Remembering

I have had the honor of knowing Trent and Lauren for almost 5 years now. They are incredible people with the warmest hearts. When Lauren and Trent went through one of the heaviest moments in their lives, I wept over their loss and prayed for healing. We got together a month ago to honor and remember beautiful Adelyn Jane with photos. I asked Lauren to write this blog to share her heart and experience with infant loss, marriage, family and how people can support and honor Adelyn Jane. Below are her words. “Trent and I will celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary in December, but before we do that, we will celebrate our daughter’s one year old birthday on October 24th. Our only child. Our beautiful daughter. We never imagined when we said “I do” almost four years ago, that we, as a couple and new parents, would have to face the unimaginable. We welcomed our tiny 1 lb. 15 oz. daughter, Adelyn Jane, on a Friday afternoon, we held her as she died on Saturday night, and then we buried her in the most beautiful spot three days later. Adelyn was born prematurely and though we were hoping to spend months in the NICU before bringing her home, this was not meant to be. Because Adelyn’s life was so brief, we grieve her loss, mourn what could have been, and worry that our beautiful daughter will be misplaced in the minds of those who we love, since she isn’t here to hold. As her parents, we want the world to know and to honor Adelyn. She deserves that. We also cling to the promise that she is in heaven and that Trent and I will hold her again there. We thank God for this promise, and most days this truth is the only thing that keeps us going. For nine months now, we have had to lean more on Jesus and the wonderful family and friends He surrounds us with. Trent and I are learning to love each other deeper and hug each other tighter. Most of all, we are learning a “new normal” without our beloved daughter, and we will strive to fulfill our promise to honor and remember her, every day. Along this grief journey, we are finding ways to do just this. One is through our March of Dimes team, Adelyn’s Hope. We will be walking in the March for Babies walk in Greenville, NC on October 10. Please visit our team webpage to learn more about joining our team and how you can make a donation to help end prematurity. marchforbabies.org/team/Adelynjane A second way we keep our daughter close is our Adelyn Bear. Isn’t she beautiful? Adelyn Bear was made by a non-profit organization started by a grieving mother who lost her daughter, Molly. After Molly’s death, her mother was given a homemade weighted bear that she found to be very comforting to hold. And from this, Molly Bears was born. Molly Bears makes weighted teddy bears for families coping with infant loss. The day our 1 lb 15 oz. Adelyn Bear arrived was a day of rejoicing at our house. We would finally be able to almost hold our daughter again. Adelyn Bear is not meant to replace Adelyn, only represent her. So with Amanda’s help, we joyfully present our Adelyn Bear. We will hold her close until we can hold our sweet Adelyn Jane again in heaven.” “I carry your heart…I carry it in my heart.”