April 11

We have been so fortunate that the best month has just been amazing, weather-wise!  It's so nice to get all of this outside time in before the Texas summer comes with all its heat intensity!

          

Playtime and picnics...some of our favorite things!

And we also got to celebrate someone special in our lives...

"Hey, Daddy, did I hear that it is...

"...your birthday?"  

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Besides being Daddy's birthday, March also meant that Little buddy was due for his quarterly evaluation for his clinical trial.  Because it was going to be a long trip, our good friend, Ms. D, decided to come with us!

We are ready to see you, Ms. D!

While waiting for Ms. D, we discovered a playground in the terminal she was flying into (a terminal we never use).  Yes, you heard that right, a PLAYGROUND at the AIRPORT.  How have I not known about this for the past year?!?!?!  Oh well, at least we know now!

Ms. D playing with Little Buddy while I get the rental car...by myself!  Woo!

Thank goodness Ms. D was here...Little Buddy accidentally scratched me across the eye with a fork and I had to go to the emergency room!  I'll be ok, but I did need antibiotic drops.

And thankfully, even with a healing eye, we all made it through Little Buddy's surgery day ok!

Getting his infusion on St. Patrick's Day!

     

      

The weather was even nice in Minnesota, so we got to play outside on the playground before going back to the hotel for some well deserved rest!

Thank you for all of your help this visit, Ms. D!  We'll miss you!

We left the cool weather of Minnesota to come back to even more beautiful weather in Texas, meaning we got to take part in one of our favorite Texas traditions...

...our bluebonnet pictures!  We missed doing them last year (life was a bit crazy after Little Buddy's diagnosis). 

We also got a cool surprise this month!  I had just found out about the I Run 4 program, which matches athletes of all levels and kinds (runners, walkers, yogis, triathletes, etc.) with "buddies",  children and adults with physical, mental, and developmental special-needs.  We signed Little Buddy up and a week later we got matched with Mr. Mark, whom has already run one half marathon in honor of our little guy!

     

We love our runner, Mr. Mark!  So excited to be part of this amazing program!

And then it was time for another Minnesota visit!  Thankfully, it was just a short infusion trip (and no one's eye got scratched with a fork)!

     

Infusion complete, grilled cheese eaten, smiles captured...now time to fly us home!

And then another sign of the season...opening day!  These two are ready to cheer the Astros on to victory!

Hooray for baseball!

     

Another month with our handsome and happy little boy!  Couldn't be any luckier!

Height and Weight

Coming in at approximately 60 lbs. and nearly 49 inches!

Personality

Still happy and excitable!  And brave and resilient.  After each of his quarterly appointments for the trial, I am always reminded of exactly how much this boy takes on with nary a complaint.  All these pokes and proddings have become normal to him and, even though he doesn't love them, his beautiful heart shines through as he thanks everyone on his medical team after a procedure is finished.  

Developmental Milestones

Even though it is now baseball season, Little Buddy has been wanting to play football around the house.  We have been amazed because his catching ability has never been the most stellar, but lately he is just catching the football left and right!  It's never been an easy skill for him, but to see him catch it so naturally makes

our hearts happy.  Now if we could only get him to throw it back to us...

Last month was "not" and, while that continues, we also are hearing a lot of "stop" right now.  I like that he's communicating more, but I would also like him to "stop" telling me that he's "not" going to do things I have asked him to do!  LOL!

We continue to worry about his attention, but I am trying to wait until I am with him full time again this summer to see how he is all day.  It is very hard to determine how he is with only having him after school when he is so tired.

Still going in the potty if we put him there, but he's obviously outgrowing the little potty he loves so much!  We have to see if we can get him to sit independently on the big potty!

Fun Tidbits

He's lately taken to telling us, unprompted, that he loves us randomly throughout the day.  I can't tell you how lovely those words are to our ears.  We love you too, Little Buddy.  Forever and ever.  

Until next month, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma