Subject: MY MY MY
I don't know where to begin so
I'll save the best for last or you won't hear what I say after
that. Dwight was so cognitive today .... excellent eye contact,
following person to person with their conversations ... He has
graduated to a "lock belt" ... these are given to the
["Houdini's"] of the unit.
He can undo one handed ANY form of restraint they put on him
to keep him in the wheel chair. Thus the need for the belt that
can be removed only with a key!!! He kept himself busy this
afternoon attempting to 'escape' from it just the same!! 
His latest for removing the 'mitt' is (1)
pulling it off with his teeth or (2) untieing it with his teeth
.... I knew our money on braces wouldn't be a waste!! 
Before his graduation to the lock belt
he was desperately trying to remove the gate belt and a friend
of his told him that she would love to take if off for him but
she'd not only get in trouble with me his mom but that Meghan
(the PT) would have her head. He proceeded to turn himself around
in his wheelchair (using his feet to maneuver) , went over and
closed his door, turned full circle around and went back in front
of her as if to say "the door is shut no one will know"
..... 
Is that a hoot!!???!!!! He
put the mitt on his 'right' hand (we do this sometimes in speech
class if he is preoccupied with stretching his right fingers
with his left hand, etc. - to remove the distraction) anyway
... he put the mitt on his right hand and with his left hand
and those teeth .... PROPERLY tied the knot and bow of the mitt!!!!
He keeps us entertained to
say the least!! His personality is there in that when my sister
Jane from Virginia arrived, we asked him if he remembered her
(he'd spend weekends and spring breaks with her and Steve when
he was in college) and he pointed to no. I said, "Dwight,
you don't remember Aunt Jane?'' and he pointed repeatedly at
yes!! What a nut!! 
He also is
on what they call a 'butt pivot' for transfers from chair to
bed to chair etc. That is where they 'swivel' his hips and 'they'
lift him to and from. Well Dwight has had enough of the 'butt
pivot' 
... and now proceeds to STAND
from the chair once he hears the buckle of the belt click!!!!They
have to be SOOO quick!! It'll be interesting to see if Meghan
his PT upgrades his transfers to stand pivot!!! Dr. Dwight strikes
again!!! Steve called to talk to Jane around 5:45 MST and Jane
had him say hello to Dwight ... Dwight took the cell phone and
was listening intently and then 'mumbled' something .... we all
(Jane, Jessica, Kara, Patrick and myself) hushed and were SO
thrilled! Then he goes, "I'm trying to" ....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and then a few seconds later said yes and mumbled something else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HE SPOKE HIS FIRST WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Steve had told him that they were praying for him to 'get better'
and that is when he said he was trying to ...... i don't know
what Steve said when Dwight answered yes ..... It was slightly
muffled in that he had a lot of saliva that he didn't know how
to deal with but it was VERY CLEAR and UNmistakeable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANX SO MUCH STEVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can't WAIT to tell the speech therapist tomorrow !!!! MY MY
MY MY MY MY MY ... what can I say? See why I saved the best
for last!!?? We look to each day with great expectation to see
what GOD does next!!!!!!! Yet we GIVE God our expectations and
rest in HIS time table!! May God find us faithful!!! joan for
us 4 
1 Cor 2:5 " that
'our' faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the
POWER OF GOD"!!!!! 