Another Update From Kuwait & Iraq

Dallas is doing well. He has been very, very busy and continues to travel between Kuwait and Iraq. We speak to him an average of once a week and he emails regularly. Here are some photos he has shared:

Looking good.


















Still looking good (with guns).

Dallas and his office posing in front of the Persian Gulf.

When Dallas visits Iraq he always brings toys and treats for the kids.



















We are sending Dallas much needed shoes and school supplies for the kids.

This is a photo of Abraham's house also known as Ur. Ur is said to be the birthplace of Abraham.
















In Genesis the name Ur is found in 11:28, 11:31 and 15:7. In Nehemiah 9:7, a single passage mentioning Ur is a paraphrase of Genesis.

This is the Ziggurat of Ur.

Here is some information on ziggurats courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Ziggurats (zĭg'ə-rāts') were important to the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians of ancient Mesopotamia. The earliest examples of the ziggurat were simple raised platforms that date from the Ubaid period during the fourth millennium BC, and the latest date from the 6th century BC. The top of the ziggurat was flat, unlike many pyramids. The step pyramid style began near the end of the Early Dynastic Period. Built in receding tiers upon a rectangular, oval, or square platform, the ziggurat was a pyramidal structure. Sun-baked bricks made up the core of the ziggurat with facings of fired bricks on the outside. The facings were often glazed in different colors and may have had astrological significance. The number of tiers ranged from two to seven, with a shrine or temple at the summit. Access to the shrine was provided by a series of ramps on one side of the ziggurat or by a spiral ramp from base to summit. Notable examples of this structure include the Great Ziggurat of Ur and Khorsabad in Mesopotamia.
The ziggurats had no internal chambers. they were almost always square or rectangular, where one side was upwards of 170 feet (50 meters) long.
The Mesopotamian ziggurats were not places for public worship or ceremonies. They were believed to be dwelling places for the gods. Through the ziggurat, the gods could be close to mankind, and each city had its own patron god. Only priests were permitted on the ziggurat or in the rooms at its base, and it was their responsibility to care for the gods and attend to their needs. The priests were very powerful members of Sumerian society.
There are 32 ziggurats known at, and near, Mesopotamia. Twenty-eight of them are in Iraq, and four of them are in Iran. The most recent to be discovered was Sialk, in central Iran.

Piggy finally makes another appearance. Here he is with his friends. Apparently he is not the only family mascot who made the trip.



















We heard a rumor that Piggy has not always been very nice to his friends. There has been some mischief going on over there. I wonder who could be influencing Piggy. Hmmm.. who could it be? Let's hope these two can stay out of trouble for a few more months!

Learning As We Go

Today makes one week that Tru has had his prosthesis. What a difference a week makes! The first few days Tru would cry when he saw the leg and definitely did not want to put it on. The first two days (Thursday and Friday) Tru only wore the leg during physical therapy (PT) and practicing at home in the evenings.



















His first day after receiving the prosthesis he had PT. He did very well and was especially excited about finally being able to use the treadmill.

Lisa had him stretching to reach things, picking up things that were on the floor and other exercises to teach him how to balance.













He put on his leg Saturday morning and we took Lin-Ley to gymnastics. While we were at the gym he stood and balanced on it and eventually decided that all of the little girls were having lots of fun running around. He motioned for me to take his hand and he took off toward the girls. Since chasing the girls Tru has began to appreciate his leg and what it can do. On Sunday he finally reached for it and wanted to put it on!

Here is the big boy hanging out at gymnastics watching Charlie and Lola on my ipod.
















On Monday I had to drop off the prosthesis for some adjustments so unfortunately he could not practice that evening. But... Tuesday he wore it to school for the first time. He walked right into the classroom (holding my hand of course), ignored everyone praising his new walking skills, and started climbing the stairs to the small slide in the classroom. He needed help figuring out how to step up/down and stand up once he slid down it but he was determined to master the slide immediately. His physical therapist, Lisa, visited him at the school later that morning. She said he did fantastic and was trying to also master the outdoor, big kid slide. He was going up the stairs and down the slide as quickly as he could. If nothing else he is determined!

