Luke is eating peanut butter and loves it!

Guess what? Luke started chewing this week, which is a huge answer to prayer. On Monday I decided to try and give him some bites of food, he really seems to like peanut butter. He is actually chewing and swallowing, which is the first time I've seen him move his mouth when we've given him a bite of food, since his accident. He has continued to chew everyday we've given him food. Yesterday at church Yoli gave him some bites of chocolate cake and he seemed to love it. Also yesterday he went to a birthday party and each time I would ask him to stick his tongue out to taste the sucker I was giving him he would do it. It's so exciting to see these changes in him, though it would seem that when we are feeding him it does cause him to be more congested, I guess his silvia glands are working overtime which he has not been used to, therefore he has been coughing more. Please pray that he will be able to eat by mouth all the time and we will be able to get rid of the g-tube feeding tube in his stomach, that would be the greatest thing in the world.

We had a busy day on Friday, Luke had a speech therapy evaluation in the morning and then in the afternoon an Occupational therapy evaluation. We have put these therapies off because when he began Physical therapy, it seemed that would be the thing that he could benefit from the most. Both therapists seemed to be positive in their belief's that Luke is ready to make some progress in his speech, eating and making sounds. The OT also gave us a little brush to use on Luke's arms and legs, Luke is hypersensitive to touch on his right hand and arm, so much so that if you touch his hand or arm he will get extremely tense. If you tell him you are going to touch his hand he seems to be able to take it a little better. The OT said by using this brush on all his limbs he will become less sensitive in on his right arm and hand. We are blessed in the fact that the OT is skilled in both OT and Speech therapy, so she will be able to help us in both therapies.

Friday was kind of a hard day for me as I listened to these ladies tell me all the things that Luke will be able to do in upcoming days. They are not looking through "God's glasses of faith" as I do each day. I know that God is healing Luke and he is not going to be dependent on using switches and his eyes to communicate to us for the rest of his life. This faith walk is so challenging at times, but I know that is where God wants me to be, in a place of trusting Him and not what others say, or what my eyes see. I think that I've shared this scripture before, but it is so good I will share it again. Blessed are they that do not see, but still believe John 20:29b. I believe that God's word is true and therefore I feel blessed to know to know that God has called me blessed, I don't see Luke's complete healing, but I know without a shadow of a doubt it's coming.

Some other news to report, Natalie graduated on Saturday. About 80 people came to celebrate and congratulate Natalie on her success. Natalie played two beautiful piano pieces and we had a grand time visiting and eating, with lots of loving family members and dear friends sharing in the joy we had on her special day. It's so hard for me to believe that we've had three kids graduate from our Home school. I mentioned to a few people the next big celebration we will have in our family will be a wedding, not that I'm announcing anything, it's just that we have a ten year gap before Isaiah will graduate. I am daily reminded as I look upon my children of God's goodness in our lives, He has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams to give us with such wonderful children.

This next week we are hosting our wonderful friends, the Hurtado's as they visit us from Nebraska, we are looking forward to a week filled with great and busy times. Please be praying with us that Luke will stay healthy as we are going camping over the weekend. The weather in our area has not always been so wonderful at this time of the year, therefore we are praying that we will be blessed with a little bit of warmth and no rain.

May God richly bless you today!

Love in Christ,
Luke's Mommy Sue