Yesterday, in my 2022 resolutions post, I alluded to the fact that 2021 was a hot damn mess. I wish I could explain it another way. “Hot mess” isn’t even adequate enough. It was a HOT DAMN MESS. We had a wild one, and while we had PLENTY of wonderful things come out of 2021, it got really ugly. If you’re interested in a big, messy update from the Mason Family, then keep reading on!

ROUGH TWIN PREGNANCY

I just went to find the link to my twins announcement post and realized I didn’t make one. I know I posted a video on YouTube, but I never posted here. My last update was about the issues we were having in pregnancy and that I was admitted to the hospital. (Keep in mind that I posted this the DAY before the twins were born. Things switched that quickly.)

Long story short, my pregnancy was really rough. My body was just in so much pain, I couldn’t sleep. I was at the doctor’s office at least twice a week, once being an hour from my house, once being 30 min from my house. Beyond the physical, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong, the anticipation of a NICU stay, and the change that was coming up.

EARLY DELIVERY

We ended up delivering the twins at 32 weeks and 6 days after I was hospitalized for a little over a week. One minute the doctor was telling me the babies were good and could probably wait to deliver until closer to 35 weeks, the (literal) next he found out that I had some REALLY sudden onset of preeclampsia and asked me to get Brett there ASAP so we could do an emergency c-section. The sudden switch was so jarring, and I was feeling really anxious.

LUCKILY, I had a much better delivery than I did with Clara. Less shaking, no passing out, etc. It was a lot to deal with, but they were delivered safely and I was safe and healthy as well.

NICU STAY

After the delivery comes the NICU stay. I knew it would happen. I anticipated it and tried to come to terms with it. But I didn’t anticipate the stay would be so long since my boys seemed “healthy.” Pierce was in the NICU for 45 days, and Beck was in for 53. We know the NICU was the best spot for them, but it was still really hard for us.

When Clara was in the NICU, we were able to stay every single day with her. This time, we had Clara at home, Brett had work, and I was just so overwhelmed. It was hard to prioritize and balance outside life with the beauty of being with our twins. It was while they were in there that I came to terms with needing to hire people to help us in home permanently (cleaning, lawn care, maintenance, etc.) and that is something I haven’t looked back from.

THE BIGGEST, BRIGHTEST SPOTS

Despite all the hardships with bringing the babies into the world and getting them into our home, they were the brightest spot this year. It’s still hard for me to type that, if I’m being 100% honest, because it is still SO HARD. It’s just such a huge switch and lifestyle change. I have NO TIME to even breathe if I am trying to care for them alone. It’s all consuming, but MAN, those boys are pure joy.

Pierce is our happy and opinionated boy. He was born first. He was well-behaved in the womb. He’s LOUD when he’s mad. He’ll stop anything he’s doing if he hears me enter a room—certified mama’s boy. He’s cuddly and sleepy. I always call him Peeps, which was not a nickname I ever imagined, but here we are!

Beck is a roly-poly, jolly guy. He’s got mischief in his eyes, loves to clap, and is wild. He just likes to bounce around and that is exactly how he was in the womb too. He’s our early riser, so he gets quality time with dad on the weekends. He laughs and it sounds like Gus from Cinderella. Makes me laugh every time.

OUR SHINING STAR

We can’t forget about Clara. Wow, is she growing into a beautiful, bright, strong, and opinionated lady. She’s the quirkiest three-year-old I know, and I swear, she is going to be a lawyer with the way she can negotiate anything and NOT BUDGE AT ALL on things.

It’s been cool seeing her bloom into the new role of big sister this year. She’s such a good girl with an amazing sense of humor. Clara can do no wrong in my eyes. She’s the best thing, three years running. I just wish time would slow down a little bit. Three is such a fun year!

HOUSE WOES

Where the eff do I start? Our house pretty much got the remodel we didn’t ask for this year. I’ll start by saying I had a year-long battle (literally) with the dishwasher tech that ended up in me regretting letting friends help with things, hiring an electrician, and ultimately buying a new dishwasher.

From there, we can move on to the fact that I finally pulled the plug on getting vinyl plank flooring throughout my living areas—living room, dining room, hallway, foyer, and kitchen. When I tell you this project DOUBLED in cost in the middle, took 2 weeks to complete vs. 2 days, and added on a mini bathroom remodel PLUS another plumbing fee… that’s not even all-encompassing. (Side note: When I was driving my new bathroom vanity home, it flew out of the back of the truck. FUN TIMES!)

We finally decided to tackle the basement leaking issue and sunk 5 figures into a project that basically did nothing. Our basement still leaks. Hoping they can get it all figured out, but yeah….definitely not FULLY waterproofed.

Then I found termites. These are just the BIGGEST points, but wow. I thought my new coworkers were thinking I was a psychopath between the house issues and the health issues.

HEALTH WOES

Speaking of health issues, we had our NICU stay early on, but we had a repeat NICU stay for Beck in July. From July on, I’m not sure there has been more than a handful of weeks where all of my kids have been able to attend daycare all week. In November alone, my kids only went for like a week total.

Having a new baby in daycare? ROUGH. Having TWO new babies and a toddler in daycare? Almost unbearable. It’s a lot of sick days, but that is a great segway into some other things we can be grateful for.

ALL THE LITTLE THINGS

I had a job for the first half of the year in banking that was so accommodating of my hospital and doctor’s appointment needs. I’m forever grateful for their flexibility and love. In the middle of the year, an opportunity came along to apply all my passions and skills to a new job. I’ve enjoyed flexing my brain, while having the flexibility that comes from working a creative job from home. I am not sure I would have made it through this year without some awesome employers. And only good things to come on the job front, I am sure.

We were lucky enough to keep ourselves afloat during the home issues in regard to finances. It’s been a combination of help from loved ones, the government, a lot of overtime for Brett, and a lot of budgeting and tracking from me.

Overall, we had a lot of time together. More than I could have imagined. And while it was hard, it was time well spent. Also, we survived. I think that’s the main takeaway!

Cheers to 2022, and it being a year of clarity and refinement!