It's still hard some days. It's been so long, and we're lucky enough to have an amazing 2½ girl and a 5½ boy that we have been blessed with. We treasure them more knowing they are a gift, and how precious life is.

I still miss Lily very much. I took a moment out of my day to look through pictures, read this blog, remember her and grieve. Part of me wants to just stop and stay here in this grief for a long time, but I know I can't. I also would like to think Lily wouldn't want that. She would want me to carry on, knowing I'll never forget her and that she was so precious.

I love you, Lily. Your younger brother and sister know all about you, and you will continue to live on in memory. I'm so glad I got to meet you. You truly were perfect.

Dad

17 June 2011

I can't believe it's been 3 months since we met and said goodbye to Lily. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. She brought both Sarah and I so much joy, and we wouldn't change a thing if we could go back in time. We miss you Lily.


Today I'm thankful for: My beautiful daughter and wife.

14 June 2011

Lately I've realised how strong Sarah and have been. I had the thought "What if, two years ago, someone told us the following:

- It will take you a year to get pregnant

- Your first child will be a little girl

- Early on you will find out she has life threatening complications

- There is some hope that the doctors can do something once she is born

- She will choose her own name, and show her personality in scans

- One week before she is born you will be told there is nothing they can do

- You will get less than 10 minutes with her before she will die in your arms

- You will help organise the funeral in less than one and a half days

- Two months later, you will be looking after a 7 year old and 9 year old long term"

There is no way I would have thought any person could survive it. Even thinking about it now, it still doesn't really make sense to me. It's just too much, but somehow we did make it through...

 

Certain things made it easier. We treated every second we had with her as a gift. We shared our story, and the more we shared, the more support there was. We weren't hiding anything or carrying it on our own. We made her funeral a celebration of her life, and as hard as it has been we've told people how we're really feeling.

I know there are others who have experienced worse. Everyone is different, and can't situations can't really be 'compared'. We react to things in a unique way. It's just made me realise how strong we can be, even when we don't think we have it in us.

Today I'm thankful for: Strength I didn't know I had.

5 June 2011

I'm still alive =) For the last week and a half I have felt like I haven't had enough to blog about. It's been so busy, and I've been feeling so many things.

Having 2 kids (who are actually 7 and 9, not 6 and 9 as we were told) is very time consuming, but so rewarding. It's been great having them stay, and I really enjoy spending time with them. Sarah makes a really good Mum =) I really admire how she has stepped into the Mum role, and giving these kids the best we can while they are with us.

Talking to the counsellor last week didn't seem to do a whole lot. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but I didn't feel like much had changed. Through the week though, the thing that stuck with me was it's ok to talk to Lily out at her grave. We've said from the beginning that Lily isn't really there, it's just her body and she's up in Heaven. It meant going out there was easier, but I didn't really feel anything or feel any connection with her out there. It turned out that was what I needed.

After working late on Friday night I drove out to the cemetery on my way home and went and talked to Lily. For the first time I had the thought "my little girl's body is just under that dirt" and it upset me, because even though it's only her physical body, I would prefer her complete, and somewhere a lot nicer. I was able to talk to her, and cry, and let her know I miss her. It's nice to have a place I can go to do that.

Today I came across a video of a couple who's baby was born 'dead'. No heartbeat, not breathing, nothing. After 20 minutes when they were about to give up, she breathed and 'came to life'. 20 minutes! They told the parents she wasn't able to drink and would have to be fed through tubes, but they prayed and she was able to. They told them she would probably have brain damage due to the 20 mins without oxygen to her brain, but they prayed before the scan and all the results came back perfectly normal. She lived, and is perfectly healthy =)

Lily didn't make it. We still believe in miracles, and as we have said, Lily was a miracle. I guess I still struggle with the fact that Lily didn't get the miracle of a full life. I see so many other people with babies and children and there's something in me that hurts each time. I'm happy for them and it's nothing negative towards them or their child, but I wish Lily was around. I would get up in the night, I would change nappies, I would do anything for her.

