Henry continues to climb small mountains of progress over the course of the week and amazes us with each step. We are slowly moving towards getting back to Henry's pre-surgery routine and starting to feel the familiar comfort in small signs of this progress. It's amazing what one week difference can look like! Henry continues to surprise us with his energy and shows us sparks of that booming personality that we love- makes every day wonderful:)
Henry has been visited by Sherry, his OT, who gave us encouragement, ideas and suggestions about Henry's eating, talking and mobility, etc. We had lots of concerns around safety re: Henry's eating/drinking since discharging from the hospital (speed, frequency with relation to fatigue, medications, nausea). Henry was intubated for so long that we are continuing to thicken liquids for the next month or so and are very cautious about what Henry eats - keeping in mind he is slower to chew food effectively, etc. Sherry will continue to see him on a weekly basis to guide us in his recovery. Jaci, Henry's PT, was able to sneak Henry into her schedule to help get him back on his feet- along with many other physical goals in the meantime! She has helped him with positioning, helped Julie with ways to support Henry safely in his progress and ensured though it would be a slow steady road that Henry would regain his strength! Henry was also visited by Kari, his speech therapist, this week. It was a big step to get the bin"kiki" away for a short period of time, but when it was out Henry talks! Or at least he calls for the "nini" (aka binki). Kari was able to engage with Henry in playing with puzzles, toys and blocks, which among many other things is an excellent way to boost Henry's endurance. It was awesome to hear many new words reemerge. Not 15 minutes after Kari left, Henry pointed to the T.V. and said "Woody, Elmo on!". I'd say it was quite a productive hour:) These ladies have a way of magically easing our worries while helping not only Henry but Henry's mommas take steps forward in recovery. The physicians fixed his heart and medically treated Henry while in the hospital, but these ladies will be helping Henry take the big steps in getting back to himself. They are pretty amazing:)
Henry's revisited milestone scorecard: So far he can sit very solidly and reach in any direction for toys, etc without toppling over. He can pull up onto the couch unassisted. He can army crawl. He can stand assisted at a table and play with the computer (see below:). He sits in his boosterseat to eat comfortably. He can scoot on his bottom about anywhere (hardwood floors help:). He can walk tentatively and very assisted across the room. Much of this movement was initially coerced... to get a binki tossed up on the couch, to "love on" the cat on the other side of the sofa, or to get his cup of milk or snacks. Though we're also seeing some desire to play as well, as several times last night he squirmed out of my arms on the couch and walked (with help) to toys across the room. We might be seeing our excess snuggling diminishing a little bit at a time... good while it lasted, but happy we're moving on!
We're getting little bits of vocabulary back at a time and Henry wants to talk! He says clearly "Mama", "OEO" (Cherrioes), "Elmo", "On", "Milk" and "Woody". We hear other words that he's trying to say that sound very close... like "omee" for open. The sign language he learned over a year ago is really coming in handy as it helps us clearly understand what he wants- "eat", "more", "all done", and of course "please". Lots of room for improvement, but wonderful progress so far!
We have so much to be thankful for this year, and so many friends and family members to thank for being such beautiful examples of love and compassion in Henry's life. Know that you are in our thoughts over the holiday week as we embrace every wonderful moment we have as a family. We wish the same happiness for you over the holiday season and always.
Much love,
Kate and Julie
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