One Month

Dearest Quinn-

     We love you. I'm not sure that I can ever say that enough. Your Dad and I love you SO much. I can hardly believe it has been a whole month since we got to meet you face to face on this earth. To say that we miss you would be an understatement. Words can not express how much we ache to have you in our arms and to kiss you and hold you and rock you and just love you. There is a huge hole in our hearts and in our lives where our first baby boy belongs. I know this hole will never go away, nor should it. It's yours. It's your special and perfect place in our hearts and no one else will ever be able to fill it. Everything was just better with you here, nothing is the same without you.  I just don't think you can ever prepare for how much it hurts. How everything reminds us of you. How the tears just never seem to dry up. Your Dad and I are just trying to figure out and deal with our new "normal".
     We are so proud of you. You beat so many odds. We know you had to fight to stay with us those 9 months. That you had to fight with all your might to get through labor. And we know that you stayed on this earth with us for a whole hour because of the love you have for us. We got to look right in to your beautiful eyes, eyes we had been dreaming of for months. Hear your perfectly sweet cry. Hold you close and introduce you to so many of the people that love you.
     We really did get to hold an Angel in our arms. That is such an amazing thing to be able to say.  We are so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the knowledge that we get to hold you again someday. Most days it just doesn't feel like it will be soon enough. But I know you are close. That you will always be our little Angel to watch over us.
     There is not a day, hour or minute that you are not in our hearts or on our minds. Happy one month Angel Birthday, baby boy. Your Mommy and Daddy love and miss you so much.

Quinn's Birthday

Many of you already know that we were lucky enough to welcome Quinn Eric Burton in to this world Wednesday, October 16th at 4:41 pm.

We got to keep our little Angel on this earth with us for nearly an hour. He was so strong and fought so hard to spend some time with us but was always so at peace and never struggled. We will be eternally grateful. He was surrounded by family and loved for every second of it, and know he will continue to be long after.

We know that our sweet baby boy touched so many hearts. If you would like to come and celebrate Quinn's life and the miracle of him, we will be having an open memorial service this Saturday, October 19th at 11:00 am. It will be held in the chapel at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 South Highland Drive, SLC 84106. In lieu of flowers, you can donate to the "Nicole Burton Donation" at any Zion's Bank. This will be used for medical bills/expenses and any extra we would love to donate to the Trisomy 18 foundation so that we can give a little bit of help to other families.

"Some people can say that they have never seen an Angel, I got to hold one in my arm's"

The date is set!!!

Eric and I will be checking in to the hospital tonight to get things going with Quinn. This is one of the hardest decisions that we have had to make so far but we feel it is the right one and for lots of right reasons. We don't want him to go past his due date and add any more risks. Eric also has Fall Break this Thursday and Friday, what a tender blessing.

We are so grateful for all the love, support, thoughts and prayers that have come our way over these last few months. I'd like to ask if we can have some more for just a few more days, maybe even weeks. We are praying with all our hearts that we get to take our sweet baby boy home but know that it is in the Lord's hands.

We have been so blessed to have Quinn in our lives and I am so excited to meet our little piece of Heaven.

This is my nephew, Micheal, football helmet. We are so grateful that Quinn has been able to touch so many people and to know how loved he is by so many. A Mommy and Daddy couldn't ask for anything more or be more proud.

Quinn's Best Friend :)

I'd like to introduce you to my BEAUTIFUL new niece... McKenzie Nicole Morrell!!! :)

I told you that Quinn was #19 grandbaby for the Burton's and that #20 was close behind! Well, McKenzie decided that she was going to be #19 instead! :) She was born EARLY Friday morning, October 4th. Both Mommy (Rachel) and her are doing great!

Sweet Rachel and her husband Jason have been so kind to us during this time. I've been so worried that it would be hard to see McKenzie. But very early on, Eric and I had a very strong feeling that McKenzie will actually be such a blessing and comfort to us. We will get to see her grow over the years and see what our sweet Quinn would be doing. Beginning to crawl, then walk, starting Kindergarten and the list goes on and on. I'd be lying if I said that I think that it will always be easy because I know at times it may not be. But we are sincerely so grateful that we get to have her in our lives.

Seeing McKenzie made me so incredibly happy. I feel that she knows Quinn the very best, that they have been best little buddies this whole time. The whole time I held her, cute little Quinn was just kicking away, letting her know he was still with her :) What a comfort it was to me.

We are SO happy for Rachel and Jason and their cute family. McKenzie is #4 and is SO loved by her siblings! It's really cute to see. Congratulations Morrell's!!!

Fall is Eric and my favorite time of year with October being our favorite month. Quinn's birthday will only add to that. We know we are so blessed to still have him and that we have been able to add SO many things to his list. One of the biggest accomplishments was carving a pumpkin. I've wanted to do that for a very long time now and I'm so excited we were able to! We are now at 47 FULL PAGES for his list!!! He's not spoiled, just loved :)

We are still so amazed for all the support we have had from family and friends. We've had some fun surprises dropped off on our front porch, received so many kind notes and especially have felt your prayers for us in this time. Thank you all again.

