Sorry for the delays in updates lately. Life gets in the way sometimes!

Olivia is doing great! She amazes us everyday with her new tricks.

She is talking in full sentences. A few of my personal favorites:

• Mommy, where are you? Called out from her crib.
• I want to hug you!

  The morning I was leaving on a business trip (gone three nights).

The girl still loves her music. Sweet Caroline, Bad Day, Boogie Shoes, American Idol’s Taylor Hicks – she loves it. She can cut a serious rug too shaking her booty in time to the music.  She can also sing the ABC’s song.

She tells you she’s TWO and holds up one finger.  When I try and show her to hold up two fingers, she holds up five.

She loves coloring, markers, stickers – anything crafty.  She will sit for hours coloring.  We have to keep an eye on her or she’ll dig crayons out of the art box and take off with them down the hall.

Olivia LOVES her big sister. She says “I play nice” with Maddie.  They’re finally at the point where they’ll run off and play in one of the bedrooms, dressing up, having a tea party or playing school together. It’s really sweet!

Olivia is quite attached to Arnie.  To the point that if he’s not home when she’s going to bed, she has a terrible time settling down and then wakes up in the middle of the night.  Arnie had to travel for business (first time EVER) the first week of June. Olivia woke up every single night he was gone.  I had to travel for business this past week and she didn’t wake up one night (little stinker!)

So all in all everything is going great.  The summer weather definitely agrees with Olivia. Even with all the rain and damp weather we’ve had her coloring has been excellent.

I’ll update again soon!

Saturday morning Arnie and Maddie came along to watch Olivia swim.

Olivia REALLY SWAM!  I was able to let go of her and she swam around. I was so proud of her. Miss Kimberly was laughing at me because Olivia went under at one point and I guess the look on my face was sheer horror. She was standing right there and grabbed Olivia before any damage could be done. She said “Yeah, I’m standing here and I’m going to let your child drown right in front of me!”  I said “She costs too much to let her drown in front of me”

Today we attended our third Little Hearts picnic. It was so nice catching up with all our friends and making new ones.

There is nothing better than being around others who know exactly what you are going through. Your hopes; Your fears – even the ones deep down that you cannot voice outloud because they are *that* scary. These people get it because they have the same fears. It’s comforting. It’s a day where we’re all normal.

There’s nothing more beautiful that watching a child going to TOWN jumping in the moonbounce and then you notice her tag states she’s a heart transplant. Or seeing a beautiful little boy with rosy cheeks rolling down the dirt pile – knowing he just had his Fontan four weeks ago and he’s only been home 2 weeks. His dad says “Your mom wouldn’t be too happy to see you rolling in this” and it’s not because he’s four weeks post Fontan – but because he’s FILTHY!

Olivia had a great time! She actually got into the moon bounce and wouldn’t come out. I was freaking out thinking she’d be stepped on but somehow she avoided it and had a ball. She even made friends with an older (heart healthy) boy who held her hands so she could jump. Olivia got her face painted (a small heart on her cheek) and got a Winnie the Pooh balloon made by a clown. She played in the bubbles with her heart buddy Ewan.

Maddie also had a ball. She got a balloon hat; her face painted like a clown by a clown; she could have spent the entire day playing in the moon bounce. She and Olivia went on the playground slides over and over again. And Maddie caught up with her buddy Zoe (sister to Ewan) for their annual pinata hitting.

And of course Ruth (Ewan’s mom) and I had our annual chat about how lucky we are that the kids are so healthy and doing so well.

The most moving moments for me were when they called all the families over to the band and sang “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban and of course during the Picture Of Hope. Olivia got to sit on the bleachers all by herself this year. She’s come a LONG way baby!

Dr. Heller (our cardiologist) came to the picnic. She’s the first cardiologist from CCMC to attend.

Miss Olivia has started a new “trick”.  She will tell you that she has to go “poopy”.  And then 5 minutes later, goes in her diaper!

Last night she told me a few times that she has to go. So I put her on the potty and offered up candy (“canney” in Olivia-speak) if she’ll go on the potty.  She didn’t go (she waited til she went to bed) but I think we’re on our way to being a diaperless household!!!