shouldn't 3 + 1 = 4?

All my life, people told me that 3 +1 = 4. I am hear to tell you... it does not! No matter what way I look at it. Don't believe me? Here's proof!

• Adding one to our family, thus a 1/4 of our family now, did not increase the amount of laundry around here by only 25%. I have gone from a twice a week, 3 loads per time schedule, to at least one load daily!
• When you add the 4th family member, this does not mean that you get 1/4 more sleep. Nor does it mean that you get 1/4 less sleep! The math on the sleep thing just doesn't work, anyway I try.
• Adding 1/4 to our family does not add any more time to my day (unless you count the time taken away from the sleep allotment!)
• The 4th member of our family does not require a 1/4 more "stuff" for us to get out the door. My best estimate is at least 3 times as much. Wayne only needs a diaper and a baby wipe. Weston... a whole other story!
• Diapers... Wayne is a 3-times-a-day need-to-be-changed sort of boy, and only takes one baby wipe. Weston... that boy can use 3 diapers in one change, and countless wipes. He is not using his proportionate share of the diaper budget, that's for sure! :-)
• Adding 1/4 to our family does not divide my love for my 3 boys in anyway. It only makes it grow exponentially!

Hope this brought a smile to your face, and a little humor to your day. Hey, our new family motto (after our recent calamities!) is "All you can do is laugh!" Feel free to post your own math discoveries in the comments, I'd love to hear them!

Let it Snow!

Wayne and Dad went to feed the dogs together.
No Wayne, it's too cold to swing!


Wayne loves to see Weston in the swing.

Two Weeks Old!

Game Day at the Silves'!
Weston's first bath (compliments of Grandma!)


Weston's 1st day at church (another tradition... the outfit is from Grandma!)


It's hard for me to believe that Weston is 2 weeks old. He had his doctor appointment today, and the doctor was blown away by his growth. 9 days ago Weston weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz. and today he weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz. That is a gain of 1 lb 9 0z in only 9 days! He said that that is just crazy. Weston has also grown 3/4 of an inch. That puts him in the 65th percentile for his weight, and the 85th for his height. He handled the appointment very well, and actually hardly cried during his circumcision. I went with him to have it done, and Tyler stayed behind. I am starting to feel more and more like myself, for which I am very grateful. My incision is starting to close up, and we are well on our way!

Saturday night...

For those of you wondering.. we are surviving! :-) I can't believe that it has been almost 2 weeks already. I am terrified to think that if Tyler hadn't had his accident, he would have been back at work today!!! Perish the thought! I have been laying low as ordered. My incision opened up about an inch, so we went back into the doctor yesterday. They put some steristrips on it, and we are hoping that it closes up quickly!!! Weston is a dream of a baby. He is so darn cute, and he is so good! Wayne is starting to realize that he's around more and more. Just today they road in the jeep together for the first time, and Wayne kept pointing at Weston and babbling excitedly!

Wayne stories: He was at Grandma's the other day, and my mom had to tell him "no" 3 times inside of 5 minutes. Wayne was not happy and stomped off, only to return shortly with his hat, coat, and shoes. He threw them at my mom and pointed at them as if to say, "I'm done with you, take me home!" Now however when my mom comes over and eventually needs to leave, Wayne throws an absolute hissy fit. He doesn't want her to go, and he stands at the back door just sobbing. The funny thing is that in 2 months of staying with them, he never cried once when we left him! Kids...

all is well..

All is well around here. Sorry for the lack of posts, the days around here are busy just trying to do the bare basics! Tyler and I are exhausted by the end of the day. We are looking forward to having our health back! The boys are doing fine, Weston is a good baby, and Wayne is a precious boy. I'll post cute stories later, now I'm too tired! You'll have to settle for cute pictures instead!

PS. I was so tired I forgot to click on "post" last night!

Showin' a Little Brotherly Love!

Wayne is warming up to little Weston, or should I say that he is realizing his brother exists! It has been a ton of fun watching how Wayne reacts and treats his little brother. He is doing really well, and for the most part is very gentle with him. However, we don't trust Wayne further than we can throw him around Weston! We are all doing pretty good. I am still moving pretty slowly, and get tired fast, but it has helped so much to have Tyler around. He truly is amazing! Wayne has been coming home for short stays, and actually has spent the last two nights at home. I am so excited to sleep in our bed tonight for the first time! I've been sleeping on the couch because my staples hurt so much laying flat, so I just can't wait! Weston had a sponge bath this morning (compliments of Grandma! I can't bathe and take pictures too!)

he gained 5 oz!

