Tue, 26 May 2009 21:15:50 -0400

Hello! Long time since I’ve posted - I can definitely see how having two kids takes extended time away from the computer. So, let me catch you up to speed.
March was full of adjustments , but we were truly blessed to have had so much help in that process from family, as well as, our church family who provided meals for a couple weeks which was SO helpful and delicious!
Owen had a rough start to life as we discovered he was suffering from Reflux. After a few doctors visits, we finally started him on Zantac which is supposed to help ease the discomfort and help his milk digest better. I have always hated the smell of baby vomit, but to experience it every time he nursed, was not, and is not fun. We are always armed with bibs and burp cloths-- and I am learning that it is best to drape myself so he doesn’t get on my clothing or furniture.
As of April 20th, Owen was weighing in at 11 lbs 14 oz and 23 3/4 in long. He is showing to be longer than Ryne was at this age and is actually in the 50% range which was also different from Ryne. So, despite all his spitting up, he is gaining well!
As of May, Owen is improving in a lot of ways regarding his reflux, but we think he’ll always be a spitter until he gets through this stage of life. He seems to know who his family is and smiles and coos with us daily- such a joy! Ryne adores his brother. He hugs and kisses him constantly. He did have a moment of jealousy, but that seemed to pass quickly. He is always concerned of Owen’s whereabouts, and is such a helper. Owen loves to lay on the floor next to Ryne while he talks, plays and sings. We look forward to watching them play together.
Ryne is growing up so much! He talks a lot and uses such big sentences it’s hard to think he’s only 3. He loves to play on our patio (as do I love being out there too) and still enjoys our weekly visit to the library. He is full of energy and I really don’t know how he makes it through a 12 hour day without a nap, but he does! Good for us though as it means he’s in bed early, and we have a long evening to just ourselves (well, and Owen if he wakes).
Overall, we are doing well as a family of four. I finally feel like I have some normalcy back in our lives and can go out and about like we used to for the most part. I will try very hard to keep updating the site-thanks for checking in. :-)

Owen Miles Tyson

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:06:56 -0400

Finally, I've found time to sit at the computer to update our web page. I know most of you have already heard the news, but in case it didn't make it to you yet we wanted to officially give you the details of the birth of our new little boy.

Owen Miles Tyson came into the world on March 9th @ 1:26am! He was 6 lbs 5 oz. and 20 in long. He is healthy and doing well thus far.

I had exactly what I expected, a quick delivery! I started contractions at midnight March 9th, they were 10 minutes apart but quickly became 5 minutes apart by time we left the house. We arrived at the hospital by 12:50 am, started pushing by 1:15 am to deliver 10 minutes later! Mind you, I begged for an epidural, but it just was too late. This was my biggest fear - forgoing the epidural- but I survived and I know I could not have done it w/o Pete's complete composure and calming nature through it all. As much as it was an amazing experience to deliver naturally, I have to hand it to the women who choose to go that route ... I have to say, I prefer my pain meds! :-)

We are slowly adjusting to this new life of our family, as is Owen, I'm sure. Ryne seems to really be excited and very loving of his new little brother, but there are times when he starts acting out of the ordinary as he knows something is different around here. Thankfully between grandparents, uncles/aunts, and friends... he's been well entertained in these early weeks.

Owen is so far proving to be a good sleeper and seems to be a chill baby during the day- even when Ryne is loud and jumping around. I guess that is usual for a 2nd child... they just learn to go with the flow and sleep through noise.

I'm sure I'll be updating more often and posting pictures so be sure to check back on occasion.

Fall & Winter Update

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:41:49 -0500

Moving
Last I wrote, we had just put our house on the market September 4th. Here's the recap of how the Lord brought us to our new house.... Shortly after signing papers in August, our realtor provided us the service of a Home Stager who was so helpful in tips and suggestions on making the sale of our home most profitable. It was hard to pack away most everything- including family photos- but in the end it made sense to have a clean, uncluttered house to which potential buyers could envision their own livable space.

In the first 5 days of being on the market, we had 3 walk-throughs, which resulted in 2 offers on our house by September 8th. We counter-offered to both since we felt the offers could be better, and one buyer accepted. Within a week, the buyers inspected our house and by September 17th we came to realize God definitely was opening doors for this to happen (on both ends) as we were able to not only finalize the sale of our house, but also win a bid on a house we had our eye on! The crunch time was nerve racking as the purchase of the new home was contingent on the sale of our home, but it all came together in a matter of hours! Also, the night we won the bid on the new home was the time when mortgage rates dropped to the 5.6% rate! Talk about Gods perfect timing! We are thankful for God's blessings especially in such an unpredictable market-- they were beyond what we imagined.

