Subject: clear lungs and a healthy hi-ho silver
June 21, 1999

Famly and friends,

Hello and thank you all for thinking of me while I was stuck in the hospital! I went to the peditrician today and he said I had NO more stuff in my lungs! Hurrah. Mom and Dad have this plan to take me to a specialist in a couple of weeks like the doctor said, but I have been using my good lungs to voice my opinion.

I am no longer 1 year old, I am now 13 months old and I know a few things. I do not want to see any more doctors. I now yell when they put a stethoscope on my chest and I punch anybody who even looks like they have a needle. This makes me a lot more challenging to be around, I am sure.

Its not that I don't dance and sing like I used to. I still flop on top of my big white rabbit and dance to all kinds of music and kiss people and sing and say up. The only difference is that now I definitely have some things I do not like.

An example is this new stuff the doctor gave mom and dad. Its an anti-inflamatory that I have to inhale three times a day. When I was in the hospital they put this vapor thing in front of my nose all the time and I AM NOT going to do it at home. So any body out there who has ideas how to make this decision easier on mom and dad, they would love to hear from you. I think right now they are going to do it when I am asleep so at least they are listening to me.

Mom also thinks that I will be a little more relaxed about taking medicine and vaporizer treatments and stuff after I've been home a while. Maybe. But I can sure tell her how I feel about it RIGHT NOW!

So we are having fun and MOm and dad are getting to understand me better all the time. My grandpa Jim gave me a hat with sunglasses and I wear my sunglasses and dance in front of the mirror. My auntie Susan gave me a great book with dogs in it, so I will enjoy saying dog dog dog dog. (The other day I met a dog on a walk and fed him two of my cookies). My Tia and Tio brought me a tigger that talks so I bounce that up and down. I am now eating hot dogs for kids (no skins) and string cheese and diced fruit and salmon and the best part about these things is that if I change my mind and want to spit them out, Oscar the cat, cleans up after me! He and I have a great time with the string cheese which I like to chew on. He doesn't even mind if its all slimy.

If you were here I would smile at you and walk over to the door and say Up or Out to see if you would take me outside. I love looking at the birds. If that didn't work I would come over to you and say something very clearly which you couldn't understand, but which would cause you to pay a lot of attention to me. Then maybe you would tickle me and I would chuckle.

love

Emily