Where Hope Grows..

This weekend we took a break and headed two hours Northeast of the Twin Cities to a remote town in Northern Wisconsin.  It's called Faith's Lodge and I couldn't describe it any better than the home page of their website which states: 

"Faith's Lodge provides a place where parents and families facing the serious illness or death of a child can retreat to reflect on the past, renew strength for the present, and build hope for the future. In its North Woods setting, Faith's Lodge provides a peaceful escape for families to refresh their minds and spirits while spending time with others who understand what they are experiencing."  

It was SO WONDERFUL!  I really had no idea what to expect, and really was unlike anything else we've ever experienced, but man, they sure know what they're doing, because it was great!

When we got there Friday morning, we kicked things off with an outdoor scavenger hunt...

The rest of the day basically consisted of eating, playing and hanging out.  We were never in our rooms longer than necessary to sleep and get ready for the day.  

We were there with 3 other families and spent most of our time swapping stories as we spent countless hours perfecting our memorial birdhouses, and hanging out, while the kids ran amuck in the lodge :)

Here's our room:

The kids playroom:

And Logan perfecting his own masterpiece, in memory of his sister:

 We also had a group session, a group meal (provided by another bereaved family) and a couple of bonfires.

Lastly, before leaving on Sunday, we made sure to bring our "heart stones" out to Sophia's Bridge to join the other children that left this earth too soon.

 All in all, we made new friendships (one with a very similar story to ours!). We were guided, supported, loved and welcomed.  It was the perfect recipe we've been needing to reconnect with eachother and again focus on not only what we've lost, but what we've gained as a family.

Here's a few quotes I also picked up this weekend, and just thought they were WONDERFUL!
"Jesus, since I never got to hold and tell her about you, will you please hold and tell her about me?"  I have a vision for this quote in our home....so excited...
and
"Let go of the life we have planned in order to accept the life we have waiting for us"  So true...

Happy Family Weekend to Us!

Updates

I can't believe how quickly our lives (my life especially) is changing!  I'm getting really good at this whole "change" thing.  First of all, we don't have our baby girl with us, which is hard to adapt to anyway, but man, there's been some ripple effects...not all of them are bad, just so not like life 6 months ago.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. I've decided to end my job.  I thought long and hard about this, and had been contemplating it since returning at the end of September.  I gave it a few months to see if time would change things, but it just never felt "right" again after losing Brynlee. It was a super hard decision to make.  I've made lots of good friendships there and really enjoy working with my team.  Plus, they've been really good to me, allowing me to go to a part-time schedule 3 years ago, to allow myself more time with Logan.  I know I'll never find another "fit" quite like it.  They really are like family.  But...I really feel that what needs to be most important right now is me and my family.  I need to have time to heal.  Although we've agreed to two days a week at work, it's hard for me to turn off my work mode when we're busy (which is often!).  I worry that if I don't do this, I won't allow myself the time to do the things that I need to do right now (and can only be done right now - I don't think I can just tell myself when's a good time to heal.  It just needs to feel right. And this is it.)  I've re-done our budget about 10 times now, and it'll be tight, but I think we'll all be happier in the end.

2.  I've joined another "group".

This one is not a support group, but just moms who share the same experience of losing a child.  We meet at local restaurants, coffee shops, etc.  Again, there's a comfort in talking with others who share a similar experience.

3.  I've been keeping in contact with many of the people I've met through this whole experience and am looking into ways to give back to some of the organizations that I've come in contact with.  In addition to Missing Grace, I've been blessed to meet Lindsey and Shauna with the Star Legacy Foundation.  Lindsey also lost her son to a cord accident and shortly after started this organization to raise awareness and support research in the area of stillbirth.  This really hits home for me.  I, with Lindsey, STRONGLY believe that my baby did NOT have to die.  We live in a world of 2-D and 3-D ultrasounds.  We have all the equipment necessary to see what we need to see.  But, as my doctor told me after I asked how we missed it in 7 ultrasounds (!) - she said "we simply don't look for it".  WHAT?!   It makes no sense to me.  It makes me sick to think that when I was worried and had come into the clinic for the non-stress test, if they had followed up with an ultrasound to check the umbilical cord, Brynlee very well could have been born healthy.  There's no way to know for sure now, but if she was healthy enough to pass the non-stress test, I can't help but think she could have been born healthy.

