Sunday, June 29, 2008
Since I'm the only one that post on this blog, I thought I would let you know today is my 31st Birthday! Today has been a good day! I made my favorite cake STRAWBERRY! Yes, I made it! Paul has been traveling the last four weeks so I knew he wasn't going to be thinking about a cake for me. This morning I got ready for Church had me a big piece of cake and out the door I went. I heard a good message today at Church, it just helped me get my Birthday off to a good start. When I arrived back home, Paul and Melissa where waiting for me. Melissa had a Happy Birthday balloon and card for me. It was so sweet to she her standing at the door with a big smile on her face. This evening Paul and Melissa took me out to eat at one of our favorite Mexican Food Restaurant Angelina's. It's in The Colony over looking Lake Lewisville.
Last years birthday was a blur, I had just been home from the hospital a week after having Melissa and needed some sleep. That was also the day we found out Melissa had CF. So I really wasn't in the mood to be celebrating.
It has been a good year, but went by to fast.
Happy Birthday to Me!
Happy Birthday Traci!
A Family Tradition
On my side of the family (Traci) we have a family tradition. My mom's dad was born on September 23, 1914. When he was around a year old he had a picture taken of him in a dress. I guess back then it was ok to dress little boys in dresses. Well we have kept the tradition going. My Uncle, Mom, Sister, two cousins, Me and now Melissa have all taken our picture in this dress. This dress is 94 years old.
Here is a picture of my grandfather, Me and Melissa in the dress. I don't have a picture of the others at this time. I'm working on getting all of them so I can frame them. I just think this is so neat!
Eryle Sherwood
Traci Gwen
Melissa Pearl
Melissa's 1 year Pictures
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Today we took Melissa to have her one year pictures made. It wasn't easy this time around. She didn't want to sit or stand still. We did get some good shots. We could not get her to smile she just wanted to walk around. Hope you enjoy them.
One week until our family vacation
That's right we are taking a family vacation. Next Wednesday we will be flying to Tampa Florida. We aren't staying in Tampa, we will be staying with Family who live in Tarpon Springs! Paul and I can't wait to be sitting on the beach. Melissa will get to enjoy the beach, but she will be busy getting spoiled by her Aunt and Uncle. She hasn't meet them yet.
Can't wait to share pictures with you all!
Saturday night at the Baseball Game
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Paul, Melissa and I went to the Frisco Rough Riders baseball game along with our Bible Study class. We had a great time. Melissa loved every minute of the game. It was hot that night, so we spent most of the time walking around in the shade until the sun went down.
Melissa's 1 year Check up
Friday, June 20, 2008
Melissa had her 1 year check up today. She had to get 3 shots today! She did well with them! Melissa is weighing in at 23lbs 3oz (75-90%), she is 29 1/4 inches (75-90%). The Doctor said she is as tall as a 14 month old!
Melissa has 5 teeth, walking, saying 4 words and is drinking from a sippy cup. So you would think this was great right? Well her doctor wants her to be saying around 7 words, drink from a regular cup, learn to feed herself with spoon/fork and walk backwards by 15 months. OK Melissa just turned one! What happen to just enjoying your child.
We do read to Melissa every day and try to get her to say words. Getting her to drink from a regular cup is going to messy along with having her feed herself. One thing at a time. I'll let you know how it is going in the next three months!
Saying Goodbye
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Melissa and I went to a going away dinner for our friends Walt and Sarah. They are in our Bible Study class at Prestonwood and have really become good friends of ours. They are moving to Phoenix where it is already 115 degrees! We had a good time that night. We didn't want to say those words goodbye, but we did. We wish them well in their new journey in life. We hope to get out there and visit next spring!
Melissa Turn's One! Happy 1st Birthday!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Today Melissa became a toddler. What a year it has been! As Paul and I look back on her 1st year, so much has gone on. She went from a 6lb 4oz baby to a toddler over night. It seems like it was just yesterday. We can still remember hearing her first cry when she was born. It has been a good year. The first three months was a little ruff on us, but once she started putting herself to sleep and sleeping all night it got better. Every month seemed to get easier and better. Melissa was growing and doing new things. We remember getting excited when she would smile at us or even laugh. We couldn't wait for her to start rolling around, pushing up, crawl and now walk. It's amazing how you just finally get it! At first you don't know what to do with this precious little baby and one day it just hits you. You do know what you are doing. It's amazing how we know her cry when she is ready to take a nap or when she is hungry.
