Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Naked ET
Riley has added a new element to her bedtime bath routine. When we get her out of the tub she likes to strut around the house in nothing but her hooded towel. The first time she did this we were laughing hysterically because she reminded us of ET running around with a sheet on. Here's a few pics and a video of our little ET.
My First Hut!
Aunt Sarah came out to play with me on Saturday, 8/16, and she built me my first hut! And, it was in my crib, which is my favorite place in the world! Thanks Aunt Sarah! I love it when you come to play with me.
Tate's Birthday Party
On August 12 Tate turned 4! I can't even believe she is 4! It seems just yesterday we were babysitting this tiny little being and falling in love with her more and more every day. And because of our love for her we realized we needed to start a family ourselves. So thanks to Tate, and of course her Mommies, we're blessed with our miracle baby Riley.
We had Tate's birthday bash at our clubhouse so the kids could swim, play games, watch movies, and play on the playground. Of course the big day was a hit. Here's a few pics commemorating her big day.
The Birthday Girl
The Birthday Girl's Little Sis, Talor
Friends...
The boys from http://lovemytwins.blogspot.com/
We can't forget party crasher Sawyer who had SO much fun!
Finally, Miss Riley enjoying the day and doing what she loves MOST...SWIMMING!
Little Miss LOVES her Sunglasses!
Playing with ribbon is so fun Mom!
Mmmmm....sucker
Crete paper banners are so much fun!
Mmmmm...ice cream and cake!
All smiles on a very fun day!
Finally...Updates & 15 Month Pics
I'm totally a blog slacker. The worst part about me being a slacker is not that I'm not updating our friends and family enough, or keeping up to date on my blog friends and family, it's that I'm not keeping a good record of Riley as she grows up. I've got to do better. This is important for her.
I'm getting ready to start a new job next week, same company, new exciting opportunity, that is sure to make my work life even busier. Which is good. I love a good challenge. But I've got to figure out a better way of keeping Riley's blog updated.
It's time for a massive update. There's so much I haven't posted about his summer and I'm ready to let loose. Be prepared. They're just going to keep coming.
Let's start with Riley's 15 Months pictures.
We decided she was long over due for pictures. We honestly thought we'd leave KK without any pictures because Riley wouldn't sit still long enough, or give a big enough smile. But to our pleasant surprise we left there with a few great shots of our beautiful 15 months old. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Happy 15 Months Baby Girl!
At 15 months you:
- Are walking like a pro! It's so cute to see this little person walking around the house.
- Are still a picky eater but are willing to try some new things. You still LOVE fruit. Doesn't matter what kind, you'll eat it!
- Love when your Momma comes home from work. It's like a drug, you go crazy with energy for the next hour and won't let me out of your sight.
- Have called for your Mommy when you're having a bad night's sleep.
- Show your stubborn side more and more frequently.
- Are incredibly smart and are already showing your critical thinking skills. You like to figure things out. And if we show you how to do something once then you've got it, like putting toy coins in the toy piggy bank this weekend.
- LOVE TO READ!!! Books, books, and more books. You bring books to us constantly to read to you. You can't get enough. And that makes your Momma's very happy.
- LOVE TO SWIM! Anything with the water you love.
- Get frustrated sometimes and through tantrums. We're not quite sure how to handle this yet but we've got to help you manage that temper.
- LOVE everyone to sing Itsy Bitsy Spider ALL THE TIME!
- Have several words you use consistently: hi, bye, bye bye, hat, Morgie, Mommy, Momma, doggie, read, bath, eat. There are also a long list of words that you've used a couple of times but not daily.
- Understand when we tell you to do things such as, go get in your high chair, fold your arms, go to your room so we can change your bum, go get in the bath.
- Have another new top tooth. Making a total of 7 that have broken through. But you've been pretty grumpy the past few days so we think you might be getting a molar or two.
- Go nuts for Uncle Steve. You'll even stand at the top of the stairs and yell for him.
- Whine back at the dogs. When they're being whiny you chime right in trying to whine back at them.
- Know who Elmo is and point to him on your bath mat every time you bath.
- Won't give us kisses but will give Eskimo kisses.
You are the sunshine in your lives. You're our miracle. We love you more and more every day.
Happy day baby girl!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
You're #1
Remember a while back I posted about Riley being a picky eater. At the time she mostly liked fruit, fruit, more fruit, and Yo Baby Yogurt (I call this Baby Crack because she goes nuts for it.). She had not yet developed an affinity for Mac-n-Cheese. Well now she's making up for lost time. She loves the stuff!! Thank goodness we can at least get her to eat something besides fruit and Baby Crack.
But, I think more than anything she loves making a mess with it. Why is it that kids think their food makes wonderful hair accessories? Because of this we've gone from giving her a bath every other night to almost every night simply because she makes such a MESS at dinner. For you're viewing pleasure I give you...Mac-n-Cheese Face.
But, I think more than anything she loves making a mess with it. Why is it that kids think their food makes wonderful hair accessories? Because of this we've gone from giving her a bath every other night to almost every night simply because she makes such a MESS at dinner. For you're viewing pleasure I give you...Mac-n-Cheese Face.
Notice the ONE BIG top front tooth. Well since this pic was snapped the other has finally made it's appearance. She lived with one giant front top tooth for many weeks.
In preparation for Riley's first birthday we tried for weeks to get her to give us the #1 with her finger. You know, the old, "How old is Riley?" and the kid responds with one finger. Well, unbelievably, Shelly tried it again yesterday and Riley got it just like that. Now every time you ask her, "How old is Riley?" you get a legitimate #1. It's pretty cute so I caught it on video. Enjoy!
Here's another video of our "toddler". I guess the phone in her playroom was for me. Notice when she gets to me she says "Haa". That's how she says "Hi".
Finally, a few weeks ago Holly, at Two Mommies and a Meatball, gave us a snapshot of her daily life. I decided I wanted to do the same. Here is where I spend my days.
Notice the upper panels. Which one of them is not like other? Drives me CRAZY that they don't match.
And below, the 4x4 (unpadded) cell where I really spend most of my time. Everything is within arms reach. Except a Porta Potty. I do have to get up for that every now and then. And sometimes I even sneak out for lunch! And notice my new pink planner!!! I LOVE it! I feel MUCH more organized just having it in my possession.
Monday, August 4, 2008
New Name, Same Great Taste
It's official. We're no longer 3 Dogs, 2 Moms, 1 Baby. We're now Raising Riley Joe. I've been toying with changing our blog name for quite some time and last week I finally came up with a title that fit (I know, it's so original...not). So welcome to the new and improved...Raising Riley Joe.
I've been super busy the last two weeks. I had clients in town and then spent a week on PTO. More updates to come but for now I leave you with a video of Miss Riley walking from almost two weeks ago. Yes, she's a walker now! And quite good at it. I love watching this little person walking around the house. It's so amazing watching her grow.
I've been super busy the last two weeks. I had clients in town and then spent a week on PTO. More updates to come but for now I leave you with a video of Miss Riley walking from almost two weeks ago. Yes, she's a walker now! And quite good at it. I love watching this little person walking around the house. It's so amazing watching her grow.
Finally, WELCOME TO THE WORLD RYAN AND NATHAN at Role Playing with Kids.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Oh WOW-A
Miss Riley is using more and more words, almost on a daily basis but I have a new favorite. The other day I decided on my way home from work she needed a new toy. I new that she desperately needed some giant Lego type blocks and it had been awhile since she'd had a new toy. Okay really, it's been a month and 1/2 since her birthday, and maybe I just felt like shopping! So I stopped at the Big Red Bulls Eye and picked up the Little People Build n Fun Playground.
As I set her new adventure set in front of her she grabbed it and with big eyes said, "Oh wow-a". And then repeated it several times. Shelly and I just sat there stunned. "Did she just say wow?" Yep, she sure did. But in her child like way, it was with much more enthusiasm, and then there's that special "a" on the end. She continued repeating "Oh wow'a" throughout the night.
The next day I pondered how she could have learned the word wow and then used it so appropriately. By noon I'd figured it out. I'd already used the word 5 times by lunch. I didn't even know wow was a major word in my vocabulary. People tell me stories and I respond with "wow". What the heck? Is my vocabulary not larger than "wow" as a response to another persons tales. What other basic three little words am I teaching my little one. Hopefully I'll pass something on to her a little more useful in life than wow. Wait, I've made this about me, back to Miss Riley.
So after her initial evening of "wow-ing" us she didn't use the term for several days. Then two days ago Grammy stopped by to visit. Grammy walks in, says hi to Rowdy Riley, and Riley responds "hi, wow-a". Okay, maybe she didn't use it in the right context but I'm sure she just wanted Grammy to hear her new word. Wow-a is now a member of her daily vocabulary. Here's a list of other words commonly heard coming from Rowdy's mouth. Not all are intelligible to the average listener but her Mommie's know what she's saying.
