Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Merry Christmas!
I am so not with the program this year. Usually, I have my Christmas Cards printed, addressed and stamped by Thanksgiving and in the mail the day after. This year, they've been printed, but have sat on a shelf waiting to be prepared. I've gotten out two. Yes. TWO of them. And those ones were hand delivered. So, I figured I would at least send a quick end of the year update this way, post some pictures, and if I get around to getting the cards out, it will be a bonus. Sorry. This is just a strange holiday season for me.
In January: Sierra threw us an amazing surprise baby shower for Makenley. She recruited the help of some of our friends, and it turned out fantastic. Kai'Lani turned 9 on the 18th.
In February: We celebrated Arianna's birthday with cupcakes and a balloon release. We also celebrated Zion's Birthday. Arianna would have turned 6, and Zion turned 5 on the 27th. We continued to prepare for Makenley's arrival. We also got a puppy--Cookie.
In March: We welcomed our beautiful Makenley to the world on March 10th. She made quite the entrance with her rapid delivery. No doctors made it, no NICU staff made it....our nurse caught her alone. She was 4lbs 2 oz, 18" long, and absolutely beautiful. A week after her birth, we almost lost her, due to an accident by a nurse in the NICU....but thankfully she recovered. Most of March was spent in the NICU and the Ronald McDonald House in Reno, as we anxiously waited for her discharge. She came home the last weekend of March.
In April: Phoenix started Baseball, and played for the Cubs. We remembered Arianna on the 5th, and celebrated our anniversary on the 24th.
In May: Sierra turned 12 on the 21st! There were lots of baseball games.
In June: There were warm days....Makeneley went to the beach for the first time. There were carnivals, baseball games, concerts in the park, Carson Valley Days, sleepovers, campfires and smores.
In July: Bryce turned 4 years old on the 1st. We did Hometown Celebrations, bike parades, concerts in the park, 4th of July celebrations at Lake Tahoe. We went to Muir Woods Monument in California and the ocean. We had two large pools set up in the back yard, so there were a lot of swim days.
In August: Phoenix turned 8 on the 12th. More baseball games, large---very large sleepovers for the kids (20+ extra kids for one!). Campouts, fishing, beach days, bike rides, firepits, and friends seemed to be the themes as we said goodbye to summer break. In August, Sierra started 7th grade and her first year of middle school, Kai'Lani started 4th grade, Phoenix 3rd, Zion started all day kindergarten, and Bryce started preschool. Bryce landed himself an ambulance trip and overnight stay in the hospital after coming down with an awful respiratory infection, but recovered quickly and came home the next day. All kids are doing well in school and enjoying their classes. I had surgery.
In September: All 5 of our kids started soccer. Ken and Sierra were also referees. The rest of the next two months we lived and breathed soccer.
In October: October was SIDS and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. There were proclamations signed, newspaper and news interviews and speeches and presentations. There was soccer and more soccer. There was Halloween and school dances, Nevada Day parades and at last....the end of soccer season. Makenley started saying her first words--"Momma", "Dad" and "hi".
In November: There were snow days. There was Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving plays and feasts in school. Thanksgiving spent with friends. There were NICU reunions for Makenley, and fun in the fall leaves. Phoenix brought home a straight A report card (after struggling last year...huge improvement!). The kids took flying lessons through the Young Eagles Flying club. Sierra actually got to fly the plane over Carson and Virginia Cities.
In December: There have been Christmas parades. Christmas plays. Christmas dances. Makenley cut her first tooth. Winter break and shopping. I had another surgery last week and Ken broke his arm. Tomorrow is Christmas...and Makenley's first Christmas. Tonight there will be lots of wrapping. Lots and lots wrapping. :)
It's been a whirlwind of a year.
We hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and a very Happy New Years! Here's to hoping 2015 is a good year! Love to all of you.
Love,
The Terhune Family
Friday, November 28, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Today is SIDS and Pregancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.
Today is SIDS and Pregnancy and Infant/Child Loss Awareness Day.
A day of remembrance for all of our sweet babies. Whether it's miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any other type of death.
Each year on October 15, at 7:00 pm, in all time zones, people light candles to participate in the 'Wave of Light'. Events take place all over the world. Memorial walks, candle light vigils, etc.
Our family always participates. We light candles. We hang out together as a family, and allow everyone to share whatever is on their hearts. We pray for all the babies, and the families who ache so badly for them. We let the kids pray. We let them talk about their sister, or ask questions if they want to. We cry. We smile and laugh. We long for our babies. We remember. We snuggle and hold each other tight. We thank God for the time we had with our missing babies and the time we have with our six living babies.
It seems to be one of the few days that we allow ourselves to feel and express our feelings without a filter. It's one hour of the year that we lay our masks down. That we give up fitting into society's one size fits all, three days to grieve, grief mold....we let go of the unrealistic expectations that we should be over her loss. Or that it shouldn't hurt, still.
Reality is, it hurts....still. And on days like today, where friends pictures from all over the world start popping up on my Facebook newsfeed as they light their candles....it gets a little raw. The numbers are insane. Too many babies. Too many families trying to survive without their babies. This 'club' is just too large. Too large for it not to be talked about, not to be more funded for research. It makes no sense.
Different continents, countries, time zones, languages.....it's amazing to me how the one common thread we have as grieving parents, makes us more like family. Of course, I would prefer not to have met any of these families. I would prefer to have all my babies, and for them to have theirs. But I am incredibly thankful for this 'family'.
Tomorrow we'll put our masks back on. But for today, it's been nice to be able to lay down our masks, and be real and raw....along side the thousands of other grieving moms and dads and brothers and sisters and grandparents.
Thinking of all these precious babies, and praying for the families who miss them more than words could ever express.
Some pictures from today....