The other thing it's actually painful and hard to know the days are getting easier. That may seem strange, but a way I love Lily is through thought and memory. When I go almost a day without thinking of her, it hurts. I feel as though I should still be upset all the time, and thinking about her more than I am. I know it's not good to think that way, but I can't help it just now. I don't dwell on those thoughts, and I know that I will always love Lily the same amount, it's just a struggle at the moment.

Thank you again to all those people out there still praying for us and thinking of us, we really appreciate it =)

Today I'm thankful for: Having a place to go and talk to Lily. I know I can talk to her any time, but having that place really helps =)

25 May 2011

It's a sad thing that so many children in this world are neglected. So many children are labelled early on, and sometimes they never really recover. Others are never given the opportunity to thrive. It might be due to a number of things, and it's not always someone's fault, but it happens.

We have two kids staying with us at the moment. A 9 year old girl and a 6 year old boy. While talking to them both over the last week we've come to learn they're situation at home has meant there isn't much opportunity for them to develop outside of school, and it's been a pretty hard life. We're glad to be able to help out in this tiny way, by at least giving them some stability.

After hearing he's in the lowest reading group at school, I sat down with the boy and he read about half of "Green Eggs and Ham". With the tiniest bit of help he was able to do it. It's frustrating to think that not all kids are able to be given that time they need. All it took was half an hour, and it made a difference. When I first said we were going to do some reading he told me he couldn't do it, but he got excited at each word he was able to read. It's amazing to see that.

Here's hoping we can really make a difference in their lives while they are with us. Sarah and I both have hearts for this sort of thing, and it's so rewarding =)

Today I'm thankful for: Seeing the two kids faces light up when we gave them the marbles and a few other little toys tonight =) Also, hearing from a grief counsellor today and being able to organise a time to meet.

23 May 2011

Well it's been a busy last few days. Looking after two kids aged 6 and 9 isn't as easy as I thought! Trying to keep them entertained when it's raining/wet outside and one is just getting over chicken pox really limits your options. We've done pretty well though, and it's great to know we're able to help out by sharing our home.

After my last blog I had felt like I had taken a step forward, and I probably have, but once again I discovered can't predict how I will feel. When I saw a picture of Lily later that night I was flooded with feelings. We have a picture of Lily up on our wall, and I see it every day. This time seeing a photo affected me differently for some reason. Seeing her face reminded me how perfect and cute she was, and of the time we had with her. It was that deep longing to hold her again.

Today I'm thankful for: Having enough in life to be able to bless other people.

19 May 2011

Kidney stone pain aside, things have been getting better. I've started to notice my thinking has started changing too. For a while I was looking at babies and wishing I was holding Lily, and although I still wish with everything in me that I was holding her, I've been thinking more along the lines of "That baby is a blessing, I hope you realise that" lately. Also I met a 17 year old girl with the name Lily, and it made me wonder what Lily would have looked like at that age.

Obviously I'm still building myself back up on the inside as I can't handle as much stress. There's been a couple of times at work when the anxiety has started to come back, and I've been able to keep it at bay, but it's not easy. It still takes a good half an hour to an hour to really calm down fully. Not nice at all, but it has been getting better. I'm still not good at taking things easy...

It's hard to believe a little over two months ago I held Lily in my arms. It was such an amazing feeling, and the memory of my finger in her hand still makes me smile, and always will. We know the time we had with her was a gift.

Today I'm thankful for: The time we got to spend with Lily... and pain relief for the kidney stone =)

14 May 2011

Today started with waking up at 4:45am with severe pain, another trip to A&E, morphine and 4 hours in hospital. Not the best start to the day. It still seems like things like this are a distraction from what happened. When the pain from the kidney stone is gone, the thoughts of Lily come back. The pain I was in this morning was a 9/10, but that only lasts for a short time. The pain of losing a child may not always hurt that much, but it's with you for a long, long time.

Lately it's been a bit easier, but I still find myself clinging to those memories of when Lily had just been born and I held her hand as Sarah and I got to spend that precious time with her. I'm finding it easier to turn the negative thoughts into positive. I've taught myself to turn "she's gone" into "the time I got to spend with her was so special".

