Officially a Law in Georgia!!! ~ No Heartbeat Act

It's official!! It passed the Senate on 2/21/07, passed the House 4/4/07, and Gov. Perdue signed it into law Tuesday,May 13. Thanks to all who helped by bombarding your Representative with emails and phone calls. That so many people stood up and helped fight for us means so much. I got even got emails from people that I didn't know, who in Ethan's memory contacted their Rep. in favor of the bill. I cannot even put it into words how much it meant, especially those of you who emailed me or called to find out how it was going, or with a response from your rep, or to find out if you needed to get in touch with them again. I think my favorite email was from the Rep. who informed me that he was not only voting for it, but he was going to put his name publicly behind the bill. And then asked that I let my 'many friends and family know' because he would not be able to answer all the emails in a timely manner. Or, as my sister Andi put it, "Dang girl, call off your dogs!" LOL...I'm just glad I had some dogs to call on. It seriously meant the world to me that so many people cared enough to contact their Representative. This is such a wonderful accomplishment for all parents with babies born still in the state of Georgia. Hopefully, ALL states will soon recognize the importance of issueing CBRS. So, thank you for helping get this bill passed. Love you all.

A Bible For Ethan

I was not going to post about this because I was not sure how I felt about it. But now that my emotions are a little bit more stable, I realize how special it was, so I wanted to share.

Yesterday, I was in Ellijay, at the church that I grew up in. They were giving out Bibles for all the new babies who were born this year. My mother had already told me that they were giving Ethan a bible. I thought that was really special, that they were recognizing him. Then, about two mom's into the ceremony, I realized that all the mom's were staying up there, to be recognized collectively as a whole. I started to panic, and I thought that surely they would wait and do Ethan's after everyone else sat down, or maybe privately. Nope...his name was called in the middle. Andy went up with me, and there we stood, two parent's with empty arms, surrounded by mothers who had their arms full with babies. It was so hard, I was crying, trying so hard not to break down. And then the thought came to me that it was Ethan's Mother's Day gift to me.

I kept alternating between thinking it was special, to wishing that I hadn't had to stand there with all those moms and babies. And then a lady in my support group totally changed my perspective.

How great is it that I was recognized publicly as a mother to Ethan? That he was recognized and acknowledged as a child, a precious gift, and just as important as any other baby that was born this year. Now, I am so excited about it, so thankful. MY BABY WAS RECOGNIZED! And not as something I should be sad about, but as a baby that should be rejoiced.

Anyway, it just meant so much to me, once it was put into perspective, so I thought I would share.

Warren

Warren is having a bad day; he is in a lot of pain. Please continue to pray for him and his family. I have added a link to his website. Look to the right, it's under the myspace links.

Allie

36 weeks, 6 days

It has been 36 weeks, 6 days since the day I found out that Ethan's
heart had stopped beating. I don't know why all of a sudden I had the
need to count that up. 36 weeks, 6 days. I was pregnant with Ethan
for 36 weeks, 6 days when I gave birth to him. I have now been without
him for as long as I had him. How is that possible? I know that some
days are worse than others, I know that I shouldn't do this to myself.
I know, I know, I KNOW! So, if I know, then why don't I seem to
understand? Why do I do this to myself?