This silly girl…

Jul1

Poor baby, she hasn’t been feeling well at all this week. Thankful for a clear diagnosis, finally and that she is already feeling better!

Funny face!

Silly girl.

Showing off her pretty eyelashes!

Thanks for your prayers for this sweet little girl and her mamma.

Cousins…

Dec10

To say the kids were excited to find out that they had a new little girl cousin is putting it mildly…

Tori holding Kimberly

At a little before 5 a.m. after Kimberly was born, I came home and found Zayne asleep in our bed. His little head popped up and asked “Wha she had?” When I told him a little girl he smiled the biggest smile, put his head back down and fell promptly back to sleep. He also practiced saying “Kimbery” all day. 🙂

Can't you just see these two getting into trouble later?

Uncle Mark

Papa

Papa's hand

Sissy…

Aug25

Emmalynn is now almost 15 months old! She is busy walking and trying to keep up with the other kids. She has the most wonderful smile when she chooses to share it otherwise most people get her blinking-close my eyes look, pretending she’s not there. Here are some of those rare smiles that most people don’t get to see…

Big grin!

Serious girls...

Not too much of a similarity eh?

Losses

Aug10

You never said you’re leaving,

you never said goodbye.

You were gone before I knew it,

and only God knows why.

A million times I’ve missed you,

a million times I’ve cried.

If love alone could have saved you,

you never would have died.

To some you are forgotten,

to others just part of the past.

But to me who loved and lost you,

your love will always last.

~Author Unknown

On July 14th we had a very unexpected trip to the ER when I started hemorrhaging at home. Unsure of why I was bleeding they ran several blood tests that determined we were expecting again. I had an ultrasound and we were surprised to learn that I was about 8 weeks pregnant and we were able to see our baby and hear his/her heart beat. It is amazing how fast your mind can start spinning…pregnant??!…can I handle months of bed rest again?? can I endure another c-section?? ….to…it will be ok….we can handle this…will Emma have a new sister?…on and on. Then on to learning that things do not look good for the baby; to bleeding uncontrollably again; to being wheeled back to the OR and being knocked out for a D&C. Then on to trying to recover not only physically from the blood loss but onto dealing with guilt and anger and more guilt and anger. We have made it through now four losses over the years and definitely does not get any easier…Four treasures in heaven.

“For A Moment”

I saw for just a moment, your little arms and legs. The little blur they said was you, but now you’ve gone away.

I heard for just a moment,the beating of your heart. The sound that held such promise, but soon it would depart.

I dreamt for just a moment,of the day I’d hold you tight. I’d listen for your little breath, and rock you through the night.

I cried for just a moment, when they said that you had gone. I laid alone in silence, that seemed so very long.

I prayed for just a moment,that you would be reborn. Into my arms you would come and forever would be warm.

I was for just a moment, the mother of a child. Who laughed and cried and ment so much, if only for a while.

In that single moment,when I finally said farewell. I knew that we would meet again little baby for time will only tell.

(c) Michelle Ann Burch

Meeting Emma…

May21

It is so hard to believe that a whole year has already passed us by and Emma is now a year old. It is just amazing how quickly it passes! Most of these pictures I have not shared before, it is with mixed emotions that I share them now. The first couple of weeks after Emma’s birth is such a blur due to the complications that arose right after her birth, leaving me in surgery for eight hours and weeks to recover.

Looking back to this time we are most thankful for:

The prayers of our friends and family through months of bed rest through today. 🙂
Wonder children (and husband) who were just so helpful and thoughtful.
Pastor Chris and Peggy Sue visiting us right before surgery to pray with us.
The prayers and peace that I felt during surgery.
Wonderful doctors and nurses.
A healthy and beautiful baby GIRL!
The Rickel Family for visiting us and praying with us at the hospital.
Our parents and family.
Our wonderful church family that pampered us for many weeks after coming home from the hospital.
God’s sovereignty over it all.

Emma was (and still is) a pretty easy going baby. She was rarely fussy and one of my easiest babies, it was God giving me what I really needed at that time. We all have enjoyed her so much this past year, she makes the crankiest of us smile and laugh!