The last few days have been very interesting. Kjerstin is making a lot of progress with her physical therapy as well as her occupational therapy. She pushed Dad around in the wheelchair today! She is walking more on her own, but we are having to learn to take steps. She just wants to lunge. The therapist said this normal, though.

She is swallowing better. They are working on introducing her to different foods and letting her tell them what she likes. All of it is pureed. She is doing very well with it. If she continues to do well & will eat enough to sustain herself, then after a couple weeks they will be able to take out her feeding tube.

Emotionally, she is having a really hard time. She has had a couple anxiety-like attacks. These usually occur when she is very tired. She usually shakes her head side to side and just keeps repeating herself. It's very hard to see the first time, but Mom & Dad are learning to cope with it. She is having some problems remembering day to day where she is and why. You have to tell her things over and over each day. However, she remembers things like where to place her hands on the keyboard to type and how to read. She remembers her address and where she lives. She did recognize her boyfriend when she saw him. So, she is progressing, but doing so slowly. It seems very slow to us, but the therapist say that she is actually ahead of schedule and progressing faster than they anticipated. That is in regards to every area of her therapy. She does have occasional times where she says things that are very blunt and says cuss words and repeats them over & over. The therapists said this is just one of the stages that we have to go through and it's completely normal. It's just hard for us because she will say this food tastes like SH*T & she says it loud & repeats it about 10 times! Mom & Dad are learning not to react & just say "We don't say that. We say Yuck." It's much like having a 2 or 3 year old in that aspect. I must say though, Mom seems better. We didn't have a melt down last weekend & I don't forsee one this weekend. She just seems to have a little life back in her eyes - not that exhausted blank stare look. I think she has a schedule and goals to help Kjerstin reach so she is getting focused. Far better than the day I had to pick her up crying out of the hospital floor. Dad, well, he seems tired, but he has been sick for over a week now, so that is understandable. This has been very hard on him, but I have seen him make some pretty tremendous changes & step up & take care of things. Kjerstin really loves him being here & asks for him instead of Mom sometimes. This is a miracle in itself! She has always been a momma's girl.

Everyday Kjerstin goes to class where she practices math, reading, etc. She read a couple chapters in a book that was a 7th grade reading level. They gave her questions afterwords to test her comprehension & she did very well.

Her speech is improving and she is starting to talk more. She just gets so tired. She does seem to be sleeping better since they changed her sleep medication. When we got here tonight she was already asleep, so I just gave her a kiss on the head. She opened her eyes & looked at me & went back to sleep. Jerimiah is staying with her tonight & Steph & I will go to the hospital in the morning & I will stay tomorrow night. I'm excited to see her improvements from this week. Have fun with the vinyl couch, Bo!

I don't know if any of you have ever seen the movie "50 First Dates", but I have a whole new understanding of that movie now. I know it's a chick flick, guys, but you should watch it & you would understand a little bit more of what our world is like now with Kjerstin. Of course, we are in a hospital setting & Kjerstin can't care for herself, but the memory part is more of what I am referring to.

School starts on Monday for the kids, so things will change some. I'm hoping the schedule will help us parents to get to bed earlier, too. We are all very tired, but I think our bodies are getting used to it. That or we are just getting delirious & don't know any different. Haha.

We are having a golf tournament to raise money for Kjerstin's expenses. Please come out to Hidden Lakes Golf Course on Oct. 9 and join us!

I know it has been a couple months since the accident and summer seems to have come and gone. (I must say Steph & my's hospital tan looks Awesome! or should I say the there of. ) But, please don't forget Kjerstin & our family in your prayers. Things may be different, but they are still very hard. Thank you for all you have done!