Once again, another season has passed since the last post. 2023 was quite the year. We are forever grateful that Dax has been riding a continuous wave and we’ve had minimal changes in his plan to keep him comfortable and happy. He has continued to grow and will soon be three years old. We’ve added three wonderful providers to Dax’s team of doctors and they are dedicated to following him.
This post will consist of mainly photos; that’s the easiest way to recap the last few months! We’ve been on lots of walks, to the park, zoo, and aquarium. And most importantly, Dax met Santa! We were even a little adventurous this holiday season and took the kids to Enchant Christmas to see all of the lights – we all survived the cold and it was most definitely worth it. Going to Enchant was a magical experience!
Our blog has reached 32 countries now, and has 44.8K views. Tyson ran a marathon for Dax, I became a published author, and Dax ended the year with a best friend; his little brother, Bodie. We’ll see what 2024 brings. Happy New Year!
A whole season has passed since my last post. A lot has changed over here! We started off the summer with a new addition; Dax got a puppy! An English Bulldog named Frankie; he’s added a lot of chaos to the household! Ozzie’s still adjusting to another dog being in the picture, but they are very slowly becoming friends.
Over the summer, we ventured out to the park, the Farmer’s Market, and the pool. Dax still loves being outside and feeling the warm sunshine – and he really liked the cool splashes of water in the pool!
We’ve learned that Dax enjoys riding in the car – he instantly starts babbling once he’s buckled up in his car seat. He also likes the song “Takin’ it Back” by Meghan Trainor – he lights up when he hears it! Dax is also really fond of fish – we visited Sea Life at Crown Center for Father’s Day and Dax turned and looked at just about every fish tank we stopped at.
Tyson also put together a swing set for Dax! Dax has a ball rocking in the recliner, so we thought a swing would be perfect for him! Dax continues to progress on his path – he enjoys his home therapy visits with his PT, Miss Katie, she always thinks outside the box for him. We have a great team of doctors; including a wonderful dietician; we found a food blend that really agrees with Dax, he’s had quite the growth spurt! Dax is such a big boy and we are so so so proud of him. We recently celebrated his 2.5 birthday with sparklers on the back patio.
Not only did Dax get a puppy, but he also got a baby brother, too! We welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world on July 28 – Bodie Wirth. Dax has adjusted well to his new role – he’s the BEST big brother! We’ve kept the journey of adding another little bundle of joy to our family close to our hearts and will continue to do so as this online space is “Dax’s Story”. We are so grateful to be blessed with two perfect boys.
I wrote a book! I’m officially a published author. I’ve kept the idea of writing a children’s book very close to my heart; I signed the contract with a self-publishing company based in Canada in July 2021, so to say that I’m excited to make this announcement is an understatement!
Since having Dax, I have found a real love for writing; it’s been very therapeutic for me. As a mother to a child with special needs, it felt like my mission to spread Dax’s story. Even though we’ve had great success with the blog, reaching 29 countries, I wanted something more.
I wanted our followers of the blog, and our friends and family to have something tangible; to have this story in their hands and feel inspired to live with gratitude; life is so much better when you shift your perspective! It really warms my heart to know that Dax’s cousins will have this book in their hands and feel even more connected to him.
I remember talking to Tyson and telling him that I wanted to write a children’s book one day based on our first trip with Dax. Tyson looked at me and said something along the lines of: “You’re already halfway there, books are based on experiences and we just lived it!” After that conversation, I started researching how to self-publish a book. 20 months later, I did it! My book is available globally! I really do believe that Dax’s Big Adventure! is here today because of my husband; he’s my biggest supporter and truly believes in me.
Writing a book has been one of my biggest accomplishments (aside from being Dax’s mom). I have spent hundreds of hours on this project and I’ve enjoyed each step in making this book come to life. Communication with my project manager and illustrator was primarily through email; each illustration needed a very detailed description so the illustrator could picture the same scene as me (34 illustrations = lots and lots of writing!).
Even though Dax’s Big Adventure! is listed as children’s book, I really do believe readers of all ages will enjoy it! I consider it more of a “family book”; I share some life lessons and a glimpse of my postpartum experience in hopes to help other new moms feel that they aren’t alone.
Dax was on my lap as I wrote my first manuscript. And there are no words to describe how grateful I am that he’s still with us and we can read our book together.
I hope you love this book just as much as we do, I’m really proud of it!
In the process of writing a book, I’ve learned that printing errors can happen! If you receive a defective copy of the book, please contact the retailer and they should replace it for you!
Dax is officially a 2 year old! And we celebrated big!
As you all know, Dax enjoys being outside and he absolutely loves warm weather. So it only made sense to travel to the Sunshine State for Dax’s extra special day. Once we got settled in our VRBO, we took Dax to the beach to get his toes in the Gulf… As soon as we parked the car and started walking on the ramp to the sand, Dax instantly started cooing and babbling – he was so excited to be at the beach! We dipped his toes in the water and he instantly pulled his feet up – he recognized the cold water! We were so happy to check another thing off that Dax has experienced – the ocean.
On his birthday, we spent the entire afternoon outside. We walked along the water at Harbor Walk Village, had lunch on a rooftop so Dax could enjoy looking at the sky while he ate, and we ended our day watching the sunset as the clocked turned to 4:55 PM. It’s truly amazing seeing Dax connect with Mother Nature – the human body is incredible. Dax could feel the warm sunshine on his face and he cooed nonstop while we sat on the beach and listened to the waves roll in. He is definitely in his element here in Florida.
We’re so proud of Dax and the progress he’s made – he’s stable, he’s happy, he’s comfortable, and he is SO LOVED. We’ve made many memories over this past year and we’ve enjoyed seeing Dax’s personality develop. We’ll continue to embrace each day with our sweet boy. We’re so grateful to be his parents.
Ozzie has enjoyed Florida too – he visited the beach, spent a few days by the pool, and soaked up a lot of sun!
Our little guy is 21 months old! Dax is looking more and more like a big boy; he has changed so much this year. He now has 8 teeth and is seeing things from a standing position! We’ve been working closely with a great equipment company and Dax now has his own standing frame. Benefits of a standing frame include:
Improve cardiopulmonary function. Reduce muscle spasms. Increase range of motion and prevent contractures. Improve posture and manage scoliosis. Prevent loss of bone density. Improve bowel and bladder control. Increase strength in trunk and lower extremities.
I choose to list all of these benefits that Dax will experience because something as simple as standing shouldn’t be taken for granted!
We closed out our summer visiting family. Dax met the rest of his cousins and experienced the Missouri State Fair. He also met some extended family from Michigan and our closest friends in Northwest Indiana, and visited Lake Michigan for the second time. We’ve been on the go a little more and it feels so good to be out and about! Dax is becoming a familiar face at the golf club and continues to get compliments on his hair everywhere we go.
Dax has still been very talkative lately and starting to make different sounds, he makes us laugh a lot! Ozzie has noticed Dax talking more and he’s a little more inquisitive about his brother; it seems like he’s testing the boundaries with Dax all over again. Dax really enjoys bouncing, rocking in the rocking chair, and I can really get a laugh out of him if I toss him up in the air. He likes listening to music and as always, loves being outside. Since the weather has recently turned, Dax has been enjoying the lights on the Christmas tree.
With the holidays quickly approaching, we’d like to wish everyone a healthy and joyful holiday season!
The Story of Dax Wilder 