Thur-Fri, January 1st-2nd, 2004 ~ Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Many thanks to Tracy's friends at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. We really enjoyed your video messages! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and prayers! Tracy does not have therapy Friday at NRH. Thursday, Mom and Dad took Tracy on a few outings. They visited a rehab facility in Mt. Vernon, VA and then went to a recreation facility to check out their pool. Tracy also watched the Miami Hurricanes and the FSU Seminoles play in the Orange Bowl. Go Canes! Wednesday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH. She only had PT and OT. We celebrated the new year quietly at home and watched all of the festivities on TV. Mom fed Tracy some egg nog and she swallowed all 8 ounces. We hope that everyone had a very safe and happy new year. Tuesday night Charles and I stayed with Tracy while Mom and Dad went out to dinner for their 24th wedding anniversary! Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, December 31st, 2003 ~Happy 2004! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Happy New Year! Many thanks to the students from Gonzaga University. We received the video today and are eager to see your messages! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and prayers! Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH. She only has two hours of therapy today. Yesterday Tracy just relaxed at home. Charles and I stayed with Tracy last night while Mom and Dad went out to dinner for their 24th wedding anniversary! Monday, Mom, Liz, and Liz' daughter, Mary took Tracy to therapy. Tracy had speech first and stayed awake the whole time. She had six mouthfuls of peach yogurt and swallowed it all quickly. Julie also worked with Tracy on breathing by lifting her arms over her head. During OT, Tori worked on long leg stretches with Tracy, pushing her knees to her nose. Tori got Tracy in a sitting position and Tracy sat up all by herself! Tori just stabilized Tracy's pelvis. During PT, Dave sat Tracy at the edge of the mat and worked on her head control and trunk stability. Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, December 30, 2003 ~Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Many thanks to the students from Gonzaga University. We received the video today and are eager to see your messages! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and prayers! Today we are just relaxing at home with Tracy after a busy day of therapy. Mom and Roxanne showered Trace and she's wearing her new outfit from Amanda! Monday, Mom, Liz, and Liz' daughter, Mary took Tracy to therapy. Tracy had speech first and stayed awake the whole time. She had six mouthfuls of peach yogurt and swallowed it all quickly. Julie also worked with Tracy on breathing by lifting her arms over her head. During OT, Tori worked on long leg stretches with Tracy, pushing her knees to her nose. Tori got Tracy in a sitting position and Tracy sat up all by herself! Tori just stabilized Tracy's pelvis. During PT, Dave sat Tracy at the edge of the mat and worked on her head control and trunk stability. Tracy has therapy again on Wednesday. We enjoyed a quiet weekend. Saturday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row to see the ice skaters and look at the shops. Sunday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to noon Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. After Mass, Ashley and Donna Brown stopped by to see Trace. They brought Tracy a cute jumpsuit! Thanks! Emil came by Sunday night and gave Tracy a much needed massage. He also brought us some lasagna that his wife Kathryn made and some beautiful flowers! Thank you so much!Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Monday, December 29, 2003 ~Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Tracy has therapy today at NRH. Mom, Liz, and Liz' daughter, Mary took Tracy to therapy. She has PT, OT, and Speech. Emil came over last night and gave Tracy a much needed massage. He also brought us some lasagna that his wife Kathryn made and some beautiful flowers! Thank you so much! We enjoyed a quiet weekend. Mom and Dad took Tracy to therapy on Friday and she did really well! She had co-speech and PT. Dave and Julie got Tracy on the mat in the quiet therapy room. They coached her to keep her head up while being supported in a sitting position. They also got Tracy on the therapy ball. The first put her in a prone position on the ball and then put her in a kneeling position. Tracy did an awesome job switching positions and held her head up really well! Saturday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row to see the ice skaters and look at the shops. They had a quiet night at home. Charles and I drove his grandmother, Lorraine back to Va Beach. Sunday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to noon Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. After Mass, Ashley and Donna Brown stopped by to see Trace. They brought Tracy a cute jumpsuit! Thanks! Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards and goodies! We celebrated Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Sat-Sun, December 27-28, 2003 ~Happy Holidays! Happy Holidays! We hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! We are enjoying a quiet weekend. Mom and Dad took Tracy to therapy on Friday and she did really well! She had co-speech and PT. Dave and Julie got Tracy on the mat in the quiet therapy room. They coached her to keep her head up while being supported in a sitting position. They also got Tracy on the therapy ball. The first put her in a prone position on the ball and then put her in a kneeling position. Tracy did an awesome job switching positions and held her head up really well! Saturday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to Pentagon Row to see the ice skaters and look at the shops. They had a quiet night at home. Charles and I drove his grandmother, Lorraine back to Va Beach. Sunday, Mom and Dad took Tracy to noon Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. After Mass, Ashley and Donna Brown stopped by to see Trace. They brought Tracy a cute jumpsuit! Thanks! Tracy has therapy tomorrow at NRH. Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards and goodies! We celebrated Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Friday, December 26th, 2003 ~ Merry Christmas! Buon Natale! Merry Christmas! We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Mom and Dad are taking Tracy to therapy today at NRH. She only has speech and PT. We'll let you know how that goes. Thursday, we went to mass at Our Lady of Lourdes down the street and then headed to the seafood market to buy some lobsters! Yum! Mom, Charles and I made baked-stuffed lobsters and pasta. We opened presents and relaxed all evening. A big thank you to everyone! Wednesday night, Tracy had a whole cup of egg nog while watching our favorite movie, White Christmas! We also enjoyed a Christmas meal prepared for us by Mrs. Arthur! Thank you! Tracy had a great day of therapy yesterday. Mom and Dad took her to NRH. She ate some yogurt during speech and swallowed right away! She ate all of it! Go Trace! During OT, Tori helped Tracy sit up on the mat by sitting behind her. She stretched Tracy really well and worked on Tracy's head control. Dave got Trace on the therapy ball and coached Tracy to keep her head up. He also stretched her legs and arms. Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards and goodies! Our tree is overflowing! Thank you! We are celebrating Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Thursday, December 25th , 2003 ~ Merry Christmas! ~ Buon Natale! Merry Christmas! We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! We went to mass at Our Lady of Lourdes down the street and then headed to the seafood market to buy some lobsters! Yum! Mom, Charles and I made baked-stuffed lobsters and pasta. We opened presents this afternoon! A big thank you to everyone! Wednesday night, Tracy had a whole cup of egg nog while watching our favorite movie, White Christmas! We also enjoyed a Christmas meal prepared for us by Mrs. Arthur! Thank you! Tracy had a great day of therapy yesterday. Mom and Dad took her to NRH. She ate some yogurt during speech and swallowed right away! She ate all of it! Go Trace! During OT, Tori helped Tracy sit up on the mat by sitting behind her. She stretched Tracy really well and worked on Tracy's head control. Dave got Trace on the therapy ball and coached Tracy to keep her head up. He also stretched her legs and arms. Trace is doing so well! Her stability, head control and trunk control has improved so much since she started out-patient therapy! Tracy does have therapy tomorrow at NRH. Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards and goodies! Our tree is overflowing! Thank you! We are celebrating Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thanks to Roxanne for the beautiful Christmas arrangement. We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Tues-Wed, Dec 23rd-24th, 2003 ~ Merry Christmas! ~ Happy Christmas Eve! Charles and I had a great trip to NYC and we arrived home last night. Mom and Dad are taking Tracy to therapy at NRH this afternoon. We'll let you know how that goes shortly! Yesterday, Tracy rested on and off. Dad stretched and ranged Tracy Tuesday night. She was pretty tired from her full day of therapy on Monday! Monday, Liz went with Mom and Tracy to NRH and Tracy was fitted for a new splint for her left arm. Next week she will receive a new cast for her right arm and a splint for her right wrist. These appliances are having a very positive effect on Tracy's range of motion of her arms. Tracy stayed awake during her whole speech session and swallowed some peach yogurt smoothly very quickly. During PT, Tracy did a great job holding her head up while sitting on the edge of the mat with some help. Many thanks to everyone who sent us Holiday cards and goodies! Our tree is overflowing! Thank you! We are celebrating Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one-year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thanks to Roxanne for the beautiful Christmas arrangement. We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Mon, December 22nd, 2003 ~ Happy Holidays! Sunday Mom, Dad and Tracy went to Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church just a few blocks from our apartment. Emil and his wife Kathryn visited us while Emil gave Tracy another of his wonderful massages. Charles and Tiff are now in New York City until Tuesday and are having a great time. Today, Liz went with Mom and Tracy to NRH and Tracy was fitted for a new splint for her left arm. Next week she will receive a new cast for her right arm and a splint for her right wrist. These appliances are having a very positive effect on Tracy's range of motion of her arms. Tracy stayed awake during her whole speach session and swallowed some peach yogurt smoothy very quickly. During PT Tracy did a great job holding her head up while sitting on the edge of the mat with some help. Please remain patient with us concerning the website updates! :) We are celebrating Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one-year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thanks to the Clark family for the adorable teddy bear! Tracy loves it! Many thanks to the Hulings for all the goodies! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Sat-Sun, December 20th-21st, 2003 ~ Happy Holidays! Friday, Mom and Liz took Trace to therapy at NRH. She had to be at the hospital by 11am and she only had speech and OT. It was a pretty rough day since they changed her schedule and Trace wasn't feeling very well. She stayed awake during speech and had an hour break before OT. Tracy had some yogurt during speech and did some munching movements! Jan and Julie were so excited to see Trace do that! Melissa stretched Tracy's shoulders and coached Tracy to hold her head up. She didn't want to move Trace around too much since she wasn't feeling well. A big thanks to Liz for accompanying Mom and Trace to therapy all week long! She is a huge help! Saturday, Tracy rested and watched Serendipity. Charles and Tiff will be in New York City until Tuesday. Please remain patient with us concerning the website updates! :) We are celebrating Christmas here in Washington, D.C. with Charles and his grandmother, Lorraine. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thanks to the Clark family for the adorable teddy bear! Tracy loves it! Many thanks to the Hulings for all the goodies! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Friday, December 19th, 2003 ~ Happy Holidays! Trace slept on and off last night. Mom and Liz took Trace to therapy at NRH early this morning. She had to be at the hospital by 11am. She only has speech and occupational therapy today. Thursday, Tracy just rested at home and Emil came over to give Tracy a much needed massage. Wednesday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to NRH for therapy. She did such a great job! Mom did Tracy's makeup before she left and Tracy got many compliments! She looked so pretty! During OT, Melissa worked with Tracy in the quiet therapy room. Melissa helped Tracy roll onto her side and then she stretched Tracy's shoulders. She helped Tracy stretch by pushing her nose to her knee. Then Tracy had speech with Jan. Jan had Mom demonstrate facial stimulation exercises with Trace. While Jan was brushing Tracy's teeth, Tracy brought her tongue to the toothbrush! She hasn't been able to do that before. This is a normal, coordinated response and Jan was very pleased. Go Trace! Plus, Tracy drank several ounces of tropical yogurt smoothie. During PT, Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the mat and Tracy turned her head all the way around to show Dave her makeup. She did this without being told! Dave also put Tracy on the balance ball and she held her head up really well. He stretched her arms and legs while she laid on the balance ball. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thanks to the Clark family for the adorable teddy bear! Tracy loves it! Many thanks to the Hulings for all the goodies! We appreciate everyone thinking about us during this difficult time! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Thursday, December 18th, 2003 ~ Happy Holidays! Trace rested well last night and has been chilling at home with Mom. She needs to rest on her days off from therapy! Yesterday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to NRH for therapy. She did such a great job! Mom did Tracy's makeup before she left and Tracy got many compliments! She looked so pretty! During OT, Melissa worked with Tracy in the quiet therapy room. Melissa helped Tracy roll onto her side and then she stretched Tracy's shoulders. She helped Tracy stretch by pushing her nose to her knee. Then Tracy had speech with Jan. Jan had Mom demonstrate facial stimulation exercises with Trace. While Jan was brushing Tracy's teeth, Tracy brought her tongue to the toothbrush! She hasn't been able to do that before. This is a normal, coordinated response and Jan was very pleased. Go Trace! Plus, Tracy drank several ounces of tropical yogurt smoothie. During PT, Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the mat and Tracy turned her head all the way around to show Dave her makeup. She did this without being told! Dave also put Tracy on the balance ball and she held her head up really well. He stretched her arms and legs while she laid on the balance ball. Tracy has therapy again on Friday. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thank you Susan in Naples for the beautiful butterfly mobiles! We hung them in Tracy's room and she loves them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, December 17th, 2003 ~ 11 Months ~ Tracy slept well last night and she had a quiet Tuesday at home. Today, Mom and Liz are taking Tracy to therapy at NRH. Tracy's friends from Key West, Alexis and Thomika, visited with Tracy on Monday. Alexis and Thomika accompanied Mom and Liz to NRH for Tracy's therapy. Tracy had Speech at 1pm with Julie and she stayed awake the whole time. Julie fed Tracy some yogurt and they also worked on head control. Julie had Tracy turn her head to the right to look at Mom and then to the left to look at Alexis. During OT, Melissa worked with Tracy in the quiet therapy room. She put Tracy in a prone position on her tummy and stretched her shoulders. She also had Trace turn her head while on her tummy. Melissa then helped Tracy sit up and pushed her tummy to her knee in order to stretch her hamstrings. During PT, Dave worked with Tracy on rolling to the left and then to the right. He also helped her sit at the edge of the mat and worked on her head control. Everyone was able to help during Tracy's therapy. