Couldn't be bothered

....with a title that is.

Just been having a bit of a browse on face book and I tell you it has made me quite depressed! Even the girl that was the over weight, ignored, laughed at and teased girl (sorry to say but there was one at my school - like most schools) is married with a couple of children and smiles all around! It just makes me feel like I have failed - well, I have failed! Look where I am now. Oh, to turn back time - but I wouldn't give my children back for anything!

OK, moving on to a much happier note!

Today we had our first appointment with a private physio and it was brilliant! VERY worth the $75 a visit. They are a Physio and Rehab team that work together and Damien (Rehab) actually has CP himself. They have really given me renewed confidence and a better long term out look for Zachary. We now have some very specific stretching exercises to do with Zach while we play or read books and some great general ideas for things to use around the home that might help him.

Zach is funded through DADHC (Dept. of Aging, Disability and Home Care) for free services like Physio, O/T and a Speechie but I really felt we were being left behind. I felt that Zach had so much more potential and with more intensive therapy things might be different. DADHC just doesn't have the resources to be able to keep up with everyone so this is the next best thing. We will still be utilising DADHC's services when ever we can but in the mean time both Emma and Damien feel that Zach has excellent potential and are very keen to start working with him. To tell you I am stoked is an understatement! Hopefully for future appointments I will be able to attend without Mitchell. Sounds terrible I know but when we are at therapy it is so Zach orientated that I think Mitchell feels very left out and so he tends to play up. Anna comes but she is so used doctor visits, therapy visits etc that it is just normal for her - although she is very protective of her BIG brother Zach when we meet new people. Tomorrow we head to Cooma for our Early Intervention. I'm still attending these until we can sort something out locally.

Today was Ashlee's first day at her new school. She doesn't have to much to say about it other then it was fine. This will be her 4th school in 6 years! I'm pretty confident she went fine though. Ashlee is a very confident and happy girl and gets along with almost anyone.....

Better run, its late and Zach is crying...

No words just now....

Faith

Today I took the kids to church. I grew up like this, my Dad used to take us every Sunday and I did really enjoy it. The church we went to is the church I grow up in, there were some familiar faces and plenty of new ones.

The kids had a great time. Sunday School Mitchell and Creche for the twins. Mitchell even asked if we could go again tomorrow! It has been over 5 years since I went last. (D)ExP wouldn't allow it and we didn't live close enough anyway but today I decided it was time to return and see how it went. I really did feel a since of peace and comfort and wasn't at all worried about (D)ExP's reaction. He would whole heartedly be against the kids attending. I think I need this, faith and support from some lovely people.

Not much else going on. When we got home Mitchell laid in my bed and watched High 5 and rested. The Zachary and Anna went to bed, Mum and Ashlee went to the Fruit and Veg Market and I laid down on the couch with 2 Panadine to try and get rid of a lingering Migraine I have had for 3 days now. It seems to have worked, currently pain free!

Mum and Ashlee have gone to the evening service and I'm feeding, bathing and loving my other children. Off now to do a bit more of that.....

Please keep Baby Stellan in your prayers as he is not doing to well at the moment.

Lastly, here are a couple more photos of my loves.....

A new thing with Anna is hair......we turned this:

Into this:

Zachy loves his walker - and I love this face!



And his cute little chubby feet! (but not the biscuit on the carpet!)

That's my boy!

Mitchell and Scooter - birthday present!



This photo was actually taken by my talented daughter!

And this one too!



And lastly - The Girly Girl

P.S I've been 'playing' around in photoshop way to much! - these actions are all from The Pioneer Women!

Well what do you know

Thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law last night I had then opportunity to sew again - and it felt great! We went out to dinner last night to this lovely little Mexican place in Manuka, the food was lovely and the company was even better. Afterwards I went home, put the three little ones to bed and headed over to Dan and Mel's.

Currently all my things - well most of them - are locked up in a storage shed, this means that I can't really do anything that I want and I have been burning to do some sewing lately. Melissa needed a fold out nappy change pad for a baby shower she was going to and I was only to happy to help out! I think it turned out great and I think I make some more of these!

I took some photos with my brothers camera and he emailed them to me but unfortunately this is the only one that my computer says is readable.........?? I'll look into it and hopefully get some more photos up for you but until then just use your imagination. It rolls up and ties closed. Jessica is having a little boy and Peter Rabbit is the favoured theme so that's what Melissa went with.

Well heading off now to tame the children that are 'playing the drums' on the side table - someone smells a bit too!

Just another day

Today has been one of those days. You know the ones where you spend the entire in your PJ's and only dress the kids because they have taken their PJ's off themselves and you need to get something on them just so they won't remove their nappies. I know you have all done it!

Lately I have been SO tired! Sometimes I have days where I can barely drag myself out of bed and I'm nearly falling asleep by lunchtime. I put everything done to just stress but after seeing my doctor apparently it could be a little more serious then that. Apparently I have a very high resting heart rate (resting heart rate of at least 105!) - its been this way for years now. I tire extremely easy, I have been having chest pain for like 10 years now (but it is a lot more frequent in the last few years and even more so in the last few months), can't walk distances without running out of breath, I get facial flushing, tingling in my hands and feet, extremely cold hands and the list goes on. Apparently I can't just put all this down to stress. So, off I go for a round of blood tests and a 24 hour heart monitoring to start with. You see the doctor thinks that my symptoms may have something to do with my heart. She didn't however tell me what she suspected so silly me turned to Google doctor - I know not to google things like this but I went and did it anyway. Bad move........apparently I'm dying from heart failure or something. No really I shouldn't be laughing because this could be quite a serious matter and it is really the last I need. I'm praying that it is nothing serious.