- Hi (Lots of hand waving accompanies this.)
- Tree (tee)
- Baby (She really says "da bay bee" because we always say "where's the baby?" or "is that your baby?" so she always adds "da" to baby.)
- Dirt (This is said with an English accent.)
- Blue (boo)
- Out
- Off (She says this when we turn the TV off.)
- Read (ead)
- Steve (Deve)
- Momma
- Wow (Oh wow-a)
- Doggie (oggie)
- Morgie
- Roxy (ox)
- Ball
- Baba (for bottle)
- Drink (you know where this is going, sounds like "dink")
- This (Sounds like "dis" which I told Grandpa Joe is her Dutch coming out as the, this and that all sound like da, dis and dat in Dutch.)
- Riley (Said just once but she clearly repeated her name.)
Pictured above, our HAPPY baby. She's always smiling, giggling, and playing. But notice her new obsession, the wrist rattles from when she was a baby. It's her new fashion accessory. And they must remain on at all times. We are able to sneak them off for dinner and bed. But don't let her see them or she'll demand her bracelets be placed back on her wrists.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Justice
This is a very long post. But more than that, it's a deeply personal post.
Three months ago today my very best friend (my childhood confidant, my pseudo sister) and her partner suffered the most devastating moment of their life. It's taken me three months to write this post. Three months of pondering, reflecting, and grieving. I'm ready now. I'm ready to share Justice's story with you.
Amy has been my best friend since the sixth grade, more than 20 years. That's a lot of history between two people. Growing up we were actually more like sisters. As we entered adulthood we weren't always close but were always a part of each others life, whether we went one day or three months without talking. For the past 10+ years we've been very close. Amy and her partner Trish, of close to 15 years, and Shelly and I, have spent a lot of good times together and have been there for each other through a lot of emotional and scary times as well. This moment of our lives is almost unimaginable.
About four years ago a lot of our friends decided it was time to start having children. Not the four of us. We had no desire. We were meant to spend our days traveling the world and spending long weekends camping and boating. That quickly changed with the birth of our God Daughter Tate. Shelly and I fell so head over heels in love with her that we new we wanted a child of our own. Trish and Amy also got hit with the parenting bug and in December of this past year, 2007, they notified us that they were in fact pregnant.
I was in SHOCK! They had kept this to themselves. At first I didn't believe them. I called Amy a big fat liar. Told her to quit teasing me. But then, it sunk in. THEY WERE PREGNANT! Anger quickly set in. How could she keep this from me? We don't keep anything from each other. But that quickly faded and led to pure joy and excitement. We were going to raise our children together!!! I imagined the hours we'd spend with the kids camping, boating, and just hanging out. And most importantly, I knew in the deepest part of my soul what wonderful parents they were going to be.
A few months later more good news was shared. They were having a boy!!! His name would be Justice John. Riley was going to have a boyfriend!!!
During their 20 week fetal well being check-up there was an initial scare where one of her tests came back high and there was a concern about the baby's health. They spent a couple of weeks scared and worried but after further tests they ruled out the initial test. Everything looked good except Amy had Placenta Previa. The doctors told them not to worry. It's not uncommon. Everything should be fine. They'll just need to watch her closely for bleeding and will most likely need to deliver Justice via c-section.
At the end of March Amy started bleeding. She spent a few days in the hospital before being discharged and told she would need to be on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy (4 months). She was 21 weeks pregnant at the time.
Trish and Amy were beside themselves. They were scared. What did this all mean? Was she really going to be okay?
Amy's a nurse so her stay in the hospital was interesting to say the least. Every test, every exam, was closely scrutinized by her. She would ask a million questions over and over again. But everyone remained optimistic. You'll be okay. Four months of bed rest and then you'll meet your son. But Amy was still down and discouraged. No amount of optimism seemed to settle her fears. Trish was doing her best to keep Amy's spirits up while also working, taking care of the dogs, and doting on Amy. Amy's activity included bathroom breaks, quick showers, and the short walk from the bed to the couch.
During this time people stepped up. They brought lunches and dinners. They went to visit Amy when Trish was at work. I did my best to spend time with her but the same week Amy started bleeding Shelly had back surgery. Shelly spent three days in the hospital and was then sentenced to 30 days of bed rest. I had my hands full trying to be a full time Mom, while still working full-time, taking care of Shelly, and now wanting to help take care of Amy.
