Girls just wanna have fun!!

Today was a fun day!! Maya and I decided we would take the day off and just have a girls day at home. One of my best friends in the whole world Ms Bobbi Lynn brought over Kaiah for a playdate :) These two had soooo much fun together. We saw them pull up and Maya ran over to the car and was jumping with excitement before they could even get out. Someone close to her age to play with! I'm sure she gets board hanging out with grownups sometimes so this was a good change. Kaiah is 4 and Maya is 3.. ( Isn't Kaiah tall? I see modeling in her future :) They played so well together. They played with dolls, jumped on the trampoline, slid down the slide and even cooked in the Dora Kitchen... and chased each other up and down the stairs....for which I'm sure they will sleep good tonight! Thank you Ms Sara..thats Kaiah's mama..for letting her come over to play. Maya had sooo much fun and I was happy she got to have a special day. And a big thank you to Ms Bobbi for putting this together for us. She's always been there for me, no matter what and I'm blessed to have her as a friend.

As for Kevin...he had a good day too. I called a couple times to check on him. He was relaxing in bed watching tv last time I called. I know he's in good hands there and feel comfortable enough to take a day off once in a while for us girls. ;)

The Blessings Keep Coming....

This afternoon I received a call for a long time friend/co-worker, Sandra Ellison. Sandra asked me to stop by her desk before leaving for the day because she had something for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya.

When I met up with Sandra, she handed me a decorated Easter Basket full of plastic eggs and various kinds of goodies. Sandra explained she and many others within the phone unit wanted to do something for Kevin and went on to explain that the plastic eggs contained money. I was speechless.

I explained to Sandra, God continues to provide and that this gift was truly a gift from God!

Our Progressive family is so important to us and the encouragement, gifts and most importantly all the prayers for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya have made a difference to our family.

We continue to pray that lives would be changed and that God will receive all the glory as Kevin continues to improve. Kevin's recovery is truly a miracle from God!

Thank you to everyone for all you have done and all you continue to do to encourage our family.

God Bless!

He Stands!!

Today was full of surprises, excitement, and just plan fun. I gotta say I'm even tired from all of todays festivities. Lets see, first and formost.. Kevin stood up today for the first time. Amazing. With some help form the therapist and him holding on to a bar attached to the wall, he stood up and supported his own weight. He did this 3 times today for 1 minute each time. Such a blessing! They tried him out in a regular wheelchair today. Normally he uses the kind that reclinds back a little bit. He did really well for most of the day. Had a little tiny mishap in the afternoon where he went for a little slide, but all is well. He even laughed it off and got back in his other chair. They said they would try the normal chair again in a couple of days. His trunk...the muscles you use to hold yourself up...are getting much stronger. He's using the harness less. Today I saw him scoot himself from his chair..to a board he can sit on..and then to another bench where he did some recreation therapy. He played a game called Sequence. Its a card matching board game. He did really well. Durring speach therapy she would hold up some cards wth a picture on it and ask Kevin to tell her whats happening. This helps him form sentences and such. Some of his answers even made me laugh. Some of his answers were..
A girl is doing the dishes.
A lady is fixing her hair.
That woman is cooking.
and my favorite one.. "That dude's just washing the car." Yeah even his therapist laughted at that one. Another exercize they did was with categories. She would say two words, and then he would have to think of two words that would fit in.
She said...Georgia and Texas...He said Massachusetts and Colorado
She said... green beans and corn... He said Peas and Carrots ( yeah I know, not even kidding)
She said... Chevy and Ford.. he said Toyota and Lexus.

After all his therapy sessions we got permission to go off the floor ( on a field trip if you will ) for a little while all by ourselves. Sooo we're off.. the first place we went was down to the NICU to see all the nurses that took such wonderful care of us when we first got there. I almost miss them..ALMOST! We got down there and saw Ms Wendy, Ms Danita, and Mr John. All very special people to me. They we're all amazed at his progress. He showed them how much moving he can do now and thanked them. It brings me to tears just thinking about where we we're just 2 months ago, we we're in that room trying to wake him up every 2 hours and begging him to just hold up 2 fingers. Now look at him..nothing less than a miricle! After we left the NICU, we went down to get a smoothy a the bistro, then outside to stroll around the building. It was nice to be outside hospital walls together for the first time. Kevin was getting tired, as I was getting tired of pushing so we went back and set up shop for the night. Mom and Aunt Debby brought Maya up tonight along with the yummy cake.. Thank you Ms Katherine. We all had a good visit. Overall today was a really good day.

