The crew started school again! and at a new school this year since we have moved just around the corner from St. James Elementary. Little Tyde started 3k.

Baya has begun 3rd grade with Ms. Piuma. Ever started 2nd with Ms. O'Harra. Ollie started 1st grade with Ms. Pastore.

I think she is ready for her own room...

A HOUSE.. say whaaatttt?!?!

Here it is! In all it's glory. The new future residence of the Branham clan. It's everything I have wanted and all we need and more. It's a beautiful first home for us and I am so excited to call it ours. 

I knew our time was approaching that we were going to be able to consider buying a home when brett's business hit the two year mark. The last few months, I have been on the hunt for a great home and location for us and getting an idea about what is out there. This home checked off the most of my boxes and also exceeded some. 

I went by the model homes in Timberlake the week before Christmas and talking to the sales rep there I told him that having a yard is super important to me. He took me to this house and I knew this was it. I told brett he needed to see it. I got to show him and he liked it as well but ultimately just wanted anything that would make me happy. The next day I was sent a message saying they were sorry but the house had gone under contact. My heart sunk. I was super depressed for days!!! In the back of my mind I wanted it to be brett tricking me but that evening he came to me CRYING that he couldn't give me what I wanted!!! Then it sunk in that it wasn't going to happen. Even the days after he would show me possible listings of other options or talk about how bummed he was about missing out on that one. He was such an actor!!! Also, by me being so upset it told me how much I loved this house!! After days of literally sulking and even tearing up at random times, on Christmas Eve, we were doing a gift exchange with my family and my dad handed me a gift. I opened it and inside was a picture of this house and large envelop. It took me a minute to process it and realize that it was MY house and a contract wrapped up!!! Then more tears came but of happiness!! I happy ugly cried for like 10 minutes and thanked and reprimanded my husband for being so tricky!! 

Anyways, it was an amazing surprise from him that I will never forget. I have been carrying a very grateful heart with a lot to look forward to for 2019. 

We close in two months. eek! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2018 was a little bit of an emotional roller coaster but mostly in a wonderful way.

We found out we were expecting our 5th baby.

We had him in August.

He needed skull surgery in November.

He needs a helmet till he is one and adjusting to that.

We put a contract in to own our first home.

Those are just the bigger things for the year. But now I can break it down for each of us a bit more.

Brett: Is finishing his second year owning Tide Law. He has almost doubled the amount of closings he did his first year. I am super proud of him. He managed to not break or sprain anything which I am also proud of him for haha. He served in the Bishopric most of the year and got released right after Bowie's surgery to be home and help more. He continues to work hard and build a great business that he wants to do so much good with. More importantly when he is not working he is being a great dad.

Me: As you have read above, I have had another baby lol. Yes, another. The year did not go quite like I planned when I found out I was pregnant 7 days into 2018. I tried to continue working out and staying in shape as long as I could. I quit my job working as an artist at Wine and Design. I turned 30! The summer was very trying being extremely pregnant and having my other four kiddoes home from school then. We had Bowie the day after the kids' first day back to school. I guess I am proud of myself for surviving and making it through. We learned a lot as you can read in previous posts about our journey with Bowie so far. I have continued exploring and making art, but mostly being very busy with kids and home so not as much as I would like. But my season will come.

Baya: (8 years old)

Always impresses me. She has always picked up on things so quickly. She doesn't even know how helpful she is to me at home because she doesn't do them to help me but because she just wants to. Things like reading to her siblings, helping them with words, brushing Tyde's teeth every night, keeping an eye on them that they are safe (tattling on them haha), and even some chores. She is also the first to tell me like it is with the sassiest sass, but she always apologizes for it afterwards when she cools down. She does great in school. Her teacher said she already knows everything for 2nd grade. We were very proud of her decision to get baptized on Oct. 20th as well! She doesn't really have any interest to do sports or anything like that for the time being. She enjoys riding her bike and electric scooter, shopping, unicorns, reading, and being the third parent. lol.

Ever: (6 years old)

Is doing so much better going to school this year. For the first half he started off in a small extra class on the side to help/reinforce his reading, but right before Christmas break he tested out of it so I am very proud of him for improving and not giving up. It's finally clicking. Aside from school, his life mostly consists of Star Wars legos or just legos in general. All he does is build. I told him he should be an engineer when he grows up but he said he is just going to stay home with me forever. LOL we shall see about that! He loves being outside and running around as well of course. Ever is by far my most genuine child and he is really starting to mellow out and go with the flow. His personality reminds me the most of Bretts.

Ollie: (5 years old)

Still continues to drive me up a wall. I keep waiting for Ollie to mellow... but I think I am going to be waiting for many more years. Bless his heart. He never sits down. He goes from one mess to the next and absolutely refuses to clean a single thing up. He will find any junk food I have around the house to eat no matter where I hide it. He gets the most enjoyment out of life when he is picking on or messing with his siblings or their stuff. Mischievous - is the word I would use for Ollie. He is super particular about what he wears. It's extremely difficult to get him to where pants in winter. He would prefer to wear shorts with soccer socks. And he prefers his shirts two sizes too small or not to have one on at all. I dig it. He does very well in school. His teacher says he listens, follows rules, and likes to help. whaaaaa?!? But I'm happy about that at least.  He loves anything outdoors, bugs, swimming, and police.

Tyde: (2 years old)

Is the cutest 2.5 year old in all the land. He follows and does everything the others do (good or bad) but in his cute Ty way. The others will get mad at me and call me a butt cheek so now he does it but its kind of hilarious coming from him. He tells everyone that he has big muscles and that he is Batman. I find this funny because he is my most uncoordinated child so far. He runs into more walls and trips over thin air more than I have seen with any other. He is also still my worst eater by far.  He loves dinosaurs and can name many of them. He has the most beautiful hair and everyone loves it. He is still a big mommas boy. Tyde's other love was his Paci but we finally took that away from him with the new year.

and finalllyyyyy....