Today Tru went for PT and Lisa put a small walker in front of him. Without hesitation he grabbed the handles and took off across the room. Lisa and I just looked at each other in total shock. When he walked all the way to the end wall he simply picked up the walker, moved it in the direction he wanted to go next and took off. We just stared at each other again and laughed. He was off and there was no stopping him. So we took it outside where Tru walked up and down the sidewalk in front of the offices. Lisa and I just followed him. He did not want any help! While we were outside Lisa said, "Well, I can not believe how well he is doing. You can take this walker with you so he can use it at school and at home. Also, I can't believe it, but he is totally ready for a functioning knee. I will email Mark today and tell him."

Here is a clip of Tru with his walker about 3 minutes after he tried it for the first time. (I could have had a better clip but my camera battery died!)
Go Tru - Go Tru



By the time Tru was in school with his walker he was flying with it! He was walking so fast and furious that I would have to announce that he was coming so that everyone could move out of his way. He was not stopping or altering his path!
He loves his walker! When I had to put him into his car seat he had a fit because he thought I was taking his walker away. I had to put it next to him in the car and he held onto it all the way home.
Of course the walker is just temporary and only a means to allow him to learn to balance and become more confident. Next Lisa said she is going to try him with a cane/crutch.

All smiles!






















Big Sis getting in on the action and showing off her "cool" shirt.












It has definitely been a learning experience this past week. All positive!

The Unidentified Woman And Child

I just happened upon this article and thought I would post it. When we returned home (we were living in upstate New York at the time) from China with Lin-Ley (in 2003) we flew to visit our family in Lousisiana. Lin-Ley and I (Jody) had some cold symptoms and during the flight Lin-Ley's developed a fever. We took her to the doctor as soon as we landed. Since we had just returned from China and news of SARS was just hitting the U.S. we were immediately whisked into hospital isolation for three days. The doctors and nurses dressed in what looked like hazmat suits before they entered our room. Everything that came into the room with us was thrown away including the hospital china.

The Center for Disease Control was contacted as well as the disease unit of the U.S. Army. Both organizations kept in close communications with us during the whole ordeal. The Army wanted to fly us back to New York for care. Everyone that we flew with from China to New York to Lousiana was contacted by the CDC to let them know they may have been exposed to SARS.

Long story short - once they treated Lin-Ley's cold we were released. But it did not end there. We arrived back in New York just in time to catch the local news and newspaper articles about a mysterious woman and her baby:

Deadly Illness Confirmed In Jefferson County Residents
Friday, March 28, 2003, 2:28pm
A mystery flu-like illness that has killed more than 50 people worldwide has surfaced in the North Country. A Jefferson County woman and her baby were diagnosed as having Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. Health officials said the unidentified woman and child contracted SARS when they traveled through Hong Kong. The pair returned to Jefferson County and then left for Louisiana. Officials said the baby and mother were hospitalized in Louisiana. The two are reportedly back in Jefferson County and are no longer contagious, according to health officials. Although officials said there's no risk of contracting the illness from the woman and baby, authorities urge North Country residents to be on the lookout for symptoms. "If they are experiencing any sort of upper respiratory infection and if they've traveled overseas...they should contact their physician immediately," said Stephen Jennings of Jefferson County Public Health. The main symptoms of SARS are high fever (greater than 38 C or 100.4 F), combined with a dry cough, shortness of breath, or breathing difficulties. Chest X-ray indicates changes compatible with pneumonia. Other possible symptoms include headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash and diarrhea. The incubation period is reportedly two to ten days. SARS is believed to have infected some 1,500 people around the world. The number of deaths so far worldwide is 54. There have been no deaths in the U.S.

Lies - all lies!

Conversations With Lin-Ley

* A few weeks ago we spent an entire Saturday at home. I concentrated on cleaning the floors throughout the house. Lin-Ley was keeping a close watch on me and decided that we should play Cinderella…
“OK Mom. Let’s play Cinderella. You will be Cinderella and I will be the evil step-mother. Now Cinderella, scrub those floors! When you are done with that start on the laundry and then the windows!” Needless to say this went on for quite a while….

* A little later Tru was scooting over a freshly mopped floor. Lin-Ley stepped in, “Tru, don’t do that. Mommy is trying to get everything clean and fresh for when Daddy comes home in November!”

* We were on our way out the door for school one morning. Lin-Ley was the first to leave the house but the door was locked. I caught her yanking and pulling on the doorknob with all of her might. I told her to stop and then went over to unlock the door for her and the doorknob was very loose. I told her she could not pull on the doorknob like that because it might fall off and we could not get back into our house. She said, “Well that’s OK Mom. If that happens we will just buy a new house.”

