HOPE'S STORY, PART 9: "SOMETHING PERSONAL"

This is the first entry I was able to write in my journal while we had Hope with us.

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21 Oct 2011

Today Hope turned four weeks old.  

No one thought she would make it this far.

If she lives two more days she will be one month old.

For her four week birthday we went over to Uncle John and Aunt Celeste's with some pies, ice cream and popcorn and visited...

This is the only picture we have from her one month birthday.  
You can see her birthday table cloth on the table.

HOPE'S STORY, PART 6: "A VIDEO AND A SERIOUS COMMANDMENT"

The following journal entries from my mom made me reconsider posting Hope's story.

My fear is that, after reading the following entries, you might leave either 1) depressed 2) miserable 3) glum or 4) despondent.  The reason?  The following entries (and those that will be coming) have a way of being like a field of thorny flowers...there is a lot of "Pretty", but there is also a lot of "Ow."
I love you people and I understand your hearts are sacred places and I want to tread lightly.  And so I have censored some of the story, and altered or shortened some descriptions.  If you choose to keep reading, I COMMAND you to hear the Good, the Love, the Learning, the Humbling, the Joy, the I'll-Never-Forget-Because-I-Don't-Want-Tos in the memories as well.

HOPE'S STORY, PART 5: "A FEW MORE DAYS"

Here are a few more entries from my mom's 'journal' of what happened through Oct 9, 2011...

October 4:  Yesterday hospice came to visit with Caeli and Hope.  They explained what they can do for Hope and her parents when she nears death and when she passes.  It was a mixed visit.  In some ways it comforted Caeli because she knew she had some additional support available to her, but in some ways it was difficult because they told her things that were hard to hear or believe...
Hael has to leave to go back to Alabama today, so we are driving over there for Hael's last visit.  He many not be able to get time off to attend a funeral, but he feels it was important to come when he did and meet Hope and support his sister.
While Tyler is at work, I will stay with Caeli and Hope.  Hope continues to eat only about once each day and only about an ounce or so.
Today I am planting a little Hope garden outside their living room window.  It is totally the wrong time of year to plant a garden, but I am planting perennials that will bloom each year.

HOPE'S STORY, PART 4: "OCTOBER: THE BEGINNING"

From my mom's update:  Oct 2, 2011

"Hope never ate or stirred on Friday. Rather than put her in her little bed that night, Caeli sat up all night coaxing her to eat and just holding her. Several times she made a stretching kind of movement, stiffening her legs, opening her mouth, and arching her back that worried Caeli. Saturday morning she ate again for about 20 minutes and she began to open her eyes again. We brought Hael from the airport straight to see Hope and found the three of them outside in seemingly good spirits. Tyler was rocking her in his arms and talking to her and Caeli was in their garden feeding corn to the lamas.

Pepere (French for grandpa) and Hope