A day of remembrance for all of our sweet babies. Whether it's miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or any other type of death.
Each year on October 15, at 7:00 pm, in all time zones, people light candles to participate in the 'Wave of Light'. Events take place all over the world. Memorial walks, candle light vigils, etc.
Our family always participates. We light candles. We hang out together as a family, and allow everyone to share whatever is on their hearts. We pray for all the babies, and the families who ache so badly for them. We let the kids pray. We let them talk about their sister, or ask questions if they want to. We cry. We smile and laugh. We long for our babies. We remember. We snuggle and hold each other tight. We thank God for the time we had with our missing babies and the time we have with our six living babies.
It seems to be one of the few days that we allow ourselves to feel and express our feelings without a filter. It's one hour of the year that we lay our masks down. That we give up fitting into society's one size fits all, three days to grieve, grief mold....we let go of the unrealistic expectations that we should be over her loss. Or that it shouldn't hurt, still.
Reality is, it hurts....still. And on days like today, where friends pictures from all over the world start popping up on my Facebook newsfeed as they light their candles....it gets a little raw. The numbers are insane. Too many babies. Too many families trying to survive without their babies. This 'club' is just too large. Too large for it not to be talked about, not to be more funded for research. It makes no sense.
Different continents, countries, time zones, languages.....it's amazing to me how the one common thread we have as grieving parents, makes us more like family. Of course, I would prefer not to have met any of these families. I would prefer to have all my babies, and for them to have theirs. But I am incredibly thankful for this 'family'.
Tomorrow we'll put our masks back on. But for today, it's been nice to be able to lay down our masks, and be real and raw....along side the thousands of other grieving moms and dads and brothers and sisters and grandparents.
Thinking of all these precious babies, and praying for the families who miss them more than words could ever express.
Some pictures from today....
From Reno, NV
From Perrysburg, Ohio
From Dallas, Texas
From Chapel Hill, North Carolina
From Burlson, Texas
From Illinois
This year, Niagra Falls was lit pink and blue for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day!
These ones are our display. A baby's name on each candle.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
October update.
Hi all,
Hope everyone is doing well. Been a little while since I've posted an update. Life......it just gets away from me and before I know it, it's been another couple months in between updates.
The family is doing well. Soccer season is wrapping up....we have two tournaments, and then we're done. The season was hectic, but not bad. It's safe to say, that we're all ready to be done, though. School is going well for all of the kids, and everyone is currently healthy. Now they're looking forward to ski season.
Makeneley is now 7 months old, and an absolute joy. Such a happy little girl with more personality than she can contain. She sometimes says 'mama', gives kisses, fives, waves hi sometimes, and loves to interact with others. She hasn't gotten any teeth yet, and isn't really interested in foods yet, but she's growing well, so we're not rushing her. Last time we weighed her, she was 13.5 lbs.
October is here again, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, SIDS Awareness Month, as well as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This October has been busy for us. In September, we were suggested to write a proclamation for Douglas County for SIDS Awareness Month and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month to help raise awareness on a local level. A friend helped with the proclamation, and it was submitted. It was accepted by our local commissioners, and signed and presented on October 2nd, at the old court house in Minden for Douglas County. We gave a quick speech, and told a bit about Arianna and our experience. Our Governor, Brian Sandoval, also took it on and declared October as Nevada SIDS and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and signed another proclamation. We presented this proclamation at a Time For Remembrance memorial walk in Reno today. We've done 2 interviews with the local newspapers so far, and while in the middle of one newspaper interview, received a package with a letter from President Obama. The word is thankfully getting out......faster than either of us anticipated. But we're thankful for all of the support we've received through it all, and are hoping to somehow continue raising awareness, and hopefully working more resources into our community. The wheels are turning......plans are being made, and support is growing. It's been an incredibly emotional October so far....but productive and filled with adrenaline and excitement.
Article the Record Courier posted. Carson Valley Times article will be posted on Tuesday, in time for Pregnancy and Child Loss Awareness Day/National Wave of Light.
Hope everyone is doing well. Been a little while since I've posted an update. Life......it just gets away from me and before I know it, it's been another couple months in between updates.
The family is doing well. Soccer season is wrapping up....we have two tournaments, and then we're done. The season was hectic, but not bad. It's safe to say, that we're all ready to be done, though. School is going well for all of the kids, and everyone is currently healthy. Now they're looking forward to ski season.
Makeneley is now 7 months old, and an absolute joy. Such a happy little girl with more personality than she can contain. She sometimes says 'mama', gives kisses, fives, waves hi sometimes, and loves to interact with others. She hasn't gotten any teeth yet, and isn't really interested in foods yet, but she's growing well, so we're not rushing her. Last time we weighed her, she was 13.5 lbs.
October is here again, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, SIDS Awareness Month, as well as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This October has been busy for us. In September, we were suggested to write a proclamation for Douglas County for SIDS Awareness Month and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month to help raise awareness on a local level. A friend helped with the proclamation, and it was submitted. It was accepted by our local commissioners, and signed and presented on October 2nd, at the old court house in Minden for Douglas County. We gave a quick speech, and told a bit about Arianna and our experience. Our Governor, Brian Sandoval, also took it on and declared October as Nevada SIDS and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and signed another proclamation. We presented this proclamation at a Time For Remembrance memorial walk in Reno today. We've done 2 interviews with the local newspapers so far, and while in the middle of one newspaper interview, received a package with a letter from President Obama. The word is thankfully getting out......faster than either of us anticipated. But we're thankful for all of the support we've received through it all, and are hoping to somehow continue raising awareness, and hopefully working more resources into our community. The wheels are turning......plans are being made, and support is growing. It's been an incredibly emotional October so far....but productive and filled with adrenaline and excitement.
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