Just so stinkin happy

Todays cardio appointment was the first in 7 weeks!! That isn't long for most, but for Ivy it was a big stretch! And boy was it great!!!
First things first, little peanut gained 600 grams! Thats 1.36 pounds! For little miss light weight, thats sensational!
And moving on to the heart side of things. Her doctor said he couldn't be more delighted with her progress! One step at a time Ivy Joy is beating the odds and fighting like a true warrior. She will have her pacemaker adjusted next month, another echo on the 21st of November, and then right after Christmas we will start the wean off of her pulmonary hypertension medication in preparation for her February Heart Cath in California at Lucile Packard Children's. 
Great things are on the horizon for our girl! I just know it!

I'm about to overload the blog with photos because I have not been keeping up well with posts :(

                    Ivy Joy in late September

Lexi's pre-school class picture in Early October

                                Same day

                 Ivy milking the cow at the pumpkin patch

Pumpkin Patch bounce pillow

Ivy loved the spider web

                                                                      Ditto :)

 This little girl just lights the room up with her smile and her giggle!

Excuse the pretzel in her mouth but the above is Ivy Joy in her Izzy Pirate hat with hair!

                         And here is Lexi in the same hat w/ hair

                                          Lexi with the pumpkins

The girls looking disappointed when daddy's team lost the Sunday game :(

Big sisters sweet doggie makes these girls happy!

On our way to see Sophia at Pirates and Princesses Live.

 Showing off how much she has grown! I reach the light switch on the chair mommy! Such a silly girl

                           And look how fast Ivy's hair is growing! 

 Both girls loved the pumpkin guts! We had lots of fun carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds!

 Giving thanks to God and embracing every single day. We missed all of these little privileges last year. School activities, Fall celebrations, costumes and pumpkins, pumpkin patches and hay rides, Lexi's forever family day, 2 birthdays, Thanksgiving, and I could go on but that's not my point. 
My point is that you do not realize how special and what a privilege it is to share these things together until you spend them alone in a hospital room across the country, 2800 miles from home. Last year I got through it only by the grace of God and my decision to choose Joy. Such a freeing and wonderfully comforting decision!
This year, joy is just all around me. And for that I am thankful!

One year ago

Boston bound one year ago today. One year..... 

The difficulties of the journey, the heart ache at times, the uncertainty, the reality, the fear... none of it outweighs the thankfulness I have in my heart today. None of it outshines the glory of our God who made this life possible.