February 28th

Let it snow…

Ashley took advantage of the heavy snow this month by going for a sled ride through the back yard.

The most exciting advance this month has been Ashley’s improved ability to swallow fluids. As followers of the site know Ashley has been eating pureed foods for over a year. Drinking liquids without occasionally chocking remained a challenge. Ashley has been drinking up to 3 ounces in a sitting the last couple of weeks without a problem. About a week ago we heard a sound that would normally be considered poor manors, but for us was an event for celebration; Ashley, using a straw, reached the bottom of her glass and slurped!

We have every confidence that 2010 will see the removal of Ashley’s feeding tube. Thank you all for your continued prayers that have helped Ashley reach this point.

February means Valentines Day and Ashley pitched in to make some cookies.

Speaking of cookies…

On the eating front, as we reported last month, Ashley has been able to pick up a pretzel rod and graham cracker and get it to her mouth and take a bite. It is still a laborious process but Ashley just yesterday added a third item to her list. She is now picking up cinnamon flavored corn puffs and eating them. We are looking forward to the day that she can have a bowl of these and eat them like popcorn all on her own.

The Eating portion of Walk, Talk and Eat is on a promising track.

Since Ashley has had physical therapy in the pool twice a week she has increased her ability to kick her legs, roll over and as you can see from this picture Ashley is a right at home in the water.

Ashley is getting down the stairs from her bedroom on the weekends easier. She is going down side ways using the wall for support. While we were right there to spot her she took most of the steps on her own. This approach has proven a lot easier for Ashley than going down straight.

Last week Ashley accompanied Aunt Ann and Mom to the Fort Wayne Home and Garden show. They had a good time seeing the wide variety of exhibits. Later Ashley said the variety and sheer size of the show made it tiring for her. All of that visual stimulation is still a lot for her to absorb. Even so she had a good time and was glad see went.

While we are still relying on spelling words with Ashley our conversations continue to broaden. We are going beyond responding to basic needs and comfort and getting into more in depth conversations. This is a good thing because Ashley is frequently reminding both mom and dad of things we discussed in the past and forgot to follow through on. It just shows how complex Ashley’s malady is. While some functions are severely affected by her demyelization there are some areas that are not affected and, encouragingly, other areas that are healing and revealing welcome progress in her recovery.

Although we still have snow on the ground we are anxious for some warm weather in March so Ashley can get outside and take a walk in the neighborhood. It may be a short walk but it will be a walk and we hopeful that it will be the start of ever increasing distances this year.