Eight Months and Small Victories

I read this inspiring little story from a friend on facebook and I just had to share. "Our oncologist became a doctor because his baby sister with leukemia did not survive a bone marrow transplant for which HE was the donor. Today Dr. Armenian sat directly in front of Rafael, pulled him close, removed his little baseball cap and gathered him in his arms. He said to Rafael: "I want you to know that you are so very brave and I am proud of you." I don't think nurturing siblings are technically in his job description." Her son Joaquin is a Leukemia survivor.

I sometimes wonder what to tell Gabriel and what he will think. It is of course not his fault and without him we wouldn't have had any hope at all. Stories like this are so inspiring and make me hopeful that something good can come out of something tragic.

July 2nd marked 8 months since Tyler died and the day was rather uneventful and it didn't even bother me. Today, however, it did hit me. 8 months is a long time, it almost seems like it was a dream. Yet the memories are all so fresh, all of them. I look at pictures and they're all so different. Tyler on steroids, all chunky with a puffy face, then Tyler on just chemo, so thin and little. Today I was thinking back to July 3rd last year. It was a good time for us. We were inpatient, but he had energy and we had so much fun running up and down the hallway, playing in the playroom and giggling. He got to be unhooked from his IV more too. It was a time where most kids could've gone home, but with his history our Oncologist had a gut feeling that sending us home would be too risky because things happen so fast, and they did. I remember Dan spent the holiday with us at the hospital. The 4th of July we spent celebrating inside, it was a day of excitement. We watched fireworks from his hospital room and the boys both ran around the room with glow sticks waving. I can still hear the eruptions of giggles. It was the latest Tyler had been able to stay up all week. He fell asleep before 10, so happy. I miss those days so much. Even though we were living in the hospital, we were still together and that's what matters most.

These pictures are from last year, beginning of July. Playing in the playroom, free of IV lines!

 He loved this car

 Tired boy taking a cuddle break

 He loved his pom pom, they would throw that thing around a lot!

I saw this the other day and thought it described it very well

This is our newest toy, I found it for $4! The boys love it. I let Gabriel play with it supervised since he still puts things in his mouth. He's very good about just playing with it.

 So tall!

 Happy boy

 Love that smile, he came over for his meds. I've never had a child so willingly take meds before! He even begs for more after he's done.

 So much hair!

 Dawson called me to the window tonight all excited about the moon. It was orange! So pretty.

 Sharing the ipad! Something we've been working so hard on, sharing with Gabriel. Dawson is doing so much better about those things lately!

Another exciting big goal is the "L" sound, he actually made one!! He doesn't often, but he's getting closer to being able to say it when he wants to. It's something he's been struggling with. I do silly tounge exercises with him and it seems to be helping. Hopefully soon he can start saying the L in some words as well. So exciting!