MIA

I'm fully aware that I have been MIA lately. It's not like I haven't been blogging. I just haven't been blogging on MY blog. I have been updating my friend Amanda's blog.

Amanda and her husband, Keith, are the proud parents of a beautiful new baby girl. Each baby is a special blessing but this one is EXTRA special ...

On September 15, 2005 Amanda gave birth to her first beautiful baby girl, Kate. After a perfectly healthy, normal pregnancy, Kate lived only a short 17 hours. Can you imagine the devastation?

Amanda and I got "hooked up" through a ministry at my church which I started called Early Angels. Early Angels was started as a "safe place" for mother's who have lost a child due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death to have a place to talk about their loss. Amanda placed her first phone call to me in January 2006. We quickly became very close friends and she now pretty much heads up Early Angels all by herself (which is JUST FINE with me!)

In late summer last year, Keith and Amanda were ready to start trying again for another child. She quickly became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage in September 2008. After two losses, I'm sure it was very difficult for them to try again but they did. Amanda became pregnant again. There are so many friends who walked each day of her pregnancy with her that we felt like we were pregnant as well.

Due to the complications detected with Kate's birth, Amanda gave birth to this new baby at 36 weeks. Please meet the new family ...

Ella Hope was born on July 6, 2009

5 pounds 11 ounces

Even though Ella's lungs were perfect, she was a little slow in learning to eat. Ella spent a little over a week in the NICU but was finally able to come home last Friday. While Keith and Amanda were busy taking care of their new bundle of joy, I have spent some time keeping their friends and family updated on their blog which explains where I have been the last few weeks.

Here is Ella yesterday afternoon, looking all cute in her brown and pink onesie ...

Although I will continue to contribute to Amanda's blog, I hope to start keeping YOU updated on all the craziness going on in our lives. There has been plenty going on around here.