Our Dakoda is 16

These are just a few of my memories of my first baby boy. I can remember them so vividly I would swear it was not 16 years ago. Unfortunately time flies by so quickly. It makes me so sad that they are over. But he is so fun now. These pictures make me almost tear up. I am so very thankful to have them. Some are crisp around the edges and parts of them are ruined but I have them. Thank Heavens above!!! Dakoda would not eat. Period. He lived on bread and honey forever. He would eat if I would take his pictures. So I have a lot of pictures of Dakoda eating. That was before digital. So I couldn't delete them.

Dakoda loved his new baby brother Dylan. He didn't want to hold him. He wanted to play with him. Dylan couldn't be left on the floor or Dakoda would try to high jump him. He did happen to land on poor Dylan's head once. But seriously Dylan just laughed. He was use to his clown big brother.

My toothless angel.



Dakoda loved to go to Grandma's house. He called his grandma "Mamak". This is bathing at "Mamak's" house. He splashed water everywhere. The other favorite word that he had was "Mutzy". That was his blanket forever and could fix anything. I think we still have it at Grandma Shield's house.

This is his "Big Boy" pose.

Dakoda has always been a clown of sort. This picture is from an Easter Egg coloring session. He ran out of eggs and started on himself.

Dakoda loves animals. Dead or alive they have never grossed him out. He fixes the cat's eyes when they are coobered shut even. He will help Dean in the shop doing taxidermy work too. If you've ever seen a deer head skinned out you know it is yucky. Dakoda thinks it's cool.

My first memory of my little baby boy is at the hospital. Dakoda was born at Pioneer Valley Hospital at about 3 in the morning. Dean was sitting in the rocking chair asleep and the nurses had my baby when I woke up. I rang the nurses station and asked them "will you bring me my baby." Dean overheard that and has teased me forever. He was so sweet with his red hair and cow lick in front. We've loved him from the moment we saw him.

Happy 16th Birthday Dakoda