Good Times

I wished everyone could have seen Kevin this evening. He looked absolutely wonderful and when he saw the chocolate cake Ms. Katherine sent him tonight he was all smiles!

Tonight's visit was one of the best yet! Kevin is speaking in sentences and his words are clear. He has his Daddy skills back in action as he had to speak to Maya a few times tonight or even better yet, a couple of times he just had to give her the "Daddy Look" and she knew right away I better get my act together!

God has been so good to our family! I can't imagine anyone going through something like this without Faith, Family and Friends as Kimmie has mentioned before.

Our family miracle continues to get better and better each day and we continue to give God all the glory for what He is doing through Kevin, Kimmie and Maya.

What a great way to end the day!

Let Me Eat Cake!

Today after work, Kathy and I picked up Maya and away we went to take Kevin his cake that Kathy Schneider made for him.  He was all smiles when he saw that cake...and so was Maya. 

He had a really good day in therapy today, Kim said that he stood up on his right leg today, and he sat up in a regular wheelchair.  There was a little mishap with the wheelchair, but he got through it. 

We had a really great visit with him tonight.  I told him that all the Admin Girls at Progressive said hello and he got a big smile on his face.  I think he misses seeing people...he can have visitors after 4 p.m. so if you are interested, let us know and we will give you the details on how to find him...he is a little locked up right now.

Kim got to take him outside for a walk today and they both enjoyed that.  Everyday, we see something good happening and we are all so very thankful.

Another good visit

Just sitting here having a good visit with Kevin. I brought him his meatloaf last night and he loved it. Even Maya ate it, but then again she will eat anything she can dip in ketchup. What 3 year old doesn't. Tonight Kevin has done nothing but complain about the dry fish they gave him for dinner. I hope he's not expecting gourmet meals every night... His bill will be high enough. Speaking of bills, did you know it cost over $13,000 bucks to fly 26 miles in a helicopter from one hospital to another? Got one of his first bills in today and just had to laugh as I read it because this was literally only the beginning. Kevin has a view of the helicopter landing site from his room at the hospital. I told Kevin about the bill and every time one landed tonight he would call out "there's another 13g's!!" See, he still has his sense of humor but I say..Thank God for insurance!!! I can't wait to get the actual hospital bill. I'm gonna frame it. My money is on Kevin will be a 3 million dollar man by the time all is said and done.

Looking forward to tomorrow. I get to go in early to go thru therapy with him again. I'll let you know how it goes.

He wants food!

Tonight Maya and I went up to see daddy and had dinner and a movie. Aren't they cute :) We watched Cars..Kevin got a kick outta Maya knowing all the words to the songs and singing along. Tells u how many times we've watched it at home huh.

I actually got a call from Kevin the other day demanding food..lol The first time he calls me one of the therapist was there and got me on the phone and advised me that his diet had been upgraded from "soft foods" to a regular diet. And that we could actually bring him in food and have dinner with him. Sooo.. the therapist hands Kevin the phone and the first thing he said was.. " I want food " lol Not hi, how are you? How was your day? Nope, I want food!! What the boy wants, he gets. So his first night of real food was Red Lobster! One of our fav's. I ordered some take out and we had date night at Bayfront. Hot huh. Tonight Maya and I brought him some KFC while we watched our movie. As you can see he left the hospital tray of mystery meat covered. He asked for meatloaf for dinner tomorrow. Spoiled much? Yeah I already got the stuff to make it for him.. this must be love because I am not a fan of meatloaf..blah!

10 more days!

Had a good visit with Kev tonight. We watched the movie 2012. He's defiantly starting to get frustrated with some of his disabilities. Sometimes when he starts a sentence, he will have trouble finishing it. This really aggravates him because he knows what he wants to say, but sometimes the words just don't come out right. Speach therapy will help with this. I've seen him when they do their word play games and he has no trouble giving 1 or 2 word answers, but putting sentences together is where he is struggling right now. It's hard to see him get mad because I know his temper and have seen it several times already at the hospital. Sometimes he just wants to throw in the towel but I try to tell him how far he's come in 8 weeks and how blessed we are for him to even be here today. This seems to give him the encouragement to keep fighting. He knows what happened to him. If you ask him why he's in the hospital...he will tell you " I had a double aneurysm "

To help matters I found out today we were approved for another 10 days at the rehab center. This is great news because he really is improving everyday and as long as he continues to show progress our insurance company will continue to approve more time. I'm proud of him because it shows how hard he's working.

