Just a couple of things....

Firstly, on Monday we picked up our glasses....Anna and Me.

Is she just the cutest?! Excuse the messy hair but hey its the new black, right?

She loves them, most of the time and I have found they are very strong because she has already throw them on the floor a few times and bent the arm which thankfully just bent right back.

Yesterday we went and picked up these.....

Notice no pics of Zachary wearing them....that's because once we took them off yesterday afternoon he was not having a bar of them again. This morning I struggled for a while to get his foot in the right position to slip right back in the heel and when I did finally get them on him he refused to stand at all and just cried non-stop for over an hour! Tomorrow we head back to The Spastic Centre just to make sure that they are fitting properly. Knowing Zach it is just a refusal to wear them that we are going to have to work through.

Just pure stubbornness really! Oh and check out the just got up recently do!

We also need to go shoe shopping and pick him up a new pair of shoes that fit - they say go up a size with splints on right?

Just Mitchell, looks so sweet doesn't he?

Did I tell you that I have two sets of twins?!

Nah, just joking. Ashlee and her friend could almost pass for twins though don't ya think?

Lastly, I actually have some sewing in the works! Can you believe it? I had to borrow my SIL's machine as mine is packed away in storage. I'm making a hooded towel, a baby blanket, a bib and 2 burp cloths for a friends dear sweet little girl born on Monday. Welcome little Bridie! Everything is cut out and pinned up and tonight (once the kiddies are sleeping) I will just whip around them with the machine and package them up ready to send off. Photos I promise!

Currently Zach and Anna are sitting on the kitchen floor eating strawberries that Anna raided from the fridge, at least its healthy!

Just a layout...

Credits: to come

Don't mind me...

once again playing around with blog design so excuse the mess :)

The Eye Clinic and Hearing Tests

Yesterday we headed to Sydney....again but this time it was for Anna. Ashlee commented on how weird it felt to be here and not have anyone look at Zachary!

The Eye Clinic at The Sydney Children's hospital is where we headed and the news was as expected.....surgery. Thankfully though he wants to hold off until she is a little older as it makes it much easier to do. In the mean time though, glasses. All day, every day until she gets the surgery. He did say though that wearing the glasses gives her a chance (although a VERY small one) that she will not require the surgery. Keeping my fingers crossed for that one!

It was a terribly long day and we didn't get home until after 10pm. Leaving Sydney during peak hour traffic....horrible! I'm glad I don't have to do that every day! The kids travelled exceptionally well though and were very good all day which is such a bonus. Anna didn't even freak out and break down in tears when they were examining her! Double bonus!

In other news Zachary and Anna had hearing tests last week. Mainly because they never did get hearing tests at the hospital and being prem they have a higher risk. It was a total shock.....Zachary failed, just. That wasn't so much a surprise but Anna, she failed with a capital F! I have never had any concerns with her hearing but we do have to go back next week and get retested. Lets hope it was just a bad day for her and she will do better next time. If not....well then I don't know......

Better head off, need to get this script down for her glasses. How much will that cost? Also need to get caught up on all this washing and be at the doctors by 1:30pm. Did I tell you that I have a Anterior subluxation of the 3rd and 4th distal vertebrae of the Coccyx (or something like that...hehe). Basically it means that my last and second last bone of the tailbone are dislocated and have been since I had the twins. There is really no treatment short of surgery to remove the coccyx....ahhhhh! I am seeing Zach's physio as she thinks that she may be able to get some pain relief but I'm waiting to see the Orthopedic Surgeon too. It never rains it pours!

Speaking of pouring, we got caught in a huge storm on our way home last night where we had to do about 10/kph because I couldn't see a thing and my passenger side wiper decided to stop working! Still need to look at that. As I said it never rains it pours!

Also Zach gets his AFO's on September 29th! Yippee!

Running now, have a great day!

