One.

On April 21, 2010
I woke up at 1:30 in the morning with cramps.
I was 27 weeks pregnant.

We eventually decided to go to the hospital.

We arrived there at 4:30 a.m.

I was checked at 5 a.m.

I was fully dilated and ready to push.

The NICU transport team was called.

At 6:05 a.m. I gave birth to a tiny, beautiful baby girl.
She was just called Junebug.

                                                       The doctor laid her on my stomach

and I looked up to see sadness written all over his face.

They told us it would take a lot for our baby to survive the transport to Childrens, 

and a miracle would be needed to make it through the night.

Friends, I'm so glad I serve a God who is in the miracle making business.

When she was 8 days old, I got to hold her for the first time.

At 13 days, I heard her cry.

On July 6th, almost three months after her birth, 

I scrubbed in for the LAST time

  and our precious Junebug left with us.>

June Claire, you have come SO far. 

You've taught me what strength really is.

You're beautiful, you're smart, and you're funny.

And you are a miraculous child of God.

No doubt, the life He has planned for you will be great.

From 2 pounds, 6 ounces & 13 inches...

No eyebrows, eyelashes, fingers & ears were barely there

On 100% oxygen with a breathing tube doing the work for her

Couldn't even take any food

A few hours old -- they brought her in to see me before they transported her to Children's.

They took this picture as soon as she stabilized and brought it to me.
She was probably less than two hours old at this point.

Her three week birthday.
This day we were told she had pneumonia
and it was bad.
To 13.5 pounds, 26 inches

FULL of life!

Smiling, laughing, crawling, pulling up,

and even starting to "talk"

LOVING peaches & pears

Tolerating green beans & peas

Giggling at her big sister

and snuggling with mama & daddy 



I will NEVER forget. Many years may come and go, but I will always remember the despair and grief I felt. The sheer joy when we got good news. The gentle way the doctor delivered the bad. The way the nurses held my hand, hugged our necks, cried with us, handed our baby girl to us for the FIRST time....and even the last time. The people who dropped their lives at 6:30 am on a Wednesday morning to drive 10 hours to Orlando, FL, so that we wouldn't be alone. And all of those who wanted to, but couldn't, so they stayed home and prayed. And prayed some more. And prayed some more after that.

All the fundraisers, cards, letters, phone calls...

They'll never be forgotten.

And it will be passed on.