1st visit to the zoo

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Today was another 1st for Melissa. We meet up with our friends Lena and Kaelyn at the Fort Worth Zoo. When we arrived at the zoo we saw a whole parking lot of school buses and thought oh no! It wasn't as bad as we thought. We arrived at the zoo when it opened at 10:00, just in time for the monkeys to come out and play. Melissa wasn't to sure about the monkeys she started crying. I don't know if it was them talking or just because she has never seen Monkeys before. The girls loved the Big Kitty Cats. The Lion, Tigers and the baby cubs. Oh it was neat to see 4 baby Lion cubs. Melissa also like the pink flamingo. She wanted to get in there with the Ducks as she called them. We also found the petting area and Melissa wanted to touch the Goat. She thought it was the best thing. When we got to the Bird area we could hear something making a lot of noise and it was a big blue parrot. It was so loud that Kaelyn didn't like that one bit. I have to agree with Kaelyn it was loud. After we ate lunch we headed over to the Elephants and Giraffes. We could see the Elephant really well and the girls just talked to it. The Giraffes where to far away for them to see. I wish the would have had them closer. I just think Giraffes are a neat animal.

Kaelyn and Melissa did really well at the zoo and enjoyed talking to each other. I can see these two coming home with all kinds of animals when they get older. I just hope Melissa doesn't come home with a Goat!!

The Girls ready to go in to the Zoo!

The Monkeys that Melissa didn't like

The Girls checking out the Big Gorilla

The Big Kitty Cats

The Lion and her cubes

The Parrot that was very loud

Melissa petting the Goat

GO SPURS GO!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

That's right it's Basketball time! Last night was the kick off of the 2008-2009 NBA season. We can't wait to watch the San Antonio Spurs take on the Phoenix Suns tonight! Melissa and I have on our Spurs gear today! Go Spurs Go!

Sick Baby Update

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Melissa is doing much better. I believe the prayers are helping her body to heal. I could tell she was felling better yesterday by the way she was acting. She did have a fever yesterday morning, but by the end of the day she didn't have one. Last night was the first night she slept all night long since she has been sick. PTL for that! She woke up in a really good mood and no FEVER! I don't know if she still has the ulcers, but Paul and I might try to check her mouth out.

I wanted to give you an update and also say thank you for the prayers.

Here is a picture of Melissa with her newest pumpkin. Her Aunt Maggie brought it by on Thursday after we got home from the doctors.

Sick Baby!

October 23, 2008

Melissa came down with a fever of 103 yesterday and we could not get it down past 100. So I made that phone call to her doctor today and he wanted to see her because of the high fever. It turns out Melissa has ulcers on her throat. There is nothing the doctor can give her to make them go away it's just waiting it out and getting the fever down. He did say that by Sunday she should start to feel a little better. Melissa can only eat soft foods. So ice cream, jello are just some of the good stuff she can eat.
Please pray that the ulcers go away soon and that they don't spread in to her mouth. I'll keep you posted on her.

Pumpkin Patch and Pumpkin Carving 2008

Monday, October 20, 2008


Paul and I have decide that this is going to be one of our family traditions each year with Melissa.
This was our 2nd annual visit to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch. It's so wild seeing Melissa walking around this year. She was also trying to pick up every pumpkin. Last year our baby was only 3 months old. Another tradition we want to start is pumpkin carving. So this year we bought 3 pumpkins. Melissa picked out a small pumpkin and then Paul and I each got one so we can carve our own.


Melissa had a blast at the pumpkin patch. It was hard keeping her still long enough to take a picture all she wanted to do was pick up the pumpkins or talk to the cut out wood characters. We look forward to doing this again next year.






Pumpkin Carving

We had fun carving out one of the pumpkins that we bought. Melissa thought the seeds and the inside of the pumpkin was neat. She did try to eat the seeds! She wasn't to sure about the pumpkin after it was carved and lite. We will have to work on the other sometime this week.

Happy 1st Birthday Kelsey!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Melissa went to her friends 1st Birthday Party and had a blast. Happy Birthday Kelsey!

I'm One!!!

Melissa and Kelsey

Welcome Home Dada

Friday Night, October 17, 2008

Paul has been gone for 15 days a little over 2 weeks. He had a business trip to Perth Australia. It took him and his co-workers about 23 hours to get to Perth and about 25 hours to get back to Texas. Paul did enjoy his time in Australia. He did take pictures, but they are on the old fashion way a disposable camera. So once we get those developed I will post the pictures. Paul brought me back a nice t-shirt and Melissa got a Kangaroo and a Koala. She loves the Kangaroo and is trying to say it. Melissa and I are so glad to have him back home.

Waiting for Dada at the airport

Dada was happy to see his baby girl!

Giving Melissa her Kangaroo and Koala

Thank You Dada!

Play Date with Everly

Friday, October 17, 2008


Today Melissa got to play with her friend Everly! The girls had a good time together for the most part. At this age it's so hard for them not to hit or take a toy way. Everly is 4 months older than Melissa but they still did well together. We look forward to more play dates with Everly and soon her baby brother! One thing Melissa and Everly have in common is music, they love music and dancing. Here is a video of them dancing and Everly singing.

Melissa Loves this song

Have you seen the new Target commercial? Melissa has and she loves the new Dolly Parton Song. It's funny to watch her start dancing. Even when she is in her highchair and hears it playing she will start dancing and clapping her hands.

She also likes another commercial for toyota, but I can find it. I will try and get her video with the new commercials.

Helping to find a cure

“The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the reason I’m alive,” says Emily Schaller in a recent Forbes magazine article praising the work the CF Foundation.

Emily was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis more than 24 years ago. At that time her parents were told that they could only hope that Emily would live to attend high school. Today, because of support from donors like you, Emily is able to be an active 26-year-old! She runs 25 miles a week, plays the drums in an all girl band and completes a 280-mile bike ride once a year.