October was a busy month of tossing and packing- thanks to Mom S she came a couple days, and packed our whole kitchen as well as other items that I really couldn't manage being pregnant. We moved out on October 30th, spent the night at Dad/Mom T's and went to settlement the next day. We were moved in to our new home which is only 2 miles away from our old place by that evening thanks to the many helping hands of friends/family. It's a nice split level house in a lovely neighborhood-- one we look forward to having our kids grow up in. So far it has proved to be a more accessible house w/ only a few steps and a flat driveway-- just what we desired. I've posted a couple pictures of the house, but it won't be many as we are not quite settled in.  Ryne did well in the transition and seems to like his new house. He already knows the name of the street we live on, and can recognize the neighborhood when we drive in. Thank you to those who were praying for us in this process, and to those who helped us move or watched Ryne so we could pack!

Pregnancy
Pregnancy has been a little tough this time around. I can't say that I've had that burst of energy that normally comes in the 2nd trimester, but that probably has a lot to do w/ the fact that there is a toddler in the picture, and we went through a huge move which drained all of us. Once we settled in here, I started to experience painless contractions and a great heaviness in my belly which made it difficult for me to lift anything or be on my feet long. The dr. said to slow it down a bit and that this also could be normal for a 2nd time pregnancy.  It has been hard to slow down and be dependent upon others, but I've been learning to do so and have seen an improvement. At 18 weeks, we had our 2nd ultrasound which we found out we are having another boy! Pete and I were hoping for a girl this time, but obviously we are still very happy for a healthy boy! There are plenty of perks to having a boy such as the hand-me-downs and Ryne having a brother to share in boy fun. We are now searching for a name... Ryne has suggested Lightening McQueen (from the movie Cars)- maybe that can be his nickname for his brother.

Work and Home Life
Pete continues to work diligently at his various jobs as a videographer/editor and cross country coach. I am still amazed at how he juggles his schedules and yet always finds time to keep family as priority in his life. He is a blessing to Ryne and I -- his hard work both professionally and here at home is greatly appreciated!  Every day when we hear the door jiggle, Ryne quickly runs to hide on Pete-- this seems to be a highlight of his day to scare his daddy and get tickles!   I am still not working, but participated once again with Widener University's Physical Therapy Dept. in a 4 hour lab focusing on prosthetics and amputation. I was happy to be paid to give insight to the students on life as an amputee. For many, this was their first experience working with a 'patient' with an amputation. I found it kind of comical and flattering that they all thought I was a physical therapist when I came in the room- and then surprised when I was introduced as one of their 'patients' for the lab.

Life at home with Ryne has been both challenging and great. Sometimes it can be hard to come up w/ things to keep Ryne busy, but we manage to find projects or he enjoys playing with his trains, play-doh, cars, etc. We still go to the library weekly and have discovered a new outing at B&N where I can sit w/ a cup of coffee in the children's section while he plays with the train table. Relaxing and fun for both of us!  We also attend a weekly Women's Bible study group at church which offers me a time with other ladies and Ryne a time to spend with his friends.

Be sure to check out our latest pictures and do send us an email if we haven't heard from you in awhile!

Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all!

End of Summer Update.

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 21:53:53 -0400

Summer has drawn to a close, our vacations were great, and we are now looking forward to our favorite time of year- autumn! As for updates, here are a couple things going on with our family.

For those who haven’t already heard, we are expecting our second child due in March 09! Yes, for those who keep track of birthdays, that would be Ryne’s birthday month. Even more crazy is the due date is estimated to be March 16th! Hopefully, Ryne will get to keep his own personal birthday, but we shall see! :-) We are happy and do look forward to our family growing; however, it can be a bit overwhelming to imagine another little one and how it’s possible to love another child just the same! To our relief, many parents have told us not to worry-- the love just happens naturally and equally for each child.
The 1st trimester was rough w/ morning sickness being 24/7 - but thankfully by mid week 10, food was starting to look better and the nausea eased up! As I write this, I’m in week 12 and feeling much better. Lord willing, we will continue to have good/healthy updates throughout the pregnancy to share. We will keep you posted.

