 for Caitlin which is another ABR trip. The fundraiser was a success and we will back to do it all again next year.

Hopefully this week will be a little smoother......... only time will tell.
Until then, give those that you love a big hug, I know I certainly am and I will let you know how this week turns out soon.

Goodbye Emma

2010-02-05T03:45:00.000-08:00

What a horrific week it's been. Our beautiful friend and ABR partner Emma has been taken from us way too early. I will miss Emma and those beautiful bright eyes. She is shining down on us up in heaven. Sleep peacefully Em, you put up a great fight and we are so privileged to have known you.
All my love and prayers to Sarah, Michael, Sophie and James. Please keep them in your prayers
xxxx

Australia Day Sky Show

2010-01-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

Australia Day

2010-01-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

We were so lucky to be given tickets by Variety through the Kalparrin Centre at PMH to attend this special night. The girls had a ball and not only did we have a great view of the fireworks, we also had free rides all afternoon on the show rides. Grace made the most of that opportunity going on the "Tumbler" and a few others while Caitlin and I watched from the ground.

A great night had by the Lenaghan - Thanks Variety!!!!

What a Day !

2010-01-25T18:54:00.001-08:00

Paul and I had a special day with Caitlin at the zoo because Grace had gone camping with her Nan and Grumps and we knew she needed to be spoilt rotten too. The zoo for us was a bit of a disappointment but Caitlin didn't seem to mind at all, she loved having our undivided attention as she took in the noises and atmosphere of the day - not to mention the heat!!

I guess we have been a bit spoilt by having the opportunity to go to the Singapore zoo and our poor zoo just doesn't compare. The part that I found soooooo frustrating, apart from not being able to see most of the animals was that Caitlin had no chance at a lot of the enclosures of being able to see anything at all because they had a safety rail right at the height of anyone sitting in a wheelchair!!!!!! It was heartbreaking for me, probably more so for me than for her but I just can't understand how this hadn't been thought of when the zoo was built. When I bent down to see at her level, all I could see was the wooden post and believe me, once you've seen one of them, you've seen them all!!!!!

I think the Perth Zoo is going to receive a letter from me sometime soon.

Having said all of that, Caitlin really enjoyed patting the snake and she loved the different noises she could hear. She really did enjoy her day and I enjoyed watching her enjoy it. We did attempt another ice cream at the zoo and she giggled her way through that one too only this time I got smart and let Daddy feed her!!!!

Too Cool For School!

2010-01-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

What a spunk ! This is Caitlin and Legs at Hillary's. We took Caitlin there for an ice cream and what an experience that was! Caitlin's always found ice cream a bit cold for her sensitive mouth but today was something else.......

We got her a bubblegum ice cream and she giggled the whole way through it. It ended up with her laughing so hard, while she had a mouthful of ice cream that the ice cream flew everywhere, particularly all over me, which then had us both in stitches and Daddy running around trying to clean the mess up. We must have looked quite a sight to everyone around us but her laughter is so infectious, we couldn't help ourselves.

Holidays !

2010-01-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today we left Daddy at home to have a sleep because he was up at 4.30am to take our friends Mick, Bec and Taj to the airport, so we went to Scitech!!!!

I had a really fun time at Scitech but I did get a bit freaked out be some of the different noises there.

I was sitting on this mat and trying to catch all the little fish that were swimming past me. The other kids were jumping on them but I thought it would be easier if I relaxed and sat down to do it - I just had to watch that my fingers didn't get jumped on!

No Excuses

2010-01-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

We are so lucky in Perth to have such perfect weather over the Christmas holidays. My husband and I decided that we were going to make the most of the beach this summer without any excuses!!! It's been so easy in the past to say it's too hard.

We did a little bit of research and found that there is a beach with a wheel chair ramp right down to the waters edge and a shaded area to park the chair in while we weren't using it. Perfect for us!!!

We packed the floating boat for Caitlin, snorkels and goggles for the rest of us and headed down.

It was the perfect way to escape the heat and have some lovely "normal" family time.

Caitlin loved the water and did not stop smiling - we got a lot of comments from strangers about how happy she was!!!

It took a bit of effort, but it was well worth it - so from now on - no more excuses !!!!!