It's still hard to see so many other parents with their babies. I find myself thinking "I hope they understand that their child is a gift". It's been hard to see so many news stories about child abuse (especially babies) lately too. It's a truly sickening thought that people are abusing their babies, sometimes even resulting in death. Children should be cherished.

Sarah has had more bloods taken this week because some of her results came back as "slightly abnormal". Now we play the waiting game to find out that everything is fine. So lots going on at the moment. I've started MCing the High School theatresports again too, and going along to rehearsals for a improv performance coming up. It's been good getting involved in things again.

Today I'm thankful for: Sarah, for driving me to the hospital at 6am. Also morphine. I was able to relax and enjoy a relatively pain-free day hanging out with Sarah (even if I was asleep for some of it).

9 May 2011

Today was a good day. I caught up with our pastor at a cafe and had a good talk, got the funeral uploaded, caught up with a friend for lunch, had gormet chocolate and ended the night MCing High School theatresports. A very nice way to end the weekend. It's been great to allow people to take part in the special day we had to celebrate Lily's life, even if it is 7 weeks down the track. Once again thank you to all the people thinking of us and supporting us through this journey. What we are going through and dealing with is made so much easier with the amazing support you give us =) Today I'm thankful for: A great day!

Lily's Celebration =)

I know there were lots of people who couldn't make it to Lily's funeral/celebration on the day, so I've added some pictures and text to the audio that was recorded so you can share in the special day. It was an amazing celebration for our little girl. Thank you all for being a part of her life. She knew nothing but love...

You can watch the video here, or for a better quality version click here.

8 May 2011

Today was another hard day, even for me. Mother's day. We went to church this morning, but I found it hard with so many babies around. It's something I'm going to have to overcome, but I think it will just take time. I still find myself thinking "I should have my baby too".

I managed to channel everything into being productive though, and got the funeral project I've been working on completely finished. I've put photos and text to the audio that was recorded on the day. It should be online tomorrow hopefully, for those that couldn't be there on the day. It's really helped me deal with it all. Her funeral was a celebration of her life =)

I discovered a video today that gets across some of the thoughts and feelings Sarah and I have been dealing with. You can watch it here. It's pretty honest, and might be a bit hard to watch.

Things are slowly getting easier, and each day I remind myself that I am lucky to have ever known Lily. She was a gift, and I am so grateful for her.

Today I'm thankful for: Finding the motivation I needed to finish the funeral project =)

5 May 2011

We had a meeting at the hospital today to talk about future pregnancies and the chances of anything going wrong again. Basically they told us they are pretty confident that neither of the two major complications will happen again, but there could be a slightly increased chance. They said they would be scanning and testing lots next time though, mainly to give us peace of mind. They couldn't really tell us more than that, but today we were forced to think about the future.

We've talked about having other children, but it's hard to not feel like we would be 'replacing' Lily in some way. Obviously that's not the case, and any future child would be Lily's little brother or sister, but it's a thought that popped up. Both Sarah and I want kids more than anything, and have for a while now. We've been waiting for the right time, but it's hard to think we're both 26 now and we never really expected to be this old when starting our family.

I'm looking forward to getting to know our future kids, as getting to know Lily changed my life forever. It's going to be hard trying not to worry about things early on, even though I know the chances of anything going wrong are low. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but we know it will be difficult. Once again thank you all for your continued support, it's amazing =)

Today I'm thankful for: The opportunity to get out and see Thor at the movies with some mates today. It was just what I needed =)

4 May 2011

Tonight I've made time to work on my version of events of the birth. So many people I've talked to don't know the amazing story, and I have been meaning to do it for a while. It's been easier than I thought to think about it all again, and after telling someone about it this afternoon I knew it's what I needed to get done.

Today was easier than yesterday, but I'm finding it hard that most people have no idea about the pain on the inside. On the outside I look like I'm 'back to normal', but I'm not. It's still hard, and sometimes it starts to get a bit much, but because I seem 'back to normal' I find it hard to tell people (especially at work) that I need to take it easy. I don't want people to think I'm using it as an excuse to slack off.