We’ve been discussing and praying since mid 2007 about our housing situation. We love our little cape cod and have truly been blessed to own a home over these past 3 1/2 years. It has been a work in progress and we’ve learned a lot, but we had to weigh out how this house would work for us long term.
Planning to grow our family & disability related issues are two huge areas that have led us to the decision to put our house up on the market. In fact, our house just went on the market a day ago! Our goal is to find a house that is a bit more accessible for me and will not have AS steep of steps (or maybe none at all). Originally when we bought the house, I don’t think we really thought about these details and how I might struggle with steps (especially once a child was in the picture- and now a 2nd) but we now know what works and hopefully that suitable house will be ready and waiting for us. It is a bit scary to take this step, but we trust God will open or close the door accordingly and that is how we’ll approach it. Not to mention we have a spectacular realtor to whom we enjoy working with! :-) So please pray for us and this opportunity and that God will provide a house to meet our needs & that our house will sell! ( oh yea, we are staying local)

** I’ve attached a photo of baby tyson 2. Taken at 9 weeks. I was able to see the little hands move and the heart beating! Very amazing! The technician thought it looked like the baby was holding a balloon (the yolk sac). Week 11, I officially heard the heartbeat of the baby - strong and healthy!

Summer Happenings

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:03:58 -0400

Soon we’ll be heading off for a 4 day adventure to Lake Raystown Resort where we will have the Tyson family reunion. Then almost a week after that, we’ll be off to Sandbridge, VA with Bethany’s family for a week. We are looking forward to time away! The picture here is from our day at the Adventure Aquarium in NJ. Bethany & Ryne met up w/ her sister and her kids and we had a great time (although very exhausting)! Ryne came home w/ a bag full of sea creatures that somehow managed to go to bed w/ him that night too.
Hope all are having a lovely summer! I’m sure I’ll be posting some pics from our trips once we return.

Fun with Ryne

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:05:12 -0400

I just wanted to post this picture along w/ some of Ryne’s latest sayings that make us smile. They probably are not as funny when simply written, but if you have the pleasure of hearing him, I think you would smile too!
“ That’s beautiful” (often repeated after Bethany says it about something)
“I’m fallin’ in style” (followed by a giggle- it’s a line from Toy Story his latest movie interest)
“That’s silly mommy/daddy” (he normally has a facial expression that goes with this statement that is cute)
“You feel yet?” (said when someone says they don’t feel well, we think he means to say, “you feel better yet?” )
“cerleal = cereal”, “meno = nemo”, “natick = phanatic”
Something that gave us a chuckle the other day:
Ryne is really into stuffed animals & sleeps with about 6 of them in his crib. Some mornings he wakes up at 7 am and being that we would like one more hour of sleep, we bring him into our room. One morning he woke up early, Pete went to get him, he proceeded to hand Pete all 6 animals and then said, ‘And me!’ as he lifted his hands up to be picked up too. As if Pete would forget him- ha!

War zone

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:51:15 -0400

On Tuesday night we were hit with a fast and furious storm. It started w/ thunder, then hail & heavy rain to where you couldn’t see 2 feet past yourself when looking out the window. We heard a large clunk on our roof and after a brief 10 minutes of this, we were able to take a look at the damage. Large chunks of our trees were down in our yard/deck, and then across the street a pretty large part of a tree came down covering the road- just missing our neighbors house. My brother/his wife live 3 blocks away and their neighbors tree fell right into their driveway. Had their one car been in the driveway, it would have been crushed. The Lord’s protection was definitely upon our homes. It was a very strange storm for this area-- as you drive through the neighborhood trees are down everywhere, one car sits w/ a huge piece of tree pierced in the windshield. It was amazing to see how many tree company trucks came down our road handing out cards to homeowners- they sure were quick to respond! Well, we have a lot of cleaning up to do this weekend, but we look at this storm as God’s way of helping us take care of some tree work that would otherwise cost us thousands. :-) CLICK ‘Read More’ for more pictures.

Trying to keep up...

Sun, 1 Jun 2008 20:10:02 -0400

Just a note to let you know I added some pictures from the past few months. You can find the links to the left of the page. Nothing really noteworthy to share in regards to updates w/ our family. Will write more next time.