Five days after her release from the hospital Amy started bleeding again. I got the call in the middle of the night. They were headed back to the hospital. This was my second call from them in the middle of the night. Calls in the middle of the night aren't good. You know it before you even say hello.
This time they kept her in the hospital and told her should would remain there for the remainder of her pregnancy. She was 22 weeks pregnant.
A few days later (23 weeks and 1 day) Amy started bleeding again. The hospital decided they would need to transfer her to the Univ.ersity of Utah hospital because after several episodes of bleeding she was now at risk for continued bleeding and possible hemorrhaging. She needed to be in a hospital that provided that type of care. Additionally, Justice was not yet viable but was getting closer to the point where they could take measures to save his life. 24 weeks is the earliest a baby is viable. He needed to be in a hospital that could provide care for him as well.
Early in the morning of April 7 the phone rang again. Another call that jolted me out of bed. I knew before I answered who it would be and that it couldn't good.
Amy was bleeding again. This time it was very serious. She was hemorrhaging and losing an extreme amount of blood. I could hear the fear in her voice. She said she thought they might be taking her into emergency surgery. She didn't know for sure. She asked if I could please come up to the hospital. She wanted me there for Trish in case something happened to her. She was 23 weeks and 3 days pregnant.
I quickly dressed and headed to the hospital. About a 30 minute drive. I expected to arrive and go right to Amy's room to see they were monitoring her bleeding but it was slowing down again. I expected her to be okay. I prayed the entire drive. Please let her be okay. Please let Justice be okay.
I arrived at the hospital and Amy's room was empty. I went to the nurses station and asked to see her. They said she wasn't seeing visitors yet and that if I waited in the waiting room they would come and get me as soon as she was ready.
I sat there for 10-15 minutes. Not knowing what was happening. Was she okay? Were they just stabilizing her? The minutes ticked away slowly. Then a nurse came and said, "Dee, Trish and Amy would like you to come meet their son."
My heart sunk.
It happened.
It's over.
From the time I got the call, to the time I was being walked back to Amy's room, it had been less than 45 minutes. 45 short minutes and the world was a different place.
My mind was trying to grasp what the nurse had just said, "their son". Justice was here. What had happened? Is Amy okay? The walk to her room took forever. I felt like I was walking in a tunnel. Every sound was dulled. Every light bright. I entered their room to find Trish holding a little precious bundle while Amy lay in the bed trying to fully come to from the anesthetic.
It was over. In order to save Amy's life they had to do an emergency C-section. Once they delivered Justice they quickly worked to save Amy's life. As they removed her placenta it came apart in pieces. Her placenta had all but disintegrated. In that short 45 minutes it took me to drive to the hospital Amy lost almost 2 1/2 liters of blood.
It all happened so fast. They had her in and out of surgery before Trish got there. Before I got there.
I walked through the door and tried to drink it all in. Amy was okay. Justice was here. Way to early, but he was here. Trish asked if I'd like to see him, to hold him. I didn't know. What would a 23 week old baby look like. But the fear quickly left when I saw his face. He was beautiful! He was perfect! He looked just like Amy. He had her cleft chin. But he was tiny. He was just 1 lb 3 oz and 12 1/2 inches long.
They had already made the decision that they would not make efforts to save him unless he was at least 24 weeks and had been able to give him the steroid shot in utero to help his lungs develop. This was it. This was our time with Justice. The only time. A short, short, amount of time.
Justice lived for just over two hours. Trish and Amy spent that time holding and loving their precious miracle. I was so very fortunate to share in that time with them. For the most part I stayed in the background and let them have the time alone with him. I tried to help by making phone calls to family so that they could just focus every second of their time with their little boy.
Justice made his arrival at 1:09 am on the morning of April 7th. He left this world at 3:19. He was on this earth for a very short time but had a major impact on so many of us.
I'll never forget holding him. I was so scared. But there was nothing to be afraid of. He was just a beautiful little boy. I looked into his tiny face and saw my best friend. She was there in him. He had her nose, her dimple, her face.
That was three months ago today. Three months have passed since Justice came and went. Three months that we've all grieved. Three months of intense pain for Trish and Amy. They're getting by. They're moving on. They're adjusting to a life they never thought they'd know. Every day, week and month they get stronger.
This also marks the point where we would be meeting Justice for the first time had the pregnancy remained viable. It's all a little hard to swallow some times. I don't know how one could survive this. But they're doing it. They turned to each other. They've grown together. They're making it. I respect the courage and the strength they've shown in the past few months.
