I just returned from a 2 night trip out of state. In the past 4 months, I have been by Jenny’s side for no fewer than 8 hours per day, so it seemed weird not to be with her- even though I typically am not a clingy person. Jenny had a couple big new movments to show off that she had perfected in just the 2 days I was gone. I hear others talk about her drastic improvements, but it is nice to finally see what it looks like. It gives so much more, but I am afraid Jenny will not have our luxury of stepping away for a couple days. One of the new movwements is a secret that she wants to show to a few family and friends and the other is the ability to pick up and move her right arm and move it in various directions in large movements. The right side is really getting active, and the left side is showing movement again. Respiratory is great and Jenny still has not needed suctioning for over 10 days! I sill hope for the trache to come out soon- very soon.

We continue to do pool therapies as well as the others and Jenny seems to be having larger movements in her right side, and has began moving more of her left side as of today. If anything, she is eating well and she can drink water as long as it is given by dropper or spoonful. We have an ENT appointment Monday and we hope for the best (meaning that the trache will come out). Jenny has not needed suctioning for over a week and she does not appear to have any problems with swallowing/breathing/clearing. Sophia has decided that she is the new therapist for Jenny’s arms, but tends to walk away with Jenny’s arms dangling from the side of the wheel chair. I caught Jenny trying to lift her right arm from a hanging position to almost having the arm rest on the arm rest.

Sophia has also claimed Jenny’s lap as her own personal sitting spot. She will take Jenny’s arms and wrap them around her self and tell everyone that mom is hugging her. The kids get so excited when they see their mom move a new muscle or do any large movement. Jenny has just began to feel able to discuss her stroke and trials without extreme emotional struggles. A friend of hers sent an excellent book by an LDS author called “Making Sense of Suffering”. We read a bit in the hospital but Jenny could not make it through a couple pages without needing to stop. It is an excellent book and Jenny feels that she has more direction and purpose. Jenny also made it through all 3 hours of church last Sunday. It appears that she has been fearing going to Relief Society because it tends to be more emotion evoking than the other meetings (It think the Relief Society women strive to make each other cry or it is not a good lesson). Jenny survived, so I think we are back to the full schedule as long as no other health problems get in the way.

Zach had his 7th birthday today and I was hoping it would be a good experience for Jenny despite being the first birthday of one of her children since her stroke (did I mention that the kids’ birthdays are the most important holidays to Jenny and she really gets into them?). Jenny insised that I made the cake despite several very capable people offered to do it for us. Jenny eventualy admitted that she did not want anyone making a better cake than her. I am not sure how I am suppose to take that, but the cake was great. I admit that Jenny would have done it better, but I used star tips and character cake pans and all. Jenny cried only once at the party and that was during the singing of “Happy Birthday”. I am sure she wanted to sing to her son. She told me the other day that singing is something she misses most- more than walking or moving her arms. Unfotunately, it is the one thing she does not show any improvement on. Jenny eats better these days. She pretty much eats what we eat for dinner with little or no alterations to it. Chewing is still a problem, so I guess it is lucky I am use to cooking for young children who don’t chew so well so our menu does not ave to change much to accomodate Jenny. I see new movments in her arms and legs that are larger extensions of smaller movements. She is usually able to repeat them at least once more if I ask her to do so.

Jenny had family in town to visit again and it always seems to go better when new faces are here that she enjos seeing. Jenny tries harder in therapies and is happier. We tired letting Jenny sit cross legged on the floor with only her arms holding herself up. Her torso was strong and when she felt herself falling, she reacted by locking her arms and catching herself. Her neck still wants to pull to the left and so she fights this movement while she tries to balance herself and remember to swallow all at the same time. She was able to sit by herself for 30-5 seconds with no help and for several minutes with slight readjustments. She gets stronger in her neck and torso each day that we work on it. There has not been any new movements, but the old ones get a little stronger each day. Again, none of her movements in themselves are capable of performing any self help tasks at this time, but she is getting so close to making this happen..