Daniel, a birthday with a neuro-surgeon visit

Our sweet baby boy is officially by Birth Certificate -officially,  three years old!
His day yesterday started with a vist to his neuro-surgeon for a follow-up on the shunt placement  done  last July. Our visits with this doctor last year were far from "warm-fuzzy"  encouraging visits, but I saw that God was using Daniel to teach this very educated, experienced man a few things that no school or other educated person could  ever teach him. I saw this again yesterday when  doctor entered our exam room and asked how Daniel was doing. My cheerful and enthusiastic "He is doing VERY WELL!!"   was met with a much more sober and not enthusiastic " Why would you say THAT?"  I got to testify about God's hand on Daniel again by explaining the changes we have seen in Daniel's behavior and reactions to things and people around him,  how we  are so pleased that despite what his MRI indicates, Daniel seems able to acomplish far more than "expected".  I spoke about tickling, music, how he loves to sing praise music,  tracking my voice with his eyes, even though they cant' see, everything that is a part of Daniel's DEFINITE personality, including the dis-likes and ongoing limitations. He looked at the chart  and saw that the nurse had measured Daniels' head  circumference and commented that his head had not grown and said "Well at least he is comfortable.  You can come back and see me in a year."  He asked what the neurologist had said about Daniel and I replied that she told me she was amazed that he was breathing, much less that he was alive.  NO response to that but to comment that  the incisions were healed well and the risk of infection from the shunt sites were very minimal at this point and that having a family to care for him probably had done more than a shunt.. The questions I asked him he told me that I would be better suited to ask the Neurologist herself.
Daniel for his part, talked to me throughout the exam, smiled and roared his little roars and stayed pretty relaxed. He had to have his photo taken  for his file and we even managed to catch the tail-end of a smile for the photo. The nursing staff are very sweet to Daniel, VERY SWEET.
Since it's our family tradition to celebrate birthdays at the Tex-Mex restaurant where Esther used to work, last night for Daniel's birthday was no exception. The staff were more than happy to celebrate Daniel with us!
I fogot my camera, Charlie took a few photos with my camera phone and they are all we have tangibly  to remember the night by, but we will all remember the joy at being able to celebrate that Daniel IS  three years old and VERY MUCH ALIVE AND WELL!!!! And for the record, he did NOT like the whipped cream from his fried ice cream!

Inthe Birthday Sombrero for a photo-op!