All the pretty flowers

Saturday was the opening of 'Floriade' here in Canberra. It was a beautiful day so we packed up some food, put on our walking shoes and headed over. Although not all the flowers are out yet we still had a great time...

looking...

at...

all...

the...

pretty flowers...

and some pretty decorations around the place too!

We took time to smell the flowers... (in her 'princess dress')

and to spend time with each other...



And have lots of cuddles...



and run toddle around...

eat Salt n' Vinegar chips...



Got 'tattoo's'...



And just have some real good fun!

Sadly we were missing one very important member....Mitchell who was with his Dad.

I...



love...


(taken the other day)

my little...



happy family...



And the best thing we did all day?!



We laughed, enjoyed ourselves and put everything a side for the day.

What a day (3 months) I have had! (part 2)

I'm doing this in dot point because I'm lazy its easier!


* Today I had to take Ashlee to the OT. The finger she broke has been very sore so after a trip to the doctor, an x-ray then a trip back to the doctor we find it hasn't healed.....

(This is not her actual x-ray but it is very similar to her original x-ray weeks back)

The break is actually called an 'Avulsion fracture of the distal phalanx'. Basically her finger was bent back so far that the ligament pulled a chunk of bone off (a volar plate injury). The ligament is still not healed properly and the little piece of bone? Well it floating around in her hand somewhere I guess because it is not there anymore....hmmmm. So it is splinted again and we just wait. No sports, no movement. She even has to shower with it on. The splint is pretty purple to! LOL!

* Ashlee is going to Wollongong next week to compete in Athletics!

* Zachary has had his AFO's approved and we pick them up this month! Finally! We will also soon be receiving his Bath seat.

* Wednesday we went and tried out some wheelchairs! Well Zachary did. I forgot my camera, I really wish I had it. He did so well and has so much upper body strength that he mastered it in under 15 minutes. We tried out 3 different ones:

The Mini Ultra Lightweight

Great chair - fits Zach perfectly but it doesn't grow at all so we ruled this one out pretty much straight away. You have no idea until you see this chair in person how tiny it is!


The Avantgarde

This chair was the one that Zach did the best in. He mastered this one straight away and didn't want to get out! It has room to expand width wise and also can be custom made. The little wheels at the front also light up the faster you go. It comes with wheel guards in a choice of cute little designs too...lol


And lastly The Teeny Plus




After almost 2 hours this is the one we decided to go with. It grows in both width and depth and should do him to well over 6 or 7. (I did check with I can get light up wheels with this one, and yes I can....hehehe) This one will be custom made to suit Zachary. For example we will remove the wheel guards as they inhibit his ability to push himself but will add swivel arm rests so he can get in and out of the chair. Also getting handle extenders on this so he can be pushed if needed.

Now just to convince the rest of the gang that this is not a toy!

* Anna has her Eye Clinic appointment very soon. We will see what that will bring -I really have no idea.

* Mitchell is going great guns at preschool! He is also going with his Dad tomorrow. As much as he drove me up the wall today I'm not looking forward to it :( I'm going to miss him A LOT! He will be going for the weekend then back for Preschool on Monday then back to his Dad's for a few more days.

* Me, well I'm feeling totally drained and not quite understanding how I manage to function at the moment. I'm having a hard time getting any real sleep at all these last few weeks then I'm running all day the next day! Not to mention my doctor thinks I have broken my tailbone but that is another story! Just an excert from my week so far:

Monday: Mitchell was at preschool and Zach and Anna were in care for the morning. Leaving me some time to try and catch up on some washing, run some errands; housing, medicare, etc. In the afternoon we had physio for an hour then a doctors appointment.

Tuesday: We have early intervention on Tuesday. Over an hours drive there, 2 hours of group and over an hours drive back. Nothing else on these days because we really have no time.

Wednesday: Ashlee had a doctors appointment then off to spend two hours looking at wheelchairs.