Three months ago today my very best friend (my childhood confidant, my pseudo sister) and her partner suffered the most devastating moment of their life. It's taken me three months to write this post. Three months of pondering, reflecting, and grieving. I'm ready now. I'm ready to share Justice's story with you.
Amy has been my best friend since the sixth grade, more than 20 years. That's a lot of history between two people. Growing up we were actually more like sisters. As we entered adulthood we weren't always close but were always a part of each others life, whether we went one day or three months without talking. For the past 10+ years we've been very close. Amy and her partner Trish, of close to 15 years, and Shelly and I, have spent a lot of good times together and have been there for each other through a lot of emotional and scary times as well. This moment of our lives is almost unimaginable.
About four years ago a lot of our friends decided it was time to start having children. Not the four of us. We had no desire. We were meant to spend our days traveling the world and spending long weekends camping and boating. That quickly changed with the birth of our God Daughter Tate. Shelly and I fell so head over heels in love with her that we new we wanted a child of our own. Trish and Amy also got hit with the parenting bug and in December of this past year, 2007, they notified us that they were in fact pregnant.
I was in SHOCK! They had kept this to themselves. At first I didn't believe them. I called Amy a big fat liar. Told her to quit teasing me. But then, it sunk in. THEY WERE PREGNANT! Anger quickly set in. How could she keep this from me? We don't keep anything from each other. But that quickly faded and led to pure joy and excitement. We were going to raise our children together!!! I imagined the hours we'd spend with the kids camping, boating, and just hanging out. And most importantly, I knew in the deepest part of my soul what wonderful parents they were going to be.
A few months later more good news was shared. They were having a boy!!! His name would be Justice John. Riley was going to have a boyfriend!!!
During their 20 week fetal well being check-up there was an initial scare where one of her tests came back high and there was a concern about the baby's health. They spent a couple of weeks scared and worried but after further tests they ruled out the initial test. Everything looked good except Amy had Placenta Previa. The doctors told them not to worry. It's not uncommon. Everything should be fine. They'll just need to watch her closely for bleeding and will most likely need to deliver Justice via c-section.
At the end of March Amy started bleeding. She spent a few days in the hospital before being discharged and told she would need to be on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy (4 months). She was 21 weeks pregnant at the time.
Trish and Amy were beside themselves. They were scared. What did this all mean? Was she really going to be okay?
Amy's a nurse so her stay in the hospital was interesting to say the least. Every test, every exam, was closely scrutinized by her. She would ask a million questions over and over again. But everyone remained optimistic. You'll be okay. Four months of bed rest and then you'll meet your son. But Amy was still down and discouraged. No amount of optimism seemed to settle her fears. Trish was doing her best to keep Amy's spirits up while also working, taking care of the dogs, and doting on Amy. Amy's activity included bathroom breaks, quick showers, and the short walk from the bed to the couch.
During this time people stepped up. They brought lunches and dinners. They went to visit Amy when Trish was at work. I did my best to spend time with her but the same week Amy started bleeding Shelly had back surgery. Shelly spent three days in the hospital and was then sentenced to 30 days of bed rest. I had my hands full trying to be a full time Mom, while still working full-time, taking care of Shelly, and now wanting to help take care of Amy.
Five days after her release from the hospital Amy started bleeding again. I got the call in the middle of the night. They were headed back to the hospital. This was my second call from them in the middle of the night. Calls in the middle of the night aren't good. You know it before you even say hello.
This time they kept her in the hospital and told her should would remain there for the remainder of her pregnancy. She was 22 weeks pregnant.
A few days later (23 weeks and 1 day) Amy started bleeding again. The hospital decided they would need to transfer her to the Univ.ersity of Utah hospital because after several episodes of bleeding she was now at risk for continued bleeding and possible hemorrhaging. She needed to be in a hospital that provided that type of care. Additionally, Justice was not yet viable but was getting closer to the point where they could take measures to save his life. 24 weeks is the earliest a baby is viable. He needed to be in a hospital that could provide care for him as well.
Early in the morning of April 7 the phone rang again. Another call that jolted me out of bed. I knew before I answered who it would be and that it couldn't good.
Amy was bleeding again. This time it was very serious. She was hemorrhaging and losing an extreme amount of blood. I could hear the fear in her voice. She said she thought they might be taking her into emergency surgery. She didn't know for sure. She asked if I could please come up to the hospital. She wanted me there for Trish in case something happened to her. She was 23 weeks and 3 days pregnant.
