Life Goes On!

It seems as if we are not skipping a beat as one day rolls into the next. Caitlin and I have been out running errands, going to appointments, shopping (of course), and even going to cousin Keith's basketball game on Friday night. One day I counted how many times I had transferred Caitlin and it was 20! Needless to say, that was a bit excessive and I was physically tired but Caitlin and I did it successfully! Therapies are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9-12 from here on out. This schedule will allow me to work those exact same mornings on a very regular basis which is great. Caitlin and I will be going to school when I have things I need to accomplish on Tuesday and Thursday. Hopefully this week we will get the hitch on the back of my car for her electric wheelchair and that will be great for Caitlin's independence with going to therapy and just about anywhere else too. We are waiting for the hitch adapter to arrive. Sean Whisler, a colleague at my school, took it upon himself to take care of this part of our lives. He managed to find a decent lift on Craig's list for a phenomenally low cost. Once again we are so blessed to have such caring people in our lives. As we are working out all the kinks of our life as it is right now I am proud to say we are surviving and thriving. Caitlin and I have some "mother/daughter" moments but overall life is good...a lot of work, a lot of laughter, and a whole lot of love!
Michael and Stephanie have introduced a new card game into our lives called Phase 10. The competition is healthy and involves everyone, especially Tim. Each day when he arrives to visit Caitlin he is determined he will beat Caitlin. We are still waiting for that to happen! The refrigerator has become the "Bragging Wall" for the score sheets. Sweet Stephanie is no longer so sweet as she is not a humble victor! I keep teasing her she will no longer be invited to family dinner if she keeps this up!
It is so fun for me to watch Caitlin sit at the kitchen table and be glued to the computer looking at facebook and myspace. Her life is reappearing a day at a time. I can only imagine how difficult it is to look at everyone's lives, their fun photos, and then reflect on her own life right now. As the mother I am so vested in creating new memories for Caitlin and not focusing on the past but it is a huge challenge in doing this. I am sleeping on an air mattress on the floor of Caitlin's current downstairs bedroom where the hospital bed is. Each night I joke of our slumber parties and getting used to watching MTV's Real World. Sadie snuggles in this small bedroom too. We do laugh at ourselves in this situation but I am still not comfortable leaving Caitlin downstairs by herself. She has a bell to ring, I have a baby monitor for the room, but I think I still live in fear of her having another stroke and my not being there for her. A day at time and I know that someday things will be different but for today this is where we are at!