pictures for the week!

Mikala blew bubbles for the first time today!!! YIPEEE!! it has now been 5-weeks since her surgery. They say it is pretty well healed to what it will be by the 6th week. We have a small hole up front in the hard palate I had hoped would close but has not and the back area of the throat is completely open. Her nose and lip look AWESOME! and she is talking up a storm. Occationally I hear a nasal quality, but not always. She is attempting to string words together and I have noticed that some people actually understand her. It has become my determination that she will learn to speak with these holes and we will work hard to help her learn to compensate for now. She is a very rythmatic speaker and really uses that to help her along. Singing songs has helped and now we are working on getting to control her airflow (hence the bubbles). She could not blow bubbles before this surgery so I am very excited by this!! We are also using musical instruments; harmonica, and recorder to encourage her to control her airflow. Any ideas are welcome!!