Time is Flying!!!!

Nate

Hayden

Me and Uncle Tyler

Me and My Daddy!!!

Anne Marie and Erin Leigh

I love a popsicle!!!

Sitting up and enjoying the outdoors!

Eating my rice cake!

"Man, that was good"

My pretty dress Sandra bought me!

So many things have happened since my last post, I hope I can remember them all. On July 16, I turned 6mths old!!! About 2 days before my 6mth birthday I started sitting up on my own!!! Now, I don't want to ever lay down unless I am sleeping. I have been missing so much laying around all the time. Since my mom has had the go ahead to venture out with me we have been two very busy girls. Last Saturday we went to a "pattycakes party" to make imprints of my hands and feet. Afterwards we went to my Nana and Pop's to visit with my Uncle Daniel and all of his children. This was my first time to meet my cousins. I had a lot of fun watching them have mud fights and play in the sprinkler. I cannot wait till I can join in on all the fun! My cousins are WILD!!!!!! Sunday, I spent the afternoon again at my Nana and Pop's visiting with "Uncle Ronnie" and "Aunt Libby". Then my mom, dad, and Uncle Tyler sat outside watching birds, playing with the dogs, and just enjoying the outdoors. We were having so much fun that my mom didn't even realize that is was way past my bedtime. I love the outdoors! My parents and I cannot wait for our new house with the big backporch for us to play on.

Today, I finally got to see where my mom works and meet her coworkers. I can't imagine my mom wearing one of those funny hats! Next, we went and visited with one of my favorite persons in the world... Sandra D! I had to go show her how pretty I looked in the dress she had bought me! Thank you, Sandra. I love my new dress. We didn't stay very long because I was so tired. After my nap, my cousins Trey, Carley, and Shelby came to see me! They are a hoot!

As you can see, I have been a very busy little girl!

My First Night On The Town

Tonight was my first night out on the town. I had my very first date with the cutest 10mth old in Meridian, John Turner Watt. My parent's and I met him and his parents (Carlton and Amy) at San Marcos. This was my not only my first date but my first time in a Mexican restaurant! Oh, the colors alone are worthy of a second trip. It was so pretty and loud. I had so much fun!! The Watt's are so nice and I truely enjoy spending time with them. After the meal Mrs. Amy and my mom decided to break out their cameras right there in the middle of San Marcos and proceed to start snapping pictures like the paparazzi! If they do this over a night out at a Mexican restaurant I can only imagine my first day of school, my last day of school, prom and many other special events. Thank you John Turner, Mr. Carlton, and Mrs. Amy you helped make my first night on the town a very special one. Much love, Harper!

After San Marcos we visited with my Nana and Pop. It was way past my bedtime but it was a special night. Not only did I have my first date and my first Mexican experience, I had my first popsicle (courtesy of my Pop). It was soooo cold but, oh so good!!! Thanks Pop!

FREE, FREE, FREE AT LAST!!!

Yesterday, I went for my 2 weeks post op check in Birmingham. Dr Colvin was very pleased with everything on the Echo, I was very pleased with the sucker he gave me while he did it. I can totally be bought, HaHa! He is weaning me off of my lasix (the diuretic) but I will still take my BP medicine a little while longer. He also cut the chest tube stitches while I was there. That was not fun and not even the sucker could help at that point. All in all I had a very good report. I am now able to venture out in this world and see all kinds of new things. My restrictions are: no smoking areas (which eliminates all restaurants in Meridian), don't be around people coughing or sneezing, no daycare or church nursery at this point, and still no picking me up under the arms. To celebrate this Joyous occasion my parent's took me first to look at appliances (boring) then we were able to go to one of the prettiest places in the world... the Cheesecake Factory! It was beautiful and the food smelled delicious. My mom even carried me around the restaurant, not in my carrier, on her hip!! I felt so free! It was a great experience. Next, my parent's took me shopping...love, love, love!! Daddy, you better watch out! We didn't go to all the places I would have liked because it was getting late. I did get to go to Gap Kids where I got the cutest sandals, a blue jean skirt, and a top.
It was a great day and I am looking foward to the days of freedom ahead of me. I have heard..."the best things come to those who wait".
Sorry, no pictures this time.

4th of July Weekend!

Friday --

WOW!!! I had a great 4th of July weekend. First of all, I met Mary Frances White ( the beautiful daughter of my mom's best friend, Elizabeth Carlisle White). To this day I have never really been around another child, I didn't even know there was such a thing. I am supposed to be the only one!! Just kidding, I have seen other children from a distant. My visit with Mary Frances was up close and personal. She held my bottle for me, played with my toys, played with my toes, sang, squealed, and jumped around. It was fascinating. She can do all the things I ever dreamed of doing and can't wait for my day to come when I can. We met Mary Frances and her mother at McAllister's. We all ate lunch there including me, of course, mine was out of a jar and a bottle brought from home. It was not the scrumptious ham and cheese Mary Frances had. After lunch we then went to Mary Frances' grandparents house (Quinn and Mary Carlisle) where we sat outside on there new patio watching Mary Frances run and jump. The Carlisle's are such wonderful people. I cannot wait to go back and visit with them again. I had such a wonderful time with Mary Frances. I hope we will grow up and be best of friends like our mothers are. Mrs. Elizabeth is the sister my mother never had.

