Talking

Hey folks -- I have to post these! We got some videos of Emily "talking" and here they are:




There are more videos available HERE on YouTube, so feel free to check them out. She's doing great!

Peace <><

Easter Pictures

We're still here and kickin'! We've been hard at work on school, taxes, getting Emily some new braces for her legs and torso and surviving Annabelle's first Spring Break. :)

Emily is just great.
She is curious - always watching our every move -- starts "yelling" if she's not a part of what's going on -- trying super hard to get those words out. So far we've translated: up, uh-huh, uh-oh, again, go, 1-2-3-go, hi ---- and some other stuff I KNOW she is saying, but just can't figure out :/ I SOOOO want to figure it out b/c she LOVES it when I finally get what she is saying. :)
She is sweet - always smiling - letting Annabelle lay with her and rub her arms and ear lobes -- "talking" with Annabelle as she plays
She's got a sense of humor - always smiling and giggling - loves to play all the time
She's a snuggle-bug - let's us know when she hasn't gotten enough snuggle time -- just loves to be close to us :)

We've been working on getting Emily a good TLSO and DAFO (torso and leg braces). With the TLSO we are hoping to get her into a power chair. But, this process has just taken entirely way too long and we wonder if we're ever going to get into a chair. They want to see all kinds of progress and stuff - some things that Emily just may never do, but that doesn't mean she can't be in a power chair. Again, I think it's just b/c they don't see SMA kids as weak as Emily able to do the things she can... much less, SMA kids of her type that have lived this long without a trach!

DAFO's


So, other than taxes and school -- we had a GREAT Easter with my parents and cousin, Autumn. It's nice to have them close by for events like Easter. I got to play the trumpet and sing at church too, so it was a good, fulfilling day celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ!! Check out the slide show for some pics of our Sunday:


God Bless you all!! We're thankful for our friends and family that do what they can to support us. Don't be afraid to drop us a line or call to say hello. We think about everybody out there quite a bit, but get so caught up in our ceaseless life.

Peace <><

A gift

Another week has gone by and Emily has added a few surprises by saying "hug" and "up." It's the little things that are the best. We know she's using other ones too, we're just trying to figure them out. But oh man does she ever enjoy it when we get what she is saying!

We received a nice gift from an anonymous person or family this week. Included in the letter was a nice typed note and a gift certificate to get some gas. Someone knows that we LOVE taking Emily out in her van and make it a regular family affair every Sat afternoon. It's not only nice to get a little help with gas, but also to find out that someone noticed how they could provide for us in a special way.

Whoever you are, thank you so much for your gift!-- it is just what we needed and will provide many more van rides with Emily.

THANK YOU!!!

Peace <><