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!!!!

Getting ready

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

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

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!!!

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........