Saturday night--

My parents and I went to Sandra and Abby's House for a Fourth of July Celebration! It was a lot of fun. We sat outside on the deck and talked and visited with family and friends. I was the only child there so everyone just doted over me and wanted to play with me. I was the life of the party... the brief time I was awake! There was lots of food: homemade ice cream (peach and butterfinger); homemade strawberry cake (made by my Nana); an American Flag cake (with blueberries and strawberries); ribs; grilled corn salad; and much more. My mom says it was all delicious but you know me I had to eat the same ole cereal and bananas and my bottle. I can't wait to enjoy all of that good food. I am already working on my Nana for one of her homemade strawberry cakes for my first birthday... we'll see!

My mom says we celebrate the Fourth of July, not just for my Uncle Tyler's birthday, but for the Independence of our Country. So a very special "Thank You" to my Uncle Daniel and all the other soldiers (past and present) for fighting for our country that we may live free!!!

Happy Independence Everyone!!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig :)

Ha! That is what my granny says all the time and now my mom. Well folks, I am finally at home with a Whole Heart!!!! Man, how wonderful it is! I just didn't realize how hard my little heart had been working. The Dr says I will now have more energy and will eat alot better...my parents say they do not know how I will be able to eat better than I was and that if I get any more energy they will not be able to keep up. Well, put your rollerskates on mom and dad cause things are fixing to get "real" around here!!! So far everything is going really good. I am a little sore so I am a little timid about rolling over onto my stomach (not that I liked that position anyway but at least I could do it) and sleeping on my side (which was my favorite way to sleep). Hiccups, oh the hiccups hurt like crazy and I get them all the time!! I have managed to block sneezing so far, thank goodness. My parents can't pick me up under my arms for 6-8weeks so they just have to scoop me (I don't care much for that method but you do what you have to do, right). The Dr also said that I can't get out in the sun all summer...umm, my mom already knows how she is gonna get around this one. Thanks Mom! We have a beach trip planned for the last weekend in Sept with the Watts and I am so excited.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who was kind enough to pray for me during this time! I know in my heart that Jesus was there with me the whole time and continues to be. I felt everyone's prayers during surgery and the days following. The wonderful people of First Baptist Church gave me a blanket that they had prayed over the very first time I had surgery and they prayed over it again this time. My mom kept the blanket with her during surgery and then placed it on my crib in CICU. Thank you so much First Baptist! Everyone's prayers were definitely needed, heard, and felt.

3rd Day of Recovery

Harper has charm and knows how to work it!!! When the surgeon came in this morning to check on Harper she was flirting and smiling so much that he decided she was doing great and that we could possibly go home tomorrow!!! Way to go Harper...work it girl!!! She has had a much better day today. We still haven't found a great way to hold her yet but we are working on it. Several people and a dog came to visit us. We had "hand and paw" therapy today. This woman named Joy, stopped by with her dog named Dixie to visit. Harper loved it! She rubbed Dixie with her feet and watched her every move. She also had her picture taken with Dixie (they are going to mail us a copy). Nana and Pop came bearing gifts!! Brother Carl and his wife Frances stopped by for a visit and so did our cousin Lisa Sharman. We had a great time visiting with everyone.
Her other chest tube was taken out this afternoon. She still isn't eating the greatest but she is getting there. Hopefully, tomorrow we will be blogging from our computer at home!!

2nd Day of Recovery

Today has been a good but hard day. Harper was discharged from the CICU which is a stepping stone towards discharge from the hospital. She has had formula for the first time since surgery and has tolerated it well. At dinner I gave her a few bites of cereal and she did good with this also. She has been in a good bit of pain which makes it so hard to care for her. She cries when you pick her up and in different holding positions. Her chest sounds very junky and for this they recommend percussing (patting her back with your hand cupped) which is extremely painful to her. I haven't done it much because she just screams in pain and I do not handle that well. I know she needs it to get better so I will try again later. She even cries when I put her up on my chest. This used to be her favorite position but not so much now. She is also very tired today, probably because of the pain meds. She really is doing good it is just a difficult time but I know things will get better in the next couple of days. She is so amazing!! She has been through more her 5mths of life than most people will ever go through. Harper you are such an amazing and wonderful girl, Daddy and Mommy love you so much!!!!!!