First Day of School

Makayla had her first day of 1st grade :

James Micheal had his first day of 3rd Grade:

And Evan had his first day of Kindergarten:

Ten Year Anniversary Trip

James and I had the chance to go away for four days while my mother in law watched the five older children for our ten year anniversary. Hyrum came with us because he is still nursing, but was very well behaved and caused us no grief. We had a fun time over in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Our hotel was awesome and out on a pier, so we had ocean views, that was the best part. We got to visit our friends Chris and Camille, and got to have a special anniversary dinner thanks to James Aunt and Uncle who watched Hyrum so we could go alone. I can't believe its been ten years, but I guess when you have six children some time has passed. James and I have had a lot of trials during our first ten years that I never thought we would have to experience. Having to go through school, jobs, and our special kids, has brought us closer together and not driven us apart, which I find to be a great blessing. I am grateful to know that through the most difficult trials of my life so far I have had someone to cry and laugh with who understands it all and helps me move past it. This last year was especially difficult with James finishing school and finding out that our precious Hyrum would not have sight in this lifetime. But, through it all we grew closer to each other and the Savior, and for that I am grateful.We have finally had James finish school and get a wonderful job, and now I am going back to school after putting if off for some very important reasons, but I am excited for this new phase of our life and look forward to the adventure! I love ya babe!! Ten years down, eternity to go:)

Emily's Second Birthday!

I realized a few weeks ago I hadn't done a post for Emmy's birthday, so here it is. Unfortunately we didn't really get to celebrate that much this year because Emmy had hand foot and mouth disease on her birthday...which meant sore all over her mouth, bottom, and feet. To tell you how bad she took it, she is still growing back her toenails she lost. On her birthday she got a stuffed kitty from us, which she loves! She also got some candy, and we sung to her. My mom got her a cute little toy vanity, which she loves to hide things in.

To say that Emmy has been a difficult toddler is an understatement. One of her greatest qualities, is her lack of fear. This is also one of her worst qualities...as she likes to run into traffic, jump off of couches, and generally scare us half to death.  She keeps us on our toes, but James and I have noticed that she seems to be simmering down the last few weeks. She has a few words that she can speak; mom, dad, no, go, ashes(loves singing :ring around the rosie), micheal, baby, bye, and yeah.  She also loves giving high fives, not wearing clothes, taking baths, folding her arms with prayers,and playing with her brothers and sisters. She responds to music more than any of our other children have, and it can change her mood quickly! She loves to dance. She also is very good with her fine motor skills and that impresses me a lot! We love our little Emily, who is in the 90th percentile for height and weight, so maybe not soo little! I hope we can survive the terrible twos and threes, and fours! Lets just hope we survive this little whirlwind we lovingly call the beast, aka, Emily Camille Divis!!

Hyrums newborn photos

Great photos by my momma!! Love them!

Six weeks with Hyrum

Hyrum is officially six weeks old! He's still a great nurser, is willing to take a bottle with breastmilk only, and is generally very quiet, and loves snuggling. He's already had his first and second set of conformers. He's up to ten and a half pounds and 22 inches long already. He's a very patient and quiet baby so far, I'm hoping we get his first smiles. He's been such a blessing to the family and brings so much peace to my heart. Something about his spirit calms my heart and my mind when I worry about him, all I have to do is snuggle him and I'm put at ease. I would say the only adjustments we've had to make so far are his appointments. Besides that he's been a very easy transition, almost like he's been here since our family started, we love him to pieces. Here are some pictures. 

The first three weeks with Hyrum

It's a very weird feeling knowing all of your babies that you are meant to have are all here on this earth. It's also very sastisfying knowing they are all here too. I will miss having a newborn in the house, but Hyrum has been such a wonderful little cuddle bug.  Every time I hold him he nuzzles Into my neck like he's been there forever. He also has the cutest wrinkles in his forehead when he's awake, in fact that's how we can tell he's a wake. He is such a mellow baby and really seems to understand his place in the family. I've always thought that some children that come to earth are just older spirits, Hyrum seems like that to me and the rest of the family. They all know how to take care of and be gentle with him. Even Emmy has come around and is worried about him when he cries and gives him his binky. He's a very patient kind of kid, which helps when I'm busy with the others. We love him so much and have enjoyed this newborn phase with our last little one. He goes in for his first set of conformers tomorrow if everything goes well and they can get them in. It's been nice having people not stare at him or make comments for the last month or so, I will miss that, but the first year is critical for eye socket growth, so it must be done. I hope he handles the weird questions and rudeness as well as makayla has, he has a great example to follow. Everyone in our ward and our family and friends have been soooo supportive and loving to us. I've been overwhelmed by the Christ like love shown to us the last few weeks. Here are some pictures of my sweetness. 