4.  We've been researching new doctors.  I really liked the doctor I saw with Brynlee.  I don't think she had all the answers, but I don't blame her for that.  I think she really did everything she knew how to do, and really demonstrated she was willing to go the extra mile.  The doctor that read the stress test, though, I have different thoughts about.  Plus, the office administrator was downright rude and unprofessional when I was trying to request a copy of the non-stress test after losing Brynlee.  As the icing on the cake, our sonographer never could get her measurements right, and the Ridgedale clinic had major scheduling issues.  So...we just felt backed into a corner.  We were comfortable staying if we could continue seeing our regular doctor, at the Eden Prairie clinic, but nothing else - no other doctors, no other sonographers, no other clinic locations.  Only problem is, we went to the Eden Prairie clinic the morning we found out Brynlee was gone.  Even pulling into the parking lot of that place took me right back to that day.  I couldn't put myself through that for another pregnancy.  So...I started poking around online to see what other options we had...but how do you know someone's character and knowledge from a profile online?  I then decided to call Kristi from Missing Grace...and I'm so glad I did!  She gave me the name of a doctor from the OGI clinic that they highly recommend.  We immediately scheduled an interview and were blown away!  Every person we came into contact with was nothing but pleasant and interested in you as a person, not just as a patient.  And this lady was nothing less than an ANGEL!

She indeed gets a lot of referrals from Missing Grace, and therefore has plenty of experience and compassion working with mothers who have recently suffered a loss.  Whereas my old doctor said she was hesitant to even look for the umbilical cord again in the future, for fear of "worrying us", Dr. Brown said ABSOLUTELY will she look for that cord.  Whereas our old doctor said she wasn't comfortable working with Dr. Collins, Dr. Brown has before and will continue to support the work that Dr. Collins does.  Her response was "why would I not want to be involved in your total care?" She assured us that we would never be taken lightly if we're worried.  She understands we may be worried a lot, but she's confident that no one at the clinic would consider me "one of those mothers" if I just didn't feel right.  Each time I come in with a feeling of worry, I would be followed up by a non-stress test AND ultrasound.  I got teary eyed just listening to her talk.  She understands us!!!  I wanted to give her the biggest bear hug I'd ever given somebody right then and there.  The rest of the staff was no different.  It's definitely where we're supposed to be for a future pregnancy.  So glad to have that figured out.

5.  In light of the issues I have of our old clinic, I've been working on tying up some loose ends before I end all ties with that place.  We'll see where that takes me. Wish me luck!

6.  I've been in contact with another local (smaller) hospital, to do something for families that will have to experience such a heartbreaking loss in the future.  Because of Missing Grace's services, it relieved A LOT of the anxiety about the details.  Unfortunately,  Missing Grace can't be at all hospitals, so I want to  do something in Brynlee's honor to help again with just a small portion of those details for those poor families.  It really made a HUGE difference in our ability to cope and heal.  Again, we'll see where it takes me.

7.  The doctors suspect I may have a blood clotting disorder, given my blood test results taken at my 6 week check.  So... Miss "I hate needles" gets a needle in the belly EVERY DAY!  yippee!!  I'm so excited!

My poor yet dear husband gets the honor and privilege of administering them every night.  There's absolutely no way I could do it without his help. Just figuring out how to pay for these things was a challenge, but my new clinic actually found me a 45 day supply to get started on for FREE!  (have I mentioned how much I love that place?!)

So, I'll be busy!  But it all makes me feel so much better.  We're going to be going to this place as a family the weekend after next.

It's called Faith's Lodge.  It's located in the North Woods of Wisconsin, built especially for parents and families that are grieving the loss of a child, either through pregnancy loss or otherwise.  Anyway, I read on their site that the reason this couple built this lodge was because:

"We have been told of an old proverb that says a person can actually die two deaths. The first happens when your physical body dies; the second occurs when people stop mentioning your name. We felt strongly that we would not let this happen to Faith and that her brief time on this earth should have a legacy. This legacy is the creation of Faith 's Lodge, a place where hope grows.

It is our desire that by providing this special facility we can help other families through their darkest hours. We do this in honor of Faith, so her name and memory will live on."

