Good Morning

Ali's playing on the floor and I'm here watching the news over a cup of coffee. This week, since I've been back from Florida, we've gotten Ali into the routine of sitting in the kitchen in her high chair while the charming and beautiful Susan putters around the kitchen. Ali gets a few bites of baby food then. This is pretty huge, believe it or not.

Before I left Florida, some friends gave us a really nice jogging stroller. We've used it daily since unloading it from the U-haul. Ali loves it and tolerates riding in it for longer than her regular stroller. We've been able to take her all the way downtown (a little over half a mile from our townhouse) and enjoy time together as a family out on a stroll.

Helping Ali sit up is where we'll be concentrating our efforts over the next several months. Ali had a visit with a specialist last Thursday that said it is way to early to put any limits on Ali's recovery. In spite of the blindness diagnosis by an optometrist, this specialist was very encouraging. So please continue to pray with us for Ali. Pray that Ali will cooperate with her therapists Rena, Michelle, and Deb the Magician. Pray that she will continue to develop control of her tongue. Believe it or not, this kind of motor skills develop has a direct effect on other motor skills development. Pray that Ali's hips continue to loosen up as this will help her sit and crawl and, ultimately, walk. Pray for Ali's range of motion in her arms and shoulders to continue to improve. When she sits, she'll need to be able to keep herself from falling over.

When we watch Ali's face while she plays, we can see her thinking. We see her processing what is happening in her environment. She plays with toys that have light and sound (thanks, folks, for sending those) so she understands cause and effect and her control over things in her environment. She laughs and she shouts when she's happy or frustrated. So she is communicating with us. This is behavior no one expected to get from Ali. So we are grateful for the diligent prayers of those that read these posts and take action on their knees.

While you all are praying, can I ask you to pray for one more thing? This move here has become so final since we said goodbye to our home church family in Jupiter, Florida. I've taken a position with Shepherd's Staff Mission Facilitators. Pray for us as we transition into our new life in Eureka, California.