Kevin's Comments

After work Maya and I drove over the bridge to see her Daddy and had a very nice visit. Kevin was full of himself tonight.

Kevin and I began talking about things he wanted to do when he got out of the hospital and he quickly said..."Party Like It's 1999" and then laughed out loud! I assumed from the way he was laughing he already knew it was 2010.

I also began talking to him about all the people from work who ask about him daily. I asked Kevin if he remembered Katherine Schnieder and he replied "yes". I told him Katherine wanted to know if he wanted her to make him one of her famous chocolate cakes and this time the reply was....."ohhhh yeah"...so Ms. Katherine I guess you better start baking!! I mentioned everyone's name at work I could think of and he smiled. He also said he was ready to go back to work, however, he also said he needed a vacation!

Another funny moment was when Kevin called me a "goof ball". I told him my big toe on my right foot was hurting me and when I pulled my foot out of my shoe he saw that I had a hole in my sock. He just looked at me and began laughing again and said I was a goof ball. It's a good thing I'm OK with him laughing at me :)

You should see us when we leave for the evening. It's such a production especially when Maya is there. She doesn't like for anyone except herself to tell her Daddy goodbye or kiss him goodbye. Do you think she is spoiled???

We are thankful for another good visit and we continue to give God all the glory for what He has done and continues to do for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya!

Please continue to pray for our family miracle!

A thank you and a visit

What a weekend. Kevin is a local celebrity..lol I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone involved at Bayfront and ABC Action News for giving our family this opportunity and for sharing our story. Linda Hurtado is such a warm and wonderful person and it was an honor to sit down and speak with her. I know that one day we will be sharing a different story with you. While it's true, we still have a very long road ahead of us, we will continue to stride and one day will be an example to another family who may be going through something similiar to show them its not impossible and miracles really do happen everyday.

Tonights visit was fun. Aunt Jan and Uncle Greg came up to see Kev and brought some goodies. Some new board games and his new favorite thing in the world... a smoothly! Its true, he is a simple man..lol Then again, I don't blame him after some of the food they try him with. Seriously! He enjoyed that, and got some good laughs in as well. Thanks guys!!

New link

http://www.abcactionnews.com/content/taking_action_for_you/story/Recovering-from-a-traumatic-brain-injury/oOigHfsqn0WUUCim70KkSg.cspx

Here's a link to the story itself and also the video

Here's a link to the video

If you missed it, you can go to www.abcactionnews.com and in the upper right hand corner they have a video section. Its already up and the first one on the page titled " Recovering from a tramatic brain injury" Just press play :)

5pm Today!!!! ABC Action News!!!!!

Just got done filming with Linda Hurtado and ABC action news. They will air it on the 5pm news tonight!!!! They filmed Kevin during one of his therapies, watched us toss a balloon around and then sat down with Kevin and I to do an interview together. Soooo much fun, Kevin did great. He said a few words. I was a nervous wreck!! But I'm so happy and proud and blessed for Kevin to have this opportunity and can't wait for the world to see him.

Tonight at 5pm!! ABC action news or http://www.abcactionnews.com/

Kevin's Opportunity

Dear Kevin,

I'm praying that tomorrow will be a great opportunity for you to encourage someone and their family who may have recently faced what you have experienced these past weeks.

You are a blessing to our family and so many others. You continue to amaze everyone and we know your recovery is because God has something special in store for you, Kimmie and Maya!

Do your best tomorrow in therapy and show the world the power of prayer!

I love you so much and I'm so proud of you!!

St. Patrick's Day With Kevin - It Was A Fun Night!

Lights, Camera, Action!!

Here's a pic of Kevin feeding himself lunch today. Aint he cute!! LOL

Anyway, ok big announcement!! Kevin is gonna be on TV!!!!!

Every year the rehab center we are at has a reunion for their former guests to celebrate their survival after a brain injury. One of our local news stations ABC Action News will do a story on the center and have asked to feature Kevin. They want to film him in action durring one of his therapy sessions and have also asked about a possible interview with Linda Hurtado, who will be doing the piece.

