Hope On...

"For we were saved in this hope.

But hope that is seen is not hope.

For why does one still hope for what he sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see,

we eagerly wait for it with perseverance."

~Romans 8:24-25

Words of Encouragement

I heard these verses and this quote this weekend, specifically the night of our due date, and wanted to share them with all of you too. I hope it can bring some comfort and encouragement to anyone out there who may be needing it. It was such great timing for me... they could not have been more perfect for what I needed to hear. May you be blessed by them too.

"We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many."
~2 Corinthians 1:8-11

"God does not leave us comfortless, but we have to be in dire need of comfort to know the truth of His promise. It is in time of calamity... in days and nights of sorrow and trouble that the presence, the sufficiency, and the sympathy of God grow very sure and very wonderful. Then we find out that the grace of God is sufficient for all our needs, for every problem and for every difficulty, for every broken heart, and for every human sorrow."
~Peter Marshall (1902-1949)

Choosing to Believe

It's in these times, that my emotions and my fears make it hard to have hope for a future family. That's when I have to make a mental choice... to choose to believe... to choose to have hope. So many people have encouraged me by saying they truly do believe that we will have children again someday. I know God is really the only one that truly knows, but still, I receive strength from that encouragement. Just in the past day, I've heard it a few times... even once from someone who commented here. Someone I don't even know, but I thank you just the same. Thank you all for believing at a time when it is really hard for me to believe that.

His Scrapbook

While I was pregnant, I was going to start a scrapbook about my baby. I'm still planning on doing it, but for so long I just was putting it off. I started it yesterday, and it was painful! Everything is spread out in the guest room...which would have been the nursery. It felt so unreal as I sat in the room working on it. I should have been painting it and picking out cute curtains, not making a memory book of the baby that I lost. It felt so unfair. It was hard to just see everything again... all of his little things. His tiny little diaper. My hospital wristband. His social security card that will never be signed. His birth record with those cute, little footprints. The pictures of our beautiful time together. I let out a good, long cry which always helps me to be able to pick up and keep going with life. That, and knowing that somehow this is not the end... that that emptiness will be filled somday. My guest room will have a crib in it someday, holding our little baby that's waiting to be held by us. I DO believe that!

It's time!

I have wanted to start a blog for years now, and I decided it's finally time! I pray that if you are here, reading this, that you feel encouraged in some way. I'm calling this blog "Six Days." If you knew ahead of time that you only had six days with your child, how would you spend it? Pack it full of living, loving, and the things that will mean the most to you in the end. So, this blog will not only tell you about our beautiful son Tyler, but it will also be about life before and after him. We miss him so much, and we will keep his memory forever in our hearts. If you have ever lost a child, I know that ache. There is a plan... one that we may not know, but God does. Hold on and hope on and trust God to take care of the rest...