Mom the Rockette!

(Although the blog entry says Monday, I haven't gone to bed yet, so this still qualifies as Sunday, September 20th!)

Today was a very exciting day for Mom. She was able attend the short Church services held downstairs. After partaking of the Sacrament, Mom was pretty tired so she fell asleep during the high councilor's talk but woke up in time to sing the closing song! All in all the meeting was a success!

Beginning with dinner last night, Mom has been able have an unrestricted diet again. Although she didn't particularly care for the menu items she received today, she was able to choose her selections for tomorrow, and is looking forward to having a caesar salad! Fresh fruits and vegetables are not part of the soft diet she has been on, so this will be new and exciting!

Later on this afternoon Mom was very alert and visited with lots of family and friends. She is gaining new skills each day that show just how far on the road to recovery she really has travelled. Today she wanted to sit up and try to get off her bed. She went from laying down to pulling herself upright, turning her body sideways, scooting towards the edge of the bed and dangling her feet over the side. She even stood up briefly, with help!

Another trick we particularly enjoyed was when Mom raised her legs 90 degrees off the bed so they were sticking straight up in the air. She even raised both legs up at the same time, which is no small feat for anyone! We teased Mom that she was going to join the Rockettes with her fancy moves!!!

Tom and Junko Shimizu came to visit and Mom discussed in detail many activities and people from the Brentwood Ward in Los Angeles where they all lived in the 1960's. Mom showed remarkable clarity in remembering events and carried on a great conversation!

So, we are delighted with these small milestones that Mom is achieving on a daily basis. Together they add up to huge progress, and we are thrilled to recognize more and more of Mom's sweet personality every day! Please continue to keep her in your prayers, especially tomorrow as she is evaluated for the insurance company. Although we are making wonderful progress, we still need more time here on the 12th floor!