Ramona's Prayer Warriors: Happy 2020!

Happy New Year! And I guess happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a couple of birthdays, because we've had ALL of those since we last checked in. 🎃🦃🎄🎂😊 They say no news is good news, and we're entirely grateful that 2019 had so little news for this girl.

We ended 2019 with one last heart check-up on December 30, and we were thrilled/relieved/grateful to hear that everything is still stable. She looks (and acts) like a million bucks on the outside, but I always breathe a sigh of relief (and need a nap of relief 😂) after being reassured that her extra-special heart is still doing it's job so well on the inside.

We practiced ahead of time for her appointment by "playing" through all the steps and looking at pictures from previous visits, both of which usually help with her nerves on check-up day.

Using a flashlight to "take a picture of you heart"
(a.k.a. give me an echo) at home the night before.
She wears her stethoscope around her neck now.

Once we were at the doctor's office, she was a little nervous and very serious during her echo, but that's because she knew the dreaded "squeezy" (a.k.a. blood pressure cuff) would be next. She did great for the echo, but the squeezy was a disaster, as usual. 😢

Got half a smile from a snap chat
filter during the echo.

Once the squeezy was done (phew), it was smooth sailing through the rest of the visit. :) She describes the EKG as "they put on stickers, put on cwips (clips), and I hold berry berry still, like this" followed by her holding very still, indeed. 😂 She also got weighed and measured, saw the doctor, and very nearly talked the doctor's ear off.

Still teary-eyed from the squeezy, but feeling
much better. And holding very still.

We played a toy-hiding game while we waited
to see the doctor. She closed her eyes while I
hid her toys so she could find them.

Post-appointment treat. She promptly fell
asleep and I had to peel it off her clothes.

She never lets us forget her sticker after an appointment, but this time she also got to choose something extra, and she picked a craft kit to make a felt lizard. She loves doing projects and helping me with things, so it was a good pick. :)

Sewing a lizard head. It's still a work in
progress, but it's been fun.

We'll have her first check-up of 2020 in 3 months (late March). It's amazing to look back on 2019 and see how normal of a year it was. An entire year of memories that don't include a single hospital stay or any big scares. What a blessing.💓 She did have a run in with some kind of cold/virus/something this fall, with a cough that lingered for many weeks, but it's finally gone and she easily able to stay home during all of it. I think I can count on one hand the number of times shes been sick in her entire life (not counting heart stuff), which is amazing in itself.

Thank you so much for praying for our precious girl! We would so appreciate you continuing to lift her up as we enter the new year.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
- For her heart to be healed
- For her to stay healthy through the rest of winter
- Thanks for her great year and happy spirit

And here are a few highlights since our last update:

Silly girls helping grandpa in the yard. Both
always eager to help.

SO EXCITED for the first snow!

"Unicorn Greatest Showman," Elsa, and cousin baby
bumblebee trick-or-treating.

Making a snowcat with their aunts.

"Come over here. Lets snuggle up."

Did I mention someone had a birthday?
After months of waiting, she was so happy
and excited all day. She kept asking, "Is it
still my birthday?" all day.