Just a quick update for tonight - Alli was approved to go to rehab on Friday.  Unfortunately, she spiked a really high fever,  so we stayed put in the ICU over the weekend.  If all goes well, then she should transfer to rehab tomorrow.  Hopefully we will go home from there.

It has been an exciting week in the PICU.  On Monday, Usher's son was admitted down the hall from Alli.  I wish I could say this motivated me to shake out my post-pregnancy best and blow dry my hair every day, but alas, I stuck with my comfy hospital uniform - t-shirt and pants with flip flops.  I did practice in my head what I would say to Usher, should I be lucky enough to meet him in passing in the hall.  Luckily we didn't run in to each other as I couldn't think of anything clever or funny to say and if you can't be funny or clever in those situations then it is just embarrassing, ala my experience meeting Will Ferrell at Carl's Chop House - a story for an entirely separate blog entry.

Samantha has been doing a great job at mass lately.  She has been playing quietly and has started to show interest in various parts of the celebration.  She cares enough to ask me now if she is behaving.  Huge sigh of relief.  Before we leave I always ask her if she has anything she wants to discuss with Jesus before we leave.  Today she asked Him to please help Alli get better so she can come home and be with our family.  Her prayers are so sweet and innocent.  Sometimes we pray for her clock or Louie the rooster (another story for another blog post), but then she comes up with real winners like her heartfelt sentiments today, or when she remembers a person that we have mentioned to her is sick or having a hard time.  She has also become obsessed with saying a daily novena.  Since we finished the novena to St. Joseph, we moved on to a novena to Padre Pio.  She asked if we could learn about some other saints and start a new novena, so I will take her over to the Catholic bookstore one day this week to pick out a new one or maybe two.  We are open to suggestions.  Lately she has taken to turning on her lamp and looking at her books when we put her to bed at night.  Then, when I get home from the hospital, I go in tuck her in and turn off the light. Last week when I went in to her room at the end of the night I found her asleep amidst an array of St. Anthony prayer cards we received from the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement.  She calls them her "prayers from the mail."  It was quite a sight.

It is possible Joshua is teething.  He's drooling like mad and has been a tad bit fussier than normal.  I'm not truly convinced that this is the case, as both Samantha and Alli didn't cut teeth until close to their first year, but I suppose it is possible.  He continues to charm everyone around him regardless.

Ok, I think that is all for now.  Samantha is back in school as of Wednesday.  We'll keep you posted on Alli's progress in rehab.  Have a great week!