Our Story

My husband, Steve and I met in November of 2005.  I knew instantly that he was different from anyone I had met before.  We dated for two years and then on New Years Eve of 2007 he finally proposed.  I was beyond excited.  

In March of 2008, we were married.  I married my best friend and became a wife and a step mom!  



We spent the first year laughing together and completely enjoying life.  I of course had baby fever, but my husband wanted us to enjoy a year together.  I'm glad we did. 

As the first anniversary approached, my desire to have a baby grew.  We decided that our current house didn't have enough room for a little one, so we began house hunting.  We found our home right before our anniversary.  During this time, I also made a decision not to teach summer school.  This had been something I had always done, but as I finished my twelfth year of teaching I realized I needed a break.  So that summer, my husband and I enjoyed a little more togetherness.  As school started, we began trying for a baby.

On April 1st, I found out I was pregnant!  It was shocking and exciting.

I was so excited to be pregnant and I started having Steve take my photo each month.  This was taken April 6, 2010. 

On April 20th, 2010 we got our first look at K2!  I was smitten.  At the appointment we found out that I was 6 weeks and 6 days pregnant.  The little lima bean was set to arrive on December 7, 2010.  The baby looked healthy and had a heartbeat of 139. 

A picture of our family of 4. Taken May 2, 2010.

 

On June 2, 2010, I had an appointment with a maternal fetal medicine specialist.  He is a high risk obgyn.  My regular obgyn had suggested it due to my age.  I was 35 and they thought it would help rule out some risks.  I debated a long time on whether to schedule this appointment or not, but since I worry by nature. I decided to see him.  At the appointment the doctor did an intense ultrasound and also did some blood work.  The doctor said the baby looked healthy and suspected that our little one was a girl!  At the time the time the doctor changed the due date to December 14th, due to the baby's measurements.  He said this was not a concern and that it is happens all the time.  I was on cloud nine when I left the office! 

 This picture was taken at 4 months.  The following week our world would come crashing down.   At 17 weeks, we had our level II ultrasound, which would look at the baby's anatomy and tell us the sex of the baby.  Christopher, my stepson had been visiting his mom, but we flew him home so he could find out if he was going to have a sister or a brother.  We all waited patiently in the doctor's office.  The visit and the news was something we had never prepared for. While we found out we were having a girl, the doctor found several areas of concern during the ultrasound and felt we should have an amniocentesis.  At the time he suspect trisomy 18.  We waited 48 hours to learn that our daughter had triploidy and would not live.  It was devastating.  Innately I shut down.  I took everything baby related and put it away.  My husband and I shunned the world for a few weeks and then slowly we began to accept our new reality. 

Over the next 2 months, I began seeing my doctor every 2 weeks.  The appointments were quick and easy.  The nurse took my blood pressure and the doctor listened for Willow's heartbeat. My last appointment was on September 17, 2010.  At that appointment everything continued to look good.  I had normal blood pressure and Willow continued to have a strong heartbeat in the 130's.  One week later, I was in labor and delivery with signs or preeclampsia and HELLP.  It was sudden and unexpected.  That evening I had a c section and Willow was born.  She can out alive and left us minutes later.  She is our angel and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her.