Thank you

Throughout the past month, we have received so many words of
encouragement. It’s been a blessing to have these words to go back
to as well as the people behind them. I wanted to share some of them
in a spirit of gratefulness for the support you have given our
family.

Here are just a few of the stories, perspectives and encouragement that we have been blessed with from so many of you….

**It occurred to me that Baby b kind of mirrors my relationship to Jesus Christ. Just as Baby b is nurtured by Summer's heart, I need God's heart to nurture mine. What a beautiful reminder that we are nothing without Him. Maybe the "b" in baby b stands for Beautiful Reminder.

**Someday Summer will want to know how special her and her sister are. You can let her know that she tried to help baby B and in the opposite way, her sister did all she could to save Summer’s life. So I guess you can't have one without the help of the other even if the help is by not growing so Summer can survive. Just a positive way to look at it:)

**I wish there was something magical I could say that would make you feel better, but what I'll offer instead is to keep you in my thoughts and prayers. And I agree, there is nothing better than a little Summer in the winter.

**I feel your pain and appreciate your willingness to share this experience with us. I can relate to searching the internet for answers, weighing the odds and still being left with so many questions. I pray for Summer's health but, also for you to have peace with your pregnancy. Every good and perfect gift is from above...(James 1:17)

**No matter a person's degree of faith, family support, or courage, this is a really difficult and painful scenario for you guys to walk through. So many of the sentences you wrote are made up of words I spoke 7 years ago when faced with a similar situation. I don't know about you, but I remember that time being physically exhausted from the pregnancy, emotionally tired from decision making and spiritually stretched thin. It was difficult for those around me to appreciate what it was like to anticipate the birth of a baby while grieving the loss of another. It is so complicated and they are completely intertwined. While I am still not at the point where I can purely rejoice that this happened in my life, I do not wrestle with it as I did...and I will pray the same for you! Just a few years ago, I had some quiet time with God. I had been encouraged to get out anything hindering my relationship with Him. In the quiet, I heard the words, "who are you to hold a grudge against the God of the universe." How silly I was for attempting to reject him because it didn't go according to my plan...and while I still can't answer "why", I stopped asking. Now I'm okay with the idea that I'll probably never know.

**I remember when I lost my brother, someone who understood grief told me there was no "right way" to grieve - no timeline. I have no way of telling you what you "should" do, but i don't think anyone else can tell you either. As to "getting past" - I didn't want to move on/past him. I had to incorporate him and the loss into my life. I see you doing that. "Spending time" on her is important for your grief process. And if you know of people who have gone through this kind of loss, they will be the ones who will help you most.

**After reading "You've Gotta Have Heart," I have to say, Baby B was created by two hearts loving each other. Baby B was sustained by your heart feeding her. Baby B is right next to Summer’s heart. No matter what anyone says she is missing, Baby B is perfect in heaven and has had many hearts contributed to her short life. She will always be your baby… your baby that was taken too early. Love her, miss her, and remember her as your deeply heart-felt baby . Again, thank you for sharing your life in such an intimate way with the world. I will certainly be praying for all of you.

Thank you for your love - we can feel it!
love jenni & paul