A Day of Remembrance and Thankfulness

Today is the four year anniversary of the day Noah was struck by lightning.  It is a day that in many ways, I can remember as if it were yesterday.  The skies have been dark and there has been some rain today, but right now, at 6pm, the skies are bright and sunny.  The girls have remarked that every year , on this day, there is always rain.
 It is hard to believe that it has been FOUR YEARS!!   Wow...how time DOES fly!!  It has been four years filled with the same things your lives have been filled with...sadness, happiness, craziness, adjustments, laughter, and tears...but some things have been constants...faith, hope and love!!!  We serve an amazing God, have an amazing son, and  amazing families both biological AND spiritual!! Although life is sometimes a challenge, it is always filled  with the knowledge that we are such an incredibly blessed family!!!
We celebrate Noah's life today...thankful to our amazing God, that He's given us another year to love and enjoy our baby(ok...my words, not David's)...our son(that's what David would say:)!!)  We love you....

Thinking on Paper

Since I began writing Noah's updates, many moons ago, I told David that the one thing I DON'T want to do is to speak before something happens.  What I mean by that is that sometimes it "appears" that Noah is progressing in an area, and then the very thing that I mentioned, I don't see again after I've written about it.  I just get soooo excited over seeing something that I haven't seen before, that I have to blurt it out...only to feel bad that, for whatever reason, it was a one time or many time thing, but not a lasting thing. Maybe someone could explain it to me...or maybe there is no explanation....hmmm.    The last couple weeks though, I have been seeing some really cool things, and I am hoping they last and continue.They are things that have been continuing to happen more than once...and appear to be consistent from day to day.  I'd like to say I want to blurt them out(and I will), but with cautious optimism and with thought of having you pray that God will increase and continue....something IS connecting in Noah's brain...and I want to  share for prayer and as encouragement.
Noah has strong tone.  Tone, as I understand it, is something we all have.  It is the thing that keeps us from being limp or stiff, our brain keeps our tone from being too strong or too weak...our tone is just right to enable us to do what we do...walk, touch, move our hands and feet.  Noah's brain is not sending the right signals to his hands and feet, so they are stiff...super stiff in some areas and more on his right side.  Bending Noah's legs has been at times a struggle.  I am pretty strong(I can lift Noah...off the ground:)!!)...but at times trying to bend Noah's right leg can exhaust me.  The very cool thing is that lately, in a moment of exhaustion, I stood there and said to Noah,"I am too tired and refuse to bend your leg.  I am going to wait until you relax and allow your leg to be bent!"  Oh ye of little faith...I can't say that I actually believed that he would relax, only that my words would give me a moment or two to collect my wits and my strength and try again.   Within moments, I felt his leg relax and with ease, I bent his leg.  In the past, no matter my words of encouragement or request...the tone would not relent...there was no change of stiffness.  Now, whether in his bed, or in his chair, after my request, he has relaxed his leg and allowed it to be bent.  The same thing has happened with his left arm, as well...and not just once, many times.  There are numerous incidents and moments that have reinforced to me the belief that Noah's brain is starting to respond...be it in small ways, but respond...and to me, as always, HUGE!!  It is so cool watching his face as I get excited and encourage him with my praise, he has a look like he knows he has done something wonderful and smiles...oh how I love it:)!!
I hang on to the words spoken by one of his therapists a couple years ago.  She said that the tone in Noah's body would have to decrease to allow the muscles to become the stronger "voice" and begin working.  The tone is still strong, but I think there is some "voice" or signal that is starting to connect in Noah's brain to tell his muscles to relax...not all the time, but when he thinks about it ...like when I ask...hmmm...the mystery continues...but I have not been so excited or encouraged in a long time...thank you for praying...pray that it continues, and that Noah's brain will continue to heal.
I hope your week is joyfilled with opportunities to speak words of kindness  and Love...and give smiles to those who need them(not just those that deserve them:)!!).  We love you very much!!  Lisa

Noah's getting it!!

Last week I was talking about how I'm beginning to ask Noah to look at things.  Every morning before we do anything else, I give him a "quiz" by asking him to look at a number of things.  I continue to ask him to look at the same things, but in different order.  Today was funny but thrilling for me!  I asked him to look at his tv.  He kind of rolled his eyes, at which point I reminded him that we needed to finish this  before going on to anything.  He then quickly glanced at the tv, then right back at me.  I was thrilled because he didn't look at his puppy calendar first and his tv is NOT an easy thing to look at...it's across the room at an angle, so it was very purposeful!!!  I then asked him to look at the window...THEN he looked at the puppy calendar, then back at me. OK...a little disappointing, but I reminded him that he KNOWS where the window is...and to please look at the window...his window is on the side of his bed opposite the one I was standing on.  He then turned his head and looked at the window...almost like, "I know where it IS....ok...I'll look at it." I sometimes wonder who's testing who...
I am going to try to sometimes write about the little things, as Noah's life is FILLED with little things, but to me, they are big...  Just before writing this, today, I gave Noah a Dove chocolate(ok...I gave myself one, too:)).  With every piece of food I give Noah, I make certain that when I put the food in his mouth, I put the food over to the left side.  It is really habit and I think somewhere long ago, it seemed that he ate things better on that side. Noah's tongue has not been able to move food around, so if it lands on the tongue, swallowing "as is" is almost certain....until today!! I put a piece of the Dove in his mouth, and missed the left side, and saw his tongue MOVE IT to the left side, before he closed his mouth!!!  I was sooo thrilled...ability for mobility of his food is happening...so small, but so huge...and just another little step to healing!!  Much love to you, today...blessings...hope your day is wonderfilled!!

Pictures of Noah

I decided to try and take some pictures of Noah...someone at church told me last week that we needed to update his photo at church.  Well...maybe if it were Hannah or Emma taking a picture, he might have cooperated, but when I ask him to smile...this is what I get:

 Keep my camera on him while he's watching SpongeBob Squarepants, and this is what I get:

It seems to take a lot to get him to laugh at me or for me, but TV, the girls and David he's a laughing machine...but I will say, no matter how or with who it happens, it's music!!