Melissa has brought joy into our life and we could not imagine our life with out her. There isn't a day that goes by that she isn't making us laugh. She makes us smile in the morning when we go in her room to get her. She is sitting in her bed just talking away and looks up at you with her sweet smile. When we pick her up she will hug you and that is the best feeling in the world.
We celebrated Melissa's 1st Birthday with big praises! She is doing so well with her Cystic Fibrosis. We never no how long we have with her so every minute, hour and day is a very special day.
On Saturday, June 14, 2008 we had a Birthday Party for her. She had a blast. Her favorite thing of the whole party was the balloons. This girl loves balloons. She had fun opening up her gifts. She loved it when we started siging Happy Birthday too her. She wasn't sure about her cake. As you can see from the video she got the hang of it. After the party it was nap time. When she woke up we had put together a couple of her gifts and she was having a blast with the new stuff.
Happy 1st Birthday Melissa Pearl Liberto
We love you with all our hearts
Dada and Mommy
Fun Day at the Kiddie Pool
Monday, June 16, 2008
We met up with some friends today for some fun in the sun. Melissa loved the kiddie Pool. It was a nice place, only 12 years and younger could get in so it made it nice to take Melissa there. She walked around the pool area and loved watching the kids. It was just perfect for her.
Happy Father's Day Paul (Aka Dada)
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day Dada! Last Father's Day Melissa entered the world just in time to say Happy Father's Day. What a great gift that was.
This year for Father's Day we made Paul breakfast and gave him his gifts. Melissa loves her Dada. Paul thanks for being a Great Father to Melissa.
Melissa's 1 year Cystic Fibrosis Check Up
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
That's right it has been almost a year when we walk into Children's Medical Center (7/5/07). I remember that day like it was yesterday. I had know idea what to expect. I remember sitting in the room talking to so many people about Melissa and learning more about CF. Here we are almost a year later and Melissa is doing great! Her lungs are still sounding clear and her weight gain is good. Once again the Staff at the clinic are happy to see her doing so well. I still thank God for putting the right people in our life. If it wasn't for my OB/GYN having me tested for CF, Melissa might not have been doing this good.
Sometime in the next month Melissa will have a Lung function tests (also called pulmonary function tests, or PFTs) evaluate how well her lungs work. The tests determine how much air her lungs can hold, how quickly she can move air in and out of her lungs, and how well her lungs put oxygen into and remove carbon dioxide from her blood. The tests can diagnose lung diseases, measure the severity of lung problems, and check to see how well treatment for a lung disease is working. Melissa will have to have a general anesthesia. It shouldn't take more than an hour for the test.
Doing this will help the Doctors know even more about her lungs. They just want to stay on top of things.
Melissa's 1st road trip!
On 5/31/08 we packed up the SUV and headed to Boerne Texas or the hill country. Paul's brother Dan and family live in the hill country outside of Boerne. Melissa did good for her 1st road trip. It took us about 7 hours to get there because of the three stops we made. Melissa only slept 1 hour out of the whole 7 hours. She did good as long as I was in the back with her. Once we got to the in-laws Melissa was ready to be on the move. She had know idea that she was going to be over run by her cousins, Aunt's and Uncle's. She loved the attention.
That night we had more of Paul's family come out and have dinner with us. Melissa got to meet her Uncle Michael for the 1st time. It was good to see him. By the time bed time came Melissa was ready for bed. I didn't know how she would do sleeping in the pack n play. She did good she slept all night.
Uncle Michael
Cousin Lisa
Uncle Dan
Cousin Sydney reading to Melissa before bed
The next day Sunday, 6/1/08 was just a day of rest for us. I wasn't about to put Melissa in her car seat unless we just had to. Well we did. We went to my brother in-laws church picnic. Melissa had a great time on the water slide with her cousins Conner. Conner is 13 and just loved Melissa. Paul had to leave that day and fly to Houston for work. We stayed busy, missing him.
Monday, 6/2/08 rolls around and Melissa was having fun playing with her three cousins. Conner, Sydney and Jordan. Jordan was the baby of the family until Melissa came. Jordan wasn't to happy with Melissa when we first arrived, but she came around. Jordan is 3 and calls Melissa (Belissa) I just thought that was so cute! Poor Sydney wasn't feeling well so I had to keep Melissa away from her. Sydney just wanted to love all over her and I just didn't want to take a chance of Melissa getting sick.
