10-12 months

Wow, a year flew by!  My husband and I started thinking about adding a brother or sister into Links life.  We knew we wanted more kids and due to my clotting disorder, we didn't want to wait too long. We wanted to have our kids young, when I would have less health issues.  We were concerned about the future of my health, due to being told in 2007 I had Multiple Sclerosis. We started to really think about it over the next 3 months. Lincoln was so perfect, doing great, and growing accordingly. He hasn't been sick a day in his life yet!  We were spoiled with him .

May 30th, 2010- 10 months
You had your first overnight stay at mimis house this month!  You are growing entirely too fast .  You will soon be my toddler, not my baby :( .   You are getting tons of teeth, yet it doesn't bother you.   You love going outside. You are climbing over things, cruising, and exploring everything!  You are very determined to get into the fireplace!  I love you more than you can imagine!

Love,
Mom

June 30th, 2010-11 months
You are now walking! Close to your 11 month mark it started.  You love it! You should really be black and blue with as much as you fall.  You are a tough cookie.  You are very smart and hide your toys.  You amaze me how you never put anything in your mouth!  You wont hold your bottle yet either.  We've decided to start clomid again in August! So you could be a big brother by May 2011!

Love
Mom

July 30th,2011- 12 months
I can't believe you are 1!  It seems as though you have been with us forever, but then also as though it was just yesterday we were holding our 7lb 11oz baby boy!  I gave you your first hair cut today.  It makes you look like a little boy :(.  You enjoyed your blue cupcake at your party!
Love,
Mom

7-9 months

Lincoln started Moms morning out at the end of the 9 months. Lincoln failed to meet the milestone of putting objects in his mouth, but it was of little to no concern. Considering it was flu season, we saw it as a blessing. Now looking back, I wonder if that was something I should have caught. Since he was on time with all of his other milestones, I didn't think much of it.

February 28th, 2010- 7 months

Your regressing with sleep. You have started to wake up at 4:30 again.   You crawl sideways, in a circle , and backwards, but not forward yet.  You are playing with your toys for long period of times. You are so wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better baby! You had shots on the 22nd of this month. 

Love Always, 
Mom 

March 30th, 2010- 8 months

I'm so blessed with you!  You are a wonderful happy baby!
Love
Mom

April 30th, 2010- 9 months
You started crawling on April 12th.  You were playing with your toys and randomly just started to crawl fast to a cord.  You need a hair cut, but I'm putting it off as long as possible. You really love " the little piggies"  to your toes. I enjoy every day with you!  You are such a wonderful blessing in our life. I'm so amazed at you and how fast you have grown.  I waited forever for the " love of my life"  , little did I know it wasn't your father, it was you , my sweet Linkiford.  You say : Daddy, Momma, Hey, Bye , Bottle , and Lincoln.

Love Always,
Momma

4-6 Months

4-6 months growth and development are at par. He is doing the same as his peers.  He is a happy blonde headed happy baby boy :)  He lights up a room with his smile and is head over heels in love with mommy

Journal Entries:

November 30th, 2009- 4months

You are such an amazing boy! You love mornings and people. You are quite the eater and are sleeping through the night well!  I miss getting up with you and watching "The Nanny"  with you at 4:30 every morning

Love you Lots!
Mom

December 30th, 2009- 5 months 

Merry Christmas Love!  You had lots of fun and got lots of presents! You are sitting up very good. You are walking backwards in your walker as well.  You love to give momma kisses! You open your mouth really big and slobber on my face.  You got shots on the 14th :(.

Happy New Year!
Mom

January 30th, 2010 - 6months

I can't believe it's been 1/2 a year! Things are flying by so fast!  This month you got 2 teeth on the 20th and flipped from back to belly on the 23rd.  You are growing like a weed. You babble a lot. You say "DaDa" a lot, but I've yet to get a momma, what's up with that ? :) I love being a stay at home mom with you!

You are my life!
Mom

0-3 Months

July 2009- October 2009

Lincoln was a beautiful baby. He was like a kitten though and refused to open his eyes for about 4 days. He finally did one night in his bassinet and I was able to see his gorgeous blue eyes.

At 3 weeks 4 days old he rolled over from stomach to back .  He was a very strong boy.  He met every milestone in this time period.  Lincoln is the sweetest, kindest, happiest baby!


Journal entries:

"You are 1 month old! You are such a good baby! You have always slept through the night, with the exception of getting up at 4:30 to eat, then your right back to bed.  You only cry when you are hungry or over tired.  You are a very healthy sweet baby !  I couldn't have asked for a better child!" 

" At your 2 month check up your doctor said you are growing well!  You appear to have a birth defect with your airway causing it to flap closed from time to time, making it difficult for you to breathe. You should grow out of it by 2 years. You were given 3 shots and 1 oral vaccine today. You cried, but as soon as I picked you up were over it.  You are so wonderful Lincoln!  You are mine and daddy's world!  "

"3 months already!! You have the most gorgeous smile!  You have cute dimples and your eyes squint when you smile!  You think I'm the funniest person ever, but you love to talk with daddy! You coo at him for 30 minutes straight from time to time.   Your little laugh is the cutest thing ! I can't wait to get a big belly laugh out of you! "

2nd Try

In October 2008 we were given the go ahead to start trying to conceive again.  I was nervous, but I thought it would at least numb the pain from our loss.  First month of clomid, I was pregnant again. I ran with my positive pregnancy test to my husband to share with him. I was TERRIFIED cautiously excited.  It had been decided that a protein S deficiency I had, was the cause of the missed miscarriage previously. We started heparin injections twice a day from the moment I got my + pregnancy test. We did u/s every 2 weeks until 20 weeks to monitor his development and keep my mind at ease .  I did have the flu in Feb 2008, but other than that it was an uneventful pregnancy.  9 months later, I gave birth by C-section to a bouncing baby boy.

Lincoln was born at 7:13am on 7/30/09. He weighed 7lbs 11oz. Lots of 7's, so he is bound to be lucky :).   He was gorgeous!  In that moment when I held him, all of the pain, worry, and sadness was worth it to get him.

The Start of it all...

My husband and I were married in 2007. In March 2008 we decided to start trying for our first child.  I was put on clomid in May 2008, because I have anovulatory cycles.  Much to my surprise, I was pregnant that first month!  We were over the moon excited, I was dizzy when I stood up at the doctors office and in pure shock! We began to research pregnancy, I cut out all sodas and picked healthier food options. I followed all the rules to a T and was doing everything I could to make our baby perfect.

In July 2007, we had our first ultrasound and saw a beautiful fluttering heart beat.  I went shopping afterwards and bought a "Baby's first St. Patricks day shirt"  on clearance at Babies R Us.  The weeks ticked by and we had another u/s the end of July showing a beautiful baby growing away.

On 8/4/04, the unexpected happened though.  At 14 weeks our routine ultrasound showed our baby had passed.  The still image of the ultrasound screen is still visible to me today as if it were yesterday. My husband wasn't with me and I just remember holding the phone crying unable to inform him. I gave my mother the phone and she told him, he arrived at the doctors office about 30 min later.  The doctor told me I would need a D&C to remove the baby.  I elected to have it done that Friday.  She told me she would send the remains off to pathology to get some answers for us.   In the days between the u/s and he D&C date I remained numb. I hid all the "What to Expect when your expecting" books in the closet and anything else that reminded me of the pregnancy.  The following day my husbands desk calendar had a quote that I do believe was divine message for us in our time of turmoil " "Because Gods' sovereignty is in control, accidents are just incidents in God's good plan for you. Because everyday of your life was written on God's calendar before you were born, everything that happens to you has spiritual significance. Everything."