Okay, now I have more time (and energy!) to write! This week has just flown by. We are settling into life with two kids, even though Wayne is still just on parent visitation! Here are the updates, the here and nows!

Tyler - He is doing very well and enjoying snuggling his little boy. He is missing Wayne a lot though, and loves it when he comes to visit. Even though we miss him, we both understand that a few more days without him will do us good! Tyler worked outside on the garage today with my Dad and Tyson putting the sheeting in the loft and installing the drop down ladder to access the storage space. His arm is doing pretty well, although it seems to bother him if it gets cold out (the pins get chilly we think!). He is able to hold Weston with his right arm just fine, and can even change diapers, although he's a little clumsy!

Tanya - I am doing pretty well. Yesterday was a little tough, but today has been better. I just wasn't feeling to well, and was extremely sore and tender. Weston was having a rough day too, so that put a lot more demands on me, and I was tired too! Oh well... Today has been a better day. I am looking forward to the staples (I have 19) being removed on Tuesday. I also enjoyed having the first photo shoot of Weston this afternoon... His newborn pictures are done! I'll be ordering them tonight or tomorrow, but I'll post a few favorites.

Wayne - Wayne is having a blast at Grandma and Grandpa's. He has many fun games he likes to play with them, and we think he's grown at least an inch and 5 lbs since he's been there! He just looks and acts like such a big boy. And, he doesn't give a hoot about his little brother! He just ignores Weston when he's around, except for giving him funny looks if he cries. About the only thing he is interested in is Weston's binky!

Weston - Yesterday was rough, because Weston was dealing with jaundice. He was pretty sick, and although his coloring wasn't terrible, his other symptoms (weight loss, lethargy, and eating) were bad enough to warrant blood work. It came back with a 14 1/2 level, which wasn't too bad at all. We had to supplement with formula for 2 feedings (yeah, I made a bottle!) and then pump and feed him that milk until today, but it sure did the trick. By today he was much more alert, his color hadn't got any worse, and he was pooping again. When the nurse came out, he had gained 5 oz in 24 hours! So, our little boy is back in action and doing well!

There's the update! Enjoy the pictures!

I'm Back!

Our new son!
So mellow for his first bath!
Our new family!
Weston Robert Silves

Sorry to those of you who have been faithfully checking the blog...We got home around 2:30 on Wednesday, and I just haven't made it back to the blog yet! We are doing fairly well, thankfully Wayne is still with my parents though! I am still quite sore, and we are adjusting to having an infant again. Where does all the time in a day go? Weston is doing okay, we are watching his jaundice levels and his weight. We are supplementing with formula to get him "over the hump" so hopefully by tomorrow he is doing better. I'll post more later, but leave you with some pictures!

More pictures . . .

Tom and I got to meet Weston last night . . . what a sweet little guy! He has an adorable round face and was loving being all snuggled up. Tanya said she was feeling better by the evening . . . the nausea was starting to go away and she was feeling like she could maybe eat something. She said it had been the perfect day . . .

This will probably be my last post for Tanya . . . look for a message from her later this week.

Woo hoo!

Here he is! My arms are aching to hold him!

Baby Weston is here!

This is Tanya's friend Amanda posting for her . . . I just got a message from Tanya that all went well and that at 8:07 this morning, Weston Robert arrived! He weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce and was 21 inches long. She said she was having trouble getting the picture to come through off her cell phone, so you will have to wait for pictures. I'll be sure to take some tonight when we visit and post them for her when I get home. I can't wait to see the little guy as I'm sure many of you can't either!

Psalm 127:3 , "Children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward."

the last day

The last day:

• of going to church with just Wayne
• to have lunch without a newborn
• of waiting to go to the hospital
• of being kicked hard by Weston from inside
• to not be nursing
• to get everything done!

