I figured it’s been a while and it’s a new year so maybe it’s time for a general Daniel update. 😊

Daniel is doing so well! He’s growing and learning and progressing so much. He’s even coming into his own and developing quite a personality. 

Medically, he’s doing great overall! 

His recent MRI scans over the last couple months show the shunt his neurosurgeon put in in September is working well, and they can wait to see him again in 6 months. I praise God for this all the more since his first shunt got infected last year, so with every new scan that looks good, I’m so so thankful. 

His lungs are also growing stronger and he’s had less hospital trips recently for respiratory illnesses. He even has RSV in November and didn’t need to go to the hospital. We did have to give him a little oxygen at home so I’m thankful we still had it at home, but he only needed a little at night and was fine during the day and he recovered quickly. 

Developmentally, he’s making strides too! After months and months of hard work in PT, he’s finally crawling at 18 months (15 months adjusted)! His neurological condition caused severe delays in the entire left side of his body so crawling was difficult. But something clicked and he’s finally started crawling within the last month. I believe maybe it’s because the shunt is working to take pressure off his brain to allow his left side to “wake up” in a sense. In any case, he’s come so far and I’m so proud of him! 

He also likes to stand now with help. He’s still working on his balance but he loves to stand and bounce when mama or dada is helping hold him up. 

He has also started clapping much more frequently as well as saying “more” in sign language which were also really hard because of his left side delays. But he’s getting it and he seems really proud of himself too! 

Finally, his sweet and yet feisty personality is shining through all the more. He has really started to use his voice and he will let you know if you aren’t giving him enough attention. As you might wonder from the majority of the pictures, he does NOT like to wear his glasses. He has learned to take them off and does so all the time. He also now likes the “grab and drop my food off the high chair instead of eating it” game. And after months of his older brother messing with him, he now likes to give it right back to him and smack him or pull at his hair. I think I’m about to have my hands full all the more with two mobile and wild boys. 😂

All in all, Daniel is truly doing amazing. God has taken care of him, strengthened him, protected him, and instilled in him quite a fire. I’m so blessed to be his mama and to watch that fire grow and grow. Thank you all for all your prayers and support in this wild journey. ❤️😊