April 7th--Annie's 4th Birthday!

Annie turns 4 today, and we've got a Princess Party planned for her--balloons, cake, ice cream, candles, and a Happy Birthday song from her brothers & sister! Don't tell Annie, but I went to Costco & got her a swimsuit & cover-up with Cinderella on it--hopefully it'll come in handy when she goes into inpatient rehab at the hospital and can swim in their pool.

This morning, we worked on her army crawl, which she seems to be getting the hang of. She doesn't initiate it yet, but she does cooperate when I put her on her tummy and work with her. She rolls over from tummy to back when I'm not looking--she really doesn't prefer being on her tummy. We also have been working on walking too. She knows the sequencing of "left-right," but she doesn't have coordination yet. She can sit up for longer (and stronger) than she did last week, so that's good. And she also has allowed a taste of formula on her toothbrush--accepting any food has been a challenge, so this is also a great improvement. And today, she tasted Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream without a fuss--and seemed to want a lot more than I gave her. Hmm...maybe I just haven't been trying the right foods??

Her OT has recommended we get a "SPIO" garment to help "ground" her, so she doesn't feel like she's out in space. Do a Google search on it & read about it. It's a lycra undergarment that gives kids sensory input. Hopefully it will help her in her sitting and coordination of her arms and legs.

Tuesday she has a Vision Therapy appointment, and I'm also trying to get her in to see a neurologist soon.

Her feeding is going well--no throwing up since this past Tuesday night. Pray that we can keep bumping up the rate so she can get through a feeding in less than 2 1/2 hours. One hour would be great. I don't know how soon that'll be.

Again, the other option to all of the above is that God would heal her today. I'd take that. But I do want to encourage you (ME) that she is making steady progress.

Happy Easter to you all!

Love,

Jean


The Road to Emmaus

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

Luke 24:13-35