Proving them wrong and a shunt update!

I remember all too well when we got our beautiful bundle home.  I was so elated that she finally got to come home!  A few days after she arrived home, our community nurse called to access her.  I remember it vividly.  Caitlin sleeping soundly in her Moses Basket, and me babbling away to the nurse, telling her how glad I was to have her home.  She looked around and said to me, "I think you should seriously consider were you are living, this is a house with stairs.  Caitlin won't be able to manage the stairs, she won't be able to crawl up them and she will struggle with this, and it'll get hard for you particuarly when she  is older and you will have to carry her up and down them."

Are you frickin kidding me?  I did not need to hear something so negative, we had just got her home.  It was the place we had chosen to raise our daughter, the place that we had chosen her room, the room that we had decorated into a nursery for her.  I looked at my girl, so sweet and so young, only a few weeks old and I felt so sad for her.  She was just in this world and there was already people assuming she was incapable of something she was far too young to even try yet.

Well, it is my absolute pleasure, to show you what Caitlin is doing now.  She is not only managing the stairs.  She is rocking it!  That nurse underestimated my girl, her determination and her strength.  She may not be flying up them at top speed but I just love how when she stumbles, she just tries again.  She may only be a year old but she is a such a fighter, like all the sb kids.  She isn't one for giving up :)  I think she's doing a super job!  I think it's so sweet how when she gets to the top she says "Yay!"

Now for the shunt news.  I don't want to jinx it, but so far so good.  Her fonatelle stayed up for around a week, then it went back to normal.  Confused?  I sure am.  I am baffled.  I don't know what has happened but I don't really care as long as it means she's okay and she doesn't need another shunt revision just yet.

I know this is Caitlin's blog, but I don't think she will mind if I give my cousin, Martin a mention.  Martin is one of my many cousins who live in Dublin.  With our busy lives, we only met twice, but he was family.  I always thought, with family, we'll catch up sometime.  He was always happy to see us, as we were to see him.  The second time we saw each other was a couple of weeks ago.  He met Caitlin for the first time and I'm so glad he did, because he passed away on Friday at just 35 years old.  I never got a photo of us, or of him and Caitlin because I just didn't think too.  I thought we had all the time in the world to take pictures, create memories.  I regret that I didn't take the time to even take a photo.  I just got home from the funeral today.  He had a great turnout, he was very much loved.  His family are heartbroken.  My Auntie had to do something today that no mother should ever have to do - she had to say Goodbye forever to her child.  Rest in Peace Martin xxx