Silas's Surgery

Silas had his tear duct probing surgery on Friday.

He was a happy camper on his way to the surgery!

And a happy, dancing fool once they gave him his tylenol/versed cocktail!

It was HILARIOUS.

The video below shows it!

He wasn't even scared or sad when they took him back for surgery!

However, after surgery, when they brought me back to see him in recovery, that was not the case!

He was SO angry. And flailing around. And crying. And screaming.

It was one of the hardest moments of being a mom thus far.

He was so upset and nothing would help...except a mild sedative/pain med.

He was awake once we got to the room, and after he fell asleep on mama.

For the first time in months.

He was so happy to head home!

Although he didn't want to eat much the rest of the day...until Mama caved and gave him a cupcake!

He's all back to our normal, happy, and healthy little guy!

What I've Been Cooking Up

I've been quiet, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy!

I've been cooking up a new side business...

I've added Maxaloones to the Etsy shop, as well as an all seasons home sign.

It looks like this:

And it comes with several interchangeable icons for the different seasons.

The thought behind it is with everyone on the #sparkjoy #mariekondo #stuffintrashbags trend, people may enjoy 1 decoration instead of one per season.

I've also been making the "Here We Grow" Rulers, but those are only available for purchase in the area, since shipping would be nearly impossible and crazy expensive.

I've also booked my first vendor show to sell my items at the Affton Flea Market on April 13!

Totally nervous no one will buy anything and I'll just sit there for hours...but hey...leap of faith, right?

So if you're bored on that Saturday, come see me!

I'm hoping to build this all up into a nice little side business!

Here's the link to my Etsy shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheNannysNappies?ref=shop_sugg

Silas is doing awesome since getting over a nasty virus he has last week!

Here's a video of him taking steps, just because he's cute:

I didn't want to get out of bed this morning.

It wasn't the snow, it wasn't the cold.

It was the fact that it's March 3rd.

You see, March 3rd two years ago was the worst day.

The worst day.

The one where your worst fear comes true.

All my life, I've wanted to be a mom.

To spend my days raising tiny, beautiful humans.

Two years ago in January, we found out I was pregnant.

In excitement, I called the doctor and booked an appointment.

The appointment came around, and as the doctor did the ultrasound, he got a smirk on his face.

He told us he saw not one, but two sacs, but it was a little early to be sure.

At that point I sat up and yelled, "WHAT?!" and Chad turned pale.

He asked us to come back in a week to verify.

What a week.

The very thought of twins was exciting and terrifying.

We didn't tell anyone, until we knew for sure.

Walking into our appointment, I stopped and prayed aloud, "Lord, how ever many babies you give us, we promise to be grateful."

Who knew how true that prayer would have to become.

Because during that appointment, the doctor got a different look on his face.

And not a good one.

One that sends us in tears to the perinatal center at the hospital for more testing.

Our beautiful, perfect babies had stopped growing.

All the dreams that I had for my beautiful children crumbled.

Gone.

I (and Chad) felt gutted.

/Lost.

Empty.

There are no words to describe the pain that comes with losing a child.

Or in our case, losing two.

Our babies are in heaven, being held by my grandparents.

But it still hurts.

When i REFUSED to go anywhere on that first Mothers Day,

It still hurt.

We found out we were pregnant a few months later with Silas.

And it still hurt.

The first time I felt him kick, there was a strange mix of emotions.

I thought of them.

When Silas was born, and they laid him on my chest...

I thought of them.

Raising our beautiful, happy boy is a joy we never knew we needed.

Without the loss of our twins, we never would have met Silas.

The absolute joy and tragedy of that isn't lost on us for a moment.

I look forward to the day when I reach heaven and can hold those two precious ones in my arms.

As if I needed another reason to look forward to heaven.

I've always wanted a big family, and God has already given me 3 children to love.

So today I didn't want to get out of bed, but I did.

Because one of my three beautiful children is still here and needs me!

The 1st Annual WSRFG!

What does "WSRFG" mean?

W-Winter
S-Sucks (stinks)
R-Rucker
F-Family
G-Getaway

Ha. So basically post Christmas and even more so post Silas's birthday, winter really started wearing on us.

Its COLD. Its cloudy. It gets dark super early.

And it stinks!

I had President's day off and Chad had no appointments, so we did something VERY unlike ourselves and booked a last minute getaway!

Just to Branson, due to lack of time and planning!

We rented a condo with a pool and took off for the weekend, just the 3 of us.

It was something very unlike us to take off for the weekend without planning.

But we had reached the point that between work and life, we just needed a jolt.

To get away from home and remember the things that matter, like our little family and our beautiful baby boy!

I hope (plan!) for this to be an every year thing sometime around this time.

We need sun and warmth to break up the cold and dreary.

Silas had a blast!

We went to the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium on our way down.

Silas really seemed to enjoy seeing all the animals!

We checked in to the sweetest little condo for naps and Blues game watching and then went swimming!

Our little fish still loves the water!

Sunday we took Silas for his first Hurts Donut, to Dick's 5&10, and a little shopping.

Our Mickey Mouse-loving boy was able to get a small Mickey that he now sleeps with.

We also made his first trip to Lambert's cafe and we found out that he loves Black Eyed Peas even more than his Daddy!

He loved watching the rolls flying overhead and the music and activity!

Getting away together was good for us. I really hope we can continue this every year and pass the travel bug onto our boy!

Silas is One!

Last Saturday we got to spend the day celebrating Silas!

We had cupcakes and a smash cake...

A soup bar...

Gifts...

And a hot chocolate bar!

Silas loved being the center of attention and had a great day!

Thank you so much to all who helped make his first birthday so great!

