Zoe- the toughest baby I've ever met

My good friend, all the way back to high school, Abby has the sweetest little girl.  She is also an incredibly tough and brave blessing.  When Abby was just a few months pregnant, they found out that their daughter had a severe heart condition that would require surgery within hours of being born.  (I should stop here and mention that my friend Abby, is also an incredibly tough and brave woman.  She faced fears, questions, and decisions that no parents ever wants to face.  She did it with grace and faith.  I am so proud to call her a friend!)

Zoe and I.  Isn't she precious?

Little Zoe is now 1 1/2 and has had three heart surgeries already.  Our children have faithfully prayed for Zoe daily since before she was born.  Finally, they got to meet her earlier this month.  For the first time, they got to play with and hug the sweet girl that have filled their prayers.  It was such a special moment for me.  We wore red to show support for the National Congenital Heart Disorder day.

Ok, so she was still a little unsure of us here, but it gets better.

Zoe warmed up to them pretty quickly (she kept her eyes on Nathan). Within just a few minutes, they were crawling around on the floor together.  

ahhh...see, there she goes, through the tube!

Zoe even walked to me before we left.

We spent the morning with Abby and Zoe at the Manatee viewing Center in Ruskin.  (This post is not about the manatees....there wasn't much to be impressed about on a cold, rainy, windy day when the manatees were just laying still in the water, but the people watching was great! It was amazing how many people were there!)

Look, I told you.  A manatee.

The fun times were spent with Zoe. 

We had lunch together at Panera Bread and celebrated Zoe's fight with a special heart shaped cookie with all proceeds going to the pediatric heart department at St. Joseph's hospital. 

 Keep praying for this little miracle.  She has beaten an incredible amount of odds!