Quinn is out of the Hospital!

Well, yesterday got better and better. She was back to her lovely self, and she was showing everyone how much better she felt by singing and talking. We did not do much moving as she needed to rest. Now she is at Virginia's and I'm at work. So we are back to our usual routine. Prayer work, and Quinn is a fighter. That is so good!

2-24-10

Well - you never know what you are going to be reading when you look on here, we change things up, and Quinn just could not catch her breath yesterday. She tends to have some breathing issues at times, but yesterday's therapies is where I started taking note of some really strange breathing. It got worse as the night went on, and finally I had to take her to St. E's hospital. We did not have to wait in the waiting room at all, were taken directly to a room and they started breathing treatments right away. She got a little better, but they admitted us because she as still struggling a bit. So now it's been about 12 hours since we have been here and she is doing better. I'm not as worried about her breathing but it still is not great. She really only has been super stressed when they were giving shots and drawing blood, which is to be expected, but through her whole breathing thing, I can tell she has been a bit scared, but not to bad. She has kept her hands pretty relaxed and has gone back and forth from not breathing well, to singing when she was doing better. I tell you, she is a special girl. Here she is in the hospital trying her best to get her breath, and the moments she has it, she is so grateful and let's us know that. I always think back to my grandma Dolores when it come to breathing issues. She had a hard time catching her breath sometimes and would tell me how that was the scariest thing ever. I can see that being true, so when Quinn sings with joy over the breaths that she does catch, it just reminds me how we need to be thankful for the simple things. She does a great job of that.

So prayers would be wonderful. I am thinking we will probably go home today, but never to sure. Right now Quinn is still working harder then usual to catch her breath, but at the same time, playing with her lion and jabbering to me. Wow, I've said it before but she is my little inspiration! I can't even tell you how much I love her!

blessings
Susan

Live. Love. Dance.

Virginia is a good motivator to help Quinn dance and dance. Enjoy! I think this is a great little video. Then go dance!

2-22-10

Here Quinn is at the end of therapy, telling Jed bye - notice her reaching up to touch him.
Here Jen and Jed are helping Quinn read. She still loves to read and when she is in the right position, she will just read and read. That darn head control, she is getting better and better, but still has a long way to go. Oh, if you look carefully you can see Virginia's artwork of a kitty on her cheek.
Here she is brushing her teeth, she is holding it on her own, and with just a little help, she can get that toothbrush up to her mouth.
Here she is working on a crawling position on her knees rocking back and forth, this stretch also helps with giving her a new way to work on head control.
Virginia shared a great story with me from Friday. The group of them were at the museum and a dad who was playing with his kids started playing a drum near Virginia and Quinn and Quinn lifted her head, said drum, and looked over to see him playing that drum! Yeah! That was wonderful! Good moments! She has had a low key weekend. Helping friends pack and sharing in the love, as well as relaxing with Grandpa and Grandma Nelson.

Our PT student Jed's last visit with us brought lots of good reactions from Quinn. She said she is ready to start working with Jen again, but Jed knows he is welcome to come play with us anytime!

2-19

Here are Quinn and Jed playing with a balloon working on hand and arm control. Quinn sure does show off for him!
Here she is playing the drum with Diane and Stacie, look at Elijah dancing in the background. He helps her at therapy too! /Here she is after a trip to the museum.
Here is Quinn at the grocery store with Chrissy, look at that wrap around her waist helping her hold herself up.



We have had another busy week. On most fridays Jen and Jed come to our house and work with Quinn on standing and other physical therapy skills. This last friday Jill and Catalina joined them and we had a happy house full. Quinn loves Jed and works so hard for him.

She has also been working hard for Virginia and is finally walking again. Look at her go.

She has been painting at Handprints and Footsteps with Diane. She is doing better using her arms and hands to do purposful movements. That is a blessing.

Virginia, Grandma Martha, Elijah and Quinn went to the Children's Museum today and that was fun for them.

