Day 3 at Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation hospital

Avery showed signs of speaking day 1 where he all of a sudden said hi to our nurse. He also demonstrated he could pinch and grab, by playing with toys and feeding himself.

The improvements we've seen in the last week have been exponential and there's almost no more dystonia in his limbs (some of the staff here had trouble identifying which limbs were the good and which were the bad ones). There still is some autonomic movement however, which indicates to me the swelling has not completely subsided, but he's definitely on a ballistic trajectory of improvement. He's already exceeded some of the goals we set forth for him.

Hearing and seeing Avery talk, move, grab, eat, swallow, etc. for the second time generates much more of an emotional impact than it did the first time. It almost feels like pushing through a major roadblock and competing in a race with a disability deserves more honour and glory than without disability. I've realized it's incredibly difficult (physically and emotionally) for him to say something as simple as "hi"; and making the decision to talk really proves that he has accepted the fact that he doesn't sound normal, and that he still wants to despite how difficult it is to get even one word out. Deciding to participate in a race with a known disadvantage takes courage and strength.

I guess thats why God says his power is made perfect in weakness...

1 Corinthinans 12:9-10
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I suppose if we lived a life with no trouble, we feel we don't need anyone's help at all, but God seems to show his power through hardships, suffering, sorrows, brokenness, weakness, and the like. Countless times in the bible He choses to reveal his power through weakness (like Moses, Jonah, Gideon, Tamar, Ruth, Rahab, David, etc.) and finally uses man (through Jesus) to defeat the Devil (an angelic being).

Below is Avery's ability chart, a picture of him getting ready to look for bunnies in the garden, and him playing with animals.