Ah, so tomorrow is another day. Ashlee is staying with my brother and his wife tonight, Mitchell is in bed (long ago), Anna too and Zach, well he finally gave in about a 1/2 hour ago. Now I'm off to bed - late I know, but with any luck I'll have a sleep in in the morning. Zach is my usual early riser but after tonight's late night I think he'll need some sleep!

Thank you all for your lovely comments too! And lastly, just another happy snap from days gone by.

Picture Post

Just a few random pictures.....

More fun at the park





Thank heavens for big sisters

An afternoon at The Spastic Centre

Yesterday we had our first appointment at The Spastic Centre. It was actually for an appointment with Stuart Kerr to have casts made of Zach's legs. Zach was brilliant! Just sat on my lap, cuddled Elmo and watched. Probably thinking 'What the hell are you doing and when do these come off!'. We are having Bilateral Dynamic AFO's made and should have them in about 4 weeks.

Similar to the middle one in this picture

He is walking (and sometimes trying to run!) well with is walker but toes walks on his left foot and his right foot drags. The hinged AFO will still give him some movement but prevent the toe walking and foot dragging. I'm looking forward to getting them for him but at the same time I'm not. How will he feel about them? Is it going to be a daily struggle to get them on him or keep them on him? But I guess all we are doing is trying to help him and by all accounts at the moment he is doing really well. Apparently for a 2 year old to be walking in a walker is brilliant. I am very happy about that and it really gives me hope for the future - his future. Zach is a very determined little boy and if anybody is going to 'beat this' - he will.

We are looking into staying here in Canberra and using The Spastic Centre's services. I was planning on trying to get a house in Cooma to try and stay near Zach's current therapy but I don't think that is going to be possible. There are just no houses available at the moment. Houses in Canberra cost a small fortune but what other option do I have?!

Ashlee needs to go back to school. I still haven't organised anything. That is what today is all about. Wish me luck in finding a decent school for her. I'm actually looking at Trinity Christian School (where I went from K-7). She likes the idea - thankfully.

OK, that's it for now. House work this morning and maybe some washing if this rain lets up!

To a sweet, sweet little boy

Today you are 5!



Can you believe it? Because I certainly can't! My little boy is growing up!



Hope you have a great day Mitchell!

{More to come}

In other wonderful news I finally got my Photoshop 7 back on the computer again!
I'm back in heaven again......Paint Shop Pro 9 just doesn't cut it really.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Zach has an appointment at the Spastic Centre - Orthopedics Clinic on Wednesday too! Finally!

Time for a pick me up

I came across this over at Better Than Normal and just had to share.....

Its been so long!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. As you may have guessed it is a bit busy around here at the moment. I spend most of time at the moment running around filling in forms, see different people and of course spending some lovely stress-free time with my children.....

It is getting a bit.....tense here sometimes. I guess that's what you get when you put a daughter that hasn't lived at home since she was 16 and now has 4 (delightfully energy filled) children of her own back in the same house with her (ever patient) Mum that is totally not used to having said children in her life 24/7! We try and give Mum/Nanny her own space but at times it does get really chaotic here!

We do our bit around her and of course pass on money to help out with the bills (that I'm sure are going to be 10 times the last ones!). The kids are going a bit nuts as there is no yard here for them to just run outside but thankfully there is a park just across the road with plenty of room for running and bike riding and such. We do spend a bit of time there.

Now I guess I will give you a little run down on all the kids.....what's happening now and what's the plan for the future.....

Ashlee:

Currently on school holidays and will (sadly) start at a new school in the new term. Hopefully meet up with some more wonderful friends that she can move onto high school with.

She is enjoying some time here at Nan's but will have to come back down to earth very soon I think!

Ashlee also competed at the Athletics Carnival in Cooma recently.......out of 5 events she got 2 firsts, 2 seconds and a third! She also got third overall senior girls! {Round of Applause!} We are waiting to see if she made it to the next level now.

Mitchell:

Mitchell.....well, he's not up to much. He is taking the split in his stride but I know it is hard on him. He spent some time down with his Dad recently and although it was a nice break I missed him terribly! Even by day 2 I was yearning for my little man.....he's home now and making me smile everyday.

Mitchell loves to spend his time over at the park riding his bike and playing with the twins. They all got new balls recently and that has been a great pass time.

I am currently looking into schools for him. Can you believe he starts 'big school' next year!

Zachary:

Our sweet little Zachary......Zach is going great. As you may have guessed from previous pictures, Zachary got his walker! And its gold! He loves it and is really going well with it. Almost running around with it and kicking balls too! Unfortunately he sometimes has to fight Anna for it. I am trying to get her to understand that his walker is not a toy and he needs it to get around.

In other news, our quotes for Zach's AFO's have finally come through and we are now on the way to getting the funding - finally! We are seeing the Spastic Centre in Canberra while we are here which includes attending the orthotics clinic on the 22nd. Great, means we don't have to drive to Sydney for that! One less thing to worry about. Zach sees Dr L again in August.

Another thing the kids have all been loving is colouring in and play dough. We have discovered that Zach is left handed. This may just be or because he is affected in his right arm.

Anna:

Lastly, our little clean freak. I tell you I've NEVER seen a 2 year old like her! She loves to clean, help out and pack up. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining! It's great! Anna is a very helpful, bright and beautiful little girl. Zach's body guard too......don't look at him wrong or Anna will let you know about it.

Something new she has been doing is climbing into Zachary's cot usually when they go down for their afternoon sleep. It's cute, yes, but then they just don't sleep!

Anna can now dress herself (somewhat), put on her own shoes (usually on the right feet) but hates having anything in her hair - sadly.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, this post has taken me the better part of the night to get finished so I'm going to leave it there and (hopefully) see you all again soon!

Take Care!