A few of my favorite things

I am fortunate enough to have a toddler that enjoys many of the same things I do...even if she does put her own spin on it! :)

My morning coffee...even if I have to drink it out of a plastic teacup on Saturday mornings!

Girly things, like accessories and make-up...even if I have to share the bathroom with Lucy!

Naps...although not next to the toilet like Lucy likes to do instead of taking a bath!

An update on Lucy's TEF

We get asked a lot of Lucy can eat "normally" now.  The answer to that is still "no!"  Here's what she can eat:

 - Most cereal (Kix, Cheerios, Chex, etc.)
 - Crackers (Ritz, Saltines, Triscuits in small portions, oyster crackers, etc.)
 - Sliced cheese in small portions
 - VERY well cooked soft vegetables like carrots, green beans and peas, about 5 to 8 small pieces at a time, followed by a few swallows of liquid
 - VERY well cooked pasta rings, again about 5 to 8 at a time
 - Fruit bars, like Nutrigrain cereal bars
 - Anything that is naturally smooth (peanut butter, applesauce, yogurt with no fruit chunks, etc.)

Everything else we grind up for her in the most fabulous invention for a person with this condition...the hand-held food grinder!  We are forever in debt to my mom for getting us one of these - we use it multiple times a day and never leave home for a trip to a restaurant or weekend away with out!  We can't make a quick food stop at a fast food restaurant because most don't have anything that we can grind up for her to eat.  We end up going to places like Panera, Potbelly or Culvers if we are on the road and need to make a quick stop - because those places all have soup on the menu!!  Most of her main courses are ground up soups, pasta with sauce and veggies or whatever we are eating mixed with a liquid or sauce to make it smoother for her.

Our best friend...the handheld food grinder!

We try to balance letting her eat what she wants if we are eating it, with saying "no" to things we know she won't be able to handle.  Often we give her "tiny bites" of whatever we are eating, like the crust of a pizza slice, or a tiny piece of fish (think very tiny - like a mere crumb).

Lucy's esophagus is shaped like an hourglass, but the inside of it has a "shelf" of scar tissue.  Her entire esophagus had to be connected together when she was born, so there will always be a part of it that is 100% scar tissue and will never be as stretchy as the rest of her esophagus.  As she gets older and understand more (and has better self-control), she will be able to eat more "normally."  However some foods will always be hard for her to eat, like meat for example.

Here is an example of what Lucy's anatomy looked like when she was born.

We are so thankful that she is doing as well as she is.  We are also so thankful for the doctors and nurses that God has put in her life.  We haven't always liked everything about every one of them, but we are confident that they tried to make the best decisions for little miss Lucy and for that we are grateful.  I follow many stories of children born with VACTERL/TEF and there are some tragic endings to those lives and many, many children with feeding tubes, respiratory issues and many, many dilatations.

Despite everything Lucy goes through, she is still able to enjoy life...and let me tell you...this girl LOVES to laugh! :)

Fake sleeping at her first live theater event - we saw Goodnight Moon - what fun!

Truthfully, not that helpful to have an extra cart pushed by Lucy in the grocery store!