Monday (day 207)

Good Evening all. We've been very busy again and not home much. It feels like a lame excuse but we had a couple of days away from the hospital, one visiting our camping sons and another on a boating event with some close friends. The time away allows us to keep focused on what we have to do as a family and not to become tunnel visioned. Shawna continues to improve and we remain very thankful for all the small advances we see. Her swallowing is improving and they are going to do a videoscope of the swallowing activity to make sure all is well. She continues to try to vocalize and now makes many small noises especially if she is in discomfort or very happy to see us. It is so beautiful to see her smiling and breaking into a laugh when something funny is said or done. She's been watching a bit of the Olympics and when they have the commercials of the kids training and falling she instantly laughs. Her reaction times have improved dramatically in the last couple of weeks. When Deb went in today to assist with physio Shawna instantly lifted her arms for a hug. This was an amazing feat as she has only just started to move her left arm a small bit the last couple of days. It brings tears to my eyes picturing that endearing moment as Deb embraced Shawna in a hug which she initiated. This is another step we have been patiently waiting for. Some other important things which have happened are ones which people ask us a lot about. We often hear "will she recognize me?". I just tell them try and initiate eye contact. More times than i care to count she has recognized people and given them a sign she knows them. Now it is more definite though. We brought her to Hamilton Cornerstone Church on sunday and after the service she was smiling and listening to people around her. Mr. Wildeboer, one of her former teachers from Guido, bent over to say hi and she instantly beamed him a huge smile. She was very happy to see him as she worked a "before school" fitness club with him in the past. Other events which make us chuckle is her sense of humour. The nurses were cleaning up around the room one night and were talking and joking about the machines in her room. They thought Shawna had drifted off to sleep but her laughter brought them immediately to attention and one nurse said she felt she was going to have a heart attack from the suddeness of Shawnas reaction and the fact they didn't know she could laugh. There's our girl keeping them on their toes. It goes to show we cant take her sleepiness for granted and have to be very careful what we say and do in her presence. We continue to pray for God's blessing on Shawna and thank you all for your prayers and support. Al and Deb