Gracie hard at work...

...at Physical Therapy!

I've been meaning to take my camera to Gracelyn's PT sessions each week for the past 8 weeks now. Unfortunately it has slipped my mind with having to drop Britton off at a wonderful friend's house while remembering his bag and Blaine off at another sweet friend's house if he doesn't have speech therapy that same day AND get Miss G to therapy 20 minutes away that morning. And I am NOT a morning person, actually Blaine is the only one who is.

But I finally remembered it today! Gracelyn works really hard at therapy. She is a rock star each week, even on mornings when she didn't sleep so well the night before. Like last week, the night before PT she maybe slept a total of 4 hours and she did fantastic, rolling over 3 times, rotating her body on the mat, sitting up while supported! She is making amazing strides.

Gracie LOVES PT! From her awesome therapist Derrick to Rusty, another PT and even Miss Bev, the glue that holds the place together!! They all love her too and give her so much attention that I think she shows off especially for them! I will find out what she can do for the first time there and I really think she has been able to do it for days but she will perform her new tricks for them!

Mr. Derrick just couldn't stay away.
Gracelyn lights up with him and he does with her!

Up until today, I haven't seen her roll from her back onto her tummy on her right side. Well she did today at PT and she did that 5 times!! She sat supported, more steady this week though, not needing so much help. Mr. Derrick was with another patient so a student worked with her today. Miss Lindsay attempted to put her on all fours but G didn't much care for that. She is getting there!!

she is D-O-N-E!

G is 7 months old~ over halfway to 1 year

Gracie is 7 months old now. I just cannot believe it. So much has happened in her short little life. It seems like she should be older, of course I'm perfectly happy that she isn't!

this picture makes me laugh because as I was taking her picture she reached up to grab her bow (which she does often now) and I made her laugh so she got distracted and just left her arm raised!

As of now, Gracelyn is rolling over, both front to back and back to front. She cannot continuously roll, like across the floor. She will roll onto her back to her left and then back on her tummy to her right, just back and forth, back and forth.
She can put her weight on her legs for a few minutes before it's too much for her. She won't step forward though.

Gracie is very vocal. She "talks" loudly! Ryan and I went to lunch the other day and she was not fussy but letting everyone, and I mean everyone, around us know she was there. It is good for her because her voice box was damaged by the botulism but not everyone appreciates it like we do!

On the floor Miss G is quite the little wiggle worm. She can rotate her body 180 degrees. She lifts her arms and legs and LOVES to play with her feet. She can sit, supported, for at least 10 minutes, at most, so far, 12. She can lay on her tummy and hold her head up for at least 11, at most, so far 13. She's started straightening out her arms, as if she is preparing them for lifting up her body! Her physical therapist said he wouldn't be surprised if she is up on all fours, in the crawling position in the next few weeks! WOW!



She has tried applesauce, sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots and peas. She doesn't like green beans at.all. She makes the worst face and blows raspberries (oh, she is blowing raspberries now too, which her brothers think is "sooooo cool!" and so funny!) to get every last bit out of her mouth. And side note: I wasn't aware that she could blow raspberries until she did with a mouth full of sweet peas. Carrots were okay with her, not her favorite but I think she will eat them mixed with peas just fine. The boys were never big fans of carrots but they didn't mind them in peas. I will try that mixture starting tomorrow.

Most of all, Gracelyn is a HAPPY, BEAUTIFUL, MIRACLE from God! He has such huge plans for her and it is so exciting and awesome to see the healing He has done in her in such a short amount of time.
She loves her brothers, lights up when she sees them and has started reaching for people. It absolutely touches my heart to have her reach for me as she gives me a HUGE smile. She has gorgeous grins!

I am so happy that Gracelyn's story has gotten out and helped in the awareness of this rare illness. Her battle was featured in the local paper and I have heard from friends with babies that their docs have mentioned it to them.

Latest on Miss G

Gracelyn is finishing up her second solid food, sweet potatoes, this week. Just like the applesauce, they were a hit! She grabbed the spoon and sucked every last drop of them off the spoon! My plan is to finish out the veggies before any more fruits.


She is doing well at PT, getting stronger. She had rolled over front to back a few weeks ago (just like she had the week before she went into the hospital) BUT she has begun rolling over back to front!!! Talk about exciting! This is HUGE for her!! She is 2 months behind developmentally but we pray she will catch up eventually.




I had asked the doc at her 6 month well-check about her spitting up and was told to resume giving her the axid because her digestive system could be compared to a newborn's due to her sickness. I started giving it to her, but each day following, she was only getting worse. I mean the amount that she was spitting up, or more like projectile throwing up, was significant a week later.
This last Tuesday we went back to the doc and she was given a script for reglan, which didn't thrill either one of us because it limits mobility (the last thing she needs) BUT she needs to start keeping food down. For the last week and a half leading up to Tuesday morning, it was just milk that she wasn't keeping down but by that evening, it was her sweet potatoes too. On top of that she suddenly experienced extreme constipation beginning last Friday, more so than she has been since we've been home. The doc didn't know Tuesday if that's related to the other or not. AND she has thrush again, the second time since we've been home. That is another mystery. I'm really worried about her and the food situation. She's now been on the reglan since Wednesday and it isn't helping at all.
Recently, Gracelyn has been having fewer happy moments. She still has a pleasant personality but not as much as before. I don't know what is going on but I pray it's nothing serious.

This is the roller coaster that the PICU doctor warned me about and all I can do is pray for strength and patience for Gracelyn and myself. I know she will experience these and I trust God completely. What He has brought her through thus far, in such record time, is nothing short of a miracle.