Day +155....our baby is GROWING!!....and fast!

Hello everyone!! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! Erik and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on the 12th....wow, time flies!! We know that if the Lord can bring us through this past year as a stronger couple, then He can and will, get us through anything!!

Life in the Praskins household is busy.....and so much fun!! We are beyond blessed with Dylan, and each day is a great adventure! Dylan is growing like a weed! He is now almost 16 pounds (huge jump, he has been 15 pounds for what seems like forever!), and is eating twice as much as he was two weeks ago. This may seem like a normal behavior for a 10 month old, but for Dylan, it is a huge step and an answer to prayer! He has been eating only 2 ounces at a time for the past 6 months....he is now eating 4 ounces with each bottle, and sometimes wants to eat an hour later. It's like he is a teenage boy! We have also been trying some baby food the past couple of weeks, and so far, so good! He is growing right before our eyes! He no longer looks like a weak, sickly, little baby, and more like a chubby, vibrant, little boy! PRAISE GOD!! He looks healthier and seems to get happier and more smiley everyday!! (if that is even possible). He is a master at rolling over now, and enjoys hanging out on his blanket, playing with his toys. He is also holding his bottle now!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!! This may be my favorite milestone! HA!! We are continuing to work on his sitting up skills, and hope to master that by the end of the month. This is one of our short term goals. I also won't be surprised if he is crawling within the next month. He is catching up by leaps and bounds, and is one determined little guy. His hair is blond, soft, and beautiful......it's funny how much I love his hair......I guess it just reminds me of the new life that God has blessed him with. When he went through his 3rd round of chemo, he lost all of his hair.....even eyelashes and eyebrows.....and although he was still adorable, it was heartbreaking knowing what the meds were doing to him. But now, the new blood has created new life in his cells and those cells are working magnificently! God could have healed Dylan in a second, but instead, He chose to use modern medicine.....it simply amazes me!

On the medical aspect of things, D is doing as well as he can be. We are now 1 MONTH away from Dylan being in remission for 6 months! This is a huge milestone in his treatment, and we are very excited about his progress. If all continues as planned, we will be dropping half of his meds by mid march and also taking out his last Broviac line! WOW!! I WILL NOT MISS THAT THING!! Dylan loves to yank on it and I will not miss worrying about him pulling it out of his chest. He will also be able to take normal baths and be able to be completely immersed in water....something we have not done in 8 months! I cannot wait to take him in the pool this summer....he is going to LOVE it! After some consideration from the Dr., he has decided not to place a port-a-cath in as a replacement for the Broviac....this means that Dylan will not have ANY foreign thing in his body anymore! I cannot even begin to tell you how happy that makes us. The Doc decided that Dylan does not need any more scars, any more surgeries, or any more hassles.......I love our Dr! After next month, Dylan will only need to get his blood drawn once a month, so they will just have to put in an IV at that time. The Dr said that he is still at the age where he will forgive and forget.......so that is a good thing. It's horrible hearing the little kids screaming and crying before the nurses even get to them with the needle. One of the greatest things that I am thankful for, is Dylan's age. He will not remember ANYTHING, and that in itself, is a HUGE blessing.

We are still waiting to see if Dylan qualified for the state insurance. We had a representative come to the house and ask me a bunch of questions regarding his development, and based on that, he did not qualify. His case is now going through a physician review. We know that if he is not approved, then God will provide another way, but we are still praying for it! I guess it is not a bad thing if he is catching up too fast developmentally....just hard to get approved for services!

We are going to be having a BIG BIRTHDAY BASH for Dylan for his 1st birthday, so mark your calanders!! Normally, we would not go all-out for a 1st birthday party, but this is a one of a kind celebration!! We are going to be having a party on Sunday, April 18th, at our Marley Park community clubhouse in Surprise.......more details to come later! If you can, please plan on stopping by to celebrate Dylan's life with us--we would love to see you!! I think the hardest part of the party will be keeping the birthday boy awake!!

Well, that is all for now, enjoy the pics, and as always, thank you for your amazing support and prayers!!

Living to glorify God in all we do,

The Praskins