How true!  I think that's the thing I fear the most now.  I don't want to go on living my life as I did before  I knew her.  She's left her mark on our hearts, and I hope that not a day will pass without us thinking of her or mentioning her name.  She's such a special part of our family.  Brought here not to live and breathe on this earth, but bring us all a little closer to our full potential :)

A different kind of Christmas

This Christmas was unlike any other Christmas I've ever experienced.  I didn't expect it to be the same, exactly, but my feelings regarding it all really surprised me.  I started thinking about it back in November, when it was the "hot topic" at our PIL group at the hospital.  The counselor's suggestions were to
1.  Have a plan for the holiday events.  And an escape route (just in case)
-and-
2.  Take care of yourself first and foremost, before all else.
Sounded great (especially for those not fond of the family they would be spending the day with, or those who had to face the joyous faces of family members who recently welcomed happy and healthy babies into their family), but I really didn't think I'd have too much of a problem.  I figured we typically have a pretty relaxed and casual family gathering and no other babies to ooh and ahh over this year, so I thought I'd be fine.  I told myself that I was going to focus on what I HAVE been given and blessed with and not dwell over what I DON'T have or what should have been.... which was basically turned out to be easier said than done.
It started in November when the stores all of the sudden "threw up" Christmas.  It really irritated me.  All of it.  This year, Santa was a joke.  Blissful, happy people made me a little angry.  And basically anything resonating "Christmas Spirit" made me want to puke.  Now let me say, I'm not usually such a Scrooge.  I'm usually the first one cranking up Christmas songs in November and can't even wait past Thanksgiving to put up our tree.  But not this year.  This year, I couldn't wait for it to be over. But....despite that, I tried to embrace Christmas in a new way this year.  Besides being focused on shopping, Santa and presents, I found peace in remembering the true meaning of Christmas.  Never before have I been so incredibly moved by the Christmas story.  This year, it was real to me.  First and foremost, I knew that because of the true gift of Jesus's birth, life, death and resurrection, life extends past the grave.  It's because of Jesus that I can find peace in knowing that we can be united again as a family after we've departed this life.  Rather than playing the usual "Jingle Bells" or "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", I flooded our itunes with spiritual Christmas songs, which I played continuously for 6 weeks straight.  It helped me keep my "head in the game."  It was dangerous for me to become distracted and angry.
Why was I so easily angered, upset and such a Scrooge?  I don't know really... like I said, I didn't expect to feel that way, but I think maybe it wasn't as easy as I thought to not think about our sweet Brynlee, and how we would have loved to bundle her up to take her to the relatives, to be swooned over and cuddled by all those who love her.  To think about how things would have been different.  To think about putting her in that cute Christmas dress I so thoughtfully picked out just weeks before she died.
But then I looked at pictures like this:

and I see a glimpse of myself in that picture.  Of any mother, really.  Mary was a very special woman who was given a very important and special responsibility.  Mary bore and gave birth to the greatest gift to mankind, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Although Mary's situation was one of significant scope, far beyond anything any of us are likely to experience, I still look at this picture and can understand some of the things she was feeling. I see the tenderness in her expression, the awe of the miracle, and the hope for the future.  In some crazy way, I felt like I was able to in a small way, live vicariously though Mary this Christmas.  My arms were empty, but because of that gift in her arms, I knew everything would be ok in the end.  Maybe hard to describe, but it's surely what helped me through all the hustle and bustle of the holidays this year.
Then came the days leading up to Christmas... and an intense wave of emotion hit me like a ton of bricks.  It actually hit me, blindsided, as Logan and I were making up the cookie dough a few days before Christmas to save for Christmas Eve. In no time flat, I was a teary eyed mess, and continued that way for the majority of the weekend. I was sad, but on top of that I was angry, and on top of that, I was frustrated with myself for becoming such a mess.  I wanted to give Logan a good and memorable Christmas experience.  I wanted to be happy - for him.  The whole conflict of emotions led to stress, which added more tears.  By that night, I asked Randy for a blessing, which gave me lots of comfort, enough to at least gain somewhat of a grip on my emotions.
Christmas Eve we snuck away from family for awhile to bring a small live evergreen tree to Brynlee's grave. The weather was unseasonably warm this year, allowing us to be there for some time.  Logan again went to find the largest stick he could find to stand up in the still upturned dirt above her grave. I'm sure people wonder what in the heck it is, or why anyone would stand up a huge branch above a grave, but it's Logan's way of "taking care" of his sister, and it's so sweet to see.  I'm sure her grave will have a stick coming out of it for some time...Logan will make sure of it ;)

In preparing for Christmas this year, I wanted to do things that would help us remember this year, and Brynlee in particular, so first and foremost, we got her some ornaments for the tree.