Quinn is doing better talking and has talked to a few new people this week, even answering a few questions with the correct answer! That is so wonderful. Things that some folks take for granted are total miracles for us. I think it's a good life living as if everything was a miracle. I know I've heard that quote before but don't remember who it was from.

Quinn keeps me so grounded and humble and I appreciate that so much! We have a busy weekend planned with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson. So we should have some exciting events to share next week!

Blessings
Here are Quinn and Diane, watch the end where she starts painting on her own!

What a week we have had

Happy Valentines Day!
Here is Quinn struggling to keep her head up in her walker. It's hard work but she does work so hard. Just look at that hair too. I love it!
Then we have those miracle moments - She knows how good she is doing with her head control and giggling and telling us in her own way to look at me! These moments make my heart so happy!

Here she is with Chrissy - look at that head control with her looking over at Chrissy - she loves her so much!
Well we go back and forth from doing great, to coughing and throwing up. That snot is a gross thing, but she is doing her best to make the best of her cold. Chrissy took her to the grocery store and she sat in the cart, on the top part, yes, that is not a big deal for many kids, but this was a first for her. Chrissy had this great wrap from Korea that she helped bundle Quinn up in and helped her with her trunk support (helping her hold her body up easier), so she could work on head control. Pictures are coming, so yeah for little things. So if anyone in the grocery store wondered what is going on with this girl talking pictures of this other girl sitting in the cart, if only you knew what a special moment you were seeing!

2-11-10

Here is a picture I got from the swimming party we went to a week or so ago with Dreams Unlimited. Quinn just loves the water!
For how busy this week is, here is another journal article. I think it’s because I don’t want to forget any moments and I’m worried I will because I’m a bit on the tired side, tired but happy and thankful for a wonderful job, talking to great parents, and having good friends who are so good to Quinn and more then willing to help us out.

Well, Chrissy played with Quinn Tuesday afternoon, and Quinn loved every bit of it. They are together this evening too, so I’m already looking forward to finding out what they have done this evening. To start off Tuesday, Quinn was not coughing as much when she woke up, and talked dad’s ear off I heard. Then at Virginia’s she finally was ready to start walking around in her walker again, that’s good because it’s been over a week that she has not wanted to, but I think it’s mainly due to the fact that she was not feeling good.

When I got home a bit after 7:00 and heard Quinn giggling and coughing when I walked in and saw Quinn and Chrissy playing with her skateboard. Quinn was a moving machine. She was also talking up a storm. Chrissy told me how she asked Quinn what she wanted to do- go to the library, the bookstore, the store, the mall, Chrissy house, Quinn’s house, an the answer to every question was “no” Finally Chrissy asked if Quinn wanted to go to Annette’s house. Quinn said yes, Chirssy asked a couple more times to be sure and each time was met with a clear yes. So Chrissy told Quinn how if they go, she was going to have to talk to her, ironically last time I had conference, Annette watched Quinn and Quinn would not talk to her and basically did not want anything to do with her, it was partly my fault, because I told her that day that it was going to be Chrissy, and plans changed, and Quinn likes to know the routine so she can have a bit of control. Well she played with Annette and Ben as well. It was a busy night, and she was so wound up when I got home she was excited and moving and loving life. What a great day she had.

2-9-10

Here is Quinn and her nebulizer, when she does not feel good we just send saline through it to help her stay moist and break up the crud in her sinuses. I wanted to get the tiny water drops on her eyelashes, but my camera just could not seem to pick them up. Quinn is not a fan of the nebulizer, but puts up with it because it makes her feel better and she knows it.

We have had a busy week again. Thursday through Saturday Quinn was a sick little girl. She had a stomach bug of some kind and a bad cough. Virginia was wonderful and kept watching her, while she did not feel all that great either. Sunday I would say she started feeling better but she still has quite a cough.

This week is a crazy week for us. I am only spending Wednesday afternoon with Quinn, other wise its therapy and wonderful friends willing to watch Quinn for me while I have conferences and meetings. Amy watched Quinn yesterday afternoon and Quinn has officially let her into “the group” of folks who Quinn will talk to. Virginia dropped her off at Zeman and I brought her in and Amy met us in the hallway, and Quinn saw her and started jabbering like crazy to her, a few other teachers walked up and Quinn stopped. This happened several times after I left as well, she talked and talked with it was just the two of them, if anyone else walked in, she would quiet up and look away. Quinn even used real words for Amy as they were reading a book with colors and Quinn said Blue for Amy. Yea! I don’t know what it takes for Quinn to talk to you, but I’m not surprised she talks for Amy! Thanks Amy! As for all our other friends at Zeman, just give it time and more meetings, those relationships are what Quinn works for and needs.

2-3-10

Here are Quinn flowers, if you look carefully you will see her face in the center of each flower. One of my girlfriends, Shelley, made them for us for Christmas, and they are lovely, about 12 inches wide and will look great in the backyard when we can "plant" them.

We have had a better week. Or maybe I should rephrase that as I’ve had a better week, since Quinn has been doing pretty good the whole time.

Lets start with Sunday, Dreams Unlimited and Handprints had a pool party and Quinn and I went. I learn so much when I go to these events. I watch and see how parents move some of the bigger kids, and I pack that information away to remember. Quinn loved it. The pool was nice and warm, and there were not to many people there, so we played and played. Quinn got splashed a few times and did fine. She enjoyed watching kids jump off the board, but more then anything we swam. Quinn loves being in the water and that might be the pool for us to join, I’m a little worried about how busy it gets on a normal day, but it worked well for us. The fun part for me was about half way through we started doing laps, and we would get to the end and I would ask Quinn, are you done, or do you want more. She had the “more “ down pat. It was great to hear.

As for the week, I give Virginia a big thanks. School is starting early and going late, thanks to all the snow days, and I am currently dropping Quinn off at 7:15 so I can get to work on time. Usually John watches her in the mornings, but the last two weeks, he has not been able to. He is no longer puking, but now his hand and legs or feet are swollen and he can hardly walk and can’t pick Quinn up, so it’s very nice that Virginia has been so wonderful in watching Quinn early. Thanks to her!

Another Virginia story, actually there have been lots of them lately, Quinn is not wanting to walk in her walker and it’s been that way since Saturday, she is doing pretty good standing up holding onto a couch or ottoman. So Virginia figured out if she reads a book so Quinn can see the pictures, Quinn will stand for the whole book, then when the book is done, she is too, and sits down. It’s not a super easy stand and sit, and she falls easily, so we have to be right there, but that is great that Virginia is finding ways to help Quinn work on standing and walking when she does not want to do it with the walker. I’m hoping she is ready to be in it again soon, as it is good for her, but as long as she keeps working hard, I’ll take it. One more story from Virginia’s house was this morning. I was leaving and Virginia had Quinn in her arms and said tell mom bye, and plain as day, Quinn said “bye”, so Virginia and I both were loving all over her telling her how good she did. Then I left and once I was right outside the door, Quinn laughed for Virginia, the big belly laugh. Yeah!

This afternoon we went to see Dr. Martin, Quinn’s heart doctor and they did another ultrasound on her heart. Dr. Martin is watching her ventricle carefully because it is leaking. Thanks to God, it’s not getting worse and Dr. Martin was pleased it had not gotten worse, so she said we should come back in 6 months for another check up. Yeah! A good checkup! I needed that as much as Quinn did. Quinn did actually look at Susan, the nurse, and show a bit of her personality, but when Dr. Martin came in she curled up in a ball and would not even look at her. I’ll take that and be good with it. Well it’s tradition to do something fun for Quinn after doctor appointments. I asked her if we could do an oil change then go home, but she said no, so we talked about things we could do and she decided she wanted to go home and read books, well we got home around 5:00, I got her hooked up to feed her, and she promptly fell asleep, so as of now, at 8:00, we still have not read any books, but we will, if anything when I take her up to bed, I’m sure she will wake up and then we will get one in, or if not, we will get up a bit early and read in the morning.