A note from Claire and Jeff

Friends,

I am not quite sure where to start this post--I guess the best way to do it is to say that there is no way that I can even attempt to be as eloquent as Kathie has been throughout her postings here, so I am not even going to try. Jeff and I felt like it was very important for us to post here ourselves so that we can thank all of the people that have helped us so much through this journey, including thanking all of you who have kept up with us this week through this amazing blog Kathie created.

We continue to grieve so deeply for Mac, but at the same time we also continue to celebrate the beautiful experience welcoming him into the world on Thursday, and also letting him go. My dad said tonight that he couldn't have scripted Thursday any better, and we couldn't agree more. We are the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy whose memory we will always cherish, and we are so glad we were able to meet him and spend the limited time we had holding and loving on him. We know he touched so many people in his short life, and are comforted by that.

While this journey has been incredibly difficult, we have focused on the silver linings we've seen. We are thankful for so many things--our marriage has never been stronger, and our families never closer. We have reconnected with old friends and made new ones. We've held Lydie a little closer each night, and I think have become better parents. Life is a little sweeter because of Mac, and we are thankful for that. Most importantly, we would not change a thing about the last 9 months and having Mac in our lives.

And how can we properly thank Kathie for all that she has done for us? She has been our rock through these incredibly difficult times, from the first dark day in April when our worlds were turned upside down, through my stay in the hospital in May, and in helping us prepare for Mac's birth and his death. When I just didn't feel up to talking to anyone, she would talk for me. When I had unimaginable phone calls to make, like to the funeral home last week, she made them for me. When we needed an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on, she was there, most of the time holding back her own emotions in order to be strong for us. When I told her I was looking for a blanket to wrap Mac in when he was born, she gave me the blanket she had already bought for him the week before. When we needed our space after Mac was born, she made sure it was given to us. When we needed to tell the nurses that we were ready for them to take Mac's body, she told them for us. When I didn't know what we would do with Mac's ashes, she gave us the sugar bowl, which is just perfect. She did all of these things, and so many more, because she loves me and Jeff, and especially because she loves Mac.

She has so accurately described our emotions and our experiences in the email updates that she sent since I first was in the hospital in May and in her amazing posts on the blog. She has brought so many of you into our lives, and we have felt your thoughts and prayers. They have lifted us up these last few months, and they will continue to do so. She has shown me what true, unconditional love is, and I have never been more grateful to have her as my sister, and I'll never be able to thank her for all that she has done. So, Kath, the best I can say is thank you.

And, finally, thank you to all of you for all you have done for us--we have been humbled by all of the love of friends and strangers alike, shown through prayers, notes, calls, meals, offers to babysit (or Bella-sit!). I would love to thank everyone by name, but that would make an already-too-long blog entry a lot longer. Suffice it to say that we are lucky people!

Thank you for being a part of our lives, and for loving baby Mac with us.

Much love,

Claire and Jeff