Saturday, February 20, 2016

Do Our Best, and Test the Rest

Our little warrior, Amos, has been over a year out since his bone marrow transplant and he is still very busy at the task at hand. Trying to be a regular kid. We are doing our best these days to make him feel like every other kid out there. He goes to his babysitter's house and plays with all the kids. He is learning to speak, count, and recognize colors. He is going to "Mommy & Me" swim lessons. He is going about all the things most kids do. As for the cancer, we simply keep testing. Amos is still subject to many tests and monitoring to make sure he is still on the right track towards being a regular healthy young boy. To this day I am still astounded at his strength, and all the support that continues to come our way. So many people still want to know how he is doing and what his life is all about now that he is doing so much better. I still try to keep this website relatively up-to-date to appease all the interest in his young life.

^Sadly, Amos is completely unfazed by these kinds of proceedings these days. The kind nurse was all ready to distract him before sticking him with a needle to draw blood, but Amos didn't even flinch or make a sound when she stuck him. I am proud that he is so tough, but a bit saddened by the same fact. He has just been poked and prodded so much that none of it even bothers him anymore.

^They can hook him up to whatever they want. He does not care one bit.

^Amos loves to play with my ski gear. While unpacking from a recent ski trip to Japan Amos decided to help me by putting on my gear and marching around the front yard hollering, "My ski poles!"

^No clothes necessary, but a good sturdy helmet is always a good idea. This kid bounces his big ole' head off of nearly everything in our house making for bumps, bruises and gashes all over his poor head. So if he wants to sport my helmet around for a while, then I will not object. It might save him one or two new dings on his head, and my ski helmet already has plenty. That cute little butt cracks me up every time though.

^That look in the picture above as if to say, "I am not a baby anymore Dad!" This fact is donning on me all too much these days. He is only two and a half years old by now, but he is turning into a little boy so quickly. He is definitely no longer a baby, and although his development was somewhat stunted by his cancer fight, he has been catching up on lost time rather quickly. His mom and I may call it the "lost year", but he has grown up regardless. Now as he begins to overcome his lacking motor skills and social insecurities we are so happy to watch him grow up. Every little thing still makes my wife and I freak out when he gets a cold or the flu, but we are also coming back around as well. Amos certainly is unfazed by any testing, social miscues, or development benchmark so we will do our best to do so as well. Today Amos is happy and healthy. So today, we are too. I still count my blessings for him and all the support he has received each and every time I give him a kiss goodnight or a hug in the morning. We are so blessed, each and every day.