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Let the celebrations begin!
I was a little reluctant to begin celebrations today for Claire’s birthday, but after being invited to a friend’s house for early Melbourne Cup lunch, it seemed like an ok idea to accept her suggestion...
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Hanging out with Ronald
With Claire’s birthday just around the corner, thoughts of her pregnancy, birth and her arrival have been in the forefront of my mind, more than usual. The range of emotions that I feel in the moments...
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A note from Claire’s Nanna on her 2nd birthday
On Claire’s 2nd birthday, her Nanna (my mum, Majella), wrote this piece about what Claire means to her. Thanks, Mum. xo What does Claire mean to me? Claire Matilda Gutke is a precious gift. Like most...
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Full is way better than empty
I have always been full of life, enthusiastic, motivated and somewhat confident in many ways. I have tried many things (my attention span tends to see me move to the next rather quickly!), and have...
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Not quite right yet, Senator McLucas
Claire, Zoe and I attended the launch of the expansion to the Better Start for Children with a Disability Package this afternoon at the Cerebral Palsy League in New Farm, as representatives for Cri Du...
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D-Day: Part 1
Reblogged from Claire Matilda: Today is D-Day. Diagnosis Day. On this day last year, we were given the news that our beautiful, perfect baby girl had a rare genetic disorder called Cri Du Chat...
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Jerome Le Jeune
I just came across the Wikipedia page about Cri Du Chat Syndrome, a page I have not visited for a long time. Two years ago, I sat outside with Matt, and I read the text in somewhat of a daze, and...
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Growing together
A picture speaks 1000 words, right? Look at my babies and how they have grown. I love them both more than I could ever express with words.
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Dreaming of a White Christmas
Cuddles for Claire, in her stroller which the Gold Coast Community Fund helped to fund. Earlier this year, we were contacted by the Gold Coast Community Fund with the offer of support in covering the...
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Better Start Stakeholders Meeting in Sydney
As part of the expansion of the Better Start for Children with Disability (Better Start) initiative, the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), invited me...
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AWOL
I know I’ve been AWOL. When Callum started school, I was unexpectedly taken aback by the awful affliction of anxiety. Serious anxiety. The kind where your heart skips a beat, you breakout in cold...
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Life in the Garden City
Our family has recently made a big move, from the Gold Coast to Toowoomba. We have been here for almost a month now, and the change so far seems to have been a positive one. Matt is thoroughly enjoying...
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I wish I knew
The night before Claire was born, I wish I knew that she was going to be born alive. The day that we were given Claire’s diagnosis of Cri Du Chat Syndrome, I wish I knew that this diagnosis was going...
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Life in the Garden City
Our family has recently made a big move, from the Gold Coast to Toowoomba. We have been here for almost a month now, and the change so far seems to have been a positive one. Matt is thoroughly enjoying...
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My startup disk is nearly full
I have been cleaning out old files on my computer this evening due to the arrival of that pesky Mac warning, “Your startup disk is nearly full”. I had to delete a significant amount of files to free up...
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Let’s Get Claire to Kindy
When Callum turned 4, he started at Kindy. I packed his lunch, labeled all his belongings, and dropped him off after about 15 minutes in the room. He was happy, I was happy, and I knew his needs would...
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How to help get Claire to Kindy
People are contacting us asking how to help, and we are very grateful! The short answer: Share, share, share our posts and links on Social Media (and ask your friends to do the same). This truly has a...
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Editing is Exhausting
People often tell me how amazing I am, and how well I ‘handle’ all of the responsibilities that come with being mum to Claire. They ask how on earth I find the time to advocate for her needs, but the...
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The Gift of Stella
The hardest part of this journey by far has been having our eyes opened wide to the fact that life is not always fair. There is nothing fair about illness that debilitates a child, or that takes their...
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How to help get Claire to Kindy
Originally posted on Claire Matilda: People are contacting us asking how to help, and we are very grateful! The short answer: Share, share, share our posts and links on Social Media (and ask your...
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