Month ONE of Clare's SEVEN MONTH stay at the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)

Well, it's been 2 weeks and Clare is still with us!  

Hang in there, baby girl!!!

This is the only way I'm able to touch her.  I want to hold her soooo bad!  I can't even touch anything more than her hand because any little thing can disturb any stability she may have at the time.

First Picture of her opening her eyes!!!!

The beginning of Clare's NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) Stay

Clare stayed in the NICU SEVEN straight months. And even after being discharged/coming home, the hospital's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit became her "2nd home" with many hospital stays & ER visits to come. These are some of the early pictures taken by hospital staff.

We've made it thru the 1st 24 hours...hang in there, baby girl!!!!

It's official! We've made it thru the first 48 hours of her life & Clare is still with us! 

I was able to change her diaper for the first time today. I was so scared to touch her...she's so tiny that I thought I might hurt her.  The nurse said she had wet her diaper. I honestly couldn't see anything in her diaper but I was just glad to know she was having some output...good sign!

Clare's emergency baptism by Father Thom, the same priest who married Derrick & I

My Parents at Clare's Baptism 

Clare and I holding hands

Clare was born at 23 weeks and 5 days. She weighed 1 pound, 6 ounces and was not expected to survive past 48 hours

The nurses took these pictures immediately after she was born.  They wanted me to have some pictures of Clare...before she passed away. No one was expecting her to survive...