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thank you Susan in Naples for the beautiful butterfly mobiles! We hung them in Tracy's room and she loves them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, December 16th, 2003 ~ Today Tracy is relaxing at home. She slept well and is happy that Mom is back from Florida. Tracy had a great Monday! Roxanne and I had Tracy cleaned up, dressed and ready to see Mom! Dad, Charles, Tracy and I had a very nice, quiet weekend. Tracy's friends from Key West, Alexis and Thomika, are visiting. It is so good to see them! Alexis and Thomika accompanied Mom and Liz to NRH for Tracy's therapy. Tracy had Speech at 1pm with Julie and she stayed awake the whole time. Julie fed Tracy some yogurt and they also worked on head control. Julie had Tracy turn her head to the right to look at Mom and then to the left to look at Alexis. During OT, Melissa worked with Tracy in the quiet therapy room. She put Tracy in a prone position on her tummy and stretched her shoulders. She also had Trace turn her head while on her tummy. Melissa then helped Tracy sit up and pushed her tummy to her knee in order to stretch her hamstrings. During PT, Dave worked with Tracy on rolling to the left and then to the right. He also helped her sit at the edge of the mat and worked on her head control. Everyone was able to help during Tracy's therapy. Tracy has so many great friends and their support means so much to all of us. We are fast approaching the one year mark and we continue to recall how far Tracy has come. However, she has a very long road ahead of her. Thank you for continuing to send your prayers, love and support our way! Thank you Susan in Naples for the beautiful butterfly mobiles! We hung them in Tracy's room and she loves them! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Monday, December 15th, 2003 ~ Mom's Home! Mom came home this morning! Roxanne and I had Tracy cleaned up, dressed and ready to see Mom! Dad, Charles, Tracy and I had a very nice, quiet weekend. We sure are glad Mom is home though! Dad leaves tonight for Norfolk, VA. He will be gone until tomorrow evening. Tracy's friends from Key West, Alexis and Thomika, came by this morning to see Tracy. It is so good to see them! Alexis and Thomika accompanied Mom and Liz to NRH for Tracy's therapy. We'll let you know how that goes soon. Thank you Susan in Naples for the beautiful butterfly mobiles! We hung them in Tracy's room and she loves them! Friday, Dad and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Dad hasn't been able to see Tracy in action for quite some time and boy was he in for a surprise! Tracy was awesome! She held her head up so well during PT and Speech and she even turned her head to the left numerous times in order to hit the annoying buzzer with her cheek! She did it on purpose too! (Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Tracy's movements are volitional or reflexive.) Julie and Dave got Tracy on the big red therapy ball again. They first had her on her back in order to stretch her back, chest and arms. Then we put Tracy prone on the ball. Once her arms were nice and stretched, Dave pulled Tracy up into a kneeling position. She is doing really well with transitioning from position to position. During OT, Melissa acquainted Tracy's new OT, Tori, with Tracy's routine. Melissa worked on Tracy's head and trunk control by positioning her in various positions. Trace did an amazing job and Dad was very pleased. Melissa also sat Tracy up at the edge of the therapy mat and leaned her elbows onto a table. Melissa stretched Tracy's shoulders and coached Trace to keep her head up. On the ride home from NRH, Trace kept her head up the whole time while chilling in her wheelchair. We rode by all of the monuments, some museums and even the White House! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Sunday, December 14th, 2003 ~ Happy B'day Liz! ~ Dad and Trace hung out last night and watched Pirates of the Caribbean! We had a very quiet Saturday. Last night it snowed and we opened the blinds in Trace's room so she could see all the white stuff. This morning I showered and dressed Tracy. Charles left already and we are hoping to see Alexis and Thomika soon. They are visiting from Key West and went to high school with Tracy. Mom left Thursday for Florida and surprised Nana with an impromptu visit! She is checking into rehab facilities down there so we can eventually take Tracy for an extended vacation this winter. Mom returns to DC Monday morning. Friday, Dad and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Dad hasn't been able to see Tracy in action for quite some time and boy was he in for a surprise! Tracy was awesome! She held her head up so well during PT and Speech and she even turned her head to the left numerous times in order to hit the annoying buzzer with her cheek! She did it on purpose too! (Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Tracy's movements are volitional or reflexive.) Julie and Dave got Tracy on the big red therapy ball again. They first had her on her back in order to stretch her back, chest and arms. Then we put Tracy prone on the ball. Once her arms were nice and stretched, Dave pulled Tracy up into a kneeling position. She is doing really well with transitioning from position to position. During OT, Melissa acquainted Tracy's new OT, Tori, with Tracy's routine. Melissa worked on Tracy's head and trunk control by positioning her in various positions. Trace did an amazing job and Dad was very pleased. Melissa also sat Tracy up at the edge of the therapy mat and leaned her elbows onto a table. Melissa stretched Tracy's shoulders and coached Trace to keep her head up. On the ride home from NRH, Trace kept her head up the whole time while chilling in her wheelchair. We rode by all of the monuments, some museums and even the