The big wedding adventure - August 13 - 19, 2011

This past week was pretty special, because I was a FLOWER GIRL at my friends Jen and Ben's wedding!  There were 9 of us flower girls in all, and it was a truly awesome time.  The bigger girls got to carry fairy wands, but my friend Ashley and I got to ride in an amazing princess carriage!

Mommy wasn't sure at first if I would be able to be in the wedding because I'm not really great at walking holding just one hand, though I'm getting better (thanks to Mrs. Linda, who works with me on this every day!).  So, Aunt Jen came up with the idea of a wagon and my friend Ashley, who is 5 months younger than me, and I got to ride down the aisle in style!

Kaety and Ashley in the princess carriage, discussing important fashion details...

Kaety and Ashley hanging out to avoid the pre-wedding jitters....

Yeah...I'm cute...and pudgy - just sayin'.

The wedding was a LOT of fun and there was not even ONE temper tantrum or breakdown from any of my flower girl friends...we were all on our best behaviour.  Mommy and Daddy said Aunt Jen and Uncle Ben are brave, brave folks for having so many wee ones in the wedding party!

Bride and groom and flower girls!

We had some nice pictures taken of Mommy, Daddy and me.  Unfortunately, Sissy couldn't go, but lots of folks asked about her!

Kaetlyn, Mommy & Daddy

By the end of the evening, I was really tired and so Mommy and Daddy whisked me off home.  I fell asleep in the car before we even pulled away from the curb!  It was a fun, but exhausting adventure.

I love my Aunt Jen and Uncle Ben - thank you SO much for including me in your special day.  You are both THE BOMB!!!

Me and my beautiful Aunt Jen

GI "fun", Baby Watch 2011, and gearing up for big changes - August 6 - 12, 2011

I've generally had a pretty good week, though I had to pay another visit to the doctor.  I went to see a special GI doctor at Children's Hospital to check out my reflux issues.  Unfortunately, the last few weeks have seen an increase in my reflux and though I don't really get bothered by it, my teachers at school, Ms. Colleen, and my Mom and Dad are all a bit concerned.  I'm a really good eater, but sometimes foods just don't seem to like to stick with me.  And there really is no rhyme or reason to it...one day, I can eat an orange slice and the next day, I can't.  I sometimes throw things up that have been ingested 3-4 hours earlier...and when they come up, they're whole.  SO...Mommy and Daddy finally decided to tell Dr. P that enough is enough and we needed to see the specialist forthwith! 

Off we trekked to the specialist and Mommy and Daddy spent an hour telling her all about my issues and what we've tried (wedges in bed, sitting up for 20-30 minutes after each meal, separating food and drink, removing foods from my diet, etc.) and she was very patient and listened while I entertained her with lots of wiggling and some very explicit stories about how hungry I was at that point.  They checked my height and weight (29.53 inches and 23.5 lbs), pronounced me very healthy (31% height and 67% weight!) and the doctor said she'd be more worried if I was not gaining weight, or if it seemed to bother me more than it does.  That said, Mommy and Mrs. Linda and Ms. Colleen had tracked some of the timing of my "urpage" (we went through 5 outfits at school that day and over 8 bibs in 1 hour of therapy because I was urping every 1-2 minutes!) and those statistics did worry the doctor.  She felt around my abdomen and stuck her finger up places I'd rather not discuss and pronounced me constipated!  Mommy and Daddy were a little surprised because I had gone 4 times at school that day!  The doctor said that sometimes kids with extra chromosomes have a harder time getting "stuff out," which we knew, but even if we're going, sometimes there's more stuck in there. 

Deep in thought about my new "protocol"...

SO...now, I'm on a "cleansing" protocol and we'll go through two cycles of super-focused-get-the-poo-out regimen to hopefully get me going at least 1-2 times a day without straining.  The idea being that not much can go in if it's blocked up on the other end.  We go back to see the doctor in the middle of September and if this isn't working, then the next step is a study to determine how fast I digest things.  BUT...that process involves radiation much like the swallow study did, so we're going to try the cleansing thing first.  Wish me luck.  Actually, wish my Mommy, Daddy and teachers luck! :)

In other, less sensitive news, we are on Baby Watch 2011, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Sister G.  Mommy says she's sufficiently uncomfortable and ready to meet BSG, but I am thinking she should stay in a little longer.  Recently I've become fairly attached to my Mommy holding me...I really like the new "chair" I have when Mommy picks me up...though sometimes that "chair" kicks me!  Fortunately, Mommy and Aunt Rachel L. are on Baby Watch together, as Aunt Rachel is due just a few days after Mommy, so they can commisserate together.

Mommy and Aunt Rachel with Baby G and Baby A

Mommy has been prepping BSG's room and going through lots and lots of clothes.  I like it because I get to play in BSG's room and pull all the folded clothes out of the bags Mommy is sorting.  It's darned good fun! :)  Plus, with all the new gear for BSG, there are BOXES.  Have I mentioned how I LOOOVE boxes?  They are fun for all sorts of games...




