Merry Christmas 2011!

Best Christmas ever! Such a blessing to have a healthy, happy little girl off of oxygen so we could go to holiday parties and travel to visit family this year. We are thankful every single day for the wonderful year that we have had. Thanks to everyone who got Lucy something for Christmas. We are truly blessed and look forward to another great year. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Merry Christmas!

A snapshot of this year's Christmas card. Our beautiful family wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!

Christmas Cards Past

A review of Christmas past. 7 years of glorious cards, 2004 to 2010. Click to view the entire set.

Elmo Time

Lucy's BFF

100% All Veggie Patty

"I've fallen and I can't get up."

Socks? We don't need no stinking socks.

Sorting cups. Destroying the bookcase. Yelling at plastic forks. Tearing off socks. Getting ready for bed.

Excited for Fall

Lucy is still toobie free and we couldn't be more excited to play in the leaves outside for Fall. We are all looking forward to our first hayride together next weekend.

Lucy Talk

Apple Orchard

Lucy helped pick apples at an apple orchard today. She was pretty good quality control, but if anyone eats an apple with a worm in it, we know who to blame.

Buddy Walk

Lucy's team, Buddy's Beauties, have raised an astounding $11,423 and are currently in 1st place in team totals! Unbelievable! We're so excited to be walking with eight new friends.

Last year, Team "Catalina Joyce" was the winning Buddy Walk team, raising an incredible $11,140. So, we're very excited to have done so well this year.

If you haven't donated yet, please help support Lucy and her team by making a small donation. We only have two more days to secure our lead!

Thanks for your support, everyone!

Toobie Free!

Notice anything different?

NO MORE OXYGEN! And new glasses!

At Lucy's cardiology appointment today, it was finally decided to try her off of oxygen for an extended amount of time (probably indefinitely). Now that she's scooting around the house, the last thing she needs is a tube holding her back.

We're so excited to see that beautiful face once again!

Zoom Zoom

Lucy is ready for a night out on the town with her spiffy haircut, new orthotics and shoes.

Farty Mouth

Practicing for the Raspberry Blowing Championship.

Team Buddy's Beauties

It's that time again for the years' most fun event! The Buddy Walk! This year, Lucy has teamed up with eight other beautiful girls to create a team of beauties, because what could possibly be better than an all girl team? Lucy looks forward to walking (or riding in a wagon) with her new friends.

We hope you can help support Down Syndrome Indiana and team Buddy's Beauties by making a small donation at Lucy's fundraising page. Lucy is participating to help promote advocacy, raise awareness and show everyone just how awesome Down Syndrome is.

Thanks for your support everyone!

Get Your Motor Runnin'

Lucy has been cruising the streets in her new ride. They may only be 3" rims, but she keeps them clean.

Teeth!

Showing off her full set of razor-sharp shark teeth. Also, you can see the "play corner" in our living room. No, this child is not spoiled at all.

Picking Blueberries

Lucy was an excellent helper to pick blueberries and blackberries. She was in charge of quality control which was basically smashing everything she could get her hands on.

Then again, next time she won't be in charge of quality control.

Peek-a-Boo!

Thanks again to everyone for the lovely prayers, thoughts and wishes. We couldn't have done this without your support. We truly appreciate all of the good people out there that were thinking about our little munchkin during surgery.

Lucy has been recovering extremely well at home. Her oxygen saturation levels are around 93-94% without extra O2s, so she's at the low end of where we would like her to be. So, for the time being she's still on very little oxygen, 1/4 to 1/2 liter flow. We have a follow-up cardiology appointment tomorrow and pulmonology appointment later this month to review her current medications and discuss oxygen requirements.

We are so excited to hopefully have a toobie free baby soon. In the meantime, our little butterball couldn't be more happy to be home. And so are we.

Home Sweet Home!

Guess who's excited to be home!

We were released directly from the ICU this afternoon. Lucy did so well, we are so proud of our warrior princess. This kiddo is stronger than an ox!

Healthy Heart Club, Update 6

Lucy had a big day yesterday. Her chest tube was removed, arterial line was pulled, pacemaker wires were pulled and sedation was stopped. She woke up a happy, smiling girl. It was so nice to see her beautiful blue eyes again.

We left the ICU and were moved to the Heart Center.

If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Lucy's blood pressure was really low all night even after receiving dopamine. And in true Lucy fashion, we are back in ICU. Been awake for way too long and we're all in a delirious stupor.