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| 7 months pregnant with Reed |
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| Reed - 8 Months Old |
Hey Guys! I’m launching this blog by giving you a little background
story of how Life by Meli came to be. In order to really get to know me, my
style and what motherhood means to me I felt it was important to share this
story with you.
I honestly wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for May 11,
2016.
I was pregnant with my third baby and feeling pretty
awesome. It was the morning of my routine
20-week ultrasound and we couldn’t wait to confirm that we were having a baby
BOY. Unfortunately, during the ultrasound the doctor discovered that our baby
had an abnormal mass on his left torso area. The doctor performing the ultrasound
had never seen anything like what my baby had forming on his body. We were
immediately referred to a specialist and after many doctors’ visits and tests
the mass on my baby was diagnosed as a lymphatic malformation. Lymphatic
malformations are rare, non-malignant masses consisting of fluid-filled channels
or spaces thought to be caused by the abnormal development of the lymphatic system. We were told that
this malformation could be associated with a chromosome abnormality so we went
on to take what felt like dozens of agonizing tests to check our baby’s chromosome
make-up, his heart, his brain and so on. What an awful time that was. My little
baby boy passed every test with flying colors and even though the mass
continued to grow throughout my pregnancy so did he. He was turning out to be
one big perfect baby with lots of hair! Our little miracle Reed was born on
September 15, 2016. Although the mass under his left arm is large and visible,
trust me when I say he is the perfect baby. What a joy to be his mom! Right now, he is right in the middle of treatment but has already shown vast improvement. We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. FINALLY!!!
I do realize that you just read my long sad story and that this
might not be setting a very happy tone for my blog but, that ladies and
gentlemen is truthfully how “Life by Meli” came to be. In the short year since
my son’s diagnosis I have learned to appreciate life a little more and I strive
to find joy in what I do daily. You know... the making lemonade out of lemons type of thing (cue all the Beyonce music now). I have taken the time to think about what truly makes me happy and how I could be the best me that I could be because that's how life is meant to be lived. Facing your worst fear head on will do that to you. I am excited to embark on this blogging journey
and to see where this little blog of mine takes me. Follow along as I share tips
on motherhood, interior design and fashion. I'll also share some wedding planning stories and advice. Above all, I hope to
inspire you to follow your dreams and truly live a life you love.
Please feel free to contact me with questions or
collaboration ideas. I truly from the bottom of my heart appreciate you
stopping by. My next blog post will be all about something fun or pretty or
both so please check back soon.