2014 has had lots of wonderful moments and memories made but it has also been our most challenging year as a couple and as a family (in my opinion). I like to take some time to reflect over the past year as I finish each annual blog book - for myself in this moment and to look back at someday when this year is a distant memory (which makes me sad but time doesn't go backwards!).
First off - so many wonderful things!
#1 Getting Hazel Healthy - so thankful. After our Christmas night scare last year, little did we know what lie ahead with Hazel's health. After another trip to the ER and an apnea monitor we ended up back at Sanford Children's in Sioux Falls and discovered she had been having severe apnea spells and bradycardia events due to severe reflux. This in turn classified her as 'failure to thrive' as she was not gaining weight or interested in eating due to the reflux and congestion along with severe irritation in her throat. Thankfully she had a nisan fundoplication (tying the top of her stomach) to stop the reflux from affecting her breathing, along with a feeding tube to guarantee weight gain. It was a 10 day stay at Sanford Children and a very scary time for all of us. It was hard on Josh being home and working; being away from the kids; and trusting in God and the doctors that she would be OK. Josh saved her life by having us get an apnea monitor - something that was not required of us by St. Luke's. The doctors were fantastic and the surgery and feeding tube have been the answer. We learned a lot about her condition and her care needed going forward and have done well in taking care of her - our parents included. We are beyond grateful for God leaving her here with us and helping us figure out the care she needed to be a healthy and happy baby girl. A blessing and challenge for us this year but one we are more than happy to take on.
#2 This was our first full year in our new home - our beautiful new home! The kids have adjusted well to their new sitter, Lisa Kron, and enjoy playing outside and with our neighbors -The Ploens (Jace and Hadley). We have continued to make small improvements to the house with the addition of landscaping in the front, our master bedroom closet, and a few new decor pieces that Josh and I made.
#3 The Rustic Image - a new adventure. Josh can do just about anything! We had an event at work called the Rustic Table and Josh made some signs to use as decor. We ended up coming across some free pallets and some great ideas on Pinterest of small furniture and decor pieces and decided to start a FB page called The Rustic Image. We sold over $400 worth of items this year to family and friends - wine racks, signs, benches, and more. Josh and I have always been a good team when it comes to projects - he does the woodworking and I add the paint detail and quotes.
#4 Hayley Started Preschool - how did that happen?! It seems like she was just starting to talk. Hayley loves school! She was a little nervous her first day but the only tears came from me - whew! Her teacher, Mrs. Collins, is fantastic - she has made some friends and tells us she has a "good day" everyday at school! It's a bit of an adjustment going three days to school and two days to the sitter's but she's only 4! We opted not to do the bus so I drop her off each MWF morning and dad picks her up each day except for Friday. It was definitely a reality check of how quickly the years are going when she started school. She is a smarty pants and we are so proud of her already!
#5 Kids are so much fun - most of the time. It has been a balancing act of kids, jobs, housework, fun activities, routines, discipline, marriage, doctor's appointments, etc. It's not easy at this stage and Josh and I are not afraid to admit that. The kids are so sweet and so funny and we are SO thankful for each of them... but our family dynamic has been constantly changing since we got married and it is hard to keep it all balanced at times. We try our best to have mom and dad time, family time, some alone time, while keeping somewhat of a routine and managing all that comes with running a household and raising a family. I know the little things are the big things and there are plenty of laughs and fun times had all the time - right along with the tantrums and chaos- but that's life - our life - and we love it.
Hayley - is so smart and such a little sponge. She asks questions and knows so much already. She loves flashcards and painting and helps her brother anytime she can. She challenges us as she reminds us what we told her she could or could not do - she thrives on routine and has a huge personality! ha!
Hudson - is so sweet. He "needs us because he loves us" and likes to be held - especially after work when we are all home. He loves his "Haywee and Hagel" too and his "bubbagum". He tries to keep up with Hayley and his talking is coming along - I'd love for him to have a brother someday - but for now he loves wrestling with dad.
Hazel - is our sweet growler. I remember Hudson growling when he was a baby too. Hazel is beautiful - we love her sweet, very content, personality! She is working to catch up developmentally on crawling and pulling to stand as she is almost 14 months and not yet crawling - but she has good reason - her first 2 months of life were quite the struggle. Hazel says "Mama" a lot and is usually all smiles. She has quite the level of entertainment provided to her by Hayley and Hudson - and before long she will be joining in their fun.
The good makes it harder to focus on the tough times we have had this year but there certainly has been some that I want to briefly include in our story.
Hazel has certainly changed the dynamic of our family - she has made it all the more wonderful - yet her health has made it a bit more nerve-wracking. We knew a baby schedule with Hayley and Hudson of course but Hazel has her own schedule of feedings, mapped out to the cc and calories needed each day along with meds and special attention to her development of sitting, crawling, etc. Her formula must be changed at 2am each night which means there have been a handful of nights that Josh and I both sleep a solid 8 hours in the past year when Hazel stays with Grandpa and Grandma Hewitt. We have managed well but I do think the routine and lack of sleep plays a part in our stress and patience levels - we are human after all :) She will have her feeding tube until she can go 6 months without using it once - and she is on it 5 times daily and for 9 hours overnight right now. So we are managing and plugging away- it's a bit extra work - but for Hazel - we would do absolutely anything!
It has been a year of change and growth for Josh and I as we have gone through challenges in our marriage. The blog is no place for discussion of detail but I hope that through our changes and challenges this year we can take better care of each other - as a lot of our time and attention has been aimed at work and taking care of our children. We have learned that marriage is hard and takes constant work and constant love. I will speak for myself but look forward to being a better wife to my husband - making more time for him and making him feel more loved as a person, as my husband, and as a father. I want us to be a strong team both as husband and wife and as mom and dad. This new year brings a resolution of me being a better version of myself - a better wife than I have been this year - a better mom - making my marriage a higher priority and respecting and loving my husband the way he deserves.
We are thankful for the year we've had, the good and the bad.
Cheers to a happy, healthy, and stronger 2015 - filled with fun times and lots of enjoyment in all the little things.
