It’s hard to believe that yesterday marked a full year since Dorothy finished treatment. Those 7 months felt like forever and now they feel like a dream at times. 

What a blessing it was to have Dorothy off treatment by summer. We lived at the pool and Dorothy loved the daily interaction with so many different people. We enjoyed two beautiful weeks at the beach and then were able to start a normal-ish school year for the first time since 2018. 

Dorothy has been attending preschool 4 days a week this year and has absolutely loved it. We’re so thankful that she’s been able to go with Nana every morning and attend the same small preschool her big siblings attended. Dorothy has been learning more signs and words to communicate every day. She still loves music and reading books and has continued in her mischievous little ways. Although she enjoys her classmates and teachers she often looks for opportunities to make a break for it (always with a smile on her face). She’s also been known to sit in her own special seat over in the reading nook instead of on the carpet during circle time so she can observe from a distance. Our girl certainly likes to make her own decisions, but after the few years she’s had we think that’s kinda ok. 

Dorothy has started learning how to climb stairs on her own, how to clean up her messes, and enjoys being a helper around the house. She also loves taking care of her Madeline doll which she brings with us everywhere. 

Above anything else, Dorothy loves her family. She is happiest when we’re altogether doing just about anything. She adores her big siblings and loves kicking a soccer ball with them, dancing to loud music, chasing them around the house and scaring them, and getting in uncontrollable laughing fits back and forth. 

…But daddy, oh he’s definitely her favorite person in the world. One of the best sounds is hearing her at the window when she spots Doug’s car come home. She sprints to the door calling his name with her arms straight out, throws them around his neck and gets the biggest cheesiest grin across her face when he picks her up in his arms. She is ALWAYS excited to see him, Daddy’s her giggle buddy, he’s never short on tickles, wrestling moves, and silly games. 

And now we’re adding another family member to the mix. In August Doug and I found out that we were expecting #4. We were pretty surprised and had though that maybe this year would be a bit calmer than the last few but looks like that’s not in our cards just yet 😉 Baby boy Kraemer is due to arrive mid may and we’re all excited to meet him and introduce him to the chaos that is the Kraemer family.  We’re sure it will be a bit different for Dorothy but we’re convinced she’s going to be an amazing big sister. 

Dorothy still goes in for regular blood work at the oncology clinic and so far her numbers have continued looking beautiful. It’s still nerve wracking at times when we go in for these visits. Unexpected waves of anxiety will come at random times. If we see any kind of bruise or rash, if Dorothy loses her appetite, or she tires out easily it can cause our minds to race. It’s exhausting at times trying to keep our thoughts in check and be thankful for the present moment. I don’t know if this gets easier but I hope it does. 

Although Dorothy’s blood work has been steady since last April she has gotten sick frequently since the fall. With her immune system still trying to climb back up and having to reintroduce all her baby vaccines little by little, she has been more susceptible to illness. Most times it’s sinus or ear infections but she doesn’t get fevers or seem irritable, her symptoms are so subtle sometimes…rosy cheeks, a little extra sleepy, blue tinted hands.  We’ve seen the pediatrician probably more than 10 times since October. The worst illness was right before Christmas when Dorothy got some sort of respiratory virus. Because the low tone that comes from having Down Syndrome she had difficulty coughing and clearing out her lungs which caused bacteria to settle. This along with her weakened immune system meant that it took her a week in the hospital hooked up to oxygen to recover. It was extremely difficult to be back within the confines of those walls but we had some visits from the nurses on the oncology floor that completely made our days. 

It’s been a long few years with Dorothy but her and her siblings are our greatest joys. Seeing them play altogether and take care of each other is one of the most rewarding things. It can be easy to get distracted and forget all that we’ve walked through but today we are choosing to remember and rejoice over all that God has done for us. We were never alone and we will use this special day to remember, reflect, and be filled with gratitude for the blessing upon blessing upon blessing that God’s given us.

We celebrated yesterday  by enjoying time relaxing as a family. Doug took Brayden to play his first round of 9 holes early this morning and had a great time. Meanwhile the girls and I went on a beautiful walk down by the lake and chased some geese. Later in the afternoon we took Dorothy to drop off some treats for the oncology team that took care of her at the hospital, it was the first time she’s been back on the floor since her ring-out. It was so wonderful to see their smiling faces and give them giant hugs. Later in the day Elise and I went out to get our nails done and we finished the night with a special dinner out with family to celebrate our little warrior. Dorothy enjoyed wearing her fancy dress and sparkly shoes. Yesterday was a very good day. 

As always, thank you for following our journey and for all the prayers and support you all have provided along the way. Words can never express how much it’s meant to all of us❤️

“‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. 

May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