* The kids were having breakfast on a Sunday morning before church. I fixed Lin-Ley and Tru chocolate milk. Lin-Ley’s was in a cup and Tru’s was in a sippy cup. Tru started getting upset because he wanted a big boy cup like Lin-Ley. Lin-Ley said, “Tru you are a baby and you get a sippy cup. I get a big cup because I am almost a teenager.”

* Lin-Ley has been very excited about Tru’s new leg. The day before he was to get it she told me, “I’m going to tell everyone about Tru’s new leg. I want to call all of our relatives and tell them. Can you help me with the phone numbers?” By the way, she does tell everyone about Tru’s leg: friends, classmates and strangers. Her teacher emailed me and told me that she has overheard several conversations in the classroom about Lin-Ley’s brother’s leg. The children are all very curious about it so when Tru is up and balanced I think he will be making a visit to Kindergarten for a Q&A.

* The following morning I was talking to Lin-Ley about Tru’s new leg and the fact that he can take it on and off. When I told her about this the look on her face was priceless. She could not imagine how it was possible to take off your leg. But we started talking about the fact that Tru would now have two legs just like everyone else. Lin-Ley thought about it and said, “So Tru won’t be like a flamingo anymore?” I asked her what she meant. “You know, with one long leg and one short leg.” Hmmmm, pretty clever.

* Lin-Ley's first comment upon seeing Tru's leg, "Ahhh, it's cute."

Tru’s First Steps

Here You Go!


Tru did well today although he did not totally enjoy the experience.

When we arrived at Dankmeyer today the staff had Tru’s prosthesis ready to go. As soon as I started rolling the liner onto his leg he started giving his sad little cry of “Mommy”. We put the prosthesis on and put him on the ramp for his first attempt at walking. I would have to say he did very well!!

Lisa, Tru’s physical therapist, attended today and was kind enough to work with Tru as he took his first steps. As usual, Tru impressed everyone. He understood what he was supposed to do but he could not figure out exactly how to get his right leg moving.
The knee joint of the prosthesis is locked for now. If he had a functioning knee at this point it would possibly give way when he took a step and make him fall. For now he will learn to walk with a stiff leg. Then, as he becomes accustomed to walking this way, he will transition to a functioning knee. There will be no functioning ankle for now. He is so little (and short) that there is no room to fit in a socket, knee, foot and ankle. As he grows taller he will have a functioning ankle.

The prosthesis had to have one adjustment today because it needed to be shortened slightly. After that adjustment Tru took another test drive. This time I held his hands and as we walked around the room Tru noticed that the door was open. He walked out the door, down the hallway and started making his way toward the exit. When I tried to direct him back to the exam room he got very upset. He was ready to go!

Before we left we were given a bag of supplies we might need as well as some final tips and instructions. I took the prosthesis off of Tru and he instantly said, “All done. Bye-Bye” and tried to hand the prosthesis back to Mark. Then Tru and Mark had a little chat:
Mark - “Don’t you want to bring your new leg home with you?”
Tru – “No.”
Mark - “How about if I put it in your bag?”
Tru – “No.”
Mark – “Do you want me to keep it?”
Tru just stared at him….

So I walked to the car carrying Tru is one arm and his new leg in the other.

Then Tru went to school. He will not be wearing the prosthesis at school quite yet so I drove around with it on the front seat of our van. I’m very proud of it and could not help taking it into my office to show everyone there!

He is definitely going to need some practice. He has physical therapy 2-3 times a week for the next few weeks. We also practiced some more at home tonight. When Tru saw me coming toward him with his new leg he instantly started crying (with real tears). He wanted nothing to do with it. Lin-Ley and I took him outside to kick a ball around. I thought he would really enjoy that but he wanted no part of it.

Back inside I racked my brain to think of what activity he would enjoy. Of course – snacks! I put snacks all over the kitchen and I helped him walk over to each one. He seemed to enjoy that and began to gain more confidence as we went along. Then Lin-Ley started jumping around and Tru started imitating her. He was smiling and enjoying himself. Lin-Ley is going to be a big help!

We will practice and post an update in a few days.

The Big Slide

I have been trying to capture a video of Tru on the big slide on his school's playground. He has always loved this slide and attacks it at full force. It's just fun to watch him when he is so proud of himself.

