Two thumbs up!

The last couple of months have been busy! It's been full of ups and downs, as has been the usual modus operandi since this whole thing began. But at the end of it all, we are very happy to report that Ruby is doing fantastically well. Ruby had another MRI a couple of weeks ago and the results were, quite simply, as good as we could ever have hoped. The neurologist happily reported that there has been no atrophy since the last MRI, which is fantastic considering the fact that she's been battling through 2-3 seizures per day for the last few months. Apparently, they are not doing much to delay her recovery. It is important to note here that this is quite unusual, or in other words, miraculous. As the doctor was examining Ruby he was surprised and impressed on several fronts. He was amazed by the strength with which she fought him for the reflex hammer with her right hand! He was also astonished by the quality of her gait as she ran (not walked) up and  down the halls. Based on what he saw in Ruby's exam, the doctor actually thinks that the left side of her brain must be recovering much of the function that was lost, despite the significant shrinkage from the original injury. Melissa and I left the appointment skipping (well, Melissa and Ruby, not me), hugging Ruby, and telling her how proud we are of her and all her hard work. Ruby is a miracle and just such a wonderful example of God's faithfulness, and brilliance for that matter. The brain is amazing. As we write this, we really cannot find the words to fully explain how grateful we are.

Here are a few of Ruby's new tricks. She can give you a double thumbs up. She can put on her own pants and shoes (the shirt is still a work in progress). She can grasp objects with her right hand. She can clap. Before bed, she puts Vaseline on her lips with her right index finger. Today she even used both hands to rub sunscreen on Mom and Dad's shoulders, for which she was quite proud. A couple of weeks ago, she helped Grandma Cathie to make pizza dough using both hands very effectively.

Grandma and Ruby making pizza dough

During the last few posts, we've reported new words that Ruby's learned here and there. This method of reporting is no longer feasible. She is saying everything! Her speech is so vastly improved and we are finding ourselves laughing often at the things she is saying, much like most parents do with the things their 3-year-old says. The last we heard, her speech therapist graded her at about a 2.5 year old level. We never lost our words, but we have none to explain how huge this is to us! A couple days ago, Melissa and Ruby were playing when Ruby stopped and said, "I have an idea!" as she ran off to find another toy. You may recall that on the night of her seizure Ruby went to sleep singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. She can sing it better than ever. We often hear her singing the same song before bed and are filled with joy. She talks so much now that we are having to remind her when it's not time to talk/sing (i.e. at the dinner table, when Molly's sleeping, when we're praying, etc.).

Despite all the doctor and therapy appointments we attend, we've been enjoying as much of the summer as possible. Here's the proof. :)

Molly's 1st birthday

"I really don't see what all the fuss is about?"

Ruby at the beach

Ruby with Papa Tom and Daddy trying to teach her how to balance in the waves.

Ruby with her Papa Tom

On our way to Sea World!

Ruby and Molly's favorite attraction at Sea World

Ruby throwing hard looks at a nice stranger taking our picture for us

Ruby using her right arm to crawl through a tunnel

As we mentioned earlier, the past few months have been a struggle to get her seizures under control. We increase dosages, decrease dosages, add new medications, and take them away. Sometimes she would have a few days without seizures, but other weeks might be relatively full of them. By the way, when she has one now, she's able to tell us, "I had a seizure" (she can tell us because their simple partial seizures and she's conscious during). We are thrilled to report that after the most recent medication adjustment, Ruby has been seizure free for nearly a week. We and her therapists have noticed a marked progression in her recovery at the same time. We are so filled with hope. We can only imagine what she can accomplish if we can keep them away! Please pray that this is it for the seizures.

God is good all the time!