It's been a whole year since we got the news of Caroline's heart defect. What a difference a year makes. A year ago I was five months pregnant and we were not sure if our daughter would live. Now we have a gorgeous, sweet, and somewhat sassy little eight month old who blesses us every day with her presence. That is not to say that she is a perfect angel all the time. Caroline is a very good natured baby but she definitely is strong willed and has provided us with our fair share of frustrations. However, even in the midst of those we can't help but be reminded how blessed we are that she is here with us and doing so well. We know that her heart is not fixed and that down the road she will still need surgeries to keep it functioning properly but for now she is thriving. It is a real joy to watch her grow and to watch her discover everything around her. Here are "some" (probably too many) pictures of what she's been up to lately.
But before the photos, I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to thank everyone again for everything that they have done for us over this past year. We are beyond blessed. Thank you to our amazing families for all your support and love. For letting us crash at your house, for the unfailing moral support, for driving crazy long distances just to be with us, for everything. Thank you to all our friends. We are so lucky to have so many kind, generous, and loving people in our lives. You all prayed for us, cried with us, set up a medical fund for Caroline, the list goes on. Please know that your support meant, and continues to mean, so much. And thank you to all the strangers who reached out to us. You became friends and you gave us encouragement through your prayers, comments, and advice. It was incredibly moving and humbling to have so many people who we didn't even know offering us places to stay, donating to Caroline's medical care, adding us to their prayer lists, giving us baby gifts etc. God showed us His abundant love and goodness through all of you. Caroline has an incredible story and you are all part of it. We couldn't be more grateful.
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| Our little carnivore going to town on a rib bone. |
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| Family photo at Tivoli. |
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| College friends are the best! Thanks for the visit! |
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| Caroline hanging out with her godmother:) |
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Enjoying fava beans and pecorino, a Roman tradition.
Caroline loved chewing on the bean pods. |
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| Hanging out with Dad on the soccer field after the Soccer Tournament. |
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| Trevi Fountain photo op:) |
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| She found her toes and LOVES them! |
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| Sitting in her toy box watching soccer. |
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The hammock is her new favorite place.
She swings in it, rolls in it, sleeps in it, you name it. |
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| The campus vineyard where we take our walks. |
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| Lazy summer afternoons. |
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| With the summer weather comes outdoor baths! |
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| Kateri and Greg came to visit:) |
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| #selfie |
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| Not a big fan of the baby pool. |
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Grandma came to visit and it was great.
Lots of cuddle time. |
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| Inspecting the flowers on our terrace. |
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Caroline's excited face. She makes this a lot.
It is accompanied by arm flapping and lots of kicking. |
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| She loves books and being read to. |
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| Just eating a spoon and playing cards with Dad. |
