Burger!

Jason came to Fresno and look what he ate with Aunt Gaye!! "Dog House grill" cheesburger...yum!! Aunt Gaye and Jason had a pact that they would eat his first cheesburger with each other. He enjoyed eating a burger that wasn't "blended". We had a good time celebrating Ellie's b-day at the bowling alley, which Jason watched and cheered us on. I am headed to Monterey this week to be with Jay. Can't wait to see what he can do with me:) It's always different when someone else it taking care of you. Hopefully he can show me some skills! Jason is challenged right now with his recovery. It is hard, tough, and not easy to do things, but he just needs to keep trying. Our inner strength can get us farther than we think. I hope he can gain some more this week.

Springtime with Jay

It has been a month since I posted last! I will have pics to come but in the meantime I will tell you how things are on the Jason front. Although still in a wheelchair almost 2 years later, Jason is still making progress.

First:

He eats anything and everything! This is a big deal because if you remember back a few months ago Jason was still having some foods "mashed" or some not even attempted yet. Steak, pizza, hamburger, you name it, he is all over it....and for a guy this is huge!

Second:

Jason has obviously had a life changing experience not only for himself but for his family. Although he still struggles with his speech, he is clear on where he stands spiritually. He understands that God needs to be in his life in order for him to get better. He understands that with his help all things are possible.

Lastly:

Jason has people pulling for him. Colleen is his "massage therapist/reflexology", Irvine is his swim instructor/floor work, Jason is his physical therapist, Monique/hospital=speech therapy, mom is everything, dad is supportive, and Jason is benefiting from all of you!

Jason has had a few opportunities to go from his bed to his chair all by himself. This is huge! He is proud of it but needs to do it more often. He can stand all by himself holding on to something. This is huge!

Pictures to come, Jason is still making progress after almost 2 years and this is why we don't give up. "Slow and steady wins the race!"

March Already?!!

Sorry it has been a while since a post. I have received pics of Jason from his swim instructor via his i-phone but I can't seem to download them! So, I will see Jason this weekend and take pics. Jason and I have been talking quite a bit via facebook. It is great to hear him in his writing since his speech is still a struggle for him. New things for Jason include:

-Sitting on the medicine Ball

-Standing up a lot more

-Being home without the "parentals"

-writing a lot more on facebook

I am excited to see him and our grandparents! I will post pics soon. I think I will have Jason write my next post!

Floor work

Jason is now doing floor work at home with his swim instructor. His swim instructor suggested he do some floor work to get more trunk control etc. It is great to see him sitting up by himself on the ground, as I remember he could barely hold his head up a year ago! Slow and steady wins the race, right?! Keep it up Jay it's only January 2010 and he has already made progress!

Happy New Year 2010

Christmas was filled with family, friends, and now standing up next to the tree!! Our parents have this ledge that Jay grabs onto and stands against/on. He puts most of his weight on his right leg but he is standing!! His left foot is straightening out much better due to wearing his braces daily. At the end of the day his foot looks really good. Just got news that he walked across the pool by himself yesterday! The kids love to look on my laptop at pictures and we ran across some old footage of Jason. It reminds me of how all these little steps are helping him make a recovery. After Jason's accident, we were told many scenarios could happen. No one knew for sure anything. How frustrating and devastating for my parents. No answer. No diagnosis. Then you see people who have had brain injuries and see how they have/are recovering. You see the good, bad and ugly. It has been a year and a half of not knowing what Jason's outcome is going to be. Still, this remains the case. But, we have something to work with! He has been blessed with a sharp mind, the ability to communicate, and a body that is making progress. Brain injured or not that is our purpose in life, right?! To make progress so that we can become the best we can be. If we continue to progress physically and spiritually our lives will be blessed.

On his way

Our brother and his wife Lisa were able to come out for a week and have an early Christmas with everyone. We went to Whitney's grad party! Wohoo way to go Whit! It was at Catalina in Monterey and everyone had a great time. We took some family pics on Catalina's campus. We snapped a few before, during and after the rain. Good times! We always have a good laugh with Jay. Our brother Michael can get us all going too! I love how my brother's have such good sense of humors, even if it is making fun of each other!

Just a quick update on Jason's progress this visit: I noticed his speech has improved, to the point where I don't need him to spell his words out as much. His hands are opening up more and becoming more "usable". He can swim under water with assistance for about 10 seconds. He can hold his breath under water for 20+ seconds. He ate steak for the first time since his accident, blended somewhat, but hey, no problems swallowing! He likes to sit in a "real chair" at dinner versus his wheelchair. He likes to sit on the couch or recliner while in the living room. His transfers are easier and more often because of this. He is getting out more. We went to see blindside with Michael & Lisa and Jay came too! Great movie by the way! So, all these little things are helping Jay get back on track. His road to recovery 2010 shall be interesting. He is on his way.