Family Reunion

Here we are headed out on our family vacation.

Lizzy, Daddy, and Joy enjoying the hotel swimming pool.

My own private theater in the car!

Our family at Adam-ondi-ahman

Grandpa Turpin and Joy

Joy playing with Grandma Turpin's cabbage patch doll.

Joy very excited at the pizza place.

Our family at the pizza place - look this way, Joy!

Uncle Rich loves me!

Grandma's table is good for teething!

Cousin Trevor and Joy

Our family with our Turpin grandparents

Here is Joy getting ready for the temple! :)

This is the Nauvoo Temple. Here very special rites are performed that we believe makes Joy a part of our family for all time and eternity. It was a very special day for us!

Joy, outside the temple, after being sealed to our family for FOREVER!

Our family by the temple

Aunt Kathie and Joy outside the temple

Mama (totally overjoyed!!) and Joy outside the temple

Joy and her Turpin grandparents outside the temple

Lizzy and Joy sitting on a fake sheep at the Pioneer Past Times.

Mama was dancing. Joy LOVED that!

Joy just loves her Uncle Brad. She tried to go to him several times. She never does that. :)

ECI Annual Review

Today was Joy's Annual Review. Every six months we figure out where she is and set new goals. Every year they do a new work up and set more goals. I am so grateful for our therapist. She is wonderful. I have so appreciated her knowledge and support!

These are Joy's DAYC Scores:
Cognitive 10 months
Communication 10 months
Social-Emotional 11 months
Physical 7 months
Adaptive Behavior 12 months

Yeah Joy!
Her therapist was so impressed with her scooting. She is moving so much more now. It's incredible!

Joy is standing against the ottoman now.

Here the girls have learned to hold their hands cupped so that Joy has to use her thumb and forefinger to pick up food. (instead of raking it into her fist and shoving it into her mouth :) ).

She has to get all the way to the piano!

We are to continue the ball therapies. They help her in so many ways.
We are to work on getting her to support weight on her feet/knees/hands without the help of her belly - so more of what you think of a crawling position.

Yeah Joy!!!

MOVEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some fun pictures of JOY.

Joy fell asleep on Becca while they were watching TV - ahhhh!

I wanted to get one of her on Sunday all dressed up and ready to go.


We have too much fun with her in the tub(sink).

And on to our exciting news!!!!
Houston, we have the beginnings of crawling!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is so huge!! This is tremendous!
Can you tell I am thrilled?!?!?!?!!?!?

July 4th

Joy had a busy July 4th! Here we are all dressed up for the 4th of July!

Becca and Joy on Grandma's porch

Joy loves ice cream. Don't even think of stopping to take a bite for yourself - Joy will squawk! Sometimes you just can't feed this kid fast enough :)

Hey Daddy! Happy 4th of July!

Snickering

Joy's little laugh reminds me of My Fair Lady's term "snickering."
She has this sweet, tiny little laugh. :)

Fun, Random Joy

Joy in her big girl pig tails :)

More bath footage...............People who come over can't get over Joy's favorite location - the sink.
She loves the sink. The first video is short and sideways - sorry. The second one is long and so random, more like a normal day than anything posed. Have fun!

Family Party

After Joy's blessing, we had friends and family over to celebrate with us!




Joy loved it! :)

Joy's Blessing

This is Joy's blessing dress. I think it's beautiful!

Daddy loves her little girl!

Joy's blessing was very special - just like her.
These are my notes :) Not as good as a recording, but you will get the idea.

• Special spirit
• She chose our family
• We were guided to her
• The Spirit of Joy is in her - hence her namesake
• She will be an example of true love, joy, and the love of Christ
• She will be an example of what it means to be happy in this life
• She was sent here to share with us
• Her family loves her
• No other could replace her
• She will always be loved and taken care of

:) Love ya so much Joy!!

Yearly Checkup

Poor baby Joy! What a traumatic visit!

Joy got 3 shots (the kind that burn). She got Heb A, Varicella, and MMR. After crying herself to sleep in my arms, they came in and tried to take blood. They tried and they tried. Poor baby. They have to do a thyroid test because she is one year and DS. Unfortunately, a thyroid test requires quite a bit of blood and Joy has no veins! They put the plastic band on her arm and poked around and gave up. Then they did the other arm - they found a tiny vein. I was so miserable (you can only imagine what Joy was experiencing) as they wiggled that needle all around inside her little arm. Ouch! They gave up there and went to her -------ankle! Ouch! They got the needle in and finally blood started to flow and then stopped. Joy is not a bleeder. They had to coax and coax that tube. Poor girl. Once I got her settled from that, they did a finger poke for the CBC. But the girl wouldn't bleed. We probably stood there for 5 minutes priming her poor finger.

To top it all off, they did a urinalysis and our sweet girl has all kinds of bad things floating in her urine. We are going to treat her for a bladder infection. We are going to go back to the doctor in 2 weeks. Depending on what the urine culture shows (it'll take a little more time), she may need to have her kidneys re-checked. Poor thing. I have been afraid of a UTI because her urine has been so potent. Now I know to act on my impressions.

Her vitals:
17 lb 12 oz -- So sad! We'll have to turn that big girl car seat around to rear facing.
27 inches long
In case you are wondering, that's 5% and 10% on the growth charts and 75% and 25% on the DS charts.

Developmentally:
Around 9 months - yeah! Wahoo Joy!!!

Birthday Celebration

We had a small family party to celebrate Joy's actual birthday. Next Sunday Joy will be blessed (!) and we will be having some family and friends over for cake.
Joy was curious about the flame, luckily we kept Jessi close by to keep her safe (see the video).
Becca made us the cupcakes, but we were out of cooking spray, so they stuck. Jason was able to pry them out, but we couldn't frost them very well, so we have little bunt cake cupcakes with dollops of frosting. :)
Joy likes her new toys. It looks like the other members of her family like them too!
Happy Birthday dear baby!

Taredartzet shnorhavor!

That is Armenian for Happy Birthday!
YEAH!! Baby Joy is now 1 year old!
How has time flown so quickly? We love you, Joy!
We can't imagine life without our sweetheart.