Miracles of life.

I guess you would say I have a little bit of an internet addiction.

It started when I got engaged (okay, it started BEFORE I got engaged when I was dreaming about my boyfriend proposing to me). I found this website called The Knot, and more specifically, their forums. Forums filled with other women all asking questions about invitations and dresses and bridal showers … and I fell in love. After I got married, I got myself knocked up. And in true type-a planning OCDness, I moved on to the forums on The Bump.

On the Bump, I made friends with and honestly fell in love with a group of women. We shared the joys and swollen ankles of pregnancy, we cheered and ‘awwwed’ over the pictures of each other’s newborns, we sobbed with each other through PPD and breast-feeding issues and sleepless nights. Eventually, a portion of us broke off and formed a private board called the ‘Mean Mommies’ (which is an ironical name, since we are no such things). Over the past several years the 300 or so of us have banded together and been backbones, shoulders, helping hands, and even middle fingers for each other (yeah, we can get cranky sometimes, lol).

No one should have be scared when they go into labor. But when our fellow member and friend, Jeni, was faced with an awful medical condition during her pregnancy and forced into early labor at only 24 weeks … we were all scared. Her sweet baby girl, Layla Kathleen was born at just 24 weeks 2 days. She was the tiniest, sweetest most special thing I had ever seen (via photos of course) … and we all hunkered down and said every prayer, and sent every good thought from all across the country to baby Layla. We all sent cards, and donations, and gifts … hoping to make this very difficult time a little easier for her family. For over 100 days, Jeni and her husband, as well as big sister Alaina watched her fight. And I do mean FIGHT like the little kickass baby girl she is, for her life. We watched via photo how she went from being this little 1lb 8oz tiny little bundle of a person, to the 5lbs she is today.

And today? Today was baby Layla’s first full day at home. At 39 gestational weeks, my e-friend Jeni got to bring her baby home for the first time. I am SO excited for them … that they can all be home as a family after a very scary 15 weeks of NICU time for Layla. I am so proud of you Jeni … you might be one of the strongest women I ‘know’. Not only that, but I am so very proud of my fellow Memos. Never have I been so proud to be a part of such a wonderful group of women. Women who would do (and quite often DO do) just about anything for each other.

Welcome home baby Layla! Grow up to be the super awesome rockstar I know you are!

This gives you an idea of just how tiny she was when she was born.

On her way home yesterday!