08Jan08 - Back to School

It was back to early mornings and the school run routine this week. I think everybody was looking forward to school again although not the 6 o'clock starts. At least we have passed the shortest day of the year but the mornings this time of the year are always dark, cold and usually wet. We have to fight with Lucy to get her coat on and then fight to get her in her car seat. Thats a little unfair because she is much better now than she used to be. Most mornings she will be happy to sit quietly in the car but every so often she likes to scream all the way to school. This week so far she has been a little gem.Over the last couple of days Lucy has shown some signs that she might finally be starting to shake the niggly cold and cough that has been getting her down for so long. She was definitely OK to go to school and it just shows how much she likes school because after not seeing any smiles for a couple of weeks the first thing Lucy did when she got to her classroom was break into a big smile.In fact she was all smiles. They made a big fuss of Lucy as soon as she arrived just to let her know that she was back and that it was good to see her. Back at school and loving every minute of it. Dawn is also now able to get a little of her own time back which is good. Today I was able to go on the school run as well and it was quite a good feeling dropping both the kids off at school and returning to a quiet and peaceful house.

Only one appointment today with Lucy's Occupational Therapist. She came to sort out Lucy's sleep system and to talk about a new chair for Lucy to use at school. It looks like we might be able to get one for home as well which will make a big difference. At the moment Lucy's chair has a push-chair frame and an indoor seating frame. We have no choice but to carry the seat between the car and the house. The seat is quite bulky and awkward and sometimes we end up just leaving it in the car, which of course is not ideal. So I was really pleased to hear that we can have a separate seat for home as it will make life a lot easier. These things usually take a while to get sorted out but at least we have got the ball rolling. I guess when it comes to things like this, for people like us, the National Health Service is pretty good.

13Oct07 - Just Lucy

Today was Lucy's day to have Dawn and I to herself. We all got up late and I played with Lucy while Dawn did jobs. Lucy has been a little off colour and felt quite warm this morning so I wasn't surprised when she fell asleep while I read to her.Lucy then slept on my knee for about an hour while I watched some boy TV for a change. It has been a damp, grey, dismal day but we still decided to make the most of our afternoon and take Lucy for a long walk. We walked further than intended and found a new bridleway to walk along.The going was good for the first couple of hundred metres but after that, the Ottobock Kimba Frame which Lucy's Leckey Squiggle chair sits on began to struggle. The front wheels don't lock so it becomes extremely difficult to push on rocky or uneven ground. It is also very rigid and Lucy was thrown about all over the place although I do think she enjoyed the "offroad" experience.
It was a relief to finally find the road again. We still had a fairly long walk back home and decided to stop at our local pub for a quick drink before getting back to feed Lucy. I certainly felt like I had earned a beer or maybe I am just unfit. It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon and now both Dawn and Lucy have flaked out and are having a late afternoon nap. Dawn and I are going to a charity night tonight arranged by some local guys to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation which should be a really good night.

02Sep07 - Lazy Sunday

Lucy was still struggling today with pain in her neck or back. We had to be very careful handling her because once she gets upset she will cry for ages and nothing we do seems to calm her down. After a late start we set about unpacking, washing and other dreary jobs that always need doing after a holiday. Lucy was happy to be left alone and not handled. On holiday we actually fed her in her pram just about all the time because it was so hot and sticky. This could be a bit of a break through if we keep it up because up to present we have had to hold her to feed her. Really she is too heavy for that now and apart from giving us big biceps it can't be good for our backs. We have a Leckey Squiggle chair for Lucy which we switch between a sitting base for in the house and a buggy base for pushing her around. The problem is the buggy stays in the car and the sitting frame stays in the house which means having to always unclip the frame from which ever base and carry it bacwards and forwards to the car/house. The chair is not over heavy but with all the other stuff we carry it has been too easy just to feed Lucy on our knees and not bother with the seat. I wish we had two although we should now make the efffort to bring the chair inside.