Today: O/T appointment for Ashlee over the other side of town. Back to our side of town to get to the chemist and medicare as well as haircuts for the three little ones (pics to come - Mitch got spiderwebs! And it was Zach and Anna's first haircut!). Then off to two doctors appointments for the afternoon. Managed to run down and do a quick grocery shop before dinner too.

Tomorrow: X-ray of my tail bone in the morning. Need to get some paperwork witnessed and call about a dozen real estate agents. Then off to Cooma (about an hour and 20 minutes away) to drop Mitch with his Dad.

In between all this I some how find time to eat (well most of the time), shower and occasionally blog. I'm looking forward to Monday morning! Three little ones in care and the morning to myself (well no appointments yet!).

I think I have rambled enough. Time to hang these few things on the airer and go to bed and hopefully get some sleep!

What a day (3 months) I have had! (part 1)

As you know I am currently 'camping out' at Mum's place until I find a house for us. We have the usual tension that a 27 year old with 4 children would have with her Mother (and totally doting Nanny) when you are living with them 24/7. Things are very strained at the moment. I'm in desperate need of a place of our own.....I'm stick of living out of boxes and suitcases! Anyway, this is were it gets worse.....

I have been 'trying' to put an application in for a Government House - just the word Government should have told me that it wouldn't be a straight forward thing. I also was trying to gain Priority status to make things a little easier. The main reason for applying for a government house (apart from not really being able to afford the $480 - $600 a week in rent!) is the ability to do modifications to the house to make Zachary's life easier as he grows that we will not be able to do in a private rental. The main reason for trying to get Priority status is the fact that they will help me out with the cost of Private rental until a house becomes available. Government houses around here are VERY few and far between so I would definitely have to go into the private market for a considerable amount of time.

OK, moving on.....to sum it up, its has been HELL trying to apply for a house. I have been in the process since early July and every time I would head down to the offices to put forms in they would give me another list of things they needed. In total I think I filled out 4 booklet style forms, had to get 4 medical form filled out, needed to get 3 written letters of supports, had to 'prove' that I was applying for houses on my own (which I have not been as I have not been able to find ANY suitable houses in my price range), I've had 4 appointments with them and many phone calls. I also had to get a letter from my Mum stating why I couldn't stay long term with her in a 3 bedroom townhouse (there are 6 of us - 7 if my brother who actually lives here but is staying with friends so I can stay here is here) that has no yard and very little living space. I tell you, letters to state the obvious is a real waste of time! It has taking MONTHS. The last straw that nearly sent me into a crying mess was the phone call this morning to say that after all that they were not sure that I 'proved' that I was in desperate need of house! I very nearly cried. The only thing stopping me was that I was just about to walk out the door to take Ashlee to the OT - yes, I said Ashlee. More on that later. I spent most of the day stressing about how I was going to make things work and decided to give them another call after we got home from all our appointments. This is the best part - I was told on this phone call that THEY APPROVED ME! Did you feel that weight being lifted off my shoulders?! They approved me! Now, they don't actually have a house for me but I can now go searching for a house that is suitable for Zachary regardless of the cost and we can finally have a place of our own. Thank you God! My storage shed runs out at the end of the month and I was not looking forward to paying another $180 for another month. Was that all just ramble? Did you get all that? I'm very happy with the out come and VERY relieved - finally!

* * * * * * * * * *

So we move onto other matters.........in part 2......

Thinking of having children?!

(found this post on my old blog from back in June 08 and thought I would post it here!)

Then read this and be prepared!

I found it on Angela's blog and thought it was so true, I just had to post it.

Thinking of having kids?

Do this 11 step program first!

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2

Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior. Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3

A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
10. Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? To find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5

Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6

Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7

Go to the local grocery store.
Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice).
If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat.
Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight.
Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.
Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine-month-old baby.

Lesson 9

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' and or 'daddy' repeatedly.
(Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required).
Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years.
You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11

Start talking to an adult of your choice.
Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy/daddy' tape made from Lesson 10 above.
You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

And for those of you destined to have twins....do it all twice. (No its not really that bad...LOL!)