Fun, fun, fun

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!

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.........

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!!!!!

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

Giggling Tom!
August 2010

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

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!