This is soooo exciting!! Now, I can't guarantee he will do the interview because it just depends how much he's feeling like talking that day and he is still having trouble getting out of some his words but at the very least you will be able to see him durring one of his therapy sessions. Filming will be this Friday. Not sure yet when the story will air but I'm sure i'll find out durring filming and will let the world know as soon as I do. For friends and family not local, the website is http://www.abcactionnews.com/ and they have a link to watch full episodes on there so everyone will be able to see him get his shot at fame :)

Trach is out!!!!

Dr Luciano just came up and took out Kevin's trach. Day 51 we are trach free and eating on our own. He had his first meal yesterday for breakfast.. Biscuits and gravy and applesauce and some juice. ( Prolly not is first meal of choice but I know he was glad to try anything again.) He did ok with it, he wasn't really interested in lunch because he was having a little bit of pain in his right shoulder from all his workouts. They tried again this morning and he had some oatmeal and was feeding himself. Great Work!!

Teaser Alert!!!!
Look for a special post tonight. I just got a call from someone in the Public Relations department at the hospital asking me to come in and speak with her later this afternoon about a special project we may be involved in. I got a few details but will update everyone later tonight after I get all the info.. Here's a hint... " if your local, make sure your TV's are working :) Sooooo exciting!! I'll let you guys know tonight!!

Approved!!

Congratulations Mr. Deramo, you've just won another 10 fun filled days and nights at "Club Bayfront"!!!!
Yes, our insurance company has approved to allow us to continue rehab at Bayfront since Kevin is progressing so well. Another prayer answered. Actually tonight we got quite a few prayers answered. Kevin had his swallowing test today.. passed it with flying colors and will be allowed to eat solid food again tomorrow. Huge!!! Also since they started capping his trach durring the day and he's maintained so well, they will continue to keep the cap on at night and if all goes well they will remove the trach completly this Wednesday!!! Even HUGER!!!

We had a good visit tonight. I brought him up a bag of goodies. Some new clothes, a new movie to watch, a puzzle and some flash cards. When I took out the flash cards he kinda gave me a dirty look. Then when I held up the first one..( A for Apple )....he said, " Are you kidding me?? " LOL We both laughed. He humored me and played along until we got to C for Cat, then he was done just laughed at me for asking him these stupid questions. I agreed to put the cards away as I think we're past this stage now. It was too cute, but boy if looks could kill...

Maya Tells Me....He's My Daddy!

My time with Maya this afternoon was great! After picking her up from her sitter she and I ran some errands and of course given the time of day the traffic was horrible. I made the mistake and called a driver behind me a stupid jerk and Maya was quick to use both words every chance she could. Of course I was trying to explain I made a mistake and should not have called the other person a name etc., but Maya was also quick to tell me there are a lot of drivers that are jerks. I promise you I am not making this up.

I was trying to change the subject of our conversation so I began talking about her Daddy. I told her I was so happy that Daddy was feeling better and that I loved him so much! Once again she was quick to tell me... you can't love my Daddy because HE'S MY DADDY and I love him enough!

I have to agree with her on this one. Maya loves her Daddy and Mama so much and it's so darn cute to see her love on them. Don't think for a minute that she doesn't have a problem telling both of them when she isn't happy about something. One thing about Maya...she isn't afraid to share her feelings about anything.

It's good to laugh more often these days and once again we owe it all to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! There is no way we could have faced any of this without Him at our side.

More happy times are ahead!

Movie night

Just got back from seeing the boy. He looked good. He's getting stronger and stronger on that right side everyday. He's making a fist and wiggling his toes again on his right. They have capped his trach now and said they expect to be able to take it out completly sometime next week. And since he's not trying to pull it out anymore they have also removed his arm restraints so he's got a little bit of freedom back... well, as much freedom as one can have in rehab I suppose.

I took Maya with me tonight. He always lights up when she walks in the room. She walked in and said "Hey Daddy" and I think she was a little suprised to hear him say " Hi Maya " right back to her. They sat next to each other and watched a Disney movie together. I wish I had my camera, they we're two peas in a pod. By the time visiting hours we're over they were both getting tired and cranky..( feels like I have 2 kids now ) and it was time to hit the road.