2 Years old!

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:54:56 -0400

Happy 2 years to Rynear! As you can see, we agreed he’s not quite ready to dress himself. :-) Click for more pics of when he was 1 week old and another one of him at 8 months.

Welcome!

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:13:00 -0400

Well, FINALLY, after working out some kinks I am finally getting this page up and running. I won’t pretend that I am a blogger, so don’t expect anything witty to come out of this. Enjoy the updates, pictures and whatever else i decide to put on here.

Update

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:49:49 -0400

Here’s a recap of several months since I last updated our old site.... I hope to do better and not have to play catch up like I will be doing below. Here’s a recap since July 2007 to Present!

PETE
Pete continues to work hard as a self-employed professional. It’s a lot to juggle when you don’t work the typical 9-5 job, but somehow Pete makes it work! He is a wonderful husband and daddy- making time to sit down for dinner to talk, and then helps me with giving Ryne a bath and doing the bedtime routine of books, singing and prayer. What a guy!
He’s had some side jobs shooting Couture Week in NYC and football/baseball clinics, so those have been fun changes for him over last year. Recently, Pete connected with a company to do some work shooting depositions and so we are hopeful that it will fit in nicely w/ the work he already has going with DVid and Championship Prod. Church softball will be starting soon, so we look forward to that!

BETHANY
I’m enjoying my time home focusing on being a wife & mommy - I guess they call that being a homemaker. :-) Recently, I learned about a work from home position through my dad’s company and so we decided that I would put my resume in and see what comes of it. It would ultimately be a position that I would do on my own schedule & allow me to be resourceful. It would require extensive training which would take Ryne and I up to my parents to live for about 6-8 weeks. We are still figuring whether it’s the right timing for that or even doable with a toddler, but mom Schwartz is on standby as she would have to watch him while I go through training. Much to pray about!
In the meantime, I had a paid opportunity to be a professional patient for a PT class at Widener University. The professor was looking for amputees that would be willing to come each semester during their studies that deal w/ prosthetic devices, etc. I’ve agreed to keep coming each year as long as it works with my schedule. I was a little nervous but it turned out to be a valuable time. I’ve also been busying myself with working on a proposal to upgrade our church nursery in the areas of aesthetics/function/security. I’ve joined forces with a friend at church (and the nursery coordinator) who had the same desires, and we recently were approved to move forward and given the funds by the church.

RYNEAR
Ryne will be 2 this weekend, and so we know the terrible twos are here! Although we would say he turned two a couple months back with his occasional crying fits, and telling us ‘no’ and knowing full well he is disobeying. He is talking much more and said his first sentence over Thanksgiving “I get ball.”. His latest questions to which we hear numerous times a day are “what dat?” or “whatcha dooing mommy?”. He loves to sing & dance, look at books, run, and give hugs/kisses. Many have commented that he is smart, analytical, cute, and a joy to be around. We would have to agree, but are also reminded to not get big heads when we hear comments like that. He likes to be active, but also enjoys doing little activities like stickers, gluing things on paper, and water painting. He usually tears everything off shortly after sticking it on paper, but at least it’s fostering creativity and giving him practice in his fine motor skills. Not to mention it teaches him that fun can be done doing quiet things too. (Don’t worry though, I’m not making a sissy out of him!) He still does plenty of boy things with cars, balls, rough housing, etc. I could go on and on about all the things Ryne is doing these days but it’s way too much to remember, plus that could get boring to some.

Now, going back a couple months....

September - November 2007
Pete continues to coach the cross country team at Phil Mont Christian Academy. Their season came to a close this past November. It was an exciting season as his team had done really well- breaking school records and placing 2nd in the PIAA Division 1 championships--this was their first year in this league. It was really great to share in that joy for the team, and see the kids excel.
Some things we started doing in the fall of 2007 and continue today.... Storybook time for Ryne at the library (He enjoys books, so almost every week we go and pick out a couple to bring home). I also started attending the Women’s Bible study group at my church on Thursdays-- that offers childcare and a time to spend w/ other women of all ages. That study was on the Psalms and now is on I John. Pete and I also attend our usual small group on Wednesdays--we are reading/discussing C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. Thanksgiving we took a trip to Santa Barbara, CA to visit w/ Pete’s family (the Jacobsens) for about a week. This was Ryne’s first airplane flight and he did a super job! Pete’s parents met us at LAX and drove us 2 hours to SB. We enjoyed our stay and loved experiencing the beauty of that area. We also spent a day w/ some PSU friends that live/work in LA area - it was great to see them! On our last day, we rented a car and drove back out to LA to spend a little time exploring before our evening flight.