YAY Kaetlyn!  (My favorite saying!) :)

Mommy has also been spending time with me and my Baby Doll.  She says she's trying to "prep" me for BSG's arrival.  Mostly, when she picks up the doll and cradles it and says "Nice Baby," I pull the doll out of her hands, crawl up in her lap and wrap my arms around her for a big hug.  That's what she's trying to get me to do, right?  She says we may be in for Big Trouble in River City!  I don't have any idea what she means...and I know she sure does like those hugs! :)  Have a great week! 





ER visits, Fun at school, Therapy firsts and new sounds: July 30 - August 5, 2011

This past week was quite an adventure.  On Saturday, we were supposed to go to the zoo for my Mommy's work picnic, but instead, we ended up visiting the nice doctors and nurses at the hospital!  It ended up being not a big deal, but I gave Mommy and Daddy a pretty good scare.  I was playing with my super-cool sunglasses that had light-up sides and chewing on them, which is what you are supposed to do with sunglasses, right?  Well, they came apart and inside each arm of the sunglasses are these little, tiny batteries.  So, when Daddy found the glasses, he said, "Where's the other battery?"  Needless to say, Mommy and Daddy both thought, after some searching, that I had swallowed the battery!  There was a quick call to the National Poison Control Center and then an expeditious exodus to the hospital. 

The people at the hospital were really, really nice.  They took me back right away and talked to Daddy about me and then I got changed into a snazzy purple "dress" and then they took pictures of my throat and chest!  In the end, they came back and said there were no signs of the battery...I could've told them that! 

Kaetlyn in her snazzy hospital duds...

So, we went home and Daddy and Mommy started frantically vacuuming to see if they could find the battery.  Daddy found it a while later, in a spot where I would have found it eventually! Fortunately, the battery was not in me or any of my dogs and everything turned out all right.  Unfortunately, we missed our trip to the zoo :(, but Mommy is pleased with how clean her carpets are!

I had a lot of fun at school this past week.  We played in sand and shells in the sensory tub and in WATER.  I loooove water.  Mrs. Linda took some really nice pictures of me playing with all the fun stuff!

Playing with sand and shells at school.

Water fun!

Investigating the water toys...

I also spent a lot of time playing with Sissy this past weekend.  She was teaching me lots of new things and reading books to me.  She's a wonderful Sissy!

Sissy and me...

Funniest sister EVER...and my best friend.

I took some new skillage with me into my Therapy session with Ms. Colleen this week.  I showed her all the new words I've learned, such as:  dadadada, nanananana, mamamama, babababa.  I don't think she's ever heard me talk so much!  I also showed her how to pucker her lips like me to give me a kiss.  I'm becoming pretty quick with the lip-pucker!  But by far, my newest trick is one that Mrs. Linda taught me...walking holding on to just ONE hand!  I'm not as adept at it as I am with two (I can MOVE when holding two hands!), but I'm starting to get the hang of it and Ms. Colleen was VERY proud.  I also met my new Family Coordinator because, unfortunately, Ms. Donna is taking a new job at the Center.  My new Family Coordinator is Ms. Jana and she's wonderful.  I really liked meeting her and playing with her at therapy this week.  I do hope I get to still see Ms. Donna when I go meet Ms. Colleen at the Center, though!

That's about all for now...have a safe week!  :) 

Swimming, Swimming, Swimming...July 23 - July 29, 2011

We FINALLY had warm enough weather to actually do some OUTSIDE "swimming" this past weekend.  Mommy and Daddy pulled out my dog, Kaia's summer pool, scrubbed it out, and repurposed it for ME!  I got to play in the water and I LOVED it!  Kaia was a bit distraught that she was being told NOT to go in her pool when it was so warm out, but at the end of the day, she went in and had fun too.  :)

Kaetlyn hanging out in "her" pool...

I'm LOVING this!

Taken right after I took a header into the water.  Mommy was quite freaked out.  You can see that I thought it was super fun.  (You can see Kaia's feet and tail in the background as she lays, patiently, waiting to be let into her pool!)

After my fun in the pool, Mommy and Daddy took me to a MAGICAL place called "McDonald's" and I had my first "happy meal."  I'm pleased to report that it did, indeed, make me happy.  And did you know they give you a TOY!?  Awesome.

Kaety's first Happy Meal.

Then, the next day, we went to visit Mommy's cousins and they had a surprise for me...they had a pool for me too!  I played in the water with Auntie Rachel and I'm here to tell you, pools are FUN, FUN, FUN!

Kissing Auntie Rachel in the pool...

Mommy says drinking pool water is maybe not such a good thing...I don't know what she's talking about.  Tastes fine to me!

I really enjoyed my weekend of pool fun and talked to Ms. Colleen about it when we met this week.  She says playing in the pool and my swimming lessons are really going to help pay off in my motor skills...let's hope so! 


Well, that's about all for now...summer seems to be hitting in batches here in Seattle, and we'll take whatever we can get.  Guess I better get used to wearing sunglasses for a little while!  Have a great week :)

Stylin' princess glasses courtesy of my cousins O....don't I look cool?!