Happy Birthday, Angel Baby Tessa!

What a sweet family!  I visited with Amber and my heart ached as I heard her tender story, but rejoiced in the wonderfully positive attitude of this strong woman.  For so many, becoming pregnant is almost too easy.  For others, like the Blackburns, it comes after many courageous attempts. 

Baby Tessa's birthday is two days before the Running with Angels Race, on May 18th, 2019.  It will  be one year since her birth.  I like to think she will be running right there, alongside her big brother, Hyrum, and her parents, as this beautiful family joins us to celebrate her life.

Registration is at runningwithangels.org.

When we finally decided to start our family we had no idea that it would be so difficult.  After months and months of trying we were told that our only option for getting pregnant was IVF.  So we started the IVF journey oblivious to the rocky road ahead.  After our first IVF round we got pregnant with and had our first child, Hyrum.  We were so excited!  A couple years later we decided that Hyrum needed a sibling.  After 3 rounds of IVF, a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy we were finally pregnant with another baby.  We were going to have a little girl!  We were SO excited. This one was going to work! All signs were go until on a terrible Tuesday at 35 weeks we found out that our sweet little girl, Tessa had no heartbeat.  

The next day we delivered her via c-section. Tessa Jodean was 5 lbs. 15 oz. and so, so beautiful! We were heartbroken. We were devastated. Words can't even describe. We cried many tears. Many many tears. The sadness felt unbearable.  But there was peace and love also.  Holding her and being with her in the hospital was a very tender, sacred time.  We felt strengthened from family and friends that came to visit.  They held her and loved her. 

The days and months that followed are a blur of sadness and longing for our Tessa.  We are approaching our one year mark and I'm amazed that we made it to this point.  Looking back we have felt that it was those around us that carried us through.  I'm filled with gratitude for the many people that have cried with us, loved us and remembered Tessa with us.  I was told once that "Life is hard. The only way through it is together."  I couldn't agree more.  We love our little girl.  Tessa is part of our family and always will be.