2015

I’ve read quite a few year end recaps today, and it seems like 2015 wasn’t too kind to anyone. And just like 2013 (my last really hard year), I’ll be glad to close the door on 2015 and am looking forward to a hopefully much calmer, uneventful new year. 

I spent 2015 just surviving. I was pregnant for the majority of the year, and was sick and/or nauseus all 9 months. Charlotte turned two and got a baby brother, which evidently wasn’t a great combination for her. We had some really, really challenging months with her; thankfully, lately she’s come around and is back to her hilarious, sweet self and is generally pleasant to be around. She turns three in January and reminds me frequently that we will be celebrating the occasion with a Play-doh Cake (???) and NO MORE DIAPERS (oh please God, let this be true). 
Grayson has had a really great year in terms of not being sick. He hasn’t had a seizure since Valentines Day and was only hospitalized a few times other than his surgery. May 5 was his big hip reconstruction surgery, and we had a very long, hot summer helping him recover. Unfortunately, any relief the surgery gave him with his spasticity is gone, and he is really struggling right now. His body is so stiff, and we are having an awful time keeping him in comfortable positions. He’s also back to gagging and retching constantly, which is frustrating because it makes him miserable and nothing we do seems to help him. He will have to have a second surgery, probably this summer, to remove the hardware from the first surgery. The end of the year always brings much thankfulness that we still have our sweet boy with us. 
2015 also marked the end of our family building. This is definitely bittersweet. I’ve had three wonderful birth experiences and it makes me sad I won’t get to do that again. And I love babies. But this last pregnancy, while parenting two others and being so sick, almost did me in. And our resources for parenting- finances, time, patience, seats in our van, sleep- are maxed out at three. And Nolan, God bless that sweet baby, isn’t easy. He turns 4 months old tomorrow, and while it seems like this last infant period is just whizzing by, I’m ready for him to start playing with toys, napping better, and for the love, stop crying so much. 
Now that our family is complete, I hope that we can really start living, and not just surviving. I pray sooner than later this year we can move into a house that works for our family, because our current one just isn’t. My goals for 2016 are to drive (way) less, spend a ton more time outside, read more books, and only have 2 kids in diapers. 
I hope 2016 brings you and your families much joy and happiness. Happy New Year!

3 Comments

  1. Jos on January 2, 2016 at 12:06 am

    We had about 6 months in the mid-2s that were REALLY hard with Stella as well, and I can see Harvey heading into it now too. Ugh. I'm glad Charlotte has come out on the other side of that!

    I like your goals for 2016 🙂

  2. Reagan Leigh on January 2, 2016 at 7:40 pm

    I can so relate…I was SO hoping Ryan would be an easy baby! Because I DESERVED an easy one, right?? That didn't happen! Wishing you a much happier/easier 2016!! 🙂

  3. Mellow MW Mama on January 7, 2016 at 11:07 pm

    Hope your baby boy starts getting a little bit easier on you soon! I love that brief phase where they're content to sit and play with one toy and not get into anything and everything. I hope you all have a wonderful 2016!

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