Jenny had her trache taken out yesterday and she is so very happy. Our family had a great party for her where everyone but her had to wear a trache of some design and Jenny would be the only one without a trache. Jenny got a kick out of our traches. Dustin had a speaker mounted to his that played “Celebrate good times…”, Melissa had the only trache that looked like a real one (but was rigged to spray water for paybacks of all the times Jenny sprayed us). I had a long tube that wrapped around my body. Jessie had an elephant head. Zach had a pez dispenser strapped to his neck that looked like it had a trache with the little pez coming out of the neck. Jordan, our neice, had lip gloss that was strapped to her neck for easy access. Finally, Sophia had a pacifier (her weakness) on which she tried to suck, but it was strapped to tight to her neck, so all she could do was put the tip of her tongue on it. We later had a ceremonial trache burning and various party activities related to trache removal.

Jenny is doing well and has good breathing and clearing of secretions. She tells me it is much easier to breath without the trache. She swallows/eats better. Daily activites are less painful because it does not bump her trache. Her head turns more because it does not irritate her. I could go on, but the bottom line is that Jenny is getting better and overcoming. We wait to see what this will do in relation to regaining speech. If anything, Jenny has to pass air by her vocal chords at all times now and she has more time to practise.

Out of the blue, Zach has began to cuddle with his mom again. He does not say anything, but will lay down next to her in the mornings and place her arm over his body. Jenny has missed this so much. Zach was her biggest cuddler. It just seems that life is good right now despite the large obstacles we have to face (especially those Jenny has to face). I have really noticed how much growth Jenny has made these past couple of weeks. I have always admired her, but she has definately began the process of becoming the extraordinary person Heavenly Father has seen that she can be.