One Year Later

Christian Update

We are all doing good. Christian is advancing so fast. Carissa is such a big help for us. Already changing diapers, (better than Daddy).

(Big sister Carissa with brother Christian)

(Austin, he won't break)

Christian Anthony

Christian Anthony - 5/1/08 - 6lbs. 0oz. - 19.0" - Gods gift to the Barbian family.

Another Carissa UPDATE & THANK YOU

Carissa is doing much better now. Thank you GOD! She had her PICC line removed here at home by the home health nurse last Thursday 2-21-08 (Grammy's Bday). She was so good and said "it only hurt for a second, and then it felt like petting a soft puppy." She was on the IV antibiotics for a total of 17 days. I really hope it took care of everything. The bacteria infection she had was not contagious, but her little body really had a hard time fighting it. She has a recheck appointment with the pulmonary doctor next week to make sure the pneumonia is all gone and her collapsed air sacs have reopened. She went back to school on Monday and was so excited (she loves Mrs. Cassidy her teacher). The kids were so excited to see her they were yelling down the hall and announcing to everyone she's back. She kept up with her homework and didn't fall behind. It was a great day for her. It's so good to see her dancing, singing, and playing again. Our hearts truly goes out to all parents that have to deal with any sickness in a child.

A huge THANK YOU again to everyone for all the gifts, cards, emails, phone calls, and most important prayers sent for Carissa. She remembers it all and has been touch by how many people love and care for her. We truly appreciate all our friends and family so much. May GOD bless each and every one of you always.

Update and Thank You

Carissa had one set back the Saturday after coming home. We had to go to the emergency room locally because she was complaining of upper right side chest pain. They did another chest x-ray and her PICC line was where it should be, which was a very good sign. The pneumonia had cleared away enough to see she had collapsed air sacs in the lung which were causing the pain. Ibuprofen and patting on the back helped relieve this pain. She grew better and better all this past week. Thursday was her last chest pain and it went away just by patting the back for 30 minutes. We took her for her follow up chest x-ray Saturday and the pneumonia was almost completely gone and her ears looked great. The air sacs were still collapsed, but nothing that shouldn't open up on its own with deep breaths, laughing (laughing is good medicine), and patting. Aside from the PICC line still being in and having to do the flushing and antibiotics, she acts like she's not sick at all. Thank God!! Her PICC line will come out as scheduled on Thursday 2-21-08 which happens to be Grammy's (Jean's) birthday. They plan to celebrate together. Chris and I will rest better when it's out.

A huge THANK YOU, again to everyone for gifts, cards, emails, phone calls, and most of all keeping Carissa in your prayers!!! She is our little brave one. We are so proud of her to make it through all of this with a positive and cheerful attitude. Even in her most painful moments she stayed cooperative and loving to everyone around her. She wants to tell everyone....

Thank you

and

I love you!

Carissa's hard visit to Rainbows hospital.

Again, another page in our lives with heavy pages to turn. Carissa's biggest and strongest part of her body has to be her heart. She has recently gone through such a tramatic ordeal at her age. Trying to understand what was happening to her and why we had to go through what we did to make her better which is still an ongoing process.
A couple weeks ago she started out with a "simple"cold. As common as it was, it had subsided temporaily with her feeling like herself again. We ventured to Kalahari for a weekend of fun in the water, spending almost the whole day swimming and going down water slides. Four days later she complained of an ear ache that hurt to a point of screaming in pain. That's when we decided to take her to the local emergency room for review. She had created fevers that reached an unbearable 105 degrees and not able to hold down any antibotics due to vomiting. Her breathing was shallow and her cough would be uncontrollable for 40 minutes sessions. With several X-rays concluded that she had severe baterial pnemonia and inner ear infection it was time to take further actions. Directed to Rainbows Emergency room we sat there for about a total of six hours, being exposed to a plethora of different emergencies. With Carissa possibly being allergic to a series of different medicines, the hospital was subjected to give her a newly introduced medicine that would be intravenously given through the hand on Saturday night. The following Monday visit with our Pediatrician showed that her pnemnia was progressed to the worse. The oral antibotics were not effective and she was admitted to Rainbows Hospital.

Endless amount of Doctors and nurses constantly coming into her room all night long checking her over made it hopeless for sleep for all of us. If it wasn't her fevers, it was her severe ear aches that constantly put her in pain and discomfort. Against our better judgement, but without having any other choice the pulmonary specialists decided to insert a PICC line, (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) into her arm. This long IV tube that went into her upper arm is threaded into the main vein that leads to the right side of heart. Yes, they had to put under for this procedure. It was the most hardest situation to witness as a parent so far. She had spiked a fever of 105 degress just minutes before her operation, causing a delay until her fever had become a "low" grade temperature.

After four days of continuous events at Rainbows, we were sent home with the responsibility of caring for her PICC line. This included flushing her IV lines every 8 hours, and administering her medication once a day intravenously.

We are so glad to be home now. Carissa is recovering slowly, but with the support of family and friends, she is well on her way. We want to personally thank everyone for their support and kindness. It really means alot to us when your friends step out and show help and support in our time of need. Please keep her in your prayers always.

Again, thank you for being good friends and offering help in our time of need.

Baby Christian is doing good in his safe world. With the experince that Carissa is going threw, she'll be the perfect supporting sister no matter what the situation is.

Dads Birthday and Carissa's first 5K run.....

My father has always aquired the fountain of youth within him... Happy Birthday Dad. Also, Carissa's first 5K run. She did great at the age of 4! She won her first ribbon in running.. It's a good thing to train for,, running from boys...

Carissa's prize for running.....

All in good fun!

We've had a GREAT ending of a summer. We had so much to do every weekend: 5K runs, bike rides, hiking.... you name it, we've done it. ALL OUTDOORS (as usual). Here is a compiled list of photos for the last couple weeks, and as I said we were busy!

Loads of laughs...

Baby Emma

Heart walk Cleveland

Rain Forest

Sliders Biggest fan...