christmas miracles!!!!

Hi everyone!  Happy holidays, Merry Christmas.  Jo is doing great!  He is coming back to us day by day, and it is amazing to bear witness to these miracles each and every day!

The last post had quite a few updates on all his progress just a few more to add, but they are amazing!

• Jo can lift his left hand high in the air to grab something.
• Jo loved to run his hands through Mom's hair, he is doing it again!
• Jo's on the road to talking again.  He now does his speech exercises regularly and can make sound on command 80% of the time!
• Jo is now actively passing air beyond his trach into his vocal chords, a huge step in talking!
• He asks to go in the chair with yes/ no signs.  He also has spent time lounging with his sisters and parents on our bed watching movies, he is so happy to be together.  For dad it was the first hug I could steal for a very long time (lots of tears)

The most exciting physical improvement came during his recent speech therapy session.  Since he started therapy , 4 weeks ago, we have been working hard to get Jo to open his mouth on command.  Move his lips and "re-connect" his mouth movements with his brain.  Up until this past week most movements with his mouth were not on command, and even when we asked to do a simple task like open your mouth, even though it was obvious he was trying, he just couldn't do it.  That has changed!

Recently we have been using a candy cane to get Jo to puerse his lips (duck lips).  

• Yesterday he opened his mouth ON COMMAND!
• He stuck his tongue out and licked the candy cane!
  
• Mom got Jo his favorite lollipop and had in the room, just in case he started making this kind of progress.  When he saw it his eyes lit up!  He opened his mouth stuck out his tongue and tasted the pop.  His first real taste of sugar in 8 months!
  
• To top it all of we decided to go from amazing to unbelievable and see if Jo could hold the lollipop and bring it to his own mouth..... 

THIS KID IS AMAZING.  FIRST TIME DIRECT HIT.  HE WAS SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!
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It was so awesome!   

Now you know Jo is a huge walking dead fan.  Let me end with these 2 videos!!!!

Jojobinks, you keep pushing.  We love you so much!  You are coming back day by day!  The world is rooting for you and God is with you!  We love you to the moon and back sweet angel. YOU'VE GOT THIS!
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