Lovin' the Dakin

I have been thinking quite a lot lately about how much of a privilege it is to have Dakin in our lives. He is just such a ray of sunshine. So I thought I'd outline some of the things I love about him.

I love that he lights up when he sees me.

I love that he wakes up smiling in the morning.

I love that he says "da da" in his sleep.

I love his sweet face.

I love his dimple.

I love how he laughs hysterically at the silliest things with his little silent laugh.

I love that he loves butterflies.

I love how motivated he is to communicate--technically he shouldn't be able to talk over his trach, but evidently no one told him that.

I love his silly little personality.

I love that he spends the majority of his day smiling.

I love that a few seconds after being suctioned, he is all smiles again.

I love when he snuggles with me--he's like a little koala.

I love how he says "da da"--very loud and playfully, and "ma ma" he says quietly and sweetly.

I love (yes, I love it) how gosh dang stubborn he is. (And he gets it from no one strange--thanks grandma...lol)

I love that he tries to get people to look up by looking up. He thinks it's the funniest thing.

I love all the silly little noises he makes.

I love that he likes to crash into things in his stroller.

I love that he knows how cute he is and uses it to his advantage.

I love how smart he is. A little too smart.

I love how he loves to read.

I love that he laughs at things out of the blue.

I love that he likes to slide down my legs when he's snuggling with me, and that he tries to roll himself off my lap. It seems like a strange thing to love, but I think it's an attempt on his part to get the movement that a neurotypical child has. When he's trying to roll off my lap, at the last second will roll back and laugh at me, like he's testing his limits. I love that about him.

I love that he loves music.

I love that he likes to watch the news when he's eating in the morning.

I love that he loves FreeCreditReport.com and AARP commercials.

I love how quickly he learns new things.

I love (and am so grateful) that he is so patient during trach care.

I love that he likes to chew on empty saline bullets, his plastic hemostats, and his cuff on his trach. He's not really into any other toys that we give him, but he loves those.

I love how he sticks out his lower lip when he pouts.

I love that even after he gets a shot, he is quickly happy again. He is such a hero.

I love all the silly little movements he makes--his dancing, bouncing, kisses.

I love that he dances when music comes on. Except for Pink--he doesn't seem to like her too much.

I love his blond hair.

I love his brown eyes.

I love that he loves to stare out the window when we go out.

I love his interest in the world around him.

I love that he can make me laugh at any time.

Whew, I could go on and on. I think that's good for now. Dakin, I love you!

PS--the collage is from wonderful Brandy! (See previous post). My favorite is the top left hand corner, and the bottom right hand--that one cracks me up. It's so Dakin.