Welcome Chase Robert!

Announcing... Chase Robert... our beautiful, healthy new nephew, born four weeks early and weighing in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and 19 1/2 inches tall.

Congratulations to Jeff and Jen, and big sister Elise!

For four weeks early, he is a big boy. If he turns out anything like Jeff, his job of being Elise's protective brother will be an easy one.

We cannot wait to meet and hold him. Katelyn has already added Chase to her prayer list. Currently, he comes after "God bless Sleep Sheep" and before "God bless Mickey Mouse." Once she meets him, I'm sure he'll move up the list.

We're so happy that our family has been blessed with this adorable addition.

Congrats!

Congratulations to our good friends, Vanessa and John! Charlotte and Eli were born July 2nd. They are healthy, beautiful, and perfect. Vanessa is recovering well.

Ryan and I are so happy for our friends. When we visited, both babies were sleeping. Caring for twin infants looks like a piece of cake!

And congratulations to big sister, Gracie, who seems to be handling the change well so far (with the aid of cupcake bribery).

We are looking forward to seeing John walking through our neighborhood with: a double infant stroller as big as the Titanic; two-and-a-half-year-old Gracie running ahead; pug Shea yanking on his leash to "examine" a bush behind them; and a cold cup of coffee in the stroller's cup holder that hasn't been touched. Maybe the rapping dads in The Dad Life video will give John a guest role in their next gig.

We are thrilled that 2011 is a great year for our friends, and we look forward to watching the twins grow.

Lily Elizabeth

The first time I felt Lily kick was around 16 weeks. The last time I felt Lily kick was the day before our 20+ week routine ultrasound, on March 30th. Learning during that appointment that she had no heart beat was a complete shock to Ryan and me. The days that followed were no better.

On April 2nd, the doctor told us that our 5 month old baby had been a girl, and we named her Lily Elizabeth. They would have only been 22 months apart. The Lily is a symbol of purity and beauty. Our Lily was perfect, according to our amniocentesis results. She lost her life because of the sudden onset of my Leukemia.

Lily's middle name is in honor of my mother, Mary Elizabeth, and my grandmother, Elizabeth. Right now, my grandma is taking care of Lily up in heaven. Grandma didn't get to meet Katelyn, but now she certainly has her hands full with Lily! Lily also has her older cousin, Timothy, to look out for her.

After we found out Lily had passed, family and friends comforted us by reminding us that "things happen for a reason." Even now that I know that reason-- the complications I had after her passing led the doctors to my diagnosis-- I still have a lot of "what ifs" that usually end with Lily being in the NICU of this same hospital.

In the middle of the night, I lie here in this hospital bed and grieve Lily's loss. I can't turn that grief off, but I do need to focus on what she gave our family. We would not have caught this disease so soon without her passing. Because we did, my sweet Katelyn will have a mother, Ryan a wife, and my parents a daughter.

Once I have recovered, we plan to do a private memorial. In the mean time, our spring garden will include Lily of the Valley.