Saturday Afternoon Visit

Our visit with Kevin this afternoon was another wonderful experience. Poor Kimmie was not feeling well so, Me (Ole Goat), Terry and my Mama (Nanny) went and spent some time with Kevin.

When we walked in the room he was watching TV. He looked so good and so rested. We all said "hi" and he replied "hi". We noticed right away his trach was capped. He could talk to us without having to cover his trach! It was such a blessing!

This was the first visit for Nanny and Kevin called her name right away. In fact he called out all our names. He struggled a little saying Kathy, but had no problem saying Ole Goat. He also called out Kimberly and Maya's name tonight.

He was full of smiles today and in a really good mood. We looked at pictures of books Aunt Snack Cake made and he recognized everything, including tools he works with on a daily basis.

While we were there, Terry and I had the opportunity to speak with Kevin's nurse, Salandra. Salandra explained to us she has been in the same ward on the same floor for 22 years and never has she seen anyone progress and come through what Kevin has experienced. She told us Kevin would recover and that she knew it was because of the Lord's work that Kevin was going so well.

We continue to be amazed as to how good everyone at BayFront has been to our family. The doctors and nurses can't do enough for us and of course they all LOVE Maya! But what's not to love about her!

During our visit I asked Kevin to say the ABCs. He just started laughing at me and then I began to laugh too. He got all the way to the letter T and stopped so I finished the remaining letters for him and told him not go worry he would finish next time. Again we were laughing.

While Terry was talking to Kevin he asked Kevin, what's the first thing you want to do when you get out of the hospital. Kevin was trying to say something, but couldn't get the words to come out. I was trying to understanding and evidentially was saying the wrong words which caused Kevin to laugh so much his tummy was moving up and down. Then I started laughing because Kevin stuck out his tongue at me. It was funny.

Today, we all noticed the strength in Kevin's right hand is improving. Also, he is moving his right arm more, plus he has complete feeling up and down his entire right side. He loves to have his back rubbed and said...."I can't wait to get out of this bed".

Since Kimmie wasn't able to visit with him today she was able to carry on a conversation with him on the phone. It truly is amazing that we are at this point in Kevin's recovery in such a short period of time. Today is day 46 and in these 46 days we have seen miracles take place that we and others will talk about for the rest of our lives!

We have so many people to thank for their continuous thoughts and prayers and as a family we are all praying that God will bless you just as he has blessed us in healing Kevin!

Play Time With Kevin...We had so much fun!

30 mins, 30 bean bags, 30 words

Today was amazing!! I got to go partake in Kevin's therapy sessions and he really showed off. He stood up in the harness for 30 mins. He played a bean bag toss game. He threw 30 bean bags and made 11 baskets..with his left hand. She asked him to count to 5 outloud and he counted to 10 all by himself. They played another catch game and Kevin was able to catch the ball and throw it back at different angles as the therapist moved around the room. After that they played some word games where she would start a sentence and ask Kevin to fill in the last word.
If I we're to put something in, you would take it.... and kevin said..OUT
If its not night time, its.. he said DAY TIME
If its not full it's.. kevin said EMPTY
If its not on the top, its on the ..he said BOTTOM
If its not big, its.. he said LITTLE
If you can't go over it, you go.. he said UNDER
If your not right handed, your.. he said LEFT HANDED

She took out a dollar and asked him what it was. He said "a one dollar bill" she asked what would you do with this.. he said "spend it". She held up a cup and asked what it was. He said " Coffee cup". She asked, what do you put in your coffee? He said " Milk and sugar".
After that he did some stretches. He's moving his right hand more and applying a little pressure when you tell him to push against you.

He amazes me more and more everyday with how much he can do. They said since he is now showing them that he can talk, they will start to plug his trach and eventually remove it. Once that is done he won't have to be restrained anymore and will be a much happier camper. After all that hard work...we went back to his room and watched a movie with his new portable dvd player ( thanks dad) and he was ready for bed. He worked hard today and I was impressed!!! I saw Gods work at its finest!!

More progress

When I got to the hospital tonight I was told that they put Kevin in a harness today to get him standing up and he maintained it very well. His blood pressure and stats stayed good while he was doing this and they we're very impressed and said he worked hard today. Atta boy!! I'm excited about tomorrow because I get to go in earily and go thru all his therapies with him and see him in action.

