Braelyn & Gwendolyn Have a World of Fun

Yeah, we know, that entry title was a pretty bad play on words... This weekend we loaded up the kiddos for a trip to Worlds of Fun. Dad's work was having it's employee appreciation there so we figured there was no time like the present to introduce the girls to an amusement park. There obviously weren't many rides for girls this little, but the couple we ventured on with them went over as you might have surmised.

Predictably, Braelyn had a blast and was all over the park. She really seemed to enjoy the energy and new sights. She especially had fun turning faster and faster with Dad on Worlds of Fun's take of the iconic Disney Mad Tea Party ride. (We get the feeling the same wouldn't be said if Mom and Gwendolyn join us inside our rapidly spinning cup!)

Gwendolyn was her typically guarded self. She sat very close to Mom and clutched the lap bar tightly the whole time she was on her maiden amusement park ride. Still, even Little Ms. Reserved cracked a smile or two throughout the day. In fact, she was so excited that while Braelyn caught up on some shuteye during the car ride home, Gwen stayed wide awake basking in her new experience.

Luckily, this adventure reaffirmed that the girls aren't quite old enough to warrant us venturing to Disney... But alas, Dad doesn't think it'll be all that much longer before he's having breakfast with Braelyn, Gwendolyn and a slew of Disney princesses!!!

Perspective

This entry is about just how lucky we all are. While it has taken Dad a little time to compose, I'm sure you'll understand why as it goes along.

For the past month, a lot of my work responsibilities have centered around helping to organize an outreach trip to Joplin, Missouri. As I'm sure most of us know, this city of about 50,000 was shook by an EF5 tornado on the evening of May 22, killing 155 (the seventh deadliest tornado recorded in America). It ripped a path of destruction six miles long and a mile wide through the heart of the city.

In the past week, I took two trips to Joplin as our outreach trip culminated. Each time, I felt an incredible sense of numbness at what I encountered. I included a pair of photos I took both of St. John's hospital (a structure that lost it's top three stories and moved four inches off it's foundation), near where the tornado initially touched down, as well as the high school, which they are estimating will take two years to reconstruct.

In all honesty, they are fairly sedate compared to some of the sights I witnessed there... But I couldn't bring myself to take many other photos while I was there.

The good news is that, while Joplin has quite a long road to go before things return to "normal," those that call the area home are beyond resilient while still standing strong.

I bring this all up because my recent experiences there have given me a new found perspective about just how lucky we are.

I think about Gwendolyn and some of the things that the medical "professionals" told us about her (lack of a) future before she was even born. And today my little girl of almost 21-months, who we were warned probably wouldn't have much functionality mentally or physically from her waist down, can pull her self up from a seated position or crawl across the living room on her hands and knees when she wants to come "up" and get a hug from me.

I think about her two-minute older sister Braelyn and her quirky, charismatic nature (which was recently on display and captured in this video). There's something about Brae Bear that always makes me laugh and shake my head.

I think about their amazing mother who deals with my sometimes frustrating ways and always seems to remember that I'm well intentioned even if I'm often a tad bit misguided. More importantly than how she handles me is her impeccable ability to be a perfect match of guidance and nurturing as the girls continue to grow and mature.

I think about these things and I remember that no matter what the insurmountable issues are that I'm dealing with on a given day, I couldn't be more wrong. Really, I haven't had a single thing resembling a "bad day" in the Joplin sense of the term.

And of late, whenever I feel down or sad, I just close my eyes and imagine myself at the bottom of a Braelyn/Gwendolyn pileup... And you know what? Things aren't all that bad at all.

Perspective is a powerful tool.

Hug someone you love today... You just never know.

Gwen's Father's Day Gifts

There are many moments in a father's life that make his heart swell with pride. Needless to say, even the sight of the girls at snack time can for some reason render me a bit misty sometimes. And as you can guess, in their nearly 21 months of life, there have been countless times that have caused pause for reflection and thanks. (Some for serious reasons, some funny and some that I can't really explain at all.)

This past week, our little Gwendolyn had a pair of special Father's Day gifts to share ahead of the big day. As we mentioned earlier, she had her first aqua therapy session on Friday. While she obviously has a ways to go (and that's precisely why she's getting this form of P.T.) she did quite well. Taking into account it was her first time in a pool of that size, she didn't have a "freak out" moment whatsoever as I had feared she might. And while she was a little apprehensive about the whole experience altogether, she really did well by the end of her session.

Her biggest issue right now is a lack of strength in her glutes. While she was able to stand for 20 minutes against the side of the pool unaided, she did have a tendency to lean forward as her body attempted to balance itself while she was taking "steps" in the pool aided by her therapist. So, he gave us some exercises for Gwen to try at home and there is now an optimistic hope that she progresses each week. In fact, Mom took the ball and ran with it on Gwen's P.T. "homework"... Yep, I'm staring at an inflatable pool on our patio right now. Of course, I've been told by Mom that the only true reason for the pool is to "work" with Gwen. (wink, wink, nod, nod)

We also had mentioned earlier that Gwen was inching closer to crawling. She'd get into the correct position and sort of "scoot" forward but she still hadn't quite mastered the whole experience yet. As Mom and I have come to realize, all things happen on Ms. Gwendolyn's time schedule and not ours. That was more evident than ever on Saturday when she finally figured out the process in what seemed like a nanosecond. By the end of the day, she was crawling the length of the living room, stopping only from time-to-time to engage in her saying new favorite sound: "Oooooooooooh." It was almost as if Gwendolyn was marveling in her progress right along with Mom and I.

