Mighty Hero Hayes

Meet our Mighty Hero Hayes. He is our hero for the month of February. This handsome little stud needs all our love and prayers as he starts treatment next week. We are sending all our love and prayers to you! Every penny of your donation will go to Hayes. Go to  www.psiadoreyou.com Stay strong handsome! You got this!

 

In December, Hayes started getting sick. He was throwing up, sleeping a lot, and wouldn’t really eat. Every time Steve and Savanna took him to the doctors, they told them he just had a virus… it was going around. After hearing this for five weeks, they knew it wasn’t right. They had five other kids at home and none of them were sick. If it was a virus, someone else would have caught it. 

On January 7th, 2016, they decided that they needed to take him to Primary’s Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. They did a scan and found a mass in his brain. 

The next day Hayes went in for surgery to have it removed. They were able to remove the tumor but it was large and malignant. The tumor was sent to pathology. 

On January 19, 2016, pathology came back and Hayes was diagnosed with Choroid Plexus Carcinoma, an extremely rare form of cancer that affects 1 in 3 million people. It’s so rare that doctors in Utah have never treated it. 

It is very early yet and we do not know much information right now, but we do know that the family is going to need every bit of help they can get to provide Hayes the very best treatment.  They have enough to worry about, we don’t want them to have to worry about any financial burdens. Even though they have medical insurance, we know there will be lots of things they have to pay for. 

Hayes is a tough kid and is a fighter! In fact, his parents told me that he has a triplet brother that is much bigger than he is. They still remember their first fight over a toy. Hayes had this tenacity although his brother was stronger, Hayes had this unbelievable determination to fight for what he wanted. Hayes was the last baby born out of the triplets and immediately was put on a ventilator. He quickly got off the ventilator and was eventually the first baby to come home. His parents have always known that Hayes is determined. He has a tenacious mentality that they haven't seen from their other kids. 

His middle name is Kyle, after Chris Kyle from American Sniper. He has defied the odds from the beginning… when they first found out that they were expecting triplets they initially heard only two heartbeats. The ultrasound revealed three babies, but they couldn't hear his heartbeat. The Doctor wasn't very optimistic that he would develop giving him a 50/50 chance, but after only a week they went back and heard Hayes' heartbeat. He was determined to come to their family and be a part of the happy chaos that is the Tate family! 

Hayes is a tough little guy and is surrounded by an incredible family, including amazing parents, a 9 year old brother, a 7 year old sister, a four year old brother and his fellow 10 mos old brother and sister triplets. It takes a village… and there is a strong village that will be there for Hayes and his family every step of the way.

After meeting with the Oncologists at Primary's Children's Medical Center and doing our due diligence with St. Jude's, Savanna and I have decided to stay here for Hayes' treatment. The treatment could start as early as Friday, but we will definitely be starting by next week. It will consist of an aggressive chemo therapy regime of 6 month's inpatient. Savanna will be at the hospital with Hayes while I stay home with the other 5 kids. We are extremely grateful for the support so far and we will continue to lean on it for these next 6 months. We are extremely grateful for the love everyone has shown us. We plan on beating this and having a party in July to celebrate. It's time to beat cancer and Hayes will do it. I know! #prayforHayes #Hayestough

Valentine's Day gifts under $30 for everyone on your list

Valentine's Day is sneaking right up on us! But considering we're still in recovery mode from all the Christmas spending, we plan to keep our Valentine's Day gifting on the thrifty side. Here are come inexpensive ways to show your love to friends, significant others and kids!

1.

These Anthropologie candles are our absolute favorite - any friend would be so excited to have one of these to cozy up their home in the winter months! $28

2. 

We love the idea of collecting holiday-themed books to take out just for the season. It keeps your kids interested and makes bedtime extra fun. This sweet "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" spin-off is perfect for the occasion. $6.99

3. 

Sometimes a card is all it takes to show someone you care. We're skipping the traditional cheesy cards for a different kind of cheese this year with this cheeky style from Urban Outfitters. :-) $5

4. 

The men in our lives are simple creatures: they don't need much...but they could always use a new pair of socks! These festive heart socks from Old Navy are just subtle enough that any many would be willing to rock them. $5.94

5. 

We don't care who you are — man, woman or child: you will go crazy over these gourmet rice crispy treats by The Crispery. They are ooey-gooey in all the right ways and will change the way you see rice crispy treats forevermore. $24.99

6. 

Another perfect gift for a girlfriend, this Forever 21 jewelry dish quotes our favorite Beatles line and would get used on the daily. $5.94

7. 

Though handmade gifts are always appreciated most, they can be overly time-consuming. This book does the legwork and makes a thoughtful gift as easy as pie. It'll help you say "I love you" in all new ways! $10

8. 

Skip the chalky candy for a longer-lasting version of the Valentine's Day classic treat. This sweetheart Rubik's Cube puzzle is perfect for the older kids in your life who love a good challenge. $5

Winter pregnancy style inspiration

Freezing winter temps can put your fashion game in a rut come January and February, but when you're pregnant, things can get really rough. Thank goodness for Pinterest and street style blogs, bringing us inspiration just when we're resorting to pulling out the same pair of sweats for the third day in a row.

For today's post we've compiled a few of our favorite winter maternity looks to keep things fresh until that baby comes along!

1. Sweater with fur vest. We love the layering and texture going on here!

Via @merricksart

2. Form-fitting tee + button-up shirt. Again, layering is essential in the winter, and essential when trying to conceal a growing bump. Match made in heaven!

Via @leannebarlow

3. Edgy prego style. We love that this look is edgy, sporty and comfortable all at once.

Via @midwifeyhooper

4. Tunic over jeans. This longer top allows coverage and warmth while giving a more boho look to a button-up. Love!

Via @thestyleditrix

5. Maternity overalls. These exist?? This girl is rocking this look so hard, it makes us believe we can do it too.

Via The Northern Light

6. Put a belt on it. Even with flowy tops, it's always flattering to define the waistline with a growing bump.

Via GBO Fashion

7. Bodycon dresses. Though it may seem counter-intuitive, bodycon dresses are a great way to appear slimmer during pregnancy — no loose layers to make you look bigger than you are! Paired with over-the-knee boots and it's downright model status.

Via Little Blonde Book

8. Layer tops of different lengths. While the first top would be too short on its own, layering it with a longer lace top makes it totally maternity-friendly. Genius!

Via The Daybook

Childhood cancer charity spotlight: Alex's Lemonade Stand

Via Facebook

We're excited to start a new series spotlighting some of our favorite foundations that also support children with cancer. First up: Alex's Lemonade Stand!

This foundation was started by a child who had cancer herself — the inspiring and adorable Alexandra Scott. Sweet Alex died of neuroblastoma in 2004, at the age of eight.

But for four years prior, Alex started a lemonade stand raising money for her local hospital, doctors and fellow children battling cancer. She told her mom she wanted to help other kids the way they helped her. By the age of eight her lemonade stands had gotten so much traction she managed to raise $1 million dollars for her cause.

Via Facebook

Alex's Lemonade Stand carried on after Alex passed away, and has continued to donate millions of dollars to childhood cancer research. This is a hugely important, because only 4 percent of funds from the National Cancer Institute go toward childhood cancer research.

Like us, Alex's Lemonade Stand believes in making a difference now — not just whenever a cure for cancer is found. We love that Alex's Lemonade Stand is one of the only national charities giving funds to pediatric oncology nursing research, which helps improve the quality of care and life the children have as they battle cancer.