One foot of snow and counting...

It's been awhile since we've seen this much snow in these parts. The van had a 7-inch layer of snow when I went out this morning to shovel a path to it. Good thing Bill bought me an extra large mega ice scraper-brusher thing last week.

The newsman said to stay home and off the roads unless you absolutely had to go out. But he hasn't been cooped up in our house for 3 days like me. So I bundled Annie up and took Olivia and her for a drive over to the mall to pick up brother Andy from work this evening. Big Mistake. My all-wheel drive van plows through anything, but not everyone else was driving a van like mine. So the main hazard wasn't the ice and snow, it was the cars and trucks ricocheting off the curbs and each other. Olivia, optimist that she is, kept whispering through clenched teeth, "we're gonna die, we're gonna die." "Well, yes," I said, "it's true that we're all going to die sometime. But right now, I need you to quit clawing the dashboard, because you're freaking Annie out."

It only took us about a half an hour to drive the 3 blocks nearest the mall, but we eventually found Andy walking in a snowdrift that used to be a sidewalk, picked him up, and made it home without bumping into anyone. A bonus: I think Olivia's blood pressure has probably returned to normal by now.

Meanwhile, the relentless snowstorms haven't stopped Annie from making little steps of progress. We worked on scooting down the stairs all last week, and she pretty much has it down. One leg on the next step down, then the other, bum slides down onto the next step, "Yeah!" she yells. It's very cool...and then we practice walking back up the stairs. She's got a lot of strength in those little legs, and it is fun to practice with her because SHE enjoys it so much.

With 3 days 'til Christmas, I have much to be thankful for--all-wheel drive vans, bums that scoot down stairs, husbands that buy ice scrapers...and a Creator of snow-flocked trees Who loved us so much that He gave us His Son. My wish for you is that Emmanuel--God With Us--surrounds you and your family with His love and peace this Christmas, and that He give you all the desires of your heart.

And I do thank you for continuing to pray for Annie--your intercession is a gift.

Jean

"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:18-23

Christmas Time is Here

A few years ago pbi, (pre-brain-injury), Annie liked to sing the song from A Charlie Brown Christmas:

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year

Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share

Only instead of singing the last two lines of each verse--which she didn't know-- she'd sing, "Awesome good, and awesome good, and awesome gooooOOOoood." You remember those Christmas songs you grew up listening to, but didn't quite know the words? Anyway, that song was one of her favorites. So what happens today when the song comes on the radio? Annie stops what she's doing, looks up toward the radio and smiles. She loves that song. Music is therapy to her little brain.

Her vocabulary has increased to 8 words so far this week: Daddy, (Bill's personal favorite), Olivia, Jack (we've heard that twice), yeah, no, hi, what, and star. She has a noisy toy that when you touch the shape, the recording says the name of the shape. And "star" is one of the shapes. So when she touched it yesterday she smiled, looked up at me and said, "Star!"

As I was tucking her into bed tonight, Annie folded her hands to pray, and we thanked Jesus for the awesome good things He's done this Christmas time.

Jean

It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty founder was a child himself.
--Charles Dickens

"Daddy!"

While we were sitting in the living room this afternoon visiting with Peter, Cris and Jack, Annie had another moment of feeling neglected. And as Bill reached down to Annie in an attempt to avert another gagging episode, she looked up to him and said, "Daddy!"

We all heard it--it's the first time in almost two years she's said it. "Daddy!" That 7% verbal communication is so precious--Praise God for answered prayer!

Jean

7%--38%--55% Rule

If Albert Mehrabian's conclusions about communication are true, that 7% of communication is verbal, 38% is tone of voice, and 55% is body language, then understanding Annie is not an insurmountable hurdle. Especially now that she is throwing toys and books when she's done with them (55% body language), and yelling more loudly when in cavernous spaces like the mall where she can maximize the echo of her voice (38% tone). Understanding Annie is not rocket science. However, if you're in the next room, and not immediately comprehending that she's lonely and/or bored and wants someone to play with NOW, she can speed up your thought processes by sticking her fingers down her throat.

I was sitting in the children's physical therapist's waiting room this week, commiserating with another mom, and, of course, since my attention was turned away from Annie, and I wasn't watching her breathe right at that moment, she took 55% of her fingers and stuck them 38% into her throat. The mom's eyes got real big, and she said, "MY kid does that too!!" Isn't life grand? Why did I get the most perverse comfort in hearing that she has to deal with threatening throwup on a daily basis too?

So, of course, we agreed that the answer to this problem is to ignore the behavior. Right. Do you know how many of Annie's toys I've thrown out because the throw up can't be cleaned out of the plastic cracks? I've tried digging it out with q-tips, toothpicks, and when all else fails, I've run the smelly things under the faucet. Then Old McDonald ends up sounding like he's waterlogged. Oh, never mind.

The good news is she's continuing to communicate. She's laughing, giggling, and smiling more. But this gagging is so annoying. So we'll just ignore it.

I do have a prayer request, though. Her seizures don't seem to be going away, and her head drops are becoming more pronounced. Last month, the doc mentioned another medicine we might try next, or maybe do the VNS surgery. Yuck. We need wisdom, and Annie needs healing. But we are enjoying that 55% body language and 38% tone.

Jean


"Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7