Paul's Update - 02/18/07

Dear Friends:

Sunday started out a bit bumpy. Dad arrived at Paul's before 7:00 am with Starbucks. Tabby was still sleeping and the nurse hadn't arrived yet. She was about 15 minutes late. Max was awake so Pap-Paw changed him and gave him a bottle before leaving for breakfast with Bill & Ronda. He headed back over to Paul's after breakfast to get Max ready for Sunday school & church. Tabby worked with Paul this morning and he was evidently very talkative. He has been saying several new things lately. Tabby asked him how he was and he said "I'm am well". She also got him to count using his OWN fingers. He can put up the appropriate finger and count to ten ... all by himself! Gladys (the nurse) put in a couple of movies for Paul this afternoon. He watched The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady. Paul seemed to enjoy them. We also worked with his matching book. He followed and repeated the names of the pictures but had a little trouble identifying the objects after we went over them. Every once in a while he gets one or two right but that is very inconsistently. He is making progress but it is slow. Tabby got him to say a sentence tonight that really made no sense BUT it was a four word sentence that he said by himself! She also got him to say "Tabby" and "Mom" several times in a row and then had him try it by himself. He got it right three times. Sometimes he remembers names for a couple of minutes and can recall who we are ... but again ... that is inconsistent! We will keep working on it. Tabby would love it if we could have a speech therapist again since he is getting so much better with his words and diction. Tonight she was working with him and she gave him a white board with a marker. She asked him to write something on the board. He shook his head "no". She pleaded with him and he kept shaking his head "no". Finally she asked him why he wouldn't do it and he SAID "I don't know". Tabby and I were so surprised by this statement ... he appeared to be very aware that he couldn't do it but wasn't sure why! It brought mixed emotions for us ... Tabby tried to reassure him that it was OK to not know ... but that he needed to keep working hard to learn again ... AND that we would be there to help him! Max is so cute these days. He will be walking very soon! Today he was standing and pushing a toy that has wheels on it ... he was "walking" it across the room. He has great body control and was walking without any real help! He also now has SIX teeth!! Monday is a holiday for me ... but nobody else. Dad will be "on the job" as usual. If you get the day off ... I hope you have a great day!

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl