quick update on cathing

 - definitely enjoying the Monti!  Owen, if prepared for it, does not cry one bit when we cath through the monti.  We are getting pretty good at it too.  

- That first 24 hours of cathing every 2 hours was rough, but now on a 3 hour schedule with the leg bag at night and doing much better.

- actually I'm finding it down right convenient... at least I can see how it will be once we have all the kinks worked out.  I cathed Owen at a baseball game last night and in the van on the way home.  both times while he's just sitting there.  No need to pull down his pants or anything.  The kid was getting WAY too big for those baby changing stations.  This is going to be so nice.

- I think he likes how fast it is too.  better than laying on a changing table 5 times a day.  I still do a significant amount of running between the kitchen, the bathroom and Kate's room for supplies.  I need to get a system down. Thankfully, Owen's been pretty patient.

- Stomas are looking good.  keeping a bandaid on the MACE is still a struggle.  But better today since I started tucking in Owen's shirts.  He was itching his belly where all the tegaderm had been and making it red and irritated. not to mention ripping off the bandaids and proceeding to freak out.  He looks nerdy, but hey, it's working.

- Had an issue today where I thought I had his bladder empty, but it wasn't.  The catheter tip was just clogged with mucus.  When I opened the SP just to check, it flowed and flowed and flowed.  Something to watch out for in the future.   See I'm thankful we still have that SP tube.

- Appointment set for 9:00 am Wednesday morning.  Taking the underware this time and planning on him wearing them home!!!

- oh, and I had a funny incident this week—wrangling 5 kids in the parking lot at Turnstone.... during a fire drill.... on the phone with our new catheter supply company... trying to get Kate to quit climbing on the entrance with her splinted arm.

[Kate update:  she did break her arm.  She got a purple cast yesterday with blue and red sparkles.  Pretty neat, they just rubbed regular glitter all over it while it was still sticky.  She LOVES to look at it and watch it sparkle, and can't wait for everyone she knows to sign it.  It will be on for 3 weeks at least.   She and I both are pretty much unfazed by this whole thing.  3 weeks seems like no big deal to any of us these days.  She's not too sad about missing piano or handwriting assignments though.]