Jordan reading to Belissa!
That night, my sister in-law Jackie, Sydney, Belissa and I went into town for an snow cone. Melissa loved eating a snow cone! Then the evening goes down hill. We headed over to an area that has lots of grass and Melissa is loving that. She can just walk and walk all she wants. I then take her over to an area that has a water fall and we put our feet in. She had enough of that and wanted to walk around. So she finds herself attracted to a bright light. I didn't think twice about the light. This light was lighting up the flag poll. Well Melissa touch the light and I hear the worst scream come out of her. She had burned her little hand. I didn't think about the cover of this light being hot! I didn't know what to do. Jackie went and got her some ice and we put her hand in it. She is still screaming. I just was sick to my stomach. We are getting ready to take her back to the house to get her to come down. I know what it feels like to burn your hand so it just made me feel so bad. Melissa can't stop crying and makes herself throw up. The drive take about 20 minutes to get back to the house. Once we got her home I gave her some Motrin for the pain, gave her a bath to help calm her down. Her little hand was so red! I was able to get Melissa to stop crying and calm down. I put her to bed and said a prayer that the burn wasn't bad. Believe it or not she slept all night with out waking up. I just thought the worst that she would be up all night.
So the next morning (Tuesday, 6/3/08) Melissa wakes up and her right hand had blisters on all her fingers and 2 more under her pointer finger. I was surprised that she wasn't bothered by it. She played all day it never seemed to hurt. Melissa's older cousins Lisa and Jacob come out to see us. Lisa also brought her nephew Emmit who is almost 2 years old. He loved Melissa, but was rough with her. She didn't know what to do with a boy who was rough. Well later that day Melissa fell over a toy and hit her head on a glass coffee table. Here we go again with the crying. This kid is just getting all banged up on this trip. Luckily she wasn't hurt to bad. Just a little bump that went away that night.
Can you see the blisters on Melissa's hand?
Cousin Jacob
The Liberto Cousin's (missing cousin Courtney)
We headed back to Boerne for another snow cone that night and to listen to a German Band at the park. It was a nice evening and Melissa loved the music. She was walking around clapping her hands and making new friends.
Our visit was coming to an end on (Wednesday, 6/4/08). It was time for Melissa and I to pack up the SUV and start heading home. We planned on stopping in Georgetown to stay with my Girl friend Linda and her family. This would help me break up the trip for Melissa. That morning Melissa woke up in a bad mood. I thought great this is going to be a long 2 hour trip to Georgetown. After her morning nap she was still cranky and not happy. She didn't want to eat her lunch, that was not like her. It was time to go, we said our goodbye's and off we went. We hadn't been gone 10 minutes when I hear Melissa throwing up. I was on the phone with Paul telling him we just left his brother's house when she throw up. I told Paul that I was turning around heading back to the in-laws. I could not believe this. When we got back to their house, Melissa was a mess. I just wanted to cry. I was so worn out from this trip and now this. We take her in give her a bath and she was ready for a nap. When she woke up she was burning up. I knew she was sick. Jackie and I take her into town to the Urgent Care center. Melissa has an ear infection. This was Melissa's 1st ear infection. We ended up staying the night at Dan and Jackie's one more night.
Thursday morning (6/5/08) Melissa woke up and was feeling so much better. She had Motrin, Tylenol and antibiotics in her. Since she was feeling a little better, we had to get home. Wait, I have to drive all day with Melissa. Yes we couldn't stay at my friend Linda's because she wasn't going to be home that night. So Melissa and I got on the road at 9:00am and pulled into our apartment complex at 4:20pm. We did stop at Linda's for lunch and let Melissa play and eat. Melissa slept about a total of 4 hours, that's because she wasn't feeling well.
I can say I was so happy to be home. It wasn't that we had a bad visit, it was that my nerves where shot. Nothing worse then traveling and all those things happening to your baby. I hope that one day I can look back on this and laugh. I'm just happy I had Dan and Jackie to help me out.
Oh remember how I say I didn't want Melissa to get sick! Paul and I both came down with something. Thanks Sydney for the germs! We still love you.