White House! A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Saturday, December 13th, 2003 ~ Mom's in Florida ~ Tracy slept well last night and she has been resting today. She was wiped out from her long week of therapy. Friday, Dad and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Dad hasn't been able to see Tracy in action for quite some time and boy was he in for a surprise! Tracy was awesome! She held her head up so well during PT and Speech and she even turned her head to the left numerous times in order to hit the annoying buzzer with her cheek! She did it on purpose too! (Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Tracy's movements are volitional or reflexes.) Julie and Dave got Tracy on the big red therapy ball again. They first had her on her back in order to stretch her back, chest and arms. Then we put Tracy prone on the ball. Once her arms were nice and stretched, Dave pulled Tracy up into a kneeling position. She is doing really well with transitioning from position to position. During OT, Melissa acquainted Tracy's new OT, Tori, with Tracy's routine. Melissa worked on Tracy's head and trunk control by positioning her in various positions. Trace did an amazing job and Dad was very pleased. Melissa also sat Tracy up at the edge of the therapy mat and leaned her elbows onto a table. Melissa stretched Tracy's shoulders and coached Trace to keep her head up. On the ride home from NRH, Trace kept her head up the whole time while chilling in her wheelchair. We rode by all of the monuments, some museums and even the White House! Charles is visiting again this weekend. He is always a huge help! Mom left Thursday for Florida and surprised Nana with an impromptu visit! She is checking into rehab facilities down there so we can eventually take Tracy for an extended vacation this winter. Mom returns to DC Monday morning. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Friday, December 12th, 2003 ~ Mom's in Florida ~ Tracy slept well last night after Emil came over to give her a much needed massage. Today, Dad and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Dad hasn't been able to see Tracy in action for quite some time and boy was he in for a surprise! Tracy was awesome! She held her head up so well during PT and Speech and she even turned her head to the left numerous times in order to hit the annoying buzzer with her cheek! She did it on purpose too! (Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Tracy's movements are volitional or reflexes.) Julie and Dave got Tracy on the big red therapy ball again. They first had her on her back in order to stretch her back, chest and arms. Then we put Tracy prone on the ball. Once her arms were nice and stretched, Dave pulled Tracy up into a kneeling position. She is doing really well with transitioning from position to position. During OT, Melissa acquainted Tracy's new OT, Tori, with Tracy's routine. Melissa worked on Tracy's head and trunk control by positioning her in various positions. Trace did an amazing job and Dad was very pleased. Melissa also sat Tracy up at the edge of the therapy mat and leaned her elbows onto a table. Melissa stretched Tracy's shoulders and coached Trace to keep her head up. On the ride home from NRH, Trace kept her head up the whole time while chilling in her wheelchair. We rode by all of the monuments, some museums and even the White House! Charles is visiting again this weekend. He is always a huge help! Mom left Thursday for Florida and surprised Nana with an impromptu visit! She is checking into rehab facilities down there so we can eventually take Tracy for an extended vacation this winter. Mom returns to DC Monday morning. This weekend Tracy's friends from Key West, Thomika and Alexis, are coming to visit. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Thursday, December 11th, 2003 ~ Mom's in Florida ~ Surprise Nana! Mom left this morning for a much needed trip to Boca Raton, Florida to see our family there. She is checking into rehab facilities down there so we can eventually take Tracy for an extended vacation this winter. Mom returns to DC Monday morning. Therefore, Tracy is stuck hanging out with Dad and I. This morning, Roxanne and I showered and dressed Trace. We have been relaxing at home and tonight Emil is coming over to massage Trace. Wednesday, Faith and Mom took Tracy to NRH. Thanks Faith for all of your help! She had her blood drawn for some routine tests and then had three hours of therapy. Tracy stayed awake for her entire speech session with Jan. Jan started the session buy stretching Tracy's arms and shoulders to get her warmed up. Jan then fed Tracy some cranberry juice. Tracy drank down six mouthfulls! She swallowed all of the juice really quickly! During OT, Melissa worked with Tracy on the mat in the quiet therapy room on the third floor. She stretched Tracy by pushing her tummy towards her legs. She almost had Tracy's nose to her knee! Melissa also helped Trace sit at the edge of the therapy mat and leaned her arms onto a table. Melissa coached Trace to keep her head up. During PT, Dave worked on Tracy's trunk and head control. He laid her on a therapy ball in order to stretch her stomach and back muscles. Dave also supported Tracy in a sitting position, rocking her from side to side, while coaching her to keep her head up. Tracy did a great job! Monday, Gloria and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Mom wasn't feeling well so she stayed home to rest. Thanks Gloria for all of your help! Tracy practically slept through her entire speech session. The only time she opened her eyes and focused on anything was when Julie showed her a picture of our