Her ability to have an active life comes at a price. Emily has to work hard everyday to maintain her good health—she spends hours doing physical therapy and swallows 40 pills a day. In past years, she has spent weeks in the hospital because of CF flare-ups.

A big turning point in her health was her participation in a clinical trial. Emily has been using hypertonic saline for nearly 2 years and strongly believes that it is the reason she has been out of the hospital for 14 months!

These kinds of results are solely made possible through the generosity of people like you.
New therapies are being developed—some that could revolutionize the way we treat CF patients—but our job isn’t done until those treatments are fully developed and approved.

We need your help to continue funding this promising research! We’ve proven that your dollars are making a difference in those with cystic fibrosis! In the last three years we have been able to add 150,000 years of life to those with CF.

Please take a moment during this holiday season to make a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Your generosity is needed now more than ever! On behalf of Emily and all of our CF families, thank you!

Here is a link to make it easy for you to donate on-line or you can send in donations to the address below:
http://netx.cff.org/yearend

Thank you for your continued support,

Northeast Texas Chapter
Year End Donations
2929 Carlisle, Suite 230
Dallas, TX 75204

P.S. Know that your donation will be used wisely. The CF Foundation operates on a dime—close to 90 cents of every dollar raised is invested in research and programs!

CF Family needs your prayers

October 15, 2008


One of the blogs I follow is http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/. This family needs your prayers. Please take a few minutes out of your day to pray for them.

Nate and Tricia my family is praying for you. Tricia you give me hope every day with Melissa.

My first pair of Keds

My DD bought me my first pair of Keds shoes. I have been very blessed by having used shoes from friends and cousins. My mom didn't know what size I wore so she and DD took me to Stride Rite shoes to have my feet measured. My mom was really shocked when the guy told her I was a size 5 wide. She was putting me in size 4 shoes. DD wanted to buy me my first per of shoes. Mom that these white Keds would be great. The guy told mom that she should get me a 5 1/2 wide so that they will last longer. I do have some 5 and 5 1/2 wide shoe's at home, but not any pretty Keds. I think my friend Kaelyn has the same pair of shoes. Her mom had bought her a new pair a while back. Do you like my new shoes? I sure do!


Trying on my new shoes

Hanging out with DD

October 14, 2008


DD came to visit Melissa and I last week and we had a great time. Melissa can say say DD and it's so cute. It made my moms day when she said DD. We hated to see DD go home yesterday, but she had to get back to work. Here are some pictures of our time with DD. Thanks for staying with us DD we miss you.



Play with me DD


Melissa wanted to show DD the ducks




Us Girls


I love you DD


Melissa loves it when DD gives her a bath


Loving on DD before she goes

A fun fall day at the Dallas Arboretum

Saturday, October 11, 2008

My mom (DD) came to visit Melissa and I while Paul is out of town on a business trip. Yesterday we went to the Dallas Arboretum to see the beautiful fall flowers and plants. They also had a BIG house made out of pumpkins for the kids. DD has never been to the Arboretum so this was a good time to take her. We could not have asked for a prettier day. The weather was perfect. Melissa had a blast walking around looking and touching the pretty flowers and trying to pick up the pumpkins. We took so many pictures of Melissa I couldn't just pick a few to share with you. So I made this video.

Road Trip to Arkansas

October 7, 2008

Melissa and I packed our bags loaded up the SUV, picked up Aunt Laura and headed to Springdale Arkansas. We left on Friday and came back yesterday. Aunt Laura's son James and his family live in Springdale. My younger cousin Justin plays high school football for the Shiloh Saints, we wanted to go see him play! We had planned on making it to Springdale around 7:00p-7:30p on Friday, but didn't make it until 8:30p. We left the DFW area around 1:00 and got stuck in traffic for an hour. We hadn't been on the road but 30 minutes when this happen. Melissa was great going and coming back. This road trip was better than our first!

Once we got to the football game it was half time. This was Melissa's first football game and I didn't know how she would like it. She LOVED it. She got to see the high school band play and was dancing. She was clapping and saying GO GO to the football players. After the game was over we went down to the field to find Justin. Melissa also LOVED the football field. She was also glad to be able to run around since she was stuck in a car seat for hours! The Shiloh Saints won the game! Go Saints! After the game was over it was time to head to our cousins house and get ready for bed. I never know how Melissa is going to do in new places. She didn't sleep very well the first night.

We took it easy the rest of the weekend. Melissa loved our cousins house. It a very nice house and big. Melissa had lots of room to run around and lots of pretty things to touch. She didn't even break anything! Yeah Melissa! My cousin James is my 2nd cousin his kids, Justin and Katelyn are my third and that makes Melissa the 4th generation of cousins! That is a lot to think about. Melissa and I enjoyed our weekend.

The drive home was better no traffic jams!

Happy Birthday Paul

October 2, 2008


It's not Paul's Birthday yet, but we went on and celebrated it early. Paul flew out tonight for a business trip and won't be here for his birthday on Monday, October 6th. We went out for lunch at Cotton Patch Cafe. Paul had peach cobbler for dessert, he did share with Melissa and I. Happy Birthday Paul we love you.

Spending time with Grammy

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

We have enjoyed Grammy being here. Grammy came to visit us last week and also Aunt Maggie, Uncle Kevin and Cousin Courtney. She stayed with us some and with Aunt Maggie. Melissa enjoyed having her Grammy around. I think Grammy also liked being around Melissa. Grammy is flying home tomorrow so we won't see her again until Christmas.

Grammy and Melissa hanging out

Grammy helping with bath time

Grammy, Melissa and Paul

Cousin Courtney playing with Melissa