Rebekah's List of Grievances

(or "Why Rebekah Couldn't Go To Sleep Last Night)

1. Forgot how to sleep

2. Too dark

3. Wants to sleep with a friend

4. Uncomfortable

Rachel's Three Therapies

It seems that another "therapy" has been added to Rachel's services. Currently, she receives Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy. Looks like she'd like to add "Shopping Therapy" as well.

Yesterday, she picked up the purse, put it over her shoulder and said, "Go!"

Well, She Does Have Great Taste

Yesterday, Rebekah (age 5) and Rachel (age 18 months) accompanied me to, what I told Josh (age 3) was "girly store". The store was, in fact, a second -hand women's store. (Josh was still devastated, none-the-less, that he could not come too.)

Rebekah (and Rachel) found numerous things that I should buy: a sweater two sizes too small, a jacket in a horrid color, a necklace that just wasn't what I was looking for, and a pink purse.

It was rather easy to convince the girls (i.e., Rebekah) that those items would not work, for one reason or the other. But, I was feeling a bit guilty. Rebekah, God bless her sweet little heart, really wanted to help me find something beautiful, and I was shooting her down left and right. Besides the fact, she INSISTED that I did not have a pink purse and that I NEEDED a pink purse. She didn't understand that I had just been given a number of very nice purses from my mother and I had spent my spending money* on a beautiful orange purse. (* any money in my possession is spending money, even some not in my possession. That's why I don't carry cash!)

Trying to distract her sweet, helpful intentions, I asked Rebekah if she would like a pretty pink purse for herself. She decided that she needed BLUE. (Ok, it is a second-hand store, so the prices couldn't be TOO outrageous, right?)

The first purse she picked up was a Vera Bradley. Don't shoot me, but I HATE Vera Bradley. (If you don't know what I am referring to, Google it...) And the price on the second-hand Vera was still $35.00. NOPE!

The next purse she picked out was a beautiful Nine West, another "expensive name brand", but I decided that I could "borrow" it from my daughter, if need be. The girl does have exquisite taste!!

"our" new purse

Rachel's Shriner's Appointment (10/14/09)

Rachel had a great day! First of all, her first Speech Therapy session with Early Intervention (in our home) went well. Her therapist really thinks that she's got a good foundation (makes sounds, follows directions, points to things). That will continue every other week.
Her appointment at Shriner's went really well also. It's hard to explain the magnitude of it all, but essentially, they think that she will need less time and less equipment to be able to walk. Her left foot turns in quite a bit, and to correct it, they need to start at the hip. In about a month she will get a whole new set of AFO's (ankle-feet orthotics) and a walker. Her physical therapist at Shriner's (shout out to you, Janet!!) thinks that once she has stability under her with the new AFO's, she'll be up and MOVING!! I got tears in my eyes! Yeah GOD!!

The doctor did say that her left foot will need surgery to correct the turning in, but probably not until she is about three or four years old. We'll deal with that as it comes, but here's my thought:
*we were told she would die- and she didn't
*we were told she would be in the hospital for AT LEAST a week at birth and more than likely two week - she was home in less than a week
*we were told that there was, something like, a 99% chance that her shunt would malfunction in the first year of life, and she would need surgery- 18 months and she's still going strong
*we were told a year ago that she would need surgery to fix her hips- here were are a year later
*we were told she would never crawl- she's a cruising-machine!

We'll just see what God has in store for Rachel's future! Thanks to you all for your prayers! God has been very good to us!

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month