Sunday, October 12, 2008

Milestones

We had a busy weekend celebrating Annie's Grandmommie's 83rd birthday, her Poppie's 86th birthday, and their 65th wedding anniversary--momentous milestones all in the month of October. Annie is their youngest grandchild, and youngest daughter of the youngest of their kids, (Bill), and of course, we had Annie when we were near retirement age ourselves...we just stretched the whole thing out to the 11th hour all the way around. Nevertheless, we all enjoyed the party, and Annie always loves another opportunity to listen to her favorite song, Happy Birthday!

Annie's new word she learned at school this week was "Stop!" Nurse Moira and Annie have been practicing 'stop' & 'go' as they stroll around the school in her bike or in her wheelchair, and she understands the meanings of both words and uses the word 'stop' appropriately and in context. Of course, she said it a few times before I actually heard it...took me awhile to figure out what "daahhp!" meant. The furrowed eyebrows helped.

The hematoma on her leg has gotten much better--thanks for your prayers. Now it's just a faded green color, and should be gone in another week. We're giving her more iron--I think it's making her a little nauseous, but hopefully, helping with whatever is causing her anemia problem. We'll check it again in a couple of weeks.

Other than that, we're looking forward to another full week at school and therapy. Please continue to pray that she regain the use of her right arm/hand, learn lots of new words, and continue to WANT to move around & walk. She resists being in her gait trainer, and that's kind of discouraging.

Jean

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay was happy to see the new update! Wow what a bunch of party animals! But glad you had a nice weekend. Neat that Annie has another new word. Will keep right on praying!!!

Gretchen said...

Lord, THANK YOU for this sweet dolly whose verbal repetoire is increasing, as is her intentionality and appropriate communication all around. I ask that You continue to touch and heal her body. Help her with intentionality and purposeful movement with all her limbs, but especially her right arm. Strengthen her, I pray. Thank You, Lord, for healing her hematoma, and for pointing Jean and Bill towards the increase in iron. I pray that You would watch her tummy and help her digestion and decrease the nausea, Lord. I also ask that You would help her initiation of movement in the gait trainer and otherwise. Lord, her brain is working so many different ways right now, and I thank You. Help us to persevere in our own faith and in the ways You would have us assist Bill and Jean and the other kids, as well as Annie herself. Thank You Lord for your faithfulness. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Jean Sullivan said...

Thanks, guys, for your prayers & encouragement--it keeps me going.

:)Jean

Anonymous said...

Jean, you are such a blessing to US with your updates and by allowing us to share in praying specifically for Annie's needs.. .and yours as a family!!!

Hugs

Anonymous said...

I just had a really weird thought. Here is Jean, straining and struggling to
1. be patient - as Annie progresses every so much more slowly than we wish
2. interpret - Annie's furrowed brows and "daahhp!" sounds
3. encourage - Annie to practice using her right arm, practice lots of new words, and WANT to do all the things we KNOW she'd LOVE to do.

Kind of like our Father in heaven - working with each one of us every day -
being patient with us, interpreting our weird sounds (we call them prayers), and encouraging us to use all the facilities He's given us, to learn new words (like "thank you" "love" "patience" "longsuffereing"), and to WANT to do the things He KNOWS we'd LOVE to do.

Jean Sullivan said...

:)