Elise's New Tricks

Jeremy Update:

I was excited and impressed after my visit with Jeremy today. He has started doing so much more just since I saw him on Sunday. He was reaching up to scratch his eyebrow and head. He even attempted to touch the stitches on his head where the drain was placed. He would reach his arms above his head and stretch, as well as reach over and hold onto the bed rails.  At one point he even picked his nose! My mom has been doing a great job with his range of motion physical therapy and you can tell! His movements are also more controlled and intentional. I showed him a video of Elise clapping and he did a small smile. A couple times he raised his eyebrows at me. When I was doing his range of motion physical therapy on his broken leg, I swear he mouthed the word fuck. Pretty sure that's what I would want to say if I were him! He would also reach for me so I would hold his hand. That never gets old and I love that he now actually reaches for me rather than just putting his hand up.

Now on to a post about what Elise has been up to lately...

Elise has been picking up new tricks left and right. For a few days she has been taking her hand and rubbing it in front of her mouth as she makes noises to change the sound of her voice. We never showed her how to do it, she just randomly started doing it on her own. Then yesterday morning she had me laughing so hard as she stood in her crib, at naptime none the less, shaking her head back and forth just for the fun of it! Later that day on our run I heard Carter say, "Good job, sissy! Good girl!" Then he excitedly told me to look at Elise because she was clapping and, sure enough, she was! Her personality is just so hilarious! She makes me laugh so hard and I can't believe how independent and tough she is! If I take something from her because she shouldn't have it, no big deal. But if Carter snatches a toy from her? I am alerted with one heck of a wail and tears. Sister knows how to stand her ground and take care of business! Her preferred method of getting down from standing is just to let go and plop down onto her bottom. She's such a daredevil and I can already tell she will have no trouble keeping up with her older brother. I love her so much and almost everything she does is just so stinkin cute! 

I can't believe she will be a year old in less than 2 months. Surely it wasn't over 10 months ago that Jeremy came over to our house with disheveled hair to watch Carter as we headed to the hospital for Elise's arrival. I'm emotional over her turning a year old but even more so I'm emotional that Jeremy most likely will not be at her party. Life sure changes fast whether we want it to or not! At Carter's birthday party he wore a shirt to match the theme colors and smiled the biggest smile as he watched Carter eat cake for the first time. Then at Carter's second birthday party he painted a 2 on Carter's "Go, Dog, Go" car because Thomas had forgotten it. At Carter's 3rd birthday he helped me hang streamers outside to decorate and then took Carter in his room and helped him decorate in there because Carter wanted to decorate more. He is missed every day but I know he will be missed even more at the party. It is my hope he will be in a rehabilitation center by then and will be communicating with us. Maybe we could even have a small party with him there. The place he will go after his current facility will allow children to visit. I know each family event he will miss will be hard. But I keep reminding myself, he's here. He's alive. And that's the greatest gift of all!

Thomas and Jeremy with Carter at his 1st birthday party.

Jeremy painting a 2 on the car before Carter's 2nd birthday party.

Jeremy helping Carter set his domino train up after his party.