Hailey

The month of October was a blur for me. When November 1 finally rolled around, I felt like I had post traumatic stress disorder. On September 25, we welcomed Hailey into our family. All of us fell in love with her and were heart broken that she couldn't come with us on the cruise we had planned for over a year. We left her with another foster family in Round Rock while we were away. When we came back from the cruise, it was evident how much all of us had missed her.

Of course, Maddie loved her but didn't like the amount of attention she received. Kim and I went through an emotional and physical transformation in having a second child. We have wondered for years how we could love another person as much as we love Madison. Through Hailey, we discovered we could. Maddie did the normal stuff when a new kid comes along. There was some acting out and her ears stopped working, but all in all we did ok. Maddie thought Hailey was the greatest baby doll. She "mothered" her a lot and was very protective. It was so cute to watch them together. And Hailey was totally captivated by Madison. She sit and watch her every move.

Personally, I adored Hailey's gummy grin. I remember crying when Maddie's first tooth came in because I would never see those gums again. Hailey was such a happy baby. She only cried when she had gas, which is understandable. I would cry too if I couldn't relieve myself. Despite all the changes in her short life, she was happy. I learned a lot from Hailey. She reminded me what joy looked like and how it feels. We would sit together and talk and coo and smile every morning before day care. Hailey was so special to our family.

Hailey went with us on our big road trip to Mississippi for my high school reunion. I was dreading the 10 hour drive with a 4 year old and a 4 month old, but it went really well. I was so proud of Hailey, who wasn't too fond of the car. Now she is. 20 hours round trip!

Hailey left us last Monday. She has gone to live with her aunt and uncle and while we are sad to lose her, I am so happy for Hailey. She will grow up in a family who loves her and who is willing to go the distance to help her mom. We all pray for her daily. I miss her smile and giggles the most. We had a wonderful time with Hailey and none of us will forget her. Here are some of my latest Hailey pictures. She is quite a little girl! Her mother is very lucky to have such a bright light in her life.