August 2007
Last summer we spent some time at the Jersey shore w/ Pete’s family and then in August we went to Sandbridge, VA w/ my family.

July 2007
On a sad note, this past July my grandmother passed away. I still miss her dearly, she was 90 years old and in my biased opinion was the sweetest grandmother. I’ll write more about her in the pictures section, but it was a trying time for all my family, and I still find it difficult to know that she is no longer with us. She is survived by my grandfather who mind you is 96! I believe he is lonely and probably is beside himself as they would have celebrated their 70th anniversary last August! Thankfully, my parents and aunt/uncle are nearby to help him out with shopping, dr. visits and other things, and keeping him in line.

Well, I think that is it for now. I’ll try to write more as things come up.

10 Years!

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:36:36 -0500

This past December (2007) marked the 10th 'birthday' of when I lost my leg to amputation. I know that might seem silly that I would mark such a day on the calendar, but it was a pretty significant loss and to be able to say it's been 10 years and to know that I am not a bitter amputee (which I've met plenty) is a blessing! I’ve been thinking a lot on where I was back in 1997, remembering the challenges I've faced after the accident-- it's truly been a season of ups and downs.

Just to give you a background, since I don't know who all here knows the story of how I became disabled: I was in a car accident during a snow storm, was in the hospital for a couple weeks when the surgeons told me I had 2 options : amputation or countless surgeries w/ an unknown outcome of how I'd walk. I was given an hour to think through it b/c of the threat of infection. That was one of the scariest decisions I've had to face yet! After talking it over with my family & pastor, praying and of course crying together... I somehow came to the conclusion that amputation was what I wanted.

As I've been reflecting back over these years, I've been encouraged to look to the Psalms and see how my faith & hope in God has been challenged and upheld. I decided to write down my thoughts so I could someday pull this out years down the road or in a time where I could use encouragement. So, I decided to break my thoughts down like this : pre-loss, in the midst of loss and loss in the present.

in looking back (pre-loss) At the time of my accident, I had just turned 21 and was finishing up the fall semester of my jr. year in college. I quit cheerleading earlier that semester, and switched my major to rehabilitative services which deals w/ people w/ disabilities. The weekend of my accident I was personally challenged (after attending a Bible study) in some areas of my life that dealt with patience & contentment in circumstances/trials.

I can see God's handiwork in just those small areas I just mentioned. Had I still been in cheerleading which was such a drive for me (since the 7th grade), I probably would have been pretty depressed & would have had a lot more to work through. God also divinely put me in a Bible study on patience/contentment amidst trials - boy did that have a huge impact on my response to my loss. I also think its neat to see how I had a growing interest in working w/ people w/ disabilities to which, unbeknown to me, I would soon become. To me, that was God's lovingkindness played out as he gently prepared me for the loss I would encounter.

in the midst of loss, I can see the God of all comfort & the giver of joy that surrounded me in some very sad/confusing times in the beginning and throughout the years of setbacks and learning how to walk and live w/ this metal leg. Those came in forms of family, friends, notes of encouragement, the Bible, triumphs in physical therapy (earlier on), blessings of a husband, child and the ability to live a pretty active life. God also gave me a sense of humor over my loss-- I have many funny moments such as a roommate tripping over my leg in our dorm room countless mornings, a niece & son calling my leg a shoe, or having to apologize to our electrician about the leg I left lying on the floor which took him by surprise (its the one that looks like a real leg)!

and now i come to the present I have joy in knowing that God is faithful and good. There are still setbacks that pop up every once in awhile--some I just plug away at to get through, and others I struggle with frustration/anger or just the simple fact that I don’t have control over my situation! Those are tough times but there is where faith/trust comes in. So, it's been cool to look at the good and the ugly of loosing a limb. In a way it has been healing & helpful to write this -- its a good reminder to keep perspective, and to direct my woes away from myself and put my eyes toward my God who keeps me close.

**psalms 16 - a psalm of trust & faith, total security in god's care, fullness of joy found in the presence of god.

**psalm 37 - wisdom and instruction to those who trust, commit and delight in god.

**Psalms 42- A prayer of deliverance from oppression, hope in salvation.