E-i-ee-i-oooh

Annie's into music and farm animal sounds. Probably because in this house, she's surrounded by both. Now, you know that I've been trying to figure out a way to motivate her to use her right hand, and I think through your prayers, I've found it.

A little background: since January of '07, Annie hasn't been into books, except her Disney Princess book--which she devours. Literally. Any other book has held little interest for her. Of course, this has been just another reason for me to be sad, because she used to love to get up on the couch and snuggle up next to me while I read to her. But since her brain injury, she hasn't been interested in looking at pictures, or listening to stories. I occasionally would try to read something to her, but for the most part, I could tell she was just enduring it until I would close the last page and give her something she really wanted--a toy with music or animal sounds.

However, earlier this year her Rehab without Walls Speech therapist, BJ, left a book with us, called "Sounds on the Farm." On each page of this book, there's a picture of a barn with a door. When you lift up the door, you see a farm animal; on the first page there's a cow, the next one has a dog, then a goat, a duck, a horse, a rooster, a pig and a sheep. And on the bottom of the book there's a row of buttons that go with each animal, so when you lift up the barn door, you can also push a button and hear the animal sound. So for the last few evenings, Annie has sat on my lap so her left arm is toward me, and her right arm is by the buttons. I put my hand over her right fingers and help her push the buttons to hear each animal as we read each page. And as of this week, she LOVES this book--looking at the pictures, listening to the sounds, laughing, looking at me, and then looking at the pictures again. AND she lets me help her push the buttons with her right-hand fingers. She tries to mimic all the noises too, and although she's not as good as her brothers, she's working on it.

I am so happy.

Jean

It is the habit of faith, when she is praying, to use pleas. Mere prayer sayers, who do not pray at all, forget to argue with God; but those who prevail bring forth their reasons and their strong arguments. Charles H. Spurgeon

When autumn leaves start to fall...

Last night Bill and I made the huge mistake of watching an old video of Annie from a couple years back--of her singing and talking and walking and dancing--whatever possessed us to do that? But then we watched a video of her from about a year ago, with that blank stare she used to have and seeing the changes she's had since then cheered us up somewhat. Even in the last month or so, with all the new words, God continues His work of healing in her. Just think--in June she was so plagued with seizures, and now that's a distant memory, too.

It seems that just like the trees lose their leaves and seem so barren and lifeless through the winter, yet begin to bud again in spring, Annie is blossoming into a new little creation. Slowly but surely.

Still working on that video. I need deadlines.

Jean

"When the trees their summer splendor
Change to raiment red and gold,
When the summer moon turns mellow,
And the nights are getting cold;
When the squirrels hide their acorns,
And the woodchucks disappear;
Then we know that it is autumn,
Loveliest season of the year."
- Carol L. Riser, Autumn

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

Bailing in Seattle

Sorry I haven't updated in over a week, it's just that I haven't been able to drag myself away from my talk-radio pundits, debate commentary and stock market news. What with the sky falling and all, I simply haven't had time to string two sentences together about my sweet ba-boo. I just want to know one thing. How it is that if I managed my personal finances the way Wall Street & Washington has done, I'd have to go directly to jail and not pass go and they...don't?? Nevermind, I feel my blood pressure rising.

I still don't have a video made. I did charge up the camcorder battery. Tomorrow I'll probably figure out how to put the tape into the recorder. By November we should have the thing uploaded.

Annie had a good week at school, but she got a weird boo-boo on her leg--a hematoma actually--so I took her down to the doctor to have it checked out. The doctor ordered some blood work done, and it turns out Annie's a bit anemic, so I'm going to give her some iron for awhile and while I have the bottle open, I might take some myself. The current theory is that maybe her seizure meds are contributing to her blood issues, which is not unheard of, and so we'll recheck her labs in a month.

Meanwhile, she's perfecting her "No" expression--sometimes it's no-lo-no-lo, and sometimes it's NO through gritted teeth, and sometimes it's no in a song. I haven't heard "yes" yet. Or MOMMY.

Jean

The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22