10-24-07 Picture Post - Take two!

More pictures...Yeah!
The oldest three "put Silas to sleep" and proceeded to watch a movie in the ensuing quiet few moments.


Micah took Silas outside early one morning before he'd had breakfast of gotten out of his PJ's. He loves his swing and he loves Aunty Kate's dog, Mickey, when she brings him to play with our dog, Bandonah.


Jerusha and Silas getting a massage in Daddy's massaging chair.


Is their any better way to spend a late summer afternoon than between Savannah and Jerusha who simply adore you?


Micah's birthday cake... well, I thought it was clever!


Micah, moments before discovering that no matter how often he blows out his candles, they keep relighting. I told you I was clever!


Silas and I went to a miracle baby reunion at our local hospital. I was trying to get a picture of him in the incubator but was afraid he'd fall out. When this nice lady tried to help by holding him through the access holes, he thought it was a game and kept peeking down at her and laughing.



Finally got the picture... now compare it to this...


Silas - just over an hour old and unable to breathe.


Silas on ECMO only a couple days old.


This is Silas with Dr. Harker who made the final call to send him to Portland where he would have access to ECMO.

10-26-07 Picture Post

I realized it has been awhile since I posted any pictures of Silas and the kids, soooooo......

Silas catching a ride on Papa's shoulders.


Kyne kids in Papa and Grammy's hottub.


Luke, brother Caleb and Lisa's son, born two months after Silas and two pounds lighter!



Just check out the difference in the size of their legs!


Luke tries to fatten Silas up.


Jasmine, Luke's sister who is simply adorable! I call her "Boo" after Boo in Monsters Inc. because she used to sound just like her with a string of unintelligible noises and then a single word, clear as a bell, like "Kitty".



Silas chases a seagull at the beach.


Micah at the beach. He always poses so wonderfully. I think he has discovered it is over more quickly when you cooperate.



Jerusha, looking perky!


Savannah, posing in her Santa's helper shirt... she's vacationing before the toy construction goes into full swing.


I was attempting to get a picture of Silas who was being immensely uncooperative.


This is what most of the pictures looked like.


This is the only "good" photo I managed to get of him.


Joshua, Jasmine and Luke's big brother.


I LOVE this picture!


Playing in the ocean is just too much fun!


The brothers.

10-18-07 Double Trouble

Yeah! Silas has finally doubled his birth weight! Starting out at a whopping 10pounds 4oz. he was above the 100^th percentile. By the time he came home from the NICU, we struggled to keep his scrawny, skin and bones body above the 1^st percentile. (His length puts him almost in the 50^th percentile.) Considering that the average baby will double their birth weight by four months and triple it by a year, we are ecstatic that Silas has finally doubled it at his 18month check up. Our doctor figures he is so active that he simply burns a ton more calories than most babies his age and is very pleased with his over all health. From oral aversion and stroke to overactive toddler who keeps me exhausted with all the trouble (and cupboards) he gets into… It’s Silas Charles!

By the way, Albert is considering a temporary name change; instead of being known as “Little Bear”, for the foreseeable future he is being called “Screaming Eagle”. I’ll give you one guess as to why. o-O From lungs that wouldn’t work to a scream that could shatter glass, or at least my ear drums.

P.S. I just had to post a picture sent to us from a couple of our NICU friends. I've also reposted a couple "before" pictures so that you can apreciate the "after". Remember little Aunna who was born three months early and DJ who was also a tiny preemie? Well, look at them now!!!!

This was DJ back when just suck, swallow breathe was so difficult to master...

This is Aunna when she was first born and Dustin and Amanda were told she might not make it.

This is Amanda holding Aunna when she was still so tiny that Amanda was almost scarred to breathe because she was afraid that Aunna might break.

And now the little darlins' are much bigger than Silas and just as adorable! Thank-you for the picture Trina!

One last thing, there is a new family who is getting ready to have their baby up at Legacy Emanuel and they will be staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Their baby has CDH, the same birth defect that Judah, Nanette, Joshua, Jolee, Joseph and so many others have had. Please pray that their delivery will go smoothly and that the baby's medical needs will be few. Also, Sofia (who also had CDH), has had her diaphragm re-herniate at the age of 1 and 1/2 years. Pray that her little body will heal quickly and that it won't be too traumatic for her or her family.

10-06-07 Still not in bed.

"Confidence is the feeling you have before you understand the situation."

"What happens if you get scared half to death twice?!?"

Things I think about... and I wonder why I can't sleep?!?!

10-06-07 Running on empty

WARNING! Complaint session about to commence. If you decide to continue, grab a slice of cheese and be prepared for the whine:

I am so exhausted. I don't get more than a few hours of sleep at night since I don't get to bed before 1-2am (and sometimes later). I spend every waking moment doing something for someone and stressing because I am not getting it all done. I must plan and have ingredients available for three meals a day (and snacks) for 11-12 people. I do marathon grocery shopping trips and walk out with four carts full to the brim. I coordinate medical issues, doctor's visits, phone calls from families, nurses visiting, families and friends visiting, purchasing personal items as well as driving to the doctor's appointments with all the proper paperwork for five elderly residents in my home. I pay bills, employees and taxes. I screw up and spend hundreds of hours on the phone and through the mail trying to rectify the situations. In my spare time I shuttle children to and from school and activities, try to get them to do their homework, make their lunches, take their baths, brush their teeth, clean their rooms, stop fighting, and "for crying-out-loud would you please stop yelling and running in the house!" Oh yeah, while I am doing all this, I chase Silas from room to room to room taking things away, turning him in a different direction, disciplining him, telling him "Good job!" when he does something new and basically watching that he doesn't do permanent damage to himself, the dog, the house or other people in the home.

The list is endless, but my vision keeps blurring and I'm too tired to keep going.

I tried recently to describe my life to someone and this is what I said, "Imagine you have a job. Now imagine that the job involves interacting with needy, sometimes downright demanding, people. Now imagine that you don't get any of your scheduled breaks and you barely have time to pee. Now imagine that you have your four children come with you to where you work and you need to tend to them and their needs as well. Now imagine that your replacement doesn't show up or says they are too tired to stay after a couple hours. Now imagine that you never, *ever* get to leave. That would be a taste of my life and, right now, it sucks.

10-06-07 Happy Birthday Caleb!

Caleb, my brother, you are now officially in the last year of your 20's. Next year the first digit changes and you'll be on MY side of the big three zero!

I love you!
~Tanaya~

10-01-07 Squish

Sometimes you're the bug... Sometimes you're the windshield. I wonder what today will bring. Have mercy, Lord, and grant me patience with my children, kindness toward my husband and strength for myself. Give me a joyful spirit despite my exhaustion and help me to remember that Silas's "go get 'em, never slow down, get into EVERYTHING and tear it apart then look for the next thing to do at a hundred miles an hour" personality is one of the main reasons he survived the NICU. I wouldn't trade him, or anything about him, for any alternative; just keep reminding me of that as I attempt to keep up with him today.
In Jesus name I ask this.