He got to see Maya tonight..they played for a little while until they we're both getting a little bit too antsy. Maya's sugar high wore off on the ride home. She was sound asleep before we even made it over the bridge. ( which doesn't make for a easy trip from the truck to her bedroom upstairs. Can't say i didn't get my workout today :)

He moved his right hand!!!!!

I had a meeting with our case worker today at the hospital. He basically just went over the process of all the different therapies and what to expect going forward. I've mentioned before that his insurance company will only approve 10 days at a time for Kevin to stay at this rehab center and he has to continue to show that he is progressing in order to be recomended for another 10 days. Today marked Kevin's 7th day and the case worker will fax over documentation tomorrow to the insurance company recommending another 10 day stay. Lets pray that our insurance company approves it and allows us to continue moving forward as we have done so well so far.

Since I got there earily today for the meeting, I also got to peek in on Kevin in action with the Physical therapist and Occupational therapist. I saw him laying on the mat doing his stretches, I even saw him sitting up supporting himself with his good arm...and get this.. THE BOY MADE A FIST WITH HIS RIGHT HAND!!!! If thats not a miracle, then I dunno what is. This was the first time he moved anything on his right side since the vasospasms in the first week. I got to help him take a shower today and they encouraged me to come up there earlier a couple days a week to take part in the therapy with him since these are things they will have to teach me to continue to do at home. Looking forward to being more hands on and understanding of the care he's getting and how to continue it at home. I love this place, the people are so wonderful and they truly become a 2nd family to you. Don't forget to thank God as he continues to bless our family in sooooo many ways.

Love Kim

Hello Kevin, you have a phone call!

Today, I got a text message from my sister Kathy saying that she had "talked" to Kevin on the phone and that he was able to say her name...well, I got so excited, I immediately called Kim's cell phone and said I wanted to see if he will talk to me on the phone. As she is laughing at me, I can hear her saying "here Kevin...it's Aunt Debby, she want to say hello". So I'm probably yelling a little too loud into the phone because I am so excited, and I say "Hi Kevin and he said "Hi Aunt Debby!! I told him I loved him and he said I love you back!

I would not trade that brief conversation for anything in the world! It was the highlight of my day.

And, just because he is working so hard, I am going to bring him a special present this week.... a squirt gun! Hope the nurses don't get too mad at me.

A cranky boy tonight

Kevin was in no kinda mood today. When I got up there this afternoon I was told that he didn't want to do anything today and was fiesty all day long. The only thing he said tonight was " untie my arm" with a mean grumpy face. Still I'll take it because it tells me that Kev knows whats going on and is getting aggervated with all his restrictions. Who could blame him. I know that his aggression towards things will drive him to overcome them. Thats just how Kevin is and always will be.

To lighten the mood tonight we had the pleasure of being in the company of one of the RN's there. His name is Jun and is such a funny guy. One of my favorite new nurses in the Rehab center. He was noticing an old tattoo on Kevin that was from and old rap group he used to like. So all night we got to be entertained with this little Asian dude that would bust out in rap everytime he walked into the room. Yes, you can't make this stuff up people...picture it with me..lol This even got Kevin laughing..it was funny! So here's a shout out to Jun for saving the day. Go Jun!!

Lil bit of Convo

Tonights visit was fun. It was just me and Maya, which can be challenging because I have to keep my attention on each of them. Whenever someone is in the room we can untie his good arm from the restraints so he can move more and play with Maya. But there's a reason for the restraints!!! Whenever he's free and you turn your back, He's pulling out all his "stuff" on his own. I've seen him pull the trach out 3 times now by himself...one of which I had to put back in. Yeah, not so fun. Anyway, Maya is at that age where she is, lets say..BUSY!!! She was getting into everything tonight and Kevin even gave her the look like...Maya Morgan, you know better!! lol that was kinda funny.

I sat down on the bed next to Kevin tonight and just started talking to him like I usually do.. not expecting much in return. He made me laugh tonight because I started off asking him.. "So did ya get outta bed today?" then all the sudden he said by himself.. "Sure did" I laughed and then asked.."Oh yeah what did you do today?".. he replied back..." Some stretches" again all by himself. I couldn't help but laugh thinking that I was actually sitting there having a conversation with him and he talked back without having to be coached. Then he started laughing just because I was laughing. It was too cute!! Also just goes to show he can do stuff when he wants too. Typical!! After that he didn't wanna talk much more, but that was ok with me. Its amazing the progress I can see each and every day. The Lord continues to bless us every single day in some way.