Tyler keeps making fun of me for saying "the last time..." but I tell him it's just because I am trying to enjoy all of these last moments! I am feeling so good, and am so glad to have had a few days of feeling good before the C-section and recovery. Wayne is a little clingy, but that just means I get to snuggle him more! Actually, the little turd is in hot water right now... he took off with the battery charger for our camera, and it is seriously MIA! Tyler and I have looked everywhere, I hope we can find it! We leave for the hospital in the morning, around 5am. Check the blog in the later morning or early afternoon for the first photos of Weston! My friend Amanda is going to log on and post some cell phone pictures right away, along with stats, etc. and she will post again after coming to visit me after school. We will be in the hospital at least until Wednesday, if not Thursday depending on how things go. Thank you to all of you who prayed for us and our baby over the last two months. It seems so strange to think we made it this far, and at this time tomorrow we'll be holding him in our arms!

The Clock is Ticking

My pre-op appointment went very well this morning, and we are all set to go for a Monday morning delivery! Weston is very healthy, and still moving quite a bit which is very reassuring for Dr. Mora. I am also being allowed not to take my medication, unless I am having contractions. I am very excited for this, as I am sick of taking pills! Hmm.. what else... We will be in the hospital until Wednesday or Thursday, and it will be up to me when to go home, based upon how I am feeling. Also, Dr. Mora thinks Weston will be smaller than his brother. Wayne was 1o days early, 22 inches and 8 lbs 5oz. We'll have to see how Weston measures up! I am a little concerned though, because with Wayne I hardly had any Newborn sized clothes, because he was out of them pretty much at birth.... So if you come to visit us at the hospital, don't be surprised if Weston's clothes look a little big, they are probably 0-3 month sizes! Oh well... Wayne gained 1 1/2 pounds in 4 weeks, so I'm sure it won't be long until Weston is filling out his clothes too! If you'd like, go ahead and leave comments with what you think Weston's weight and length will be...we'll see who's right!

GO SEAHAWKS!

We love insurance!

I just received the final bill from the hospital for my stay over Thanksgiving. We were there from 11:45pm on Wednesday, November 21, and we were discharged at 2pm on Friday, November 23. Our total bill from the hospital was $16,521.10, of which Group Health contractually reduced by $3,304.22 and then paid $13,196.88. Remaining balance due? $20! I will write and mail the check today, with a BIG smile on my face! Weston is definitely starting out life more expensive than Wayne. Wayne's hospital delivery bill was $18,269.49. Weston's already almost there, and we have yet to deliver! Anyhow, we are grateful for the insurance coverage, that is certain!

All else is going well. I am just laying really low and trying to keep these darn contractions under control. We are now down to 4 1/2 days, and 5 sleeps (4 1/2 sleeps if you consider the amount of sleep I won't be getting due to excitement on Sunday night!) Wayne is a kick in the pants these days. That kid is so darn cute! He is so obedient, most of the time. If he isn't listening to me, all I have to do is call for, "Daddy!" Tyler just says, "Wayne, listen to your mother!" and Wayne jumps and does what he is asked. Hmmm.. what am I doing wrong? :-)

On the Weston front... I got his wee block in the mail today! For those of you unaware of what this is (pretty much everyone I bet!) it is a thing to use while changing little boy diapers. Wayne was super sensitive to the air, and until he was 6-9 months old, he was notorious for "whizzing" everywhere! As much as we tried to keep it covered... he managed to sprinkle on far too many things besides his diaper. The wee block is a new invention to help prevent it. Basically, a little boy's version of a man's cup! See the picture and you'll understand, and probably get a good 'ol belly laugh!

Doctor Appointment Updates... & 6 days to go!

Tyler after having his cast removed... he was a little light headed.











The top arm is good, the bottom arm is the one with the broken bones.











The incision... slowly healing











He started to perk up after resting for a few minutes... look, he even has a little color in his cheeks!


Hello all you faithful blog readers! (Or as my Dad says, "Bog" readers!)

Tyler and I had a very full day today. He had his doctor appointment this morning, which went really well. His x-rays looked great, and showed that the bones were healing nicely. Dr. Bruce decided not to put him back into a cast! He is just wearing an ace bandage now, and is under STRICT orders not to lift anything. He is to be stretching the muscles, and not putting any weight on the bones. I encourage all of you to help me police him, as he thinks he is superman sometimes! And yes, this means he can't lift Wayne for almost another month. He had been carrying him with his cast on, but now that is definitely off limits. It's fine for this week, but once I have a C-section I won't be able to lift him either for 2 weeks. We should do okay around the house, but may be asking some of you to take him in and out of the jeep, carry him into church, etc!

