Great news! The eye gaze arrived on Thursday! Thank you all for your prayers!
We still need to program info into it, but we are excited about the possibilities. It is amazing the technology that exists. To think that my dad's eye can be the mouse is incredible!
Thank you again for all your prayers!
Michelle
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Birthday Blessings!
Today is my dad's birthday, and we have been having a great time celebrating his life! Yesterday we had a birthday party while JP was home. Just the family, but fun none the less! The little kids certainly make everything lively! Mom and dad have a little kids kitchen, so the kids "cooked" us all sorts of things to eat. And Marcelo really likes to throw the sponge basketball....especially at Papa....which makes my dad laugh and smile...only encouraging Marcelo to throw it at him again. =)
Senna gave dad a beautiful picture of her kissing her Papa! It is now hanging just above my dad's head. It is so great for our little ones to still connect with my dad, even if he can't do things as he used to.
Today, Ethan had a "date" with Papa. It was a body painting date! Ethan first painted with body paint all over his own legs. Then asked me to paint on his face (a rainbow, a beach ball, and car). Then, with all these decorations, Ethan asked Papa if he could paint his legs for his birthday. So, my dad has all sorts of things painted all over his legs right now. Including three dinosaurs, several shapes, a coffee mug, a various other designs. Let me tell you that today's birthday date was filled with smiles, giggles, and laughter. It was a good birthday!
Health wise my dad is having a good day as well. He still have very thick secretions, but overall he is breathing well today. Each week he continues to decline, some weeks more than others. But we know that's going to happen. So, in the midst of all of this, we attempt to create more positive family memories together. I think yesterday and today were two great ones!
I wonder if my mom will let Ethan birthday body paint her this Thursday for her birthday? Hmmmmm.....
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!
Michelle
Senna gave dad a beautiful picture of her kissing her Papa! It is now hanging just above my dad's head. It is so great for our little ones to still connect with my dad, even if he can't do things as he used to.
Today, Ethan had a "date" with Papa. It was a body painting date! Ethan first painted with body paint all over his own legs. Then asked me to paint on his face (a rainbow, a beach ball, and car). Then, with all these decorations, Ethan asked Papa if he could paint his legs for his birthday. So, my dad has all sorts of things painted all over his legs right now. Including three dinosaurs, several shapes, a coffee mug, a various other designs. Let me tell you that today's birthday date was filled with smiles, giggles, and laughter. It was a good birthday!
Health wise my dad is having a good day as well. He still have very thick secretions, but overall he is breathing well today. Each week he continues to decline, some weeks more than others. But we know that's going to happen. So, in the midst of all of this, we attempt to create more positive family memories together. I think yesterday and today were two great ones!
I wonder if my mom will let Ethan birthday body paint her this Thursday for her birthday? Hmmmmm.....
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!
Michelle
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Christmas
This Christmas was a wonderful time for our family. It would not have been so wonderful and blessed without the DELICIOUS Christmas dinner a family in the church made for us! We were so spoiled by incredible food! It really helped make the day seem more like Christmas. Without those items we would still have gotten together...but I wouldn't have been surprised at all had we ordered pizza or something...because it's just too much to try to have "all the fixins" AND care give for my dad AND keep an eye on the little ones (making sure Marcelo in particular doesn't switch all the dials on the cough assist machine, or anything else with buttons)!
As we knew would happen with ALS, my dad continues to decline. Some days it is hard for any of us to make out what he is saying because his speech is so slurred. Other days he is much easier to understand. Each day is different. In fact a morning can be quite different than an afternoon or evening.
He continues to enjoy listening to audio books, and watch tv....particularly football these days. And he has become an avid watcher of Jeopardy and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Previous to being bedridden he hardly took time to watch tv (unless it was 24). But, if he ever was in the room when Jeopardy or Millionaire was on he always knew the answers. Even now you can sometimes hear his slurred voice trying to get out the answer before the contestant does. =)
A prayer request we'd love to have you join us in is for an eye "mouse" to become available for dad. I'm not sure of the technical name for it, but he has this speaking computer that can speak on his behalf...but right now it requires touch. But there is this eye gaze piece that allows his eyes to be a mouse and click what he wants to say. He is next on the ALS Associations list to receive one should one be donated. He was supposed to receive one the end of November, but the family that donated it had some sort of family feud about it and it's ended up in the Kent Police station. As far as I know it is still there until the family works something out. Whether it is this particular eye gaze or a different one, it sure would be helpful in communicating with my dad.
Thanks for your prayers and support! Happy New Year!
Michelle
As we knew would happen with ALS, my dad continues to decline. Some days it is hard for any of us to make out what he is saying because his speech is so slurred. Other days he is much easier to understand. Each day is different. In fact a morning can be quite different than an afternoon or evening.
He continues to enjoy listening to audio books, and watch tv....particularly football these days. And he has become an avid watcher of Jeopardy and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Previous to being bedridden he hardly took time to watch tv (unless it was 24). But, if he ever was in the room when Jeopardy or Millionaire was on he always knew the answers. Even now you can sometimes hear his slurred voice trying to get out the answer before the contestant does. =)
A prayer request we'd love to have you join us in is for an eye "mouse" to become available for dad. I'm not sure of the technical name for it, but he has this speaking computer that can speak on his behalf...but right now it requires touch. But there is this eye gaze piece that allows his eyes to be a mouse and click what he wants to say. He is next on the ALS Associations list to receive one should one be donated. He was supposed to receive one the end of November, but the family that donated it had some sort of family feud about it and it's ended up in the Kent Police station. As far as I know it is still there until the family works something out. Whether it is this particular eye gaze or a different one, it sure would be helpful in communicating with my dad.
Thanks for your prayers and support! Happy New Year!
Michelle
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