Bowie: (5 months old)

Bo has only been in the fam for 4 month out of 2018 but he found a way to squeeze a lot into that short period of time. Craneosynostosis. Skull correcting surgery. Helmet. Everything else with him had gone perfectly. He nurses great. He sleeps great. He snuggles great. He is my chunker and I just love his cheeks off as much as I can.


side note: I have too many kids.. this post took me way too long to write. lol.

Baya: September, 28th, 2010 - Myrtle Beach
Ever: May 10th, 2012 - Myrtle Beach
Ollie: July 12th, 2013 - Naples, FL
Tyde: April 10th, 2016 - Myrtle Beach
Bowie: August 23rd, 2018 - Myrtle Beach

SURGERY & 5 DAYS AFTER.....

We are now in the post surgery stage, and man, does it feel like a huge weight has lifted. The last few weeks, I have been feeling completely anxious with a big knot it my chest, my face broken out from stress, and tears ready to fall if I made eye contact with someone for too long... and now I can finally take that deep breath. I really don't do well with the unknown. 

THE DAY BEFORE

The process began on Tuesday when I received the surgery scheduling call that we were to arrive at MUSC at 5:30 am. Meaning we needed to leave Myrtle at 3:30 am. The last time I was allowed to nurse him was 1:30. All of that made me even more nervous. I pictured it going badly and Bowie being hungry and crying the entire time right up until they took him from me. 

THE MORNING OF SURGERY

This is where you know that prayers are heard and answered. I could not have been more wrong. He slept the ENTIRE night. I woke him up to feed him at 1:30 and I put him right in the car seat from then. He slept in the car seat from then all the way up until 20 mins before they were going to take him back! Not only was he entirely all smiles when he woke up he still didn't cry not once the whole time we were with him. They weighed him and changed him into the hospital gown. Every single person that was going to be in the room with him came and talked to us individually. The anesthesiologist, all of the nurses, all of the residents, and then the surgeons. They were all so wonderful, patient, and understanding.  After a few snuggles and kisses they took him back to the room to put him to sleep at 7:30. Emotionally I was doing well holding it together until I couldn't see him any more. Brett is much stronger than me in situations like this because I think he knows I need him to be. They gave us some time to collect ourselves and then we gathered our things and returned to the waiting room. 

THE WAIT

I really didn't want to just sit still so we walked a crossed the street to a hole in the wall breakfast place and back to the car because I needed to put some deodorant on! I felt a little more calm after getting the first call from the nurse saying all was well so far and they had began. That was about 8:05 am. 
After we returned to the waiting area, we saw another small boy there with a head that was shaped very similar to Bowie's. So we chatted with them and found out they were having the correcting surgery that day as well. I was even more grateful for my pediatrician then that helped us catch it so early on because this boy was almost 3 yrs old and the process is much more complex the older they are. As scary as skull surgery sounds for a 3 month old.. in actuality they are the most resilient, recover the fastest, and remember the least. 
After sitting and waiting and trying to distract myself, we finally got the call at about 10am that they were through, all went smoothly, and they were just closing him up and would be out to meet for a post consultation. 

THE CONSULTATION

In the short consultation they both said everything could not have gone better. Brett, of course, had to ask if we could keep the bone..... lol. Dr. Eskandari picked up on his humor a little and then asked, "why, do you want to make a necklace or something?" We awkwardly laughed and went on to wait just a bit longer while they were moving him to recovery and waking him up. 

FIRST SNUGGLES

I was thinking about how much I was looking forward to having him in my arms, that I didn't prepare myself for what exactly I was going to walk in and see. He was whiter than white. He looked as though he had died and they had just brought him back to life literally. I will never forget the smell of him as well. He uncontrollably cried on and off for a few hours. We decided to have the nurse give him some Oxycodone to make him more comfortable. After that kicked in he nursed great and passed out for the rest of the day and night just waking up to eat and have vitals checked. He had two IVs, one in his hand and one in his foot and cords checking vitals coming out from him all over the place. 
The next day, he woke up his usual happy and smiling self again. Seeing those smiles made my heart so happy and so grateful. He had done so well through it all, that they released us around 11am. 

HOMEWARD BOUND!

He had an Ortho appointment that afternoon to get the details and fitting for his helmet. Technology is truly amazing. Dr. Klein put a special cap on him and then proceeded to scan around Bowie's entire head WITH A PHONE.. and that's it. We go back to get his helmet on Thursday this week. 

POST RECOVERY

He took some Tylenol over the next feel days to help manage any discomforts but he really has been a trooper! He swelled around the eyes and nose slightly more on Friday but by the next day that was already looking more normal. We were told to remove the dressings four days post, so on Sunday they came off. I felt many emotions seeing the actual incisions. I was bummed because they were bigger than I perhaps thought they would be. His top one is 20 stitches and the bottom one is 17. I counted. They will dissolve. I was totally thrilled with how well they were healing only four days after. They removed about 1.5 inches thickness of his skull so his soft spot on the top of his head is very large. I will feel better about that when the helmet is on lol. Our helmeting journey will begin soon enough. 

I am so grateful everything has gone as smoothly as it possibly could have. I have felt the prayers, support, and love from so many. It has helped to turn a scary experience into an uplifting one. Bowie baby is already loved and prayed for by SO many people... I guess being the 5th he had to find his own special way to stand out.  lol.