So many of you have asked how Joy Belle is doing, so I thought I would share little about our miss priss. The first two weeks was quite a challenge. Managing pain, sleep, bath time – all of our routines were flipped upside down. She was frustrated; I was frustrated. But, Joy Belle is a trouper and actually handled things overall better than I had expected. She avoided refused pain medicine since coming home from the hospital. Which could be a blessing, but would have probably made both of our lives less miserable had she taken something.

We’ve since figured out how to manage the day-to-day challenges and she’s mastered walking, running, and jumping in her “castestess.” (That’s what she calls them. It’s really cute.) She’s also changed her tune and says she never wants us to cut her castestess off. She’s got a little fear that she may lose a toe with them. However, I will say good riddance when the day comes. 16 days, but whose counting?

All in all, I couldn’t be more proud of how well she’s handled it all. From the frustration and confusion, to the pain and functionality of the casts, she has been amazing. Truly, our little trouper.

Thank you all for the continued prayers! They have been felt. And Joy Belle has enjoyed every card, note, and sweet gift that has been mailed her way. We are so thankful for this community and all of the encouragement it’s brought our family.

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To dress up the cast boots, I ordered these vintage style iron-on patches. Each one represents a family member, with the exception of a few pink ones. She loves the unicorn, cotton candy, and a princess – some of her favorite “pink” things. I found all of these on Etsy and they shipped super quickly. This would be a fun idea to dress up a favorite sweatshirt, skirt, jacket, vest, or boring, cast boots.