On some level I know that's stupid, but I can't help feeling that. I don't like inconveniencing anyone. I really tried to work on that when we found out there was nothing the doctors could do for Lily, a week before she was born. I tried to go to work the next day (it might seem stupid, but Sarah was not home that day and I didn't want to spend the day at home by myself) but ended up going home early as I just wasn't able to work. Lily was born a week later, and I took a total of three weeks off work.

I'm also in two minds about things, and I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm not sure if I should be keeping busy, or taking it easy so I have time to process things. I'll be glad to talk to a grief counsellor about all this stuff. We're organising it at the moment and we're hoping it will help us understand a bit more about why we're feeling why we're feeling.

Today I'm thankful for: Being motivated enough to finally start writing about my series of events around the birth =)

3 May 2011

I've found the past couple of days really hard. Like I've been covered in a cloak of grief. The cloak seems to block out/dull the things I would usually enjoy, and drain motivation. It's a heavy cloak that I find hard to remove at will. It's not something I can just shrug off. I have to really put in effort, and have to keep reminding myself that even though there's so much pain, I gained a beautiful daughter out of all this.

Sarah and I have been feeling similar things in sync lately, without any communication about it which is interesting. I'm getting used to not knowing what to expect in terms of how I feel day to day, but I wasn't expecting everything to be so raw (as Sarah described it in her blog) this far down the track when lately it had felt like things were getting easier. I'm not giving up though, and I will continue to remember the positive in spite of how I may feel.

Also for those genuinely asking me how I am when you see me, I find it hard to talk about it in person because so many other people are just asking in a polite way. They want to hear 'I'm doing ok', and not 'I'm struggling at the moment'. If you want to know how I'm really doing you can ask me =) I will be honest about it though which may be hard to hear. I don't expect answers, sympathy or anything in return. Just a 'That must be hard' or 'I'm thinking of you' means a lot.

Today I'm thankful for: The amazing ability we have in all of us to fight/survive when we think we're defeated or it all feels too much. There's always that little bit of fight/hope we refuse to give up that keeps us going. Hold on to it!

1 May 2011

For the past week or so I haven't felt like I've had enough to write about. I've had a kidney stone, have been busy at work and have been struggling to get in the right frame of mind to process things/collect my thoughts. Just when I felt like I had made some progress, something really knocked me.

Seeing people with children affects me more lately. It's hard to see so many other parents just... being with their kids. I feel such a strong longing to hold Lily in my arms. It's like a part of my body is missing. Something that should be there. Last night everything hit me again. It's so final. While I am on this earth I will never again hold my little girl. There is nothing I can do that will bring her back.

It's a reality I'm going to have to face for the rest of my life. Yes I appreciate the time I had with her, and I wouldn't change anything if I could go back in time, but it really does feel like I'm missing a body part and I'm not complete.

Today I'm thankful for: The blessed life I have. Although I have lost something so precious, I still have so much.

25 April 2011

I may have a kidney stone, so lately a physical pain has been present along with the emotional one. Other than that things have been ok. I still find myself imagining Lily in my arms lots, but I expect that won't ever stop because it's such a deep longing.

We went out to her grave and left an Easter egg yesterday, and were glad to see she didn't have any new neighbours. We know she will eventually, but every time we see that green grass beside her it helps us to know that someone else hasn't lost their child. I know it's a relatively common thing that people often keep secret, and there will be many children that lost their lives since Lily, but it's a small comfort every time we go out to see her.

I'm still worried that I'm not grieving 'properly', even though I know it isn't black and white. I guess I'm afraid that if I don't deal with things properly it will come back to bite me later. That's something I would like to bring up with the counsellor actually (when we go). I just want re-assurance that I'm going to be psychologically ok in the long run and how I'm grieving isn't causing any harm... I know it's strange, and it seems silly to even me, but for some reason that's how I'm feeling.

Today I'm thankful for: the time I spent holding Lily in my arms. Some parents never experience that with their child. I consider myself lucky.

23 April 2011

I've figured out that I miss talking about Lily. Around the funeral it was all we did, but as the weeks have passed, it's becoming less and less. Sarah and I talk about Lily, but not many people outside our family do. I can understand that most people wouldn't want to bring up anything painful for me, but I've come to discover it's something that helps me.