Xmas Day

2010-01-06T03:47:00.000-08:00

My two beautiful girls on Christmas day!!!

Both the girls got spoilt rotten and loved every minute of Christmas day. Caitlin got a portable DVD player which is fantastic for doing ABR with. She watches her movies quite happily while we watch our movies on the big TV. It's a great way to distract her and allows us to get more hours of ABR in!!!!

Grace was given an electric guitar by her Nan and Grumps. She has been having a few very basic lessons with her Dad. It's really cute to watch them both. She has decided she would like to do some lessons at school, but with all the sport she does, I'm not sure she is going to have the time to fit practising in!

The girls Aunty Kaz and Uncle Stu sent over a heart necklace for the girls that you snap in half and they each wear a half. One half says "big sis" and the other half says "lil sis". The girls were very impressed with this and they have hardly taken them off - way to go Aunty Kaz!!!

The Fairies came to Perth

2009-12-28T19:57:00.001-08:00

For Caitlins birthday, her very clever Nanny Jo and Grumps got her a ticket to go and see the Fairies in concert. I really struggled to hold Caitlin throughout the show as she did not stop jumping around and dancing in excitement, my arms certainly got a workout that day!!!!
Nan had organised for Caitlin to be taken to the VIP lounge after the show and have a meet and greet with the fairies, Wizzy the Wizard and Barnaby the Bee. Caitlin was a bit over awed when meeting them but it was a memory I'm sure she treasures!!!!

Aqua with Tess

2009-12-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

Caitlin had a ball at Aqua with her best friend from school, Tess and her little sister, Grace.

Her favourite part of the day was when she got to pat the sting rays in the touch pool !!!!

A great day was had by all. There was so much to see, and for the visually impaired, there was lots of contasting colours and bright lights. Caitlin loved the day and we loved watching her face as she giggled with delight at it all.

Santa Claus is coming, Santa Claus is coming, He's not very far away!

2009-12-23T16:24:00.000-08:00

Yippee, it's Christmas Eve !!!!
After a week of gastro with Caitlin, she has finally kept her breakfast down and looks a much better colour today!
What a day we have today in preparation for the BIG day tomorrow and my two girls are very excited about it. We have to make our glitter bags to throw on the front lawn tonight so Santa can see our house shining from the sky, we have Christmas Mass at the girls school tonight and then we are off to look at the houses with Christmas lights with Nan and Grumps tonight and then set out the reindeer food and Santa beer and food, with a letter asking Santa to please NOT leave his muddy foot prints all through our house this year!!!. All while trying to stay on our best behaviour.
We all hope that everyone that reads this blog has a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year and we will let you know how we got on after Chrissy. Travel safely if you are travelling!
Love Caitlin and her family

xmas photo of the girls

2009-12-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

Caitlin and Grace getting ready for Christmas. Two very excited girls with only 6 sleeps left. WE need every one of those sleeps to catch up before the big day arrives. Too many Christmas parties and work farewells for Dad!!!

School today

2009-12-15T03:55:00.000-08:00

Caitlin came home from school today really excited, they had a special visit from Santa and he brought all of the Special Needs children a present. Tomorrow Caitlin's class is having a "Polar Express" day and they get to go to school in their PJ's!!!

School reports came home today and some of the comment were "she has a contagious sense of humour", "joins in group games with assistance from her peers", and "she has brightened up the class this year with her presence." How proud of her are we!!!

2009-11-28T01:42:00.000-08:00

This is Grace, Caitlins little sister. These photos were also taken at Sentosa Island at the Butterfly Park. Both the girls loved their day here!

2009-11-28T01:30:00.000-08:00

This is Caitlin at the Sentosa Island. We went there on our trip to Singapore to learn ABR. This photo is at the butterfly park. July 2009

abr

2009-11-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

Caitlin has is 9 and was born with Cerebral Palsy. For the past three years we have been doing a therapy called Advanced Biomechanical Rehabilitation.

The changes in Caitlin's skeletal structure are remarkable and something I am very proud of as it has taken a lot of hard work from myself and my husband.

We have just come back from some more training and all is going well. I love to see the changes in her each clinic!!!