Dance Fever

Lin-Ley is all about ballet lately. Saturday, during "rest time", Lin-Ley decided that she did not have time for a nap. Instead, she destroyed her room by moving everything, including her rug, out of her way in order to have a proper dance floor. Upon further inspection there were shoes and dress-up clothes and tiaras everywhere. She had been trying on every combination until she found the perfect ensemble for her dance. In the end she chose a green Tinkerbell gown, blue Ariel shoes and a purple tiara. Perfection!

Tru is alway up for dancing. But he is more into the break-dance style. And who said you needed two good legs to dance - you just have to have the music in you!



And now we present the Nutcracker Duet:























The Easter Bunny left Lin-Ley a hula-hoop this year. There has not been much hip action but she and Tru have had a ball with it. They play circus. Lin-Ley holds the hoop out, Tru scoots through it and then they both look at me and yell "Ta-Da". Then Lin-Ley holds it out, Tru grabs the other side and she slides him all over the floor. This is also a big hit and it can keep them busy for a good 20 minutes at a time.

Well, Wednesday is Tru's BIG day. His prosthesis will be ready and Tru will be walking! I'm sure he will not want to wear it at first. But once he realizes what it will allow him to do.... watch out!

A Good Week

Last Saturday we were invited to some friends’ home to make Chinese dumplings. Lin-Ley and Mercy are in the same Sunday School class. Mercy’s parents are from Taiwan and Mercy is adopted from China. We made the dumplings and then we cooked and ate them along with many other traditional Chinese dishes. The girls had fun and Tru was in luck because as soon as we walked into their home he spotted Mercy’s play kitchen! He wanted to get down right away to play. He did not even take time to eat – he was busy!

Monday - Lin-Ley headed back to school after a long Spring Break. Tru was also going back to school for the first time since February 21st! I was afraid that he was going to cry because he had been home for so long and he had total one-on-one attention the whole time.

After Lin-Ley caught the school bus I tried to convince Tru to try on Daddy’s soldier hat. He pushed it away and said “No!” Then he saw me get out my camera. He instantly threw the hat on his head and started saying “cheese” over and over. (I wonder where he gets that from?!)

Soldier or Rapper??

When we finally walked into Tru’s classroom he held on tight. I think that was because everyone was walking over to tell him how much they had missed him. He looked around and saw many new toys that were not there when he left. He started leaning over and wanted to get down. He began playing with the toys and forgot I was there. Well that was easy! Before I left he gave me a kiss and told me good bye. He waved me out the door from atop a new bright red scooter.

Also on Monday I received a call from Dankmeyer. They said Tru’s test socket was ready for a fitting. Unfortunately they could not see him until Friday….

Tuesday – We met with a photojournalist, Jonathan, who is writing a story about Tru. He will follow Tru through his future doctor visits, physical therapy, etc. and end with Tru independently walking. At least I think that is the plan.

Thursday – Tru had his follow up with the surgeon’s office. All is well and his leg has healed very nicely. From there we went directly to physical therapy. This was his 3rd PT visit. The main thing the therapist is working on now is to encourage Tru to place weight on the end of his leg. Tru avoids any contact with his leg – who can blame him? But it definitely does not hurt. He will let me massage it, stretch it, tickle it, etc. He never flinches. We have some “rough play” at least once a day. He enjoys it and it allows me to stretch his leg while he thinks it is all play. Jonathan accompanied us to both appointments.

Also, when I picked up Lin-Ley after school she had brought me some flowers…. in a plastic container… with water. I guess she wanted to make sure they were fresh! But where did she get the container?? And how did she get away with taking this on the school bus? I was especially appreciative as I walked to the car holding Tru, an umbrella and the flowers while holding Lin-Ley’s hand in the parking lot!

She is so proud of them and comments on them everytime she passes them.

Friday – Tru had his test socket fitting. The socket is the part of the prosthesis that his leg will fit into. I am just beginning to learn the lingo myself. The Prosthetists (another new word) took several different measurements and would adjust the test socket in between measurements. Tru did not enjoy any of this! He just kept saying “Mommy, Mommy!” in a very sad little voice. But the moment they would remove the test socket he would say, “All done. Bye-Bye.” and began waving at the staff. This would always get a laugh – but he was quite serious. Jonathan was there to document the whole visit.

At this point they are expecting to have Tru’s completed prosthesis prepared by April 16th. If it is ready sooner they will give me a call. My original prediction was that Tru would be walking by April 1st. I was not too far off!

And today, Saturday, was a quiet day. We did not have any school, appointments, lessons, shopping or other time managed activities. We were free. A good day.