Monday Evening Update

Just got back from the hospital, carrying a big box full of all your wonderful gifts- thanks everyone! It gave me a great opportunity to stand under a perfect stranger's umbrella on the corner of 96th and 5th ave on the side of Central Park and make great conversation through the 2 square inch space my face peeked through my raincoat. But, the box was heavy!
Today Brian and Emily continued to open many boxes and packages- birthday clothes, baby clothes, slippers, soap, clocks etc. So much! BUT, there is no longer any room in the hospital to store any of this so please keep sending your prayers, cards and love--- but we have a little too much stuff right now. I put links to Emily's baby shower registry on the right of this blog- you can foward that to her home in Colton for now.

Today was pretty good. Brian pushed himself up off the mat during physical therapy, mastered the art of moving around on his new chair, spent lots of time biking and encouraging others. Emily did talk to her OB, we are hoping that there are no complications and that when Karissa comes, it will be smooth sailing.
I want to introduce you all to some of the family that Brian is spending time with. There's Duke from upstate, and Adam also from the north. Adam is pictured with Jimmy, a parapalegic who does a lot of patient care with people coming in and out of rehab. I talked to Dayron quite a bit today as well, realizing that things will never be the same again. It's a hard realization.
I've realized that it's really the attitude one takes in every circumstance - to choose faith over fear, hope over despair, and love over selfishness, Of course this is a hard situation, very hard and heartbreaking, but talking to another one of the patients today I realized just how critical it is to choose love. Choose to serve others, choose to be grateful even when things are hard. I think a lot of people see that in Brian and reconsider their own lives. Shouldn't we all?

If you desire to be involved in helping Brian and Emily, please pray for them. As far as "stuff" goes right now, I think that a camel pack water bottle would be cool for his workouts, to be able to drink out of. I'm going to get some storage containers, but they have a lot that they can't fit in the room right now. I'm sure that Noreen would be happy for your help and prayers on the Irish Settlement Road too. Signing off for now,
Katie