Update on Dad 5-8-11

Hello, Everybody,

Tonight I have a report from my own short conversation with Dad and from my sisters Lucy and Martha.

I told Dad that the new baby, Evelyn, was smiling a lot, and he gave one of his stock responses, "Oh my."

I told him a story about my grandson, Jeffrey, that was longer than I realized it would be, but he did seem to enjoy it. I told him I'd forgotten how unanswerable toddler's questions are. (I had to tell him that there had been a royal wedding in London, and that I'd shown Jeffrey a picture of a footman.) Jeffrey asked, "Why ARE they footmans?" Dad chuckled.

I told Dad that I would be coming to see him in July, and he said he'd look forward to that. (I tell him every time we talk because he doesn't remember.)

Dad had to ask me to repeat myself several times--he was having a hard time hearing me.

For the first time, when I told Dad I loved him and sent love from the rest of the family here, he didn't send love back, just said he it was good to talk to me, and we said our goodbyes.

When I told Lucy that Dad seemed less responsive tonight, she said he's seemed tired and not very responsive to her or to her husband, Bob. But she said Bob can often interest Dad in pictures on his smart phone. Lucy said, however, that after a visit where Dad seemed tired and not up for much conversation, as Bob was leaving, Dad said, "Hope you have a good week at school"--indicating that Dad knew he was talking to Bob, a school teacher.

Lucy recently took Dad drawings sent from her daughter Britta's girls. She said Dad appreciates them even if he's not sure who the pictures are from.

Lucy also mentioned again how much the staff appreciate Dad because he's so good-natured and easy to deal with.

Martha told me that recently when she and her husband and daughter Emily visited Dad in the morning, when John and his family visited later in the day, Dad told him that Martha and family had visited earlier in the day--a surprise to us all that he remembered for that long!

Of course it's hard to know if Dad's fading more in general or just having a slow time for now. I think that I'll know better when I'm there to visit, but I may be able to tell and may not.

Thanks for reading!

Alison