When I talk about her I remember the stories of her scans, the special time I got to spend with her once she was born, the amazing impact she has left in so many people's lives... It helps me remember something I never want to forget. So don't be afraid to ask about my little girl.

If you want to know the story of the amazing birth that is beyond belief, ask me. If you want to know about the scans, ask me. If you want to know what it's been like to go through what I have, ask me (but I'm honest and open about it all, so please don't ask if you don't really want to know =P). If you want to know what it's like to cut through an umbilical cord, ask me =)

I enjoy talking about Lily, so please don't hold back questions or comments for my sake. I like to know other people are thinking about her too =)

Today I'm thankful for: Being a proud Dad.

22 April 2011

No matter what I do, the same questions keep going around in my head...

Am I dealing with feelings and thoughts, or keeping too busy to deal with them?

Did I go back to work too early?

Is it wrong to be thinking about future children when we only just lost Lily?

Will our future children make it into this world?

Should I be feeling 'sadder' than I am?

Do I need to be talking to people about Lily to help me grieve?

Do people expect me to be 'back to normal' already?

Why can't I find the right words to finish Lily's funeral project I've been working on when I'm almost done?

Again it seems I don't know what to feel, or if what I'm feeling is 'right'. It's a frustrating thing that no matter how much I try and rationalise with my brain, it keeps asking the same questions. I do feel like I'm making some progress though, it's just a slow process...

Today I'm thankful for: A day off to get some things done that I had been putting off for a while. It feels good to check some things off my procrastination list =)

20 April 2011

I have never been a 'bling' kind of guy. It took me months and months to get used to my wedding ring, and I had never even considered wearing anything else. In the week after we said goodbye to Lily I got the idea that Sarah and I should get rings to remember her. The idea stuck with me, and the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. It's a physical way to remember her, and it's something I can look at every day to remind me how lucky I am to have had such a perfect daughter.

We looked at rings in the 6 stores we could find in Hamilton, but even after a second visit to all of them there was nothing that I liked and that would remind me of Lily when I looked at it. Eventually I had one made, as what I wanted didn't exist. After what seems like a very long wait, we finally have our rings. It's half white gold, half yellow gold, and has a single diamond set in the middle. It represents Sarah, myself and Lily, and engraved inside is "Lily Tyne 17.3.11".

It's not the most masculine ring, but that's not the reason I got it. Every time I see that diamond I'm reminded of the time I got to spend with Lily and how lucky I am. It's nice to finally have it =) It's like a promise to never forget her...

Today I'm thankful for: The ability to carry around a reminder that I'm a Dad, and my daughter was perfect.

19 April 2011

It feels like I'm being chased by a giant monster... Who gets lazy sometimes. If I'm not keeping busy or doing something lately I feel as though this monster of depression attacks me. It's strange to think it would start to happen now after a month, but I've heard from lots of people who have dealt with grief, and they have said things often start months down the track.

I've been keeping an eye out for this monster for a while. In a way I'm kind of glad it exists, as I felt like I should be feeling... 'sadder' than I was, but I don't like being attacked. Today I was fine when I was talking to a workmate, then as soon as we finished talking and I walked away, I felt the monster attack. It kind of felt like a giant wave hit me. It was a very strange sensation for something to hit me so fast, but I recognised what it was.

I didn't dwell on things, managed to keep busy, and once I got home the monster had gone. I know I'm stronger than the monster, but I also know I have to overcome the thought/feeling that having the monster around is a good thing. Purely because I don't feel as bad as I think I should after losing my first child, my perfect little girl. It might be because we chose to celebrate every part of Lily's life that it's not as hard as it 'should be'. I'm not angry she's gone, I'm thankful for the time we had with her.

As painful as this is, and has been, and will be... I don't regret a second. Getting to know our beautiful daughter over her 8 months of love-filled life was such an amazing experience, and I would do it all again. I think the amazing gift of being able to look at this all in a positive light is a huge help. Like a weapon to combat the monster...

Today I'm thankful for: My amazing wife. Best wife ever. Her blog (which you can read *here*) continues to blow me away with the insights, thoughts, honesty and love she shares.