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks. 

Hyrum is here.

Hyrum arrived at 1:48am on April 18th,2014. He was 8 pounds 7 oz and 21 inches long. He has bilateral anopthalmnia as they thought and will start his eye expanders soon. All the kids have been competing to hold him constantly. He is one loved little guy. His MRI in the hospital showed a very normal brain except for the missing orbitals.  We feel very blessed that he's been so healthy so far and has been adjusting so well to the house. We love you Hyrum Mack!! You sure completed our family!

An update on Hyrum

Well April is here and I think it's time I did an update on Hyrum and the birth plan since the little guy will be here very soon. They originally had estimated that Hyrum would be at the seven pound mark according to my 33 week ultrasound, well, after my ultrasound today he is measuring at 8 pounds 3 ounces as of today. As in he already weighs that much. They think he will be high eight or close to nine or above by the time I deliver in two weeks hopefully. He is head down but hasn't engaged into my pelvis as of yet. Besides that he seems healthy, and very active in general for one of my babies. Everything seems so normal that it seems surreal that he has any kind of issues, but we know he does. My doctor this time is not a fan of inducement (neither am I) and is very reassuring that I will be able to start labor on my own if everything continues so well. Unfortunately the whole avoiding an MRI a day after birth has been shot down. The neo natalogist along with a few other specialists (around 15), had a meeting today about upcoming special needs births and although he will more than likely be able to bunk in our room, he will still need an MRI. Luckily though, as opposed to 7 years ago they do not sedate newborns for MRI's anymore. They swaddle and give them sugar water and that's usually enough to keep them still enough for the images.  Now this was what caused makayla major Nicu issues and we had to have her Nicu stay be 4 days longer because of the sedation. 

It's so hard to plan anything right now with him because there is a lot depending on Hyrum and how well he is or isn't. I'm still hoping he can come home within two days, but I understand I can't control what happens. So that's the haps as of now. I'm hoping I go into labor a few days before or right after Easter. I'm thinking more after Easter because he seems pretty set where he is at, but a lot can change in a week. Here I am at 37 weeks. 

Makaylas adventures at school

Kay got to have the experience of another blind adult coming to her school. She got to lead Mr. Bee to her classroom. Stand in the front of the class with him while he explained how he used echolocation and got to show him the cafeteria as well. She had such a great time and was buzzing with excitement about her new friend andhow he was like her. I was also surprised to find out he comes from a family of nine and has three other blind siblings. That's crazy!! But gave me lots of hope for Hyrum and Kay. Here are some pictures of Kay's favorite visitor:

Makaylas 7th Birthday

Makayla had her 7th birthday this last Wednesday. Unfortunately the whole family was in the midst of one stage or another of a nasty stomach bug, so we didn't do a huge celebration. James fortunately made her an ice cream cake and I had ordered her presents weeks earlier off of a braille site, so she was covered to some degree. She had a great day at school and everyone sang to her...which was her favorite part. She came home and while I laid on the couch feeling dead she opened her presents from us. She got a ton of brailler paper, a new braille book, and a little braille cube she can practice her letters on. James micheal had his blue and gold banquet, so we went to that and had dinner. She thought the dinner was just for her and was very excited. We got home so late we did her cake the next day. She had a great minimalist birthday this year. We can't believe she is 7!! 

Well what can I say...Kay's done amazing this year in kindergarten and I am glad we held her back to mature. She's gotten better with pretty much all her independent abilities. I'm hoping by the time she is nine I will be able to see her get dressed, use the bathroom, take a shower, and help with some household chores independently.  It seems like a lot to do in two years but I feel like she is up to the challenge. Finding out our last son will have the same disability as makayla has definitely made us picture Kay in a very new way. She does give us a lot of hope that Hyrum can have the same life hopefully, and will be just as or more independent than Kay. It's also good to know that Kay will not feel like she is "different" then the other kids because she will have a brother who is just like her. I worry a lot about my abilities as a mother to Kay quite often and can't imagine how I will feel being responsible for two children that are blind, but I know Kay will give me the strength and hope that I can do it. We love you Kay, you are a beautiful light to our family and many others, we love you!!!

Random pictures

Just some random pictures of February that I'd like to have. 