dog, Snow. Tracy woke up for OT at 2pm with Melissa. Melissa helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the therapy mat and coached her to keep her head up. She leaned Tracy to the left side and had her bare weight through her arm. Tracy held her head up the whole time! Melissa then sat Tracy upright and proceeded to lean her to the right side. Tracy continued to hold her head up. She also followed commands really well. Melissa also helped Tracy sit up and lean her elbows onto a table. Even in this position, Tracy held her head up well. During PT, Dave also sat Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat. He then rocked her back and forth, putting her in different positions to stretch her back. Dave also observed Tracy's head control. She held her head up for over TWO MINUTES!!! Then, Gloria, Dave and I got Tracy onto her side and lifted her onto a therapy ball, tummy down. Tracy handled the position well and allowed Dave to stretch her arms, hands and back. What a trooper! This weekend Tracy's friends from Key West, Thomika and Alexis, are coming to visit. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, December 10th, 2003 ~ Yesterday Tracy just relaxed at home after a busy Monday. Today, Faith and Mom are taking Tracy to NRH. She has to get her blood drawn and then she has three hours of therapy. We'll let you know how that goes! Monday, Gloria and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Mom wasn't feeling well so she stayed home to rest. Thanks Gloria for all of your help! Tracy practically slept through her entire speech session. The only time she opened her eyes and focused on anything was when Julie showed her a picture of our dog, Snow. Tracy woke up for OT at 2pm with Melissa. Melissa helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the therapy mat and coached her to keep her head up. She leaned Tracy to the left side and had her bare weight through her arm. Tracy held her head up the whole time! Melissa then sat Tracy upright and proceeded to lean her to the right side. Tracy continued to hold her head up. She also followed commands really well. Melissa also helped Tracy sit up and lean her elbows onto a table. Even in this position, Tracy held her head up well. During PT, Dave also sat Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat. He then rocked her back and forth, putting her in different positions to stretch her back. Dave also observed Tracy's head control. She held her head up for over TWO MINUTES!!! Then, Gloria, Dave and I got Tracy onto her side and lifted her onto a therapy ball, tummy down. Tracy handled the position well and allowed Dave to stretch her arms, hands and back. What a trooper! This weekend Tracy's friends from Key West, Thomika and Alexis, are coming to visit. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, December 9th , 2003 ~ Today we are just relaxing at home after a busy Monday. Roxanne and Mom showered and dressed Tracy this morning. Tracy has therapy again tomorrow at NRH. Monday, Gloria and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Mom is not feeling well so she stayed home to rest. Thanks Gloria for all of your help! Tracy practically slept through her entire speech session. The only time she opened her eyes and focused on anything was when Julie showed her a picture of our dog, Snow. Tracy woke up for OT at 2pm with Melissa. Melissa helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the therapy mat and coached her to keep her head up. She leaned Tracy to the left side and had her bare weight through her arm. Tracy held her head up the whole time! Melissa then sat Tracy upright and proceeded to lean her to the right side. Tracy continued to hold her head up. She also followed commands really well. Melissa also helped Tracy sit up and lean her elbows onto a table. Even in this position, Tracy held her head up well. During PT, Dave also sat Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat. He then rocked her back and forth, putting her in different positions to stretch her back. Dave also observed Tracy's head control. She held her head up for over TWO MINUTES!!! Then, Gloria, Dave and I got Tracy onto her side and lifted her onto a therapy ball, tummy down. Tracy handled the position well and allowed Dave to stretch her arms, hands and back. What a trooper! Emil came over Sunday night and massaged Trace before bedtime. We had a great weekend with Jenny Rogers and her Dad! It was so great to see them! Thanks for the hot buttered rum, the candle, and your company! This weekend Tracy's friends from Key West, Thomika and Alexis, are coming to visit. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington, DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Monday, December 8th , 2003 ~ Today, Gloria and I took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Mom is one sick Mama! She is trying to beat off the funk she caught by getting lots of rest and drinking lots of orange Gatorade! (i swear it works!) Tracy practically slept through her entire speech session. However, the only time she opened her eyes and focused on anything was when Julie showed her a picture of our dog, Snow. Tracy woke up for OT at 2pm with Melissa. Melissa helped Tracy sit up at the edge of the therapy mat and coached her to keep her head up. She leaned Tracy to the left side and had her bare weight through her arm. Tracy held her head up the whole time! Melissa then sat Tracy upright and proceeded to lean her to the right side. Tracy continued to hold her head up. She also followed commands really well. Melissa also helped Tracy sit up and lean her elbows onto a table. Even in this position, Tracy held her head up well. During PT, Dave also sat Tracy at the edge of the therapy mat. He then rocked her back and forth, putting her in different positions to stretch her back. Dave also observed Tracy's head control. She held her head up for over TWO MINUTES!!! Then, Gloria, Dave and I got Tracy onto her side and lifted her onto a therapy ball, tummy down. Tracy handled the position well and allowed Dave to stretch her arms, hands and back. What a trooper! Tomorrow we have to take Tracy to NRH for some blood work, but she does not have therapy. Emil came over Sunday night and massaged Trace before bedtime. Friday's therapy session was THE BEST ONE YET! Friday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy. First she had Speech and PT. Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the mat in the quiet therapy room. He used a bolster along her spine to help her keep her head up. She held her head up so well and for such a long time by herself! She followed commands, was attentive and kept her eyes open. Melissa, the speech therapist, had pictures of Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise. She showed them to Trace, but Tracy would not look at Russell. She is all about Tom though! :) She also looked at pictures of trendy clothes. Tracy had OT at 3pm and Melissa, Tracy's OT, put Trace in a prone position. Melissa stretched Tracy's back and shoulder muscles while Tracy was on her tummy. Friday night Charles and I surprised Mom, Dad, and Tracy with a Christmas tree (a fake one unfortunately), beautiful ornaments, decorations, etc. :) So we had a nice Friday evening full of holiday music and decorating! Plus Mother Nature added her own charm...SNOW! Saturday, Tracy hung out with her friend Jenny Rogers. Jenny and her Dad flew in from Seattle for the weekend. Mr. Rogers and Charles made us a delicious dinner. We watched Navy beat Army and LSU kick Georgia's butt. Saturday, Father Lou Brown stopped by with some yummy Krispy Kreme and our friend Ashley paid us a visit as well. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Saturday, December 6th , 2003 ~ GEAUX TIGERS!! Last night Charles and I surprised Mom, Dad, and Tracy with a Christmas tree (a fake one unfortunately), beautiful ornaments, decorations, etc. :) So we had a nice evening full of holiday music and decorating! Plus Mother Nature added her own charm...SNOW! Today Tracy has been hanging out with her friend Jenny Rogers. Jenny and her Dad flew in last night from Seattle. Charles is also visiting this weekend. We have had lots of visitors today. Father Lou Brown stopped by with some yummy Krispy Kreme and our friend Ashley paid us a visit as well. We have been watching a lot of football. Go Navy! Beat Army! Plus, tonight is the big LSU vs. Georgia game! Geaux Tigers! Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH on Friday. Her therapists said she did remarkably and that she had THE BEST SESSION YET! I'll tell you more about that later! Thursday night, Emil came over to massage Trace. She always enjoys that and sleeps so well afterwards. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Friday, December 5th , 2003 ~ Tracy has thereapy today at NRH and Mom and Liz are going to bring her. Last night, Emil came over to massage Trace. She always enjoys that and sleeps so well afterwards. Wednesday, Mom and Liz took Trace to therapy. She had speech at 1pm, PT at 2pm and OT at 3pm. Yesterday was the first time she had speech and PT separately in awhile. Jan, Tracy's speech therapist, did face exercises with Tracy, stretching her lips and cheeks. Jan also tried to feed Trace some yogurt, but she was pretty sleepy. Mom then tried to show Jan how she feeds Trace when we are at home, but Tracy shook her head, letting us know that she didn't want any more yogurt. During PT, Dave put Tracy on the balance ball again in order to stretch her back and arms. Dave said the botox in Tracy's arms is definitely working and that her arms are much better. Then, Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the mat and he had her lean to the right and then to the left. He coached her to keep her head up while doing this. Melissa, Tracy's OT, had Tracy in a prone position and stretched her back and shoulder muscles. She also put Tracy on her left side in order to really stretch her shoulder muscles. Melissa also laid Tracy on her back and then pushed her back down, attempting to push Tracy's nose to her knee. She had her in many positions and stretched her really well. This weekend Tracy's friend from the GU in Florence program, Jenny Rogers, and her father are flying in from Seattle just to see Trace! We can't wait to see them. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Thursday, December 4th , 2003 ~ Today Roxanne and Mom showered and dressed Trace. She has been relaxing in her wheelchair watching some TV. Tonight Emil is coming over to massage Trace. She always enjoys that and sleeps so well afterwards. Yesterday, Mom and Liz took Trace to therapy. She had speech at 1pm, PT at 2pm and OT at 3pm. Yesterday was the first time she had speech and PT separately in awhile. Jan, Tracy's speech therapist, did face exercises with Tracy, stretching her lips and cheeks. Jan also tried to feed Trace some yogurt, but she was pretty sleepy. Mom then tried to show Jan how she feeds Trace when we are at home, but Tracy shook her head, letting us know that she didn't want any more yogurt. During PT, Dave put Tracy on the ballance ball again in order to stretch her back and arms. Dave said the botox in Tracy's arms is definitely working and that her arms are much better. Then, Dave helped Tracy sit at the edge of the mat and he had her lean to the right