These are some porcelain booties I found at the general store, that I had personalized, just for her.

 this is an ornament we made at our December group meeting, complete with a note from each of us to Brynlee tucked inside :)

And lastly, an adorable angel ornament that my team at work got me as part of my Christmas gift.
Next, after much thought and deliberation about whether or not to get Brynlee a stocking this year, and if we do, what kind of one would be appropriate, etc...... I finally just ordered one from Company Kids, complete with her name embriodered on the top.  The image on the stocking when I ordered it said it was a fairy, but I thought it looked rather "angelish" too.  And this is what we did with it:

We each wrote on a strip of paper something we vow to work on this year or do to make us better people, mostly as a result of the feelings we receive(d) from having Brynlee in our family.  We'll do this each year, and each Christmas Day, we'll read again our promises from the year before, evaluate, and then write new.  I think this will be a great way to recognize Brynlee's continual presence in our lives.

And we made it.  A Christmas that was anticipated for months to come, as one filled with excitement and joy, but instead upturned and scattered just months before, and the learning and enlightenment that we found through it all.

Randy and Logan Take a Trip

The weekend before Thanksgiving, Randy and Logan took a trip down to Texas to help Grandma Pete get her house ready to sell. We thought it'd be a good time for Logan to do something fun with Daddy, while I got to catch up on a million things on my to-do list. Which...sounded like a good idea in an abstract sense, but my stomach started to knot up while I was driving them to the airport.  What was I doing?  Who ever thought it was a good idea to leave a lonely, sad momma completely ALONE for a long weekend?
Anyway, I dropped them off, gave them lots of hugs and kisses and told them a million times to be SAFE.  All the while Logan just couldn't wait to get inside and get to his airplane.

As soon as I drove off,  it's like I heard the timer start ticking.  I had my plan already laid out (basically hour by hour) so off I went to get started on my list. I wish now that I had kept that list, but it was incredible everything I accomplished in those few short days.  I read a book cover to cover (haven't done that in YEARS!), I made myself my very own cookbook, I cleaned and organized Brynlee's room, I made a collage of many of the cards we received from friends and family for her (so I can remember forever how incredibly loved we are:), got all of our outfits picked out and purchased for our OFFICIAL Christmas cards, and did some major organization around the house.  But, it was very lonely.  At night, I'd go to bed, close and lock all the doors to the bedroom, and try as hard as I could to fall asleep quickly before I'd hear too many noises that would freak me out.  It's funny how even just having Logan in the house with me, helps give me a sense of security, but being alone at night is scary!!!  For me anyway....
Anyway, Randy and Logan had a great time.  I'm so glad they were able to go and help out Grandma and that Logan was able to see and play with many of his cousins again.  And enjoy some one on one "fun time" with his Daddy :)

Logan's Turns 3!

Despite all that our family had just been through in the past month, we decided Logan definitely deserved to have a normal Birthday party.  The events with Brynlee have been hard on him too and it's a lot for a little guy to process and take in, but he's been a trooper and helped (and is still helping!) our family through.  We all contribute in our own way to our family's healing and progress, and little Logan, he sure has contributed - in ways way beyond what I would expect from a little 2 year old.
Anyway, we ended up keeping our original plans for a Birthday party at the apple orchard near my parents house the weekend before his Birthday.  On our way to the orchard that day, we stopped to try and get a good enough picture for Christmas cards...an hour later, we were late to the party, and didn't walk away with anything worthy of being put on a Christmas card.  They are, however, ok enough to put in a frame for awhile I guess...
Here's a few of our best:

Logan then had had enough of taking pictures and took Grandma up on a good game of hide and seek before we left.

Finally, we got to the party - fashionably late to our own party (of course).  Our friends and family know not to expect anything less :)
Katy had so graciously offered to make Logan's cake and it was delish.  Plus Logan just couldn't wait to play on his new "racetrack"!  Once we cut up what we wanted, we just let him go to town on the rest.  He had such a blast.

 Then we went on a hayride to pick pumpkins....

And then opened some presents!

It was a great time, and a great break for all of us.  Time continues to pass even when bad things happen, and this was one event we wanted to take the time to celebrate...he's a very special boy and I feel so priveleged to be his mommy!

Happy Birthday Buddy!