Last week we hit the 2 years home mark with Lucy- and I have to say we are in a completely different place than we were this time last year. This year has been hard, but so good at the same time. You can check out her 1 Year Home Check-In here!

Sweet Lucy has continued to be just that- sweet. I love that her natural state is one of curiosity, concern for others, and we can’t get enough of that good-natured smile. She is well loved by us, her family, but also by her teachers and friends.

Physical Health:

Lucy has continued to be in great physical health, though she did battle Flu B a few months ago. The heart condition she was diagnosed with at birth continues to be a nonexistent issue. We’ve had well checks and immunizations (which of course she hated! eek!)- and our pediatrician thinks she looks great. We are so thankful for this.

She has also proven to be quite athletic and is impressing us all at gymnastics. She loves dancing and definitely has some rhythm, too.

We haven’t done any dental work yet, but I have a feeling that is the next focus for us. Unfortunately right now, we aren’t able to go to the dentist (due to COVID-19, the office is closed), but once it’s back open we will be paying a visit.

Language:

Oh my- miss Lucy has SO many words! In fact, she talks so much that sometimes we have to remind her to stop, haha! Honestly, though- we couldn’t be more thankful that this is the case. She spills stories (most of the time completely made up) and paragraphs to us- always has a comment about things. It has given us so much insight into her thoughts and fears. Music has proven to be one of the fastest ways for her to learn, and she cracks us up singing and dancing everywhere. Until COVID-19, she was attending preschool 4 days/week and has learned her colors, several letters, days of the week, and more. Yes, her teacher is amazing!

Sleep:

Lucy has always been a great sleeper, and continues to be so. In fact, she will ask me if it is bed time or nap time and willingly puts herself to sleep! Can you believe it?! Huge blessing to this mama. There have been a few stressful times this year for her in which she has fallen asleep at an unusual time of day in order to cope. It breaks my heart, but I’m also glad that her coping mechanism allows her to rest, and I pray God gives her peace in those times. I am getting better at recognizing it- every person copes with stress in their own way, and just like for our other kiddos- I want to do my best to help her when she needs it.

Likes/Dislikes:

Music, music, music. Lucy loves music, dancing, wearing alllll the pretty dress-up clothes, and those clickety-clackety plastic princess shoes all over the house. She loves her schedule, any and all kinds of noodles, playing with friends at church and school (which we miss so much right now!).

Lucy is not a fan of bugs/getting dirty, although she does jump in there and test it out from time to time. She can get a good case of FOMO going on if one of her siblings is doing something without her.

Food:

This has been more an area of struggle for us, but that also comes with 3 year old territory. We had an incident this year where Lucy swallowed a hard candy that her big sister got for her (unbeknownst to me- Liv, her older sister, crawled on top of the fridge to get it! Goodness gracious.) Anyway, it obviously scared us both and thankfully she was able to puke it back out (sorry, TMI!)- BUT I was so glad it wasn’t worse. So after that, Lucy has really had some fear about eating certain types of foods- and I don’t blame her. We’ve also just dealt with some stubbornness and boundary-pushing, like you do with a 3 year old. It’s been hard at times. Lucy isn’t the only one being picky or not wanting to eat at mealtimes- it’s all 3 of our kids some days. Shawn and I have disagreed on how to handle it. But Shawn and I did have a heart-to-heart about it and decided that we needed to stick together and help each other out with the rule enforcement at mealtimes, while also showing grace to each other and our kids. Some battles are worth fighting, and some aren’t- and figuring out which battles are which is how I define parenting. :)

I’m very proud that as of late, Lucy has been willing to try new foods, and I have been more intentional about including some “easy” meals each week that I am confident she will like. So while I’m sure our food battles aren’t over, they aren’t near as frequent.

Transition and Siblings:

While I am typing this update, Lucy is standing on top of the picnic table in our backyard. She is wearing her Elsa dress (so is her sister- we had to have two), and she is singing at the top of her lungs. 99% sure this is a completely original song, haha. So transition-wise, she is doing well. Since starting school 4 days at week at the beginning of the year, we have been so impressed with her. So many things have been made easier because she is always wanting to do what big sister does. And, on the other side of the coin, more difficult when she isn’t doing what big sister is doing. We spend a lot of time explaining that they are still different people and will do and want different things sometimes. I am sure Lucy’s desire to always be like Liv will change as they get older (in fact, I hope for it! Sometimes I interpret it as a lack of independence and it annoys me- but I know that it is healthy for her right now). And, we are loving how in sync our girls seem to be with each other and hope it continues to be that way.

Knox and Lucy have a sweet relationship, and she loves to be chased by him. I love the way she (literally) looks up to him, and pray that they will continue to love each other well.

Already, Lucy has taught me so much with her little life. She may be small, but her story is big and has impacted me for the better. The word I pray for her is “RISE”:

R- righteous woman of God

I- integrity

S- secure in her Savior

E- empathetic encourager

If you’re reading this, you’re probably part of the village that prayed her home. Thank you so much for that. We are ever grateful for the gift that God has given us in this child. The journey isn’t always easy, but goodness it is so worth it.

I did a little interview with Lucy last night. Here is what she had to say:

Check out my other posts on adoption here: