Stacey Skrysak

I know, right?!??

Welcome to my life 🤣

Let the soup making commence!!! Tomato soup…Tortilla soup…chili…nom..nom…

Monday Morning Cuteness: it’s hard to believe that Peyton’s Bat Mitzvah was 3 weeks ago! As life quiets down, I plan to share plenty of fun tidbits from that amazing weekend, but for now, here’s a fun part of the big day. A popular tradition at the party is to have a “sign in board”, a keepsake that your guests sign. And of course my motto seems to be “go big or go home” because this giant surfboard was Peyton’s sign in board!

The acrylic artwork was custom made with her “Peyton’s Beach Bash” logo and will sit in her room for years to come. It was so fun to watch our friends and family sign sweet messages of Mazel Tov to our special girl. And for the record, I blame my own mother on the over-the-top party planning. My Bat Mitzvah sign in board was a giant record player, complete with turquoise glitter l—it hung in my bedroom until after I left for college!

If you saw my previous post, then you know I’m in the middle of a “I can’t even make this stuff up” series of events. With the past few weeks of absolute chaos, I’ve been out of state with my parents.

Leave it to Mr. Skry for making my life so easy! Not once did I have to worry about rescheduling things or making different arrangements for the kids. Ryan has always said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” One of the many reasons I absolutely adore this husband of mine!

Yesterday was the annual IlliniThon tailgate and football game at University of Illinois, a fun event that’s Peyton’s been joining for years thanks to being part of the Children’s Miracle Network family. I received endless pictures and calls as my family had a blast with some of our NICU friends and family and some amazing college kids who are doing big things for charity.

I’m slowly making my way back home, ready to get back into the swing of my normal routine. So in the meantime, enjoy this pic of my family at the Illini game—Peyton even ended up on the big screen… I-L-L!

STOP EVERYTHING! The Hallmark “Countdown to Christmas” has arrived! Bring on the big city girl that ends up in a small town and falls in love with a Xmas tree farmer….

Right?!??

Ever have those “I can’t make this stuff up” moments in life? The stories you can’t even fathom happening to you? Yep, that’s been me for the last few weeks!

Anyone that has heard the series of events that’s happened to my family can’t believe it! So, I’ll leave you with this pic of me, my mom and my dad….any guesses of where we are and why?

I’ll begin to explain when the dust settles! But in the meantime, at least we’re all smiles ❤️

So very true ❤️

It’s a world only a select few will ever witness; a place where the sickest babies are given a fighting chance at life and a place my family called home for nearly four months. Even though two of my triplets died without ever leaving the hospital, I’m forever grateful to the Nicu. It’s a place where miracles exist and it’s because of a special group of people who I like to call miracle workers.

A day after delivering my triplets, just hours after my first child died, I woke up in an ICU bed. I was unable to see my two remaining babies due to my health, yet you took pictures of my sweet babies and brought them to my hospital bed. Thank you to the nurse who first introduced me to my children.

At one week old, you approached me and said, “Are you ready to hold your daughter?” With my eyes wide open, I simply nodded, unable to get the words out of my mouth. Weighing just 16 ounces, I held my daughter for the first time. Thank you to the nurse who gave me that first milestone.

At five weeks old, my husband and I sat in a conference room, expecting a typical update on our children. Instead, we were given devastating news: our son suffered brain damage. As the sobs poured out, you silently gave me a hug. To the nurse who was there on one of the worst days of our lives, thank you for providing the comfort I needed.

Two weeks later, we watched as doctors removed every tube and wire from our son. I rocked sweet Parker as we said goodbye. And as we shared stories in his final moments of life, a team of you were there, both present and in spirit. From taking pictures, to calling in on your day off, you were there. Thank you to the nurses who allowed us to grieve and who grieved along with us.

As the weeks passed by, our lone survivor turned a corner. The laughs became more frequent as you snapped pictures of our child’s expressions. Thank you to the nurses who gave me hope and a sense of normalcy during a time that was anything but normal.

It’s not one single person, it’s a family of nurses who changed our lives forever. Thank you for being a parent to our children when we couldn’t spend every hour of the day by their bed. Thank you for being that shoulder to lean on when we needed to vent, or laugh, or cry. You may just be doing your job, but you are touching lives with every family you meet.