Eli's Journey

1. CHEERIO! Look who's eating! Elijah has made amazing progress taking food by mouth, even though it's all baby foods and sauces. He especially likes barbecue sauce. So imagine my surprise when I walked into his afternoon class at Freedom Elementary and saw the scene below. He was enjoying snacks and juice with his friends, which usually means he licks the food and sticks his tongue in the juice. But this time--and almost too fast for me to get my video camera out--he popped a Cherrio in his mouth, chewed it up and swallowed it! It's a sign of great things to come. I had no idea it was about to happen, and I'm still thrilled just thinking about it. 2. FUN WITH RANDI Our friend Randi, a former Little Light House volunteer, came by to say hello and play with Elijah. She hadn't seen her favorite boy since before his leg amputation, and she was amazed to see him walking on new prosthetics. Let's face it, we're all amazed. 3. IMAGINATION It's true that Elijah...

Late Night Dad: It's one of those times during the year when I seem to run into lots of old friends and distant family, be it during lunches or over the phone or at the holiday parties. And even though the people in my life come from any of hundreds of past lives -- schools, jobs, events -- the first question they ask is very, very consistent: "So, how is your little boy doing?" There's just no getting around the fact that Elijah Ramirez is a force of nature in the lives of each person he's encountered, but I admit I'm surprised at how he dominates the width and depth of my life, as well as those of Melissa and Sophia. I believe it's a testimony to how successfully the members of the Ramirez clan have worked to fill our address books with good-hearted people who love God and believe in the power of prayer. (Even the atheists we know seem to understand there's something mighty at work in Elijah's life; you know who you are, and hopefully you aren...