March 28 at 5:00

After yesterday this was a quiet day--just Zach, Alethia and I are here. However, Timothy has accomplished some new things. Early this morning I asked if I could take some ice chips and rub them on his lips and tongue not let him swallow them yet. Timothy seemed to really like that. When Alethia got here,she took the tiny sponges on a stick that they use to "brush" his teeth and filled them with water and let him suck on those. Timothy really, really enjoyed that. Then he started reaching for them and put them in his mouth himself. Later I thought maybe he could handle a washcloth so I held a dampened cloth, and he took it from my hand and wiped his eyes and face.

We also played around with the paper with YES and NO. Zach held it up and asked Timothy if Alethia was a Dum Dum. Timothy looked around and found Alethia and didn't do anything. Then Zach asked him if Alethia was a pretty good girl. Timothy took his fist and punched the yes on the paper. We all had a good laugh.

I really feel he understands quite a bit. For instance when the nurses come to change his dressings, he stays very still, doesn't do his bed swivels or restless leg movements. Almost always he stays quiet whild they all do the things they have to do for him.

As has been his habit from the beginning, when he is tired of us asking him to do stuff he sighs a huge sigh and closes his eyes shut. Then we go away and leave him be for awhile.