Technical Difficulties

So I am having some trouble uploading my photos to the computer. I promise I will do an Easter and a big storm post here soon...once my computer decides to behave.

But I do have a cute story from today. Dakin was smiling pretty big this morning, so I asked him why. His response: "Happy."

That's all I can ask for.

Quick

This is just a quick Dakinisms post so I don't forget this stuff...

Today in the car we got cut off, so of course I had to brake. He says, "Aagh. Riddikalous!!". Ridiculous is his new favorite word...if something falls or I express annoyance at something I am doing it will trigger a "riddikalous!" from him.

The other day in the bathtub I was making his bath paints colors fall down the side, so they looked like vertical lines. He looked at them and said, "Aurora Borealis.". Nana is so proud.

He has become such a little companion...he is so much fun to be with. We had a lot of fun this week.

Ok. Like I said...quick. :)

Easter Bunny!!

We went to storytime yesterday, and I had totally forgotten it was Easter Bunny day. Thankfully Dakin took it in stride and actually enjoyed getting his picture taken with her! (that's why the image is so dark: had to take it with my cell phone.) Even afterwards seeing the bunny around the library he was excited, saying, "Easter Bunny! Easter Bunny!" So maybe we're getting over the anxiety a little? We'll see.

Conversations With Dakin: Logic

On the way home from the Farmer's Market.

Me: Dakin, where does milk come from?
Dakin: Cow.
Me: Where do eggs come from?
Dakin: Chicken.
Me: (thinking I would be tricky): Where does cheese come from?
Dakin: Mouse.

So much for that. :)

It's That Time Again

For the last two springs I have posted about what I love about Dakin at the moment. Since spring has certainly sprung around here, it's time for me to get to it!!

I love that he can recite the first two (long) pages of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. I have to record it and put it on here...too cute.
I love that he loves to go 'camping'-- where we take him in his room and he plays with the toys stored under his bed. He LOVES this.
I love that he likes to stick his finger in my ear while I yell "Ew! Ew! No fingers in the ear!!". He thinks that's hilarious.
I love that he loves his little matchbox cars.
I love that he loves his two little boats and playing in the water with them.
I love that he knows his way all around his iPad.
I love that he will try to sneak watching videos on it until I figure out what he's doing. I then ask him if he is supposed to be watching them and he smiles and says, "no," and turns it off.
I love that he loves to help me clean.
I love how confident he is becoming...not getting as scared in unfamiliar situations. He didn't freak out as much at his doctor appointments this last week and only complained a little bit getting his hair cut today.
I love how sweet and silly he is.
I love that he loves to play and make people laugh.
I love that he knows all the words to his Imagination Movers songs.
I love that the makes connections between things so quickly...he sees patterns quickly and tells me about them. He will tell me how things are like or different from each other.
I love that he loves to eat out.
I love that he loves to drop off our recycling. We pull into the parking lot and he starts saying "Recycle! Recycle!"
I love how closely he pays attention to things and tells me about them.
I love how he tells me " All done leeping!" when he wakes up from his nap, and before it when he doesn't want to sleep.
I love that he has attitude and if he doesn't like something he will tell you.
I love how he says "I don't like that" when I get out a certain toy...it's one of those ones where you put your hand in and it leaves an impression of it in the plastic needle-like things...I don't know what they are called, but he hates it. I keep hoping he will like it, but to no avail...
I love that he likes being in his back brace. I really think it is making a difference.
I love how he loves his Easter books...I Need an Easter Egg and Max and the Chocolate Chicken.


Ok. That is good for now. I love my sweet boy!!

Because

Because it looked like this today:

We did a little of this:

These are Dakin's boats, the Jolly Roger and Bucky. The orange one is the Jolly Roger.

Far, Far Overdue

Once upon a time (four years ago, to be exact), I found out I was expecting. Nervous as any new mom, I bought "What To Expect When You're Expecting." On the inside of the book there was a bookmark with the book's website, detailing forums and such. I decided to head to that site, where I joined the forum for women expecting in October 2007. I 'lurked' for a while, but eventually decided to make my presence known and join in the conversation. We discussed everything...from weird pregnancy stuff to politics. There was some inevitable drama, but for the most part we were a happy bunch who got along.

We all had our little ones around the same time. We went from talking about pregnancy to talking about infants. Cheering each other on, helping each other out.

Then Dakin got sick.

And I can not tell you how they rallied around me.

Women I had never met...praying for me and Dakin, checking up on me, sending cards and gifts. Engineering lunch to be delivered to me at Baylor. Sending me words of encouragement. One night, after Dakin had gone to sleep, I was down the hall at the computer, on the site, when I started noticing Dakin's picture on their posts--one of the women, a graphic artist, had created a blinkie with the words, "Dakin, WTE's strongest little boy. Stay strong, little fighter." One of the women who lived in the Dallas area came to the hospital to visit us and brought her sweet little boy to meet Dakin.

As I am remembering these things I am still brought to tears, trying to type this. People I had never met cared so much about me and Dakin. They never forgot about us.

And they still haven't. Though the group isn't on the WTE site anymore, we have a group on facebook, where we talk and post daily. We have laughed and cried together. We have had crazy conversations. And I know I can talk to them about anything. If I need encouragement I can find it there.

I don't know how to thank them. I can't tell them how much their friendship and support have meant and continue to mean to me. They have, in a large way, helped to lighten this load. Thinking of these amazing women, I think of this song:

"Oh, I believe there are angels among us,
Sent down to us from heaven up above.
They appear in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with the light of love."

The morning Dakin couldn't breathe anymore I left the house with him and didn't come back for two and a half months. I was mostly alone in the hospital with him for that time, and the sweet gestures of these women helped get me through it. They are still helping me get through this. I don't get to keep up with them as often as I would like, but they mean the world to me. Thank you, women of the Pumpkin Patch.

(next time I need to talk about our church family. I was just thinking about these wonderful friends tonight and thought I would write about them)

Moving On Up

That is Dakin! We had a talk with his Speech Therapist today about his progress, and she said he is doing great. He is bang on age level with receptive language, and just a few months behind on expressive (talking). She also said he is quite a ways ahead in some concepts...like, 5 or 6 year old stuff. Smarty pants.

We also worked with Dakin's Physical Therapist on his stander today. It has been hurting his knee, but we got it figured out. While watching him in the stander she was impressed with his head control (it left again for a little while after he got his back brace, but he has evidently gotten it right back). She thinks he was just starting to compensate one way when his back was all crooked, but has fixed himself with the addition of the back brace.

So he is just doing great. I am SO FREAKING GLAD we stuck with getting him used to the back brace, as it has reaaaaaaaally paid off. She was even saying the other day that his spine is starting to look better.

Now if we could just get rid of his allergies we would be perfect. He has been blowing snot bubbles out of his nose for the last two days. Ah well. That is spring in East Texas.

Getting Over It

Dakin appears, at least a little, to be getting over his fear of the park (you may remember last September when he strained his hip going down the slide. Not good times). For a while there, he didn't even want to set foot in a park, much less swing.

But we took advantage of the perfect weather this week and headed back to the newly-upgraded park, which is now a ton more handicap-accessible. It's awesome!! And Dakin obviously enjoyed it, though I think his favorite part was sitting at the tables and watching everyone (he insisted we do this). When we went the other week he made us sit there too, and said, "happy birthday," so I am not sure if he is associating this park with the one where we had his party last October, or his bud Spencer's party which was at that same park. Either way, he has a long memory.

My Son, the Fruit Ninja

This game was Uncle Trevor's suggestion. Dakin loves it!!!