My appointment was this afternoon and was uneventful. I am measuring right on for being almost 38 weeks along. The baby is very healthy and active, and did great on his NST. So, now I just have a pre-op appointment on Friday morning, and then a C-Section on Monday morning. I must say, I am ready!

One Week to Go!

Today is the one week to go mark! We are getting very excited, and a little weirded out by this whole planned C-section thing. Tyler was just now planning the snacks he would like at the hospital! All is going well. My doctor appointment is this afternoon, but I would tell all of you to not hold your breath, because I don't think there will be any news, except maybe they will let me stop taking the medication. Below, please enjoy the pictures of my progressively larger belly!

September 2007 - 21 weeks pregnant

November 2007 - 29 weeks pregnant

December 2007 - 33 weeks pregnant

January 2008 - 37 weeks pregnant

January 2008 - 37 weeks pregnant

Weston's Room is Done!

Weston's room is now finished! Tyler and I moved the crib back into the nursery, and reset it for a newborn (it looks strange to me now, with the mattress so high!) I arranged things and got everything situated, and I think we are now completely ready for Weston. Wayne's room is finished too, we hung up his toy net and put all of his "excess" stuffed animals up there. It looks great! We had a very slow and relaxing day today. All of our last minute to-do's tuckered us out, so we both spent the afternoon resting and watching the Seahawk's WIN! Tyler was pretty upset there for awhile, but they managed to pull it out. At one point, he yelled so loud at the T.V. that Wayne got scared and came crying to me. Unbelievable! :-) Apparently Wayne doesn't remember all the yelling Tyler did at the TV when I was pregnant with him!

The Countdown is On!!!

The countdown is officially on... There are now 9 more full days, and 10 more "sleeps" as my friend Amanda would say, until Weston makes his appearance! We are wrapping up things around the house tomorrow, along with watching a Seahawks game, of course! This next week is pretty busy with appointments. We have a total of 3 doctors appointments between Tyler and I, 2 haircuts, 1 eye appointment, and I have a date with Walmart and Costco! Oh, and Wednesday I have Bible Study in the morning, and Tyler has Awana in the evening. Whew! Saturday we are hanging around the house and cleaning, laundry, packing Wayne, etc. I tell you what, after this week, I am going to be ready for a good snow storm! Everything done, and all the time in the world to just sit and snuggle a newborn. (They are so snuggly in their fleecy jammy's!)

Another friend asked me today if I'm ready to have two kids. I told her no! The thought of having my attention divided is a little daunting. So, for those of you mother's or babysitters out there who juggle more than one.... please leave comments with your best advice! I'd love to hear your thoughts, and have some reassurance! :-)

Promoted and on Maternity Leave

I thought I would let you all know (for those who care, anyway!) that I found out today that I have been promoted to a manager position at Larson Gross. I have been a senior for several years, and was pleasantly surprised to find out about the promotion. I am working part time, working 5-10 hours per week in the off-season, and a little more during tax season for the last two years. I am now officially on maternity leave until the end of tax season, and we'll see how it goes from there. Anyway, I was excited and thought that I'd share the news with you all!

The countdown is on... 11 days to go! I have doctor appointments next week on Monday and Friday, with the C-section the following Monday!

Drama... oh the drama!

As you all already know, I prefer to be anti-drama! However, little Weston may not be the case! Either that, or he just really likes holidays! We spent yesterday morning at the hospital (again!) We thought that my water had broke, but as it turned out it was just cervical fluid that I was leaking/spilling all over the bathroom floor. Who knew? The doctor said that it's not common, but definitely something that they do see on occasion, and that we did the right thing by calling and coming in because it looks no different than amniotic fluid. So, we could still easily go until our C-section date, or things could be happening and we could have to go in sooner, only time will tell. I am having more frequent contractions (last night they were 10 minutes apart for 2 or 3 hours, but quit when I took my medication again!) and lots of fun end of pregnancy stuff, but if I could place my bet... I'd say he'll come the 14th and be 20 1/2 inches and weigh 8 lbs. But then again, what do I know!

Wayne continues to do well in his big boy bed. He is super clingy with me, and I am beginning to wonder if he knows that something is up. Time will tell. Tyler is doing well too... he's able to head outside and do some cleanup with the garage construction, and he is a huge help with Wayne (besides diapers, I still do all those!) Hey, I even cleaned the house today!!! It's the first time since November 19... Yippee!!! Hope you are all having a GREAT 2008!