If you'd like to see Gwen in action, please feel free to check it out by clicking here.

So, between her UTI false alarm, the good experience Gwen had during her initial aqua therapy session and mastering the wonderful world of crawling, there have been quite a few moments of tears for Dad this weekend.

And as I sat on our sofa this morning, a girl perched upon each knee, it dawned to me that the best gifts really are the most simplistic of all!!!

Happy Father's Day everyone... I know it will be a joyful day for us.

Our pleasant blog update of the day is that we got a call from the pediatrician's office. Remember that UTI they said on Monday Gwendolyn had? Well it turns out she doesn't have a UTI after all.

The reason the doctor was so sure during the office visit that Gwen was dealing with another UTI is because she detected "blood and puss" in Gwen's urine. However, when it was sent to the lab for a culture, it didn't grow a single thing. So, the prevailing thought now is that the blood was merely the result of using a catheter to get the urine sample in the first place.

Outside of the fact that she was a tad bit dehydrated, it turns out that Gwendolyn was just having a cranky weekend and may have just had a little bug that caused the fever. (And how many of us have had the same circumstance play out from time to time?)

If you couldn't tell already, that has left plenty of time for Braelyn and Gwendolyn to hit the books. Luckily, they still love to read (although I'm not sure if anyone can translate the baby gibberish that comes from Braelyn's lips while she "reads") be it on their own or with an assist from Mom and Dad.

All of this brings us to the most mysterious blog revelation of all... Maybe there is some good Castellano mojo out there after all.

In fact, this particular entry might set a year-and-a-half president for our blog. It is surely one of the few times (if not the only time) that Gwendolyn hasn't been ultimately diagnosed with the worst possible infliction during a doctor's visit. Maybe her luck is indeed changing for the better (feel free to join us in collectively knocking on wood).

Let the good times roll!!! (or as they say down in Cajun country, Laissez bons temps rouler!!!)

The Busy Times Continue

So much for "down time" during our summer. Braelyn and Gwendolyn have kept Mom and Dad on the hop of late (as evidence by yet another tardy post... our apologises!).

Unfortunately, over the weekend Ms. Gwendolyn Marie wasn't her normal self. She was very tired, not eating her regular amount at meals and often irritable. We took her to the pediatrician and found out that she has contracted yet another urinary track infection. For those keeping track, that's four thus far in 2011 (although this is her first one in the last few months since she started using her "pottie"). Still, we might be getting to the stage where she needs a catheter plan to eliminate her propensity for getting UTIs. She isn't slated to see Urology again until her next clinic visit in October. With such a large gap between then and now, we are going to call them this week with an update just in case they want to see her prior to that time.

Gwendolyn also scraped up her foot last week playing. So, the resulting wound made getting into her braces and stander a difficult proposition. However, now that a proper scab has formed, she'd getting back in the swing of things. Prior to her foot situation, she visited a friend around her age that also has SB. While there, she test drove her friend's walker and enjoyed it quite a bit (as you can see above). So, we are looking into getting one for her now.

Our little Gwenner also starts her aqua therapy this week. Earlier this month, she had her preliminary visit at the hospital to meet her new P.T. (good news, she didn't cry as soon as she met him) and set her baseline. The therapist was pleased with Gwen's standing ability and the hope is even if her time in the pool doesn't result in Gwen taking steps, it will at the very least strengthen her core considerably.

Braelyn has been her typical self... Always on the go and often wanting to be in the middle of anything that Mom has going on. Today, that meant "helping" Mom fold the laundry. Apparently, it's a rather arduous task because Brae Bear seems to have tired out as her laundry duties concluded.

Braelyn does continue to be the best big sister she can. Whenever Gwendolyn had a rough go of things over the weekend, she was right there with her typical hug, kiss and pat on the head. It is interesting how Braelyn can immediately detect the difference between a Gwendolyn cry based in pain as opposed to a whine. As soon as Gwen starts to voice her displeasure as a result of something more serious than mere unhappiness that she isn't being held, Braelyn's immediately alerting us and waddling toward her sister.

That's about all for now. We'll try to get some photos of Gwen in the pool later this week to share with you all!

Summer Already?

So, the girls have survived their first week of the summer mostly unscathed. (Except for the fact they are having some serious withdrawal not seeing Mrs. Tracy every weekday!)

Braelyn is still in the middle of just about everything going on at Chez Castellano. Lately, when she thinks she's been left out of something important, she'll go up to Mom and Dad to rectify the situation quickly. With a look of concern on her face, she asks to be picked "up, please" just to be sure she isn't being left out of ANYTHING... And by anything, we mean the full gamut running from emptying the dishwasher (see above) to paying bills. (Kind to think of it, the bill paying might not be a bad situation to encourage at all!)

With the arrival of the hot summer sun, Braelyn has gotten a little better when it comes to wearing hats and sunglasses... Of course, when you're looking directly at a bright sunset, it's kind of an easy sell by Mom and Dad.

Gwendolyn herself isn't immune to asking Mom and Dad for a change in elevation (although shots like the one above with her in sunglasses and a hat isn't a Braelyn trend she's very thrilled with copying). In fact, she frequently tools around on her custom star car to execute her plan. Once she finds us, she pulls her car into one of our shins and says "up" followed by a quick grab skyward as her hands are held stretched out straight into the air.

Still, Gwen is often just as happy reading a book by herself or sitting in her new chair when she gets the chance.

We guess the more things change...