and then to the left. He coached her to keep her head up while doing this. Melissa, Tracy's OT, had Tracy in a prone position and stretched her back and shoulder muscles. She also put Tracy on her left side in order to really stretch her shoulder muscles. Melissa also laid Tracy on her back and then pushed her back down, attempting to push Tracy's nose to her knee. She had her in many positions and stretchd her really well. Tracy has therapy again at NRH on Friday. This weekend Tracy's friend from the GU in Florence program, Jenny Rogers, and her father are flying in from Seattle just to see Trace! We can't wait to see them. We really miss Aunt Candy and the boys and are so happy they were able to visit us over the Thanksgiving Holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2003 ~ Today, Mom and Liz are going to take Trace to therapy. She has speech at 1pm, OT at 2pm and PT at 3pm. We'll let you know how that goes! Today is the first time she will have speech and PT separately in awhile. Monday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Tracy did really well during OT. She was in the quiet therapy room again on the third floor. While Tracy was laying on the mat, Melissa, Tracy's OT, coached Tracy to turn her head from the left to the right. Then Melissa positioned Tracy so she could stretch her back and hamstrings by pushing Tracy's tummy to her knees. She really stretchd her well! Tracy did a great job of keeping her head up while Melissa did this. During PT/Speech, Dave and Julie put Tracy on the therapy ball on her back in order to stretch her legs and arms down. They said that Tracy was breathing evenly and was extremely relaxed. Then, Dave supported Tracy in an upright position on the mat while Julie coached Tracy to turn her head in order to turn on a switch. Tracy purposefully turned her head and hit the switch which turned on a high-pitch noise. She kept her head up the majority of the time and it was by far her best session yet. This weekend Tracy's friend from the GU in Florence program, Jenny Rogers, and her father are flying in from Seattle just to see Trace! We can't wait to see them. We really miss Aunt Candy and the boys and are so happy they were able to visit us over the Thanksgiving Holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2003 ~ Yesterday, Mom and Liz took Tracy to therapy at NRH. Tracy did really well during OT. She was in the quiet therapy room again on the third floor. While Tracy was laying on the mat, Melissa, Tracy's OT, coached Tracy to turn her head from the left to the right. Then Melissa positioned Tracy so she could stretch her back and hamstrings by pushing Tracy's tummy to her knees. She really stretchd her well! Tracy did a great job of keeping her head up while Melissa did this. During PT/Speech, Dave and Julie put Tracy on the therapy ball on her back in order to stretch her legs and arms down. They said that Tracy was breathing evenly and was extremely relaxed. Then, Dave supported Tracy in an upright position on the mat while Julie coached Tracy to turn her head in order to turn on a switch. Tracy purposefully turned her head and hit the switch which turned on a high-pitch noise. She kept her head up the majority of the time and it was by far her best session yet. Tracy has therapy again on Wednesday. Today we are just relaxing at home and letting Tracy rest. Hope everyone had a great weekend and traveled safely home. We had a busy weekend! Friday morning Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went to the Air and Space Museum. Boy was it crowded! We had a great time. Friday afternoon we watched LSU kill Arkansas! Geaux Tigers! :) Saturday, Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went downtown to see the monuments. We walked around the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. It was cold, but Tracy seemed to enjoy it. We then went home to relax and get out of the cold weather. We watched FSU beat UF. The one time we want UF to win (b/c it would've helped LSU) they can't pull through! Saturday night we went to Bull Run Park to the Miracle of Lights show! It was awesome. Two miles of lights displayed in the woods. Tracy was awake the whole time and was looking around. Charles and his grandmother left early Saturday morning and Aunt Candy, Jon and Michael left Sunday. Sunday we did some chores around the house. Tracy caught up on some sleep after such a busy holiday. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Monday, December 1st, 2003 ~ Hope everyone had a great weekend and traveled safely home. We had a busy weekend! Friday morning Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went to the Air and Space Museum. Boy was it crowded! We had a great time. Friday afternoon we watched LSU kill Arkansas! Geaux Tigers! :) Saturday, Dad, Mom, Aunt Candy, Jon, Mike, Tracy and I went downtown to see the monuments. We walked around the Vietnam Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. It was cold, but Tracy seemed to enjoy it. We then went home to relax and get out of the cold weather. Saturday night we went to Bull Run Park to the Miracle of Lights show! It was awesome. Two miles of lights displayed in the woods. Tracy was awake the whole time and was looking around. Charles and his grandmother left early Saturday morning and Aunt Candy, Jon and Michael left Sunday. Sunday we did some chores around the house. Tracy caught up on some sleep after such a busy holiday. Today she has therapy at NRH. Mom and Liz are going to take her. A big thank you to the Oakleaf Club of Greater Washington DC for providing us with dinner three times a week! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!