The road to Silas (part 2)

If you missed part one, you can find it here.


After the fateful text message to Trevor that I was indeed pregnant, I just sat in the closet trying to make sense of what was about to be our new normal.

I had all the concerns.

A few of the top contenders:
1. Was this baby healthy (raw sushi, wine, a disappearing pelvic mass, and 5 years time lapse in taking prenatal vitamins were just a few of the random things that coincided with my early pregnancy weeks)
2. How the heck did this happen
3. Our family felt complete already + what felt like a giant age gap
4. Could my 33 year old body do this again.


I decided then that if I was going to indeed have another baby, I was going to do it the exact way I wanted.

We confided in a couple of support people and booked an appointment with a midwife. I started weight training with our friend Will and started taking some vitamins and supplements regularly. These combined factors helped me accept this pregnancy as happening, although anyone in our life will tell you I wasn't excited about it.

Once I passed the 12 week mark and our genetic test came back clear, we began to spread the news. This was maybe the most enjoyable part. We were vocal about being finished with kids, so we made more than a few people cry, probably out of shock!

My pregnancy progressed normally and soon it was go-time.

The road to Silas (part1)

It is no secret that Trevor and I were (very) done having kids after Hazel.  She was a rough baby and we were in no hurry to repeat the newborn experience. We had two healthy kids, a new degree and job, and moved home to friends and family. Life was pretty easy.

...fast forward 4 years...

In January of 2018 I started having some weird symptoms: pelvic pain, weird bleeding, tenderness in my abdomen.  So I went to get it checked out. After a normal pap, and a physical exam by an Gynecologist, they discovered there was a mass in my pelvis near my left ovary but not connected to anything. It was about the size of my fist (9cm/6cm/3cm). After bloodwork, two ultrasounds, and an MRI, and one round of antibiotics the mass disappeared as easily as it came. Also, it took with it, our birth control.

So, like the responsible people we are, we decided to recoup some of the money we spent on the pelvic mass and wait to seek out further permanent birth control. And that worked...until it didn't.

In July I knew my ovulation would fall close to our 10th anniversary, but I carefully tracked it and thought we would be 3-4 days in the clear. Turns out, I was wrong.

I found out I was pregnant in early August and proceeded to sit in my closet with the pregnancy test and curse. Then I texted my friend Jodi, who was overjoyed (more cursing) and sent Trevor a photo of the positive pregnancy test while he was at work...(oops).

To be continued...

Fall 2016 Update

Well hello Fall, 2016. So somehow moving back to Missouri, to our place and our people has increased our social schedule a bit. And we love it. All 4 of us. This poor little blog has fallen to the side and been replaced by actual social interaction. Anyways you both have kept growing.  You still are crazy about each other. You never fight. I mean it, never. Miles, you always share with your sister and include her in your games. Hazel, you think your brother is the best in the world. You ask for him each morning. 

You both started preschool this fall.  You go on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-1. Hazel, you love your teacher. Miles, you love learning letters. You both are always excited when I tell you in preschool day. I love the things you are learning and that your teachers send home newsletters about what you do each day.

We also bought you a house. Yes, a real house with a back yard. You have your own rooms, a basement, and pretty much as much room as you want to run around. We are so happy you will have a home to look back on in your childhood. We can't wait for you to grow into it. Boy, was it a lot of trouble to house shop with your dad! 

Hopefully I can get back on board with updating more than seasonally, but if not, know your mom was too busy being with you than writing about it. :)

Hazel -18 months

Hazel---

I'm not sure when you turned into a toddler, rather than a baby but it definitely happened. You can do so many things that catch me off guard, I guess in my mind you are still a baby.  You love to play peek-a-boo, blow kisses, wave hi and bye, and give high fives.  You love to roar like a dinosaur and race cars fast with your brother. You rock and kiss babies and wrestle with your Pops. You are the perfect mixture of sweet and tough. 

 You mimic everything. The other day I heard you saying 'one, two' over and over. You don't have any idea what counting is, but you know the words go together. You can repeat almost anything I ask you to say. Your favorite words are: shoe, yah!, and no.

You are so silly. You have the best laugh and are pretty ticklish. Your eye sparkle when you are excited and get dark when you are angry. You do not like to be forced to do things you don't want to do. And when your mind is made up, watch out.  

 You are 21 lbs. You have 10 teeth. You love all food. You also love dogs. The more they lick you the more you like them. You like to dance when you hear music and clap when songs are over. You enjoy 'playing' the piano with your dad.  You still have your favorite people: Mama, Grammy, Granny Nina, Gramma, and Hannah.  But you have finally decided that you don't hate bible class.