More Than You Can Imagine

Today's church sermon title was "More Than You Can Imagine" out of Ephesians 3:14-21. As I sat listening to Pastor Stephen, all I could think about was Kevin, Kimmie and Maya and the recent chain of events all of us have traveled these past five weeks.

The scriptures speak of how wide and deep the Lord's Love for us is. The scriptures also tell us by asking and praying for strength, the Lord will strengthen us through His spirit in our inner being. What a blessing it is to witness these words of God first hand.

I have been in church since I was an infant and the first time Kimmie attended church she was two weeks old. We have heard of miracles and seen things happen from afar, but never in all of my Christian life have I seen the hand of God move as He has done these past five weeks.

It is only by the grace of God that Kevin is able to do the things he can do now such as, sit in a chair, understand conversations, respond to his wife and daughter, show his love for others, play catch with a ball, speak (although limited, he still speaks) and respond on command to the doctors and nurses. These actions clearly are signs that God is in control and He has a plan for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya.

As a family, our prayer is that God will continue to receive the glory for all He has done for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya and that people would come to know Him!

Please continue to pray and thank God for all His blessings!

A Special Day

So today was special in a few different ways...

While it started off a little rough it had a happy ending which is always how it should work. Kevin was a lazy bones today. He didn't wanna wake up for the speach therapist and apparently wasn't thrilled with the physical therapist either because all we did today was some leg work. Something he didn't have to put a whole lot of effort into. I don't blame him..after all he worked hard this week and its Saturday..( I think right?..lol) He deserves a break. We all do.

When I got there.. we got a special visit from my sister Annette and I'm pround to say new ( soon to be ) brother in law Brian. They got engaged tonight and I'm soooo happy for them. Kevin was so happy he even said Annette's name...Yay!! Oh P.S. Brian.. You bess be good to her or I'll have your behind layin right there next to Kev!! Sorry just had to give the big sister speech...Love ya!! :)

After that we chillaxed for a little bit and watched some TV.. Kevin's sister Kristy called and I held the phone up to his ear so she could talk to him. When I asked him to say her name he did! So he said 2 sisters names tonight. Overall it turned out to be a great day.

Love Kim

Some Good Rehab Pictures

He said it...Ole Goat!!

After work this afternoon, Terry and I along with Maya met up with Kimmie and Kevin at the hospital. On the ride over, Maya was in the backseat talking up a storm. People wonder where she gets that from....I wonder too! Anyway, Maya began to tell us her Daddy has been in the hospital 5 weeks. Terry and I just looked at each other. I don't recall telling her how long her Daddy has been in the hospital and neither does Terry. We just shook our heads and told her she was correct. We all know Maya is a smart cookie, it's just sometimes she makes us all question how she got so smart so quickly!

As we walked into Kevin's room this evening it was awesome seeing him sitting up in a chair. He had his glasses on watching TV and looked great! He turned his head to the door way as we were coming in and smiled.

We had a great visit with him. Every time we said something to Kevin he knew exactly what we are talking about.

The doctors and nurses instructed Kimmie to bring items from home for Kevin's room that will help him identify people, home etc. His room now is full of family pictures and some other items from home such as his favorite music etc. Also, Aunt Snack Cake gather up some Progressive items such as a Progressive Emergency Response Vehicle. I held up the Progressive items and asked Kevin....do you know where these items came from? I wish you could have seen his expression. He looked at me with a look that said....yeah I work there dummy! He smiled at me and nodded his head yes. Let me just tell you there was a celebration going on in the room. I told him he needed to get back to work because the paper bins were stacking up!! Once again he smiled.

We took some great pictures which Kimmie should be posting soon.

About halfway through our visit as I was talking with Kevin, I asked him what's my name? I said...say it Kevin you know it's me the "Ole Goat". He just looked at me for a minute and smiled. After repeating it a couple of times and encouraging him, he finally said it...."Ole Goat" and then he smiled. It was a moment that I will never forget. We hugged each other and yes of course....I cried but they were tears of joy.

