Update with Picture Overload

Where has the time gone?? Gunner's first Christmas has passed, and so has New Years! I don't even know where to start with an update!!

I really wanted to get the kids over to the mall to see Santa this year, but it just didn't happen. They did, however, get to see him! He showed up at our family Christmas this year! Here is Gunner sitting on Grandpa's lap while he sees Santa for the first time!

And, one of Caitlyn on the same day. She was way more interested in the view of Lake Washington out the window, than of Santa!

Since Caitlyn was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, the holidays have been rough. It seems like all of the differences are so evident during the holidays. I struggle with what to get her, and I struggle with wrapping presents that I'll just end up unwrapping myself. This year was much better!! We decided to start a new tradition. No wrapping paper! Santa showed up with these gifts on Christmas morning, and he must have known this was a "no wrapping paper" home. I had found a remote control dog that I was excited about. That is, until I was at Best*Buy looking for a gift for Eric. I saw an MP3 player boombox for kids! With Caitlyn's love for music, it was perfect! It made Christmas morning so exciting to be getting her something that I knew I couldn't go wrong with! Here she is having her morning tube-feeding while chilling with her MP3 player and her new princess Snuggie. We also went online and played some songs for her to see what she liked. Turns out she really liked Hannah Montana!!

And here is Gunner with the totally cool piano toy that Santa brought him! He might not fully get the whole Christmas thing, but he does get that a new toy showed up in the living room on Christmas morning, and that is pretty darn cool!!!

What fun would an update from our family be without a little drama thrown in? Last weekend started out as normal, aside from the cold that was taking up residence in our home. I went to the later Saturday morning Weight Watchers meeting, instead of heading to my normal 7am meeting. When I left, Caitlyn was just starting to wake up. At 9am, Eric called me saying to hurry home, that we had to take Caitlyn down to the ER. Well, when he went to hook her up for breakfast and meds, her g-tube button was gone! He tried to get the replacement button in, but it was a no go. We don't know how long it was out for. It all ended fine, with the nurses in the ER being able to get another tube in place, although it was smaller. It was very traumatic for Caitlyn, but probably more so for me. We had to help hold her down on the bed while they tried to push the new buttons in. She cried and looked at us with really sad eyes. Mommy saved the day, though, when I realized that my phone was able to link up to the hospitals wi-fi, and we could watch Wiggles videos on youtube!

And, an update on me. Every day I continue on my journey to a healthier me. I make dinners most nights for Eric and I (Gunner is even starting to eat some of what I make!) and continue to go to weekly Weightwatchers meetings. As of yesterday's weigh in, I have lost a total of 36.2 lbs since June of 2010! My clothes are fitting differently, and I just recently had to put my wedding ring on the shelf. It was getting too loose, and I was afraid I would fling it at someone. I have more energy that I have in a long time. I am doing this for me, and for my whole family! I gotta be able to keep up with these two!

And with that, I will leave you with this lovely picture of Caitlyn and Gunner. The relationship developing between them is so exciting to watch!