This morning at breakfast Emily wiped her mouth. Not particularly big news until I add she wiped it on her own (no, "would you like to wipe your mouth prompt") with her RIGHT hand! She has not had purposeful movement in her right arm/hand since the accident. They saw the same movement in OT today, but it was in response to stretching and instruction. This morning she spontaneously lifted her right hand from her lap to her face to wipe it. When I asked her if that was what she was doing, she nodded yes. When I asked her again if she had really just wiped her mouth with her right hand, she gave me a thumbs up.

In speech therapy today, they worked on swallowing - which she was doing much better with - and matching instructions with pictures with a computer program. When we continued the computer program this afternoon, it was obviously too easy, so her ST tried some kind of abstract cognitive questions that she struggled with last week and she immiediately got 80% correct. The cognitive leap I saw in chapel and the garden yesterday is obviously real.

She also had significantly improved balance and trunk control today. Both her OT and PT commented on it. Her PT said we'd keep working on the slant board twice a week until her head control is good enough to move up to the standing chairs, and she didn't expect it to take too much longer. I've also successfully master helping with slide board transfers from the chair to the mat table both front and back.

Another patient's father has started teaching Emily sign language. She can now sign "hi" and "fine." It's a great way for her to communicate while she's getting her speaking voice back. Miss Jan from Good Shepherd may help her with that, and I really need to get a book so I can participate. I just have to believe that using language in any form will help her brain recover.

I got to see two other patients take their first walks today. One is a 19-year old girl who was injured in a car accident a few weeks before Emily. Her mother's always with her and I just couldn't resist giving her a hug - what a huge step.