Hello Everyone!! Thank you for your patience in waiting for me to update. Dylan is taking a nap right now, so hopefully it is a long one! God could not have blessed us with a better child.....cancer and all! I would do it all over again if it meant being able to spend time with him. He is so full of life! Erik always says that somehow Dylan knows how blessed he is to be alive, and that is why he is such a happy child--and in some ways, I believe that too! He keeps us entertained 24/7. He is always learning something, and surprising us with new adventures everyday. Developmentally, Dylan is soaring. He has come so far in the past 5 months. When we came home in December, he was barely moving around. He would sit in your lap and smile, but that was about it. Now, he is a crazy, moving machine! We think that he is going to skip crawling and go straight to walking. For the past couple of weeks, he has been learning to stand along the couch and ottoman, and now he can stand there for long periods of time without any assistance. He is working on side-stepping right now, and I'm sure he will be a pro by next week. We got instructions from the physical therapist to limit his time in the jumper. This was a hard task because he LOVES to jump in his jumper--the problem with that is he thinks everyone is a trampoline and wants to jump everywhere!! So, we have been spending more time in his walker and walking with holding onto our hands. He has been using the walker for about 2 months now. He used to always get frustrated in it because he could not JUMP in it, like the jumper, and would always get bored quickly. That was up until about 3 days ago.....NOW, he loves it!! He is a walking maniac! He quickly darts from one end of the house to the other! It really is amazing how quickly he got the hang of it! He even chases me and Lily around the house! He thinks its hilarious to run into me while I'm in the kitchen cooking or cleaning. He rams into me and then laughs hysterically! This kid is hilarious! He is a constant joy....even when he is being a little monster....and yes, he is a normal child....not perfect ALL of the time :) He loves to clap! He has been clapping with his feet for months (which I have to say is a strange, but entertaining talent), but he is now also clapping with his hands! It is so cute! He loves to wave at people, and he is quite fascinated with his hands and how they move. He loves to blow kisses too! He usually just smacks his mouth repeatedly...but we know what he is trying to do. He is becoming more vocal. He used to just growl and scream to make noise, but is now 'singing' a lot. He loves to be heard! Especially if people are talking, he wants to make sure you remember he is there. He is not saying any words yet, but when you tell him to say 'Daddy", he blows a rasberry! It is hilarious! He does it almost every time! He LOVES the water! He practically jumps out of my arms when I walk by the sink (because that is where he used to get baths) or if I walk by the tub with him. Bathtime is his favorite time of the day! We have gone swimming a few times and he LOVES it! We have to be careful to keep him in the shade because of his eyes, but as long as we have shade, he is happy! Medically, everything is going really well. His labs were perfect and he has not had many major issues. We will be getting his eye pressure checked again on June 9th, so please pray that the drops are working so we can avoid surgery. I cannot tell you enough how wonderful Dylan is! Everyday is a blessing. And when I get frustrated with stupid problems of life, I look at him, and am reminded of the miracle that we are blessed with. In the grand scheme of things, the little problems do not matter and they are not worth stressing over. Life is a blessing. We are not guaranteed a certain amount of time on earth...our kids, our husbands, wives, family, and friends, are all gifts from God.......cherish each and every one of them!!
Many of you have been asking about Abby, and we appreciate your support and prayer for her. She is hanging in there and fighting hard! She is on a heavy pain medication drip that is controlling her pain well. Although she is sedated and sleeping a lot, she also has her entertaining moments. She had a few great nights this week where she was happy and playful....and those times are cherished greatly. They all celebrated her sister Alyssa's, 4th birthday party on Saturday and had a great time. There is not a lot to update right now, but I will let you know as soon as I have new information.
We love you all and thank you for your continued prayer and support.
Walking by faith,
The Praskins