Evans 5th birthday

The Sadie, Kay was asleep. 

Evans birthday fell on a Tuesday this year so we took him out the weekend before and went to a chinese buffet(his choice).  He loved the food and enjoyed telling everyone he saw that he was five! On his actual birthday we had cupcakes after dinner and sang him a song. He got a new track suit and superman coat which he loves. He is really into superheroes and clothing. Here are some pics of his b-day celebration....

My boys:)

Miss Emmy!!

How can I explain Evan... I honestly never know where to start with him. He was a light in my darkness. I love the hope he gives me and the Christlike love that exudes from him. I see him growing and it breaks my heart. It's hard to believe that he already five and will have three siblings that will look up to him in April. He always will have a tight grip on my heart and I know his purpose as a baby was to heal me from the overwhelming care and worry I had at the time with Kay. He snuggled and loved me and made me feel secure and peaceful, and for that I owe him so much.  I love that he is so soft spoken and empathetic. 

I didn't really know how best to describe his Christlike empathy that is incredibly powerful and exudes from him, so I decided to share this moment I had with him, because it's something I will never forget;

The day we found out about Hyrum...Evan Sadie and Emily were all with me at my ultrasound( because I thought it would be routine). I tried to keep my tears from them, but I couldn't. In that little hospital room Evan grabbed my hand leaned his head on my shoulder and cried with me, then quietly said," don't worry mommy I will be daddy right now...I love you, it's ok". We've always know that his understanding has only been prohibited by his lack of speech and not by his lack of mental capacity, but that small act showed me how much he truly understands us and loves us. He seems wise beyond his years and I wonder if he was chosen to be my comforter in this life,

 at my darkest moments. I love him and I can't wait to see what being five brings him. We love you Ev-bot, our family makes no sense without you. 

Finding out about Hyrum

Well when we got our ultrasound in Novemeber to see Hyrum they had told us that everything looked great and he was a healthy little boy. On December 20th during my second ultrasound to check on his heart we got some bad news. I felt the need to ask the ultrasound tech to check his eyes, it's something we have always asked as more of a joke than anything, but when she went to check I knew something was wrong. I couldn't see the orbits at all and I could tell the ultrasound tech wasn't sure what to tell us. My doctor made it clear to me about an hour later that they believed that Hyrum is suffering from the same condition as makayla. He has no orbits or very small orbits and would more than likely be blind. James and I were devastated and felt so confused and angry. Originally we had been told that Kay's condition had nothing to do with genetics and it was a one in a million type thing and our other children had been proof of that. Well....they were wrong.  That is probably what made the knowledge so difficult, because it had never crossed our minds that it would happen again. Also they did not know much of Kay's condition back in 2007, she was a rare case period. 

After the ultrasound they made an appointment with a fetal specialist at the hospital. We saw him after Christmas. He did another more advanced ultrasound and confirmed what we had been told. We were for some reason still hoping the doctor just hadn't seen correctly or gotten the wrong angle, but that wasn't the case. He does however believe that Hyrum may have micro orbs on both sides, but right now it's difficult to tell. He did tell us though that every other part of Hyrum looks healthy and well. Certain things will not be known until his birth in April, and I am very anxious about that. I'm not sure what Hyrums future will be but I'm praying that he can be part of our family and will be well enough to know he is loved. 

We also have met with a genetic counselor who believes that James and I both carry and autosomal recessive gene that has made this condition appear in 2 of our six children.  It cannot be pinned on one or the other since we will have two sexes with the same condition.  Which means even if we have passed down the gene to the kids the only way they will have a child with this condition is if their spouse also carries the gene. So it will be rare either way. They will be drawing blood for Kay first in hopes that she may have the key and the other children may not need to be tested at all. If nothing is found this might be a long process that may take years to figure out. We never have felt prompted to push genetics before, but would like the kids to have some idea about their children in the future if they choose to have them. 

The transition of believing that my last child would be whole and complete to knowing he will not has been really hard on me. I've been trying to find peace and loose my sense of guilt, and it will take time but I'm trying. It's hard to say how well I will deal with the stares and terrible reactions rude people tend to have when they see our blind children for the first time...it was a very difficult time when Kay went through it and I pray I will handle it better. 

But through this I just wanted Hyrum to know that we love him so much. All my dreams of him make more sense now, and it does feel like destiny that he was placed with us. Although it's a struggle I never wanted to have to relive for me or my last son, I'm still grateful we will go through it together. We love you Hyrum! We know there is sooo much you will teach us.