As Terry and I were leaving I was telling Kevin how much I loved him and he replied back..."I love you" without any coaching or asking him to repeat.

We are so blessed to see a miracle take place before our eyes!

God continues to keep HIS healing hands on Kevin and we continue to praise HIM for all HE has done and continues to do!

Please continue to pray for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya. We know without a doubt God has something special in store for each of them in the coming days!

Rehab day 2..in the books!!

Tonight was a great visit. I got up there and was able to spend some quiet time with Kevin before mom and dad brought Maya up there so she could see her daddy again. This rehab center is amazing. I walk in and Kevin is sitting in the hallway in a chair ready for visiting hours. Yes you read that right. He was sitting in a CHAIR!! This rehab center is amazing!! He worked with all the therapist today and I got to speak with the speach therapist who said she was very impressed with how Kevin is responding. He was able to answer her questions with Yes or No..actually speaking the words, not just head nods. He told her what his daughters name was and how old she is. Amazing Amazing Amazing!!!

We all had a good visit. He played with Maya and we decorated his room. We have some Progressive (work) stuff up and a bunch of pictures for him. He spoke a little bit more tonight. We got him to say "Ole Goat" (yeah, thats my mom's nickname and also what my adorable little girl calls her grandma...in public....wow, I know..lol One day we will explain that one to you all in more detail..lol) Anywho....It was fun. Yesterday, Maya brought her daddy a blue rubber duckie that he likes to bite. She thinks thats pretty funny. He was full of smiles and hugs and kisses and very active and animated tonight. He gets to wear his own clothes now so its nice seeing him in a more comfortable setting where he really is improving. Thanks to the grace of God the worst times are behind us and each and every day is an improvement from the day before and another day I give thanks for.

Love Kimmie

He's having a good day

I just called and spoke with the nurses and they said Kevin had an amazing day today. He was following commands and worked a little bit with the speech therapist and did really good testing his swallowing abilities.. I went and picked up some more stuff for him and they are encouraging us to bring him stuff from home that he will remember and relate too. I'm on my way up there now for the evening visit..can't wait to see him.

Kim

The 3 F's..Faith, Family, and Friends

Its seems like the last few days have been a whirlwind. I know that we've been here for over a month now and thats a long time, but it just seems like so much has happened in the last couple days and things are really really moving along so quickly, I can hardly keep up.

First things first.. As many of you already know from the pictures that Maya FINALLY got to see her Daddy!!! It was precious! She wasn't scared, she sat right up there on the bed with him and played tug of war and they played with books and teddy bears and loved on each other. It was wonderful.

We've been moved around to a different room each day for the last 3 days. ( Musical rooms..if you will..) We went from the NICU, to a room on the main Neuro ward..then to another room on the main hospital floor and I'm happy to say as of tonight we have officially landed in REHAB where we will stay!!!!! I can't believe we are finially here. Kevin passed all his evaluations and has been accepted into the Rehab Center at Bayfront where he will begin therapy first thing in the morning. I was able to help get him all settled in his room for a good nights sleep because boy does he have his work cut out for him tomorrow. I'm so excited!!! I was able to tour some of the center tonight. Its really nice with all top of the line equipment. The staff was wonderful to us. They encouraged me to bring Maya up, which we will do tomorrow..yay!! They are pretty stricked when it comes to visiting hours. I know that M-F they only allow visitors from 4pm to 8pm and its more relaxed on the weekend. This is because they literally work with them all day long. They will teach him how to get dressed again, shave and all that everyday good stuff and they will also work with him on strenght training, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. They work about 2 hours in the morning..they get a break and work another 3 hours in the afternoon. After all that visitors are welcome.

I know that alot of people have been asking about coming up for a visit. Everyone is welcome too, I just ask that you give us a few days to get into a routine and see how he holds up to all that's gonna be expected of him durring this new part of our journey..and then visit away..lol I'll let you know when we're good there.

I just have to say before I go that while this whole thing has been the hardest thing ever. I know I would not have been able to make it through this everyday without all the wonderful people in our lives. People are continuing to give..people and family members..some of whom I don't even know or never personally met are still giving. Its amazing. Just goes to show you that God is still still still providing. It just gives me chills. I believe that as long as you've got the 3 F's ..Faith, Family, and Friends...then it'll all work out in the end. And I know I've got them all covered.

Love,
Kimmie