HAPPY New Year!
We hope you had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends. This past year was so challenging for our little family, and we are so thankful for your support during everything we have been through and continue to go through. Although we have had some very difficult days, we have also had days bursting with joy, filled with thankfulness and relief as we see Lucie thriving and growing. As we look back we can only hope that we can be there for you during your ups and downs in the same way you have been there for us.
Lucie Pie had her ONE YEAR checkup at the end of December and is now 27 1/4 inches long and weighs 14 pounds and 14 ounces. Watching her grow up is such a gift. Lucie-Lyn has a great laugh (when she lets you hear it) and has started to babble more with the ga's, ba's, ma's, and da's. While we were in Flordia, Lucie gave the biggest, heartiest belly laughs to her cousin Addi. Speaking of Florida, Lucie enjoyed her first two plane rides, even though we were off to a rough start with delays, explosive bowel movements and outfit changes. When we landed back in NYC, a woman told us Lucie was one of the best babies she had ever been around on a flight, even better than her own children! Thank goodness!!
While we were in Florida, Lucie got to swim in a pool and go to the beach twice. She really loved to splash in the water, the last time we went to the beach, she loved it so much, she was practically ready to get in on her own. As you know, her 1st birthday annnnd Christmas both took place while we were in Florida too. Lucie had a lot of fun getting to try a cupcake for the first time at the Safari Birthday Party her Aunt Crystal threw for her. She also loooooved playing with the wrapping paper from her gifts... of course she enjoyed the gifts too, after her cousins Addi and Michael showed her how to use them! We were there for two weeks and it felt like we got some great quality time with family and close friends, many of whom were getting to meet Lucie for the first time.
Since we've gotten back, Lucie smilies way more often, which still isn't enough ;). We are getting to see her crawl several steps on her own, sit up, and we even came in this morning to see her standing in her crib on her own just after a nap. That being said, we lowered the crib mattress as soon as we got back from our trip to Florida, and man are we glad we made that decision. It's great that she's pulling to stand so much, and even taking a few steps as she holds on for support, but we are trying to encourage her to sit and crawl as much as possible so that she can strengthen her tummy muscles which were pretty much non-existent after her 4 month stay in the hospital. Lucille grabs her bottle and holds it herself more often now and also grabs her spoon when we are trying to feed her solids... so fun :).
Please continue to pray for Lucie's health as we get through this first flu season with her home. She's fighting off a cold and almost completely better so we're thankful that it hasn't developed into anything worse. Lucie was approved for increases with all of her therapists, so she is going to go from five sessions a week to a whopping TWELVE, all provided by the State of NY! Yay! She will have Physical Therapy four times a week, Occupational Therapy three times a week, Special Instruction Therapy three times a week and Speech/Feeding Therapy (which is new) two times a week. It will be exciting to see her continue to develop a grow through these sessions as we all work toward the goal of closing that gap between her "adjusted age" of 8 months and her true age of 1 year old. Here are some pictures from this past month before our trip and during our time in FL.
Love,
Los Hicksons
Blurry selfie at Rockefeller Center
Lucie's favorite part of PT is bouncing on the ball!
Neighborhood Christmas Tree Lighting and Caroling at Carl Shurz Park. We love how magical the City is at Christmastime.
So many kiddos at the McVittie's Christmas party this year!
Now for pictures from our Florida Trip... there are a lot!
Meeting her Great-Abuelo for the first time
With her cousin, Christy. Also a miracle baby!
Wait, what!? She's driving!? Time needs to slow down!!
Lucie with her cousin Amanda, and her first crush, Chris! Watch out Amanda!
After breakfast at OHOP.
Lunch and coffee with the Lewis fam. Their THREE kids, Madison, Noah and Kennedy were all napping.
Dinner with the Rogers Family. Sophia loved baby Lucie.
She's a natural in the water.
First beach selfie! Ooo FISH!
Cuban breakfast at La Carreta with Señor Gallo.
After breakfast with Great-Aunt Iris & Family
All ready for her 1st Birthday Party!
Whaaaaaaat is this?!
A valuable lesson from Papa Bear - this is how you eat frosting!
Loves her Uncle Mark
Thanks for my party, Aunt Crystal!
Christmas at Granada Presbyterian, our family's home church in Miami
Playing with Grandma Donna
Lucie loved meeting her Great Grandpa!
Beach naps are the best, especially with snuggles with her Great-Aunt Neise!
Our little beach bum
Still looking for fishies!
Love in the sun!
Perfect reaction to her first time seeing Knaus Berry Farm's cinnamon rolls.
Hanging with Peggy
Photos in Tropical Park
Grandma and her grandkids :)
Lucie at the Wynwood Walls. Coolest baby!
Lucie enjoyed getting to hang out with Agu!
NERF… or nothing!
All ready for Lucie's first Noche Buena!
Feliz Navidad
Santa tooshie!
Christmas dinner with her Great Grandpa
Having fun crawling around
A very Merry Christmas in Florida
Abbo with his two granddaughters
That face!
Back in NYC standing in her crib
Lucie with her Lucy dress!