Our One Year Old!

I can't believe our sweet baby boy is one!

He is 29.25 inches tall. (Which means he has grown 8 inches taller!)

He weighs 21 lbs and 12 oz! (Which means he has gained over 14 1/2 lbs!)

Wait...didn't we just bring him home from the hospital yesterday?

And then I turned around and he was 6 weeks old and we were headed back to work

And then I turned around again and he was sitting up.

And then we were celebrating his first Christmas.

And here we are at one year old!

When people say "it goes fast!" they're definitely not lying.

Once someone told me that in parenting, the days are long but the years are short.

I've found this to be true.

Some days it seems like the clock is not moving and it will never be naptime.

And in the beginning, the nights stretched out forever with multiple feedings and diaper changes and tears (both from mama and Silas!)

What an absolute joy it has been to watch Silas grow, learn, and develop new skills.

I love trying to see the world through his eyes!

Some things about Silas to help us remember:

Favorite food: mac & cheese!
Favorite toy: the remote control
Favorite book: Curious George
Favorite place: home with Dada and Mama
Favorite show: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Favorite activities: baths, dancing, and getting into things he shouldn't!
He can say: Mama, Dada, Dog, Go, Cup, Bub
He can: sign-More, All done, point,and wave

Silas, you are so very loved! You have brought more joy to us than we could have ever imagined! We look forward to spending many more years, laughs, and love with you! Love, Mama and Daddy

My Snow-Men!

This weekend we've gotten the most snow we've gotten in 5 years!

And of course, with a little one, this mama couldn't resist bundling him up for some snow pictures!

We decided to do this while Chad was out shoveling so that he could help out!

Silas was not really a fan of the cold white fluff we sat him in!

But we got a few gems, so in keeping with one of my 2019 goals of more blogging and more photos, I'm adding them here!

No smiles, but still a sweet face and reactions worth remembering!

Watching Dada shovel!

Sometimes I wonder what's going on in his head!

Mama, what is the cold stuff you set me in?!

My whole entire world, and the two best buddies you'll ever see!

2018 In Review!

I've been failing at blogging.

I told myself that I'd at least get Silas's monthly photos up with a little blurb about how he's doing and growing.

Yeah, the last one I did was 8 months. So it goes.

So here we are on New Years Eve.

We stayed home, because #parentlife.

Silas is in bed, and we are watching football.

I figured now was as good of a time as any to do 2018 in review!

January:
January involved me being VERY pregnant, and many trips to Labor and Delivery to stop Silas from appearing too early. This resulted in the nurses knowing my name and info the second I walked in. We also celebrated Chad's birthday on the 31st.



February:
...came roaring in starting at about 6:30am on the first when my water broke. Silas was born at 8:19pm that night! We were overjoyed that he was finally here! The rest of the month I was on maternity leave and we were navigating new parent life!

March:
Mid-way through the month I headed back to work with Silas in tow. It was a rough few weeks adjusting to having 4 little ones who needed me all day!

April:
...was the month of SLEEP TRAINING. We were at our wits end with his frequent night wakings and us both holding down full time (plus) jobs! We started Babywise with Silas, and it was a lifesaver! Total game changer! Silas also got the chance to meet my grandparents on the Kregel side! There is something so special about seeing your grandparents hold your baby! We were also able to take Silas to Circus Flora. Even at his young age, he loved it!

May:
We celebrated 6 years of marriage! My nanny kids got out of school, so we adjusted YET AGAIN to life with 4 kids home all day! We also took Silas to his very first Cardinals game. He was a trooper and even fell asleep for a while! We ended the month with hosting our Memorial Day BBQ.

June:
June was our first family vacation with a baby! We headed to the Lake of the Ozarks for Summer Regionals! It was certainly an adjustment bringing a little one! We also went to see Shania Twain for my birthday, which was the 10th.

July:
July took a more serious turn as we said goodbye to my beautiful grandma, my dad's mama. It was a wonderful week overall spending time in Texas with our extended family and celebrating the life she helped build for our family. Silas also took his first boat ride on the Lake! We also celebrated his dedication at church.

August:
August was back to school for the big kids, so we had yet another adjustment! Chad got the opportunity to go to the PGA Championship. We also crossed a concert off of my Concert Bucket List...LUKE BRYAN!!

September:
This month's excitement was split between taking Silas to his very first Mizzou Football game; a family tradition we hold near and dear! He also began swimming lessons, and he LOVED them!

October:
In October, we went to the Lake for Chad's 10 year class reunion and Silas got to see Daddy ride in the parade! We also went to our first Chiefs game. Silas loved it and didn't want to miss a second! He stayed awake for the ENTIRE game!

November:
FAMILY CRUISE!! Hello, road trip with an increasingly active little guy! We had so much fun and Silas did great! Chad also hit another milestone in his career, reaching Level 3! Silas and I are so proud of how hard he works to provide for our family!

December:
This past month was filled with Christmas preparations and family time! We hosted one side of Chad's family, as well as got together with the other side. We also had all 3 Dunham boys over for the evening to play! It was quite a house-full but so fun. Silas LOVED Christmas! I don't think he entirely knew what was going on, But he knew it was WAY exciting and didn't want to nap at all!

Wow. What a year!

Intermixed with all of these big moments were countless "smaller" but equally as beautiful moments:
(multiple foster dogs, spending time with our church, friends joining the parent club, etc). and the most lovely group of moments of all, seeing our sweet boy grow and learn!

People are exactly right when they say to "enjoy it, because it goes fast!"

We're already starting to prepare for Silas's first birthday!

2019 is gearing up to be a big year and we can't wait to see what it brings!