I quickly dressed and headed to the hospital. About a 30 minute drive. I expected to arrive and go right to Amy's room to see they were monitoring her bleeding but it was slowing down again. I expected her to be okay. I prayed the entire drive. Please let her be okay. Please let Justice be okay.
I arrived at the hospital and Amy's room was empty. I went to the nurses station and asked to see her. They said she wasn't seeing visitors yet and that if I waited in the waiting room they would come and get me as soon as she was ready.
I sat there for 10-15 minutes. Not knowing what was happening. Was she okay? Were they just stabilizing her? The minutes ticked away slowly. Then a nurse came and said, "Dee, Trish and Amy would like you to come meet their son."
My heart sunk.
It happened.
It's over.
From the time I got the call, to the time I was being walked back to Amy's room, it had been less than 45 minutes. 45 short minutes and the world was a different place.
My mind was trying to grasp what the nurse had just said, "their son". Justice was here. What had happened? Is Amy okay? The walk to her room took forever. I felt like I was walking in a tunnel. Every sound was dulled. Every light bright. I entered their room to find Trish holding a little precious bundle while Amy lay in the bed trying to fully come to from the anesthetic.
It was over. In order to save Amy's life they had to do an emergency C-section. Once they delivered Justice they quickly worked to save Amy's life. As they removed her placenta it came apart in pieces. Her placenta had all but disintegrated. In that short 45 minutes it took me to drive to the hospital Amy lost almost 2 1/2 liters of blood.
It all happened so fast. They had her in and out of surgery before Trish got there. Before I got there.
I walked through the door and tried to drink it all in. Amy was okay. Justice was here. Way to early, but he was here. Trish asked if I'd like to see him, to hold him. I didn't know. What would a 23 week old baby look like. But the fear quickly left when I saw his face. He was beautiful! He was perfect! He looked just like Amy. He had her cleft chin. But he was tiny. He was just 1 lb 3 oz and 12 1/2 inches long.
They had already made the decision that they would not make efforts to save him unless he was at least 24 weeks and had been able to give him the steroid shot in utero to help his lungs develop. This was it. This was our time with Justice. The only time. A short, short, amount of time.
Justice lived for just over two hours. Trish and Amy spent that time holding and loving their precious miracle. I was so very fortunate to share in that time with them. For the most part I stayed in the background and let them have the time alone with him. I tried to help by making phone calls to family so that they could just focus every second of their time with their little boy.
Justice made his arrival at 1:09 am on the morning of April 7th. He left this world at 3:19. He was on this earth for a very short time but had a major impact on so many of us.
I'll never forget holding him. I was so scared. But there was nothing to be afraid of. He was just a beautiful little boy. I looked into his tiny face and saw my best friend. She was there in him. He had her nose, her dimple, her face.
That was three months ago today. Three months have passed since Justice came and went. Three months that we've all grieved. Three months of intense pain for Trish and Amy. They're getting by. They're moving on. They're adjusting to a life they never thought they'd know. Every day, week and month they get stronger.
This also marks the point where we would be meeting Justice for the first time had the pregnancy remained viable. It's all a little hard to swallow some times. I don't know how one could survive this. But they're doing it. They turned to each other. They've grown together. They're making it. I respect the courage and the strength they've shown in the past few months.
Today my heart aches again for Justice, for Amy, for Trish. I believe things happen for a reason. I believe Justice chose Trish and Amy for a reason. A reason we might not know or understand, but he knew, he knew they were his forever parents.
There are so many wishes in all of this to. I wish my friends never had to survive the pain of losing a child. I wish Justice was here with us. I wish Riley had known Justice. I wish Trish and Amy had the joy of raising their son. But life takes unexpected turns. We don't know why. But we're left dealing with what is handed to us. I love you Trish and Amy. And I love you Justice.
Shortly after Justice was born the hospital said they had a service called "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep". It's a non-profit organization that does infant bereavement photography. Trish and Amy's first reaction was no. We don't want pictures. But then it sunk in. This is the only chance they have of pictures with their son. They decided yes, they'd like them to take pictures of their family and their son. The company did an AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL job! I know Trish and Amy look at these photos every day. Luckily they chose to have the pictures taken. They now have beautiful photos to help remember their son and will always have a picture of their family.
With permission of Trish and Amy I share Justice, and their forever family with you.
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