Our Little Honey Badger

Dylan came into this world as a force. She still is. When she started walking, it was with such purpose and “swagger” we nicknamed her honey badger. She always knew exactly what she wanted and went right for it. I am sure that having Mason as a big brother helped her with this also.

Sister is stubborn too. If she wants to do something, she will. Unfortunately, that also means that if she doesn’t want to do something…. Good luck. I had the gift of watching Dylan for her first weekend without her parents when she was 14 months old. This was her first time spending a night without her mom, and everyone knows how much Dylan loves her mama.

I was excited to get some time with the kids on my own and things started out great. Casey had learned to sneak out to avoid the tears when Dylan saw her leaving. I was staying the first night on my own and Brandon came down the following day. Then came nap time….

There was NO WAY Dylan was going to lay down without her mom there. Her determination was impressive, to say the least. The poor girl was crying and screaming so hard that she would throw up and was inconsolable. After cleaning up Dylan and her bedding she finally reached a point of exhaustion and got some rest. Mason and I were able to play some games and when Dylan woke, she was back to her sweet, sassy self.

We had made it through the first day and were finishing dinner when we got a facetime call from mom and dad. Big mistake. Big. HUGE. As soon as Dylan saw Casey’s face on that screen she completely freaked out. She was hysterical and could not understand where mom was and why she couldn’t hold her. This made for an interesting bedtime. More tears, screams, and vomit. I was afraid to lay her down since she was throwing up, so this seemed like an endless process. At one point we were both in tears and both had puke in our hair. After hours of walking and singing, she was calm enough to lay down and was exhausted enough to fall asleep quickly. While this was a traumatic experience for Dylan, I feel like it has always bonded us. Of the children I have been trusted to watch overnight, she wins the award for most challenging bedtime. After that first night, naps and bedtime got easier and we got into a routine with fewer tears and bodily fluids.

The other part about Dylan is the “honey”. Dylan is the sweetest, kindest-hearted girl. The morning after that endless bedtime, she woke up chatting and singing and it made all the puke in the world worth every second.

Dylan always thinks of Mason when she gets something special or a treat and makes sure to save him some to try. She compliments strangers and has such a sweet way of connecting with people and making them feel special.

Now, our little honey badger is fighting for her life and somehow managing to live with a body that won’t do what she wants it to. She is getting older and notices more and more what she is missing. I think her personality is serving her well in this battle. If anyone can find a way to beat DIPG, it is most definitely her. We love our little honey badger.