Hazel Lane, you are everything I would have picked out for a daughter, you complete our family.

Hazel's Health Department Visit

I feel like a lot happened today.  My kids just get more and more funny each passing day. I need to record it because I will not remember it next week.

First, today we took my in-laws to the airport to catch their plane for Florida. On the same day that it snowed 5 inches. Guess who took a fall before we even left the driveway. Yes. Me. Luckily I wasn't carrying any toddlers. So my left shoulder and hip are a little sore from getting personal with the driveway. After we dropped Grammy and Papa off, we needed to go get Hazel's shots. We missed our 15 month shots due to moving from OK to MO and the insurance mess that ensued. So we are finally insured in Missouri and went to get the shots at the local health department.  Our appointment was at 10 am, but we were done at the airport at 8:30, so I called and asked if we could come early.

We arrived and got checked in.  The first thing I noticed where on all her forms they had printed "William Hazel L Howard.  Do not even ask me where they got the William from. Maybe it was on the document they edited to make Hazel's name sticker? I had to have them change it. We got into the room and they started going over Hazel's shots that she needed (5) which I already knew. My motto::Just get them over with. Then they talked me into getting her a flu shot as well.  Then they explained Miles and I needed flu shots and could get them today, aka, right then.  Now in the car I had told Miles he wasn't getting any shots. So while I tried to decide how to break it to the two year old with the memory of steel, I filled out more paper work for Miles and I.

I got my shot first as an example.  They chose my right arm, to insure I had both arms sore.  Because, it's not like I carry around two 20lb toddlers every day. Next, Miles got to get his 'flu mist'.  While they were trying to instruct my two year old how to 'sniff' they asked what his favorite food is.  He said, very confidently,  'Sushi'. So then I had two nurses saying. 'sniff like you are smelling sushi' over and over. It felt as ridiculous as it sounds.

Next Hazel got her plethora of shots. They were nice enough to spread them out between all four of her appendages. She was so angry that they were holding her down, she didn't even cry.  After I got her clothes back on her and sat her up she told the nurses 'thank you'.  They weren't sure what to make of that.

Lastly, the nurses decided to give my children stickers. I picked out a Doc McStuffins one for Hazel and Miles picked out a weird cartoon-y looking owl. The nurse asked him where he would like it. he held his fist out and said 'knuckles please'.  They looked puzzled and asked where he learned that word.  I told them, we call body parts by their names. They didn't ask any more questions.

Then we went to Gramma's to sled. *See photos*

December 2015

This holiday season has been so much fun so far! We have been doing lots of Christmas-y things trying to prepare Miles (and Hazel) for what is to come. Nothing is more fun than toddlers at Christmas.  He has learned the words to Jingle Bells.  He can sort of tell the Nativity story. (He calls the Wise Men the thighs men) and we are working with him on showing kindness to others.

 We have also decorated a gingerbread house, seen two Christmas parades, and sat on Santa's lap. We are treating Santa like Mickey Mouse. Fun to visit, fun to read about but not encouraging our kids to think he enters the house and leave gifts. We also aren't teaching them about any naughty or nice lists.

We are spending lots of time with family and friends and soaking up the cheerfulness that is all round us. Miles and Hazel love to un-decorate our Christmas tree, but so far haven't messed with the wrapped gifts under our tree. 

What I want to remember::Oct 2015

Miles calls bracelets, 'biscuits'.

He says 'It broken' about anything that isn't working how he wants it to.

He tells Hazel 'No Hazel', and points his finger at her when she is doing something she shouldn't.

He says 'No thanks' when he doesn't want to do what I ask him.

He calls all drinks, Coke or Milk. **disclaimer, he doesn't drink Coke.

He has the words 'on' and 'off' confused. He will hold up his foot with his shoe and sock, and ask us to take his shoe on.

He will tell us when he is ready for a nap.

He will tell us when he is ready to leave some where by pointing the direction our vehicle is parked saying 'bye bye, car'

Any time we pull into the church parking lot he yells 'Jesus!'

He know his friends' names.

He loves to give hugs, especially to Hazel.

He calls us: Mama, Daddy, and Hazel and he usually has to try all three names on the person he is talking to, to get to the correct one.

He doesn't not enjoy rough play. But he loves coloring, puzzles, bubbles, or playing ball nicely.

He doesn't know all his colors but he can identify yellow most of of the time.

He can count to 14 and knows his basic shapes.

 He loves being outside.