When I am Three

I really struggle to write things on the blog at the moment, Life is just so full and I am really not a computer person.
Summer is doing really well, growing up so fast. She has been informing us of all the things she wants when she is "free", or three as I think she means.
She still has her walker, "spotty" as it is known and we try and practise with that every day. We are about to get a wheelchair assessment, so she can have another form of mobility!

We talk about a different life, but really this is our life and feels very normal to us. It has been a joy and shock at times to see how quickly Katie does things. she is all ready up and cruising along furniture getting into all kinds of mischief.

I am off to bed as my girls have not bothered with the clock change and choose to be up around 5 ish, which is just FAR to early.

Happy girls
Where the chooclit
Pretty girl
There were no steps nearby so we named this field "The Naughty field"

Walking, of sorts.

About 5 months ago, our new Physio then said shell be walking within 6 months. Today she actually did, a month early. Using a frame across the room and back with a little help turning. When she told us her goal I initially smiled and said "Sure" thinking maybe, but that's a huge challenge. Then about a month ago with very little progress I gave up all together with the 6 month goal, "Maybe in a year or two". After a month of good practice, a bit more motivation from Summer and a lot of effort from Kathy she did a distance with the frame all on her own. Just amazing, what a good God we have.

Of course that isn't the end of the story by any means; just a step on the way to her increased mobility. shes go to fond that walking is better than crawling for a start which will be a challenge, especially at home. Then maybe after a while crutches. A chair is still going to be needed as well. Unless God decides otherwise of course, well keep praying.

Summers bowells are a big source of frustration at the moment.She is on a dairy free diet which takes some getting used too and they still don't know the cause of the change yet. Please pray that her bowels will get alot better and easier to manage for us.

Katie's doing well, not sleeping great but manageable (by Kathy!). We are learning just how easy somethings were with Summer that we didn't appreciate at the time, for example wriggling during nappy changing!! We haven't even got to crawling, walking yet. That will certainly be different!!

Some piccies to appear soon...

Summer update

I am aware I have not really written for ages about how Summer is doing, its easy to just muddle along taking everything as it comes when you are with her everyday.
So how is she? Apart from amazing, vivacious and cheeky she is doing really well. We are still working on standing with her splints and we have a little walking frame which we are trying to use, she is quite reluctant so we just keep perservering. She has a wheeled standing frame at nursery which means that she can propel herself around, which she likes to do.

We had a review about her hydrocephalus and her consultant has essentially said that she should remain fine, the operation when she was 8 weeks old worked so well. We obviously can never totally forget about it, but day to day it does not affect her.

Continance. If Summer ever reads this in the future,then sorry for discussing something so personal! We have started to try and manage her toilet needs a little more, this is going quite well but is time consuming.
In general she is developing so well, she is a joy to be around, she loves her little sister and is always happy.

Prayer requests would probably be 1) For time and energy to carry out physio to get Summer standing and hopefully walking. 2) That we would have her continance managed before she gets to school ( something that cannot be garenteed) 3) That as she has more equipment around her, people would still see Summer and not the things around her.
Most of all that we would manage to parent well, teach her about Godslove and show her and Katie how special and precious they are to us.

Happy Birthday Summer

Wow, what a weekend. A friends wedding on Summers birthday and party on the sunday. We cannot believe she is two. What a journey we have been on. This past year has been fantastic, She is just grown and developed so much, with very little hospital interventions. We have just had time to be a family. When I think about where we were two years ago it is amazing.
I remember such a little scrap lying on a pillow, looking so fragile and broken and now she is a gorgeous, vivacious, cheeky two year old. So many big and little miracles have happened that I can easily forget, but God has been SO good to us.
I remember the verses that people kept giving us, and they are still precious today.

Happy birthday our darling daughter.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.

your eyes saw my unformed body

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139

How precious to me are your thoughts O God.

Climbing Stairs

Summer has just climbed her first full flight of stairs at a friends house. Hopefully she can do ours once we have carpet. What a great day.

The joys of motherhood

Katie in baby bouncer hanging from door,
Not long had food.
Summer is helping Katie to bounce by pushing her head into Katies tummy
Katie is Sick all over Summers head.
Both girls looked quite pleased with the result.

Both girls had bath that evening!

Sleeping and Standing

A few people have mentioned the lack of blog entries, so in a rare daytime moment with two girls upstairs and quiet I thought I would write.
Its been quite a hard few weeks, mainly due to lack of sleep, but both girls are doing well.

We are due for an orthopeadic appointment on monday, we have not been for six months, so it will be interesting to see what her hips are doing and what the consultant thinks. Summer has some new splints to wear inside shoes( Fifi ones for those in the know!) this means that we can practise sitting to standing a bit more which is great. It is becoming more noticable that she is on the floor when her peers are running around which is something Iam finding a bit hard, and yet I only have to go back and remember all the worries we had when she was born to know that she is developing SO well. So praise God for all the amazing things he has done, and I believe will continue to do in our lives.

I leave you with photos of Summer standing and Nic and Katie sleeping!

7 weeks old

Oh my word, I had forgotten how much time newborns take! I am up past 9pm for the first time in weeks. Katie is doing well.... noisy, very sicky, but very cute. Summer is still enjoying being a big sister, although she does grab Katies hand and say bye quite a bit, as if Katie has out stayed her welcome.
I still get amazed by the things Katie does, she can stand and move her feet, everything a normal baby can do, yet we did not experience that with Summer. I thank God that he has blessed us with two amazing girls, I feel very privileged to have been chosen to be their mum, although it is also quite scary.
I am off to get ready for bed, which I recall is an object you normally sleep the night in...oh what a distant memory!

Does her Nose beep?

In our household, noses "beep". Summer is just checking out Katies nose to see if it works!

3.30 am!

3.30 AM, cue both girls up, unimpressed parents, unhappy Summer & Katie, its just as well they are cute.
Not a great start to Nics First day back at work. Katie finally put on a little bit of weight which is a relief, jaundice seems to be improving.

I am dreaming of the day when I can have a big glass of wine.......and more than a few hours sleep

Being a big sister.

Baby!, shouts Summer excitedly. She seems to have adjusted very well to another little person in the house. I got home from hospital a day earlier than expected which was great. We have had lots of visitors including excited grandparents which has made summer very happy, she loves people.

Katie is doing well, she is a little jaundiced which we are having checked out at the hospital. She is currently blissfully asleep looking very cute.

No new photos, sorry you will have to wait for Nic to do an entry, I still have baby brain and it seems far to complicated to do!

Katie Eve is Here!!!!

She has arrived, 7lb 10oz, brown hair, green eyes, perfect...

The day has gone so smoothly, no problems delays hitches at all. If ever there was something to be thankful to God for its days like today.

One days to go

This time tomorrow....................will be amazing. I was reminded of that first cuddle, first smell, first look of a brand new baby. I cant wait!!

I hope this little one is prepared for the amount of cuddles and kisses that are coming her way from a very happy older sister!

Photos will appear shortly....

Three days to go!

Yes, we have three days to go before the three of us becomes four. Summer is constantly talking about babies, although she seems to think that everyone has one in their tummy including herself and her daddy! I am not sure how she will cope with the reality of the baby actually living here though.

I am writing this whilst Summer has her nap, she is trying to stop doing this, whilst I am trying to con tinue them for as long as possible. Summer won yesterday, but I won today!

Opps, spoke to soon. Hopefully Nic will update this next week with pictures of the newest Allen

Untill then.