35 Week Ultrasound Update!!!

That's right, 35 WEEKS as of last Friday!! I always thought pregnancy would go by slower but I feel like it has gone so fast. Every day I get to have my precious angel Quinn is a blessing. Because of T18, we get to have lots of appointments with him :). The ultrasound ones are my FAVORITE. I look forward to them every 3-4 weeks because this is who I get to see...

I can hardly wait to kiss those lips. And forehead. And cheeks. Pretty much every single inch of him. I love him. More than words can ever describe. He is mine. Forever. He is beautiful. And he is perfect, just how Heavenly Father needed him to be.

We get A LOT of information at these appointments so here are just a few updates...
-Quinn is 4 pounds and 7 ounces!! His Daddy and I are so proud of him for being so strong!!
- He is measuring pretty well except his cute tummy, it's at about 30 weeks (no worries though, that is very common with T18. It doesn't mean anything worse:) )
- His legs measured at 35 cm which means about 13.75 inches!!! He is just a long little bean pole!!
- Some good news on my end... They watch mommies amniotic fluid really closely because with these sweet babies, you can either have a really high amount (which causes preterm labor) or you can lose all of it (putting stress on the baby). I've always been on the higher end of normal but still ok. At this appointment, we found out I am just in "normal" range!

He is growing and happy, we couldn't have asked for anything better :)

Over these last few months, we've learned that Eric and I have been so blessed with the doctors we have come in contact with. Lots of families have some really terrible experiences. I just wanted to take a minute today to express my gratitude to them.

Rose is our ultrasound tech. I love her. I only know her from our monthly visits and she means so much to our sweet family. She was there at the 20 week ultrasound. We were chatting while she was taking pictures. I had asked if she liked her job, which she of course said she did but that there were some hard times. It was about 15 minutes later, with the pictures she had taken, she turned to us with tears in her eyes telling us this was one of the reasons her job was tough. She very sensitively started pointing out his cute clenched fists, his rocker bottom foot, scoliosis, cysts and hole in his heart. I can not even begin to imagine how much her heart was hurting having to tell these first time parents such devastating news. She handled it wonderfully and perfectly though. The fact that even her eyes welled up with tears has always meant so much to me because I know she cares. She has from the very beginning. She has been with us through this whole journey. She answers our questions, she is honest but keeps us smiling. She takes TONS of pictures and gives us a CD of them at each appointment. She has always done this, never asking if we wanted it, just knowing how much it would mean to our breaking hearts. Eric and I will always count her as another Angel that was sent to us.

The perinatologists (they are specialists for high risk pregnancies) that we have been able to work with have been great. Dr Gesteland was the one that told us at our 20 week appointment and stayed late to help us get an amniocentesis (it was Labor Day weekend and they wanted to make sure they got it off as soon as possible so we would be able to get our results back sooner). She was always so kind and so sensitive. She had a great way of explaining things and answering our questions. Again, we were amazed with how perfect she was for us at that time.

Other times we have seen Dr Ball. He is known nationwide for what he does and is outstanding. We first saw him at our 27 week appointment. The first time we met was a little overwhelming because he brought up a lot of things that hadn't been discussed before, like what we do after birth (feeding, respiratory, etc..) We were SO grateful that he brought those to our attention so we could prepare for that. He even called down to the NICU to set us up with a doctor to get questions answered and suggested taking a tour of the labor and delivery floor so I wouldn't be so nervous. He also gave us his number so if we had any questions or concerns we could get a hold of him right away. I know doctors are SUPER busy, these "out of the way" gestures have been so kind to us.

Touring the labor and delivery floor was a great idea, by the way. Carolyn from Angel Watch had already set us up to do that and I am so thankful we did. The cute lead nurse (I wish I could remember her name) had been told about our situation ahead of time and was so sweet to us. She showed us the room and how it normally goes, went over some questions we had, etc. She talked to us about our precious Quinn and even her eyes welled up with tears. It was able to put me at ease knowing I will be in hands of sweet nurses who truly care.

The NICU doctor we got to speak to was great also. He name is Dr Lui. I loved her more for her honesty. She told us that we could "fight" and that that is her job. But she explained it's a quality of life issue after that. It meant a lot that a health care professional that gets paid to "fight" was so tender about Quinn and our thoughts. It was kind of her to go over all the different scenarios that could happen and the different choices we would be given. Again, just nice to know and try to plan or expect.

And lastly, my sweet OB, Dr Yamishiro. With this experience, I have come to believe that there are no such thing as coincidences. I was referred to Dr Yamishiro almost 5 years ago by a very dear friend of mine. I wasn't married yet or even thinking of kids at that point. But he was meant to be our doctor for Quinn. I know that with all my heart. He is so caring and LISTENS to us. He lets me ask all the questions I want and he is so understanding. He has always given us honest answers, been realistic but been hopeful for us at the same time. I think that is an incredible quality, especially for a doctor.

I'm sure I'll have much more to say about them after Quinn's arrival but we are so grateful that these special people have been in our lives during these hard months. We are so blessed.

Quinn's Playlist

If you know Eric or me, you know that we LOVE music. And even that is an understatement. We both learned from a very young age that music can touch you in ways that speaking can not. From the time we started dating, and even now, one of our favorite things to do is drive and listen to music in the car. Most the time we sing at the top of our lungs, sometimes we just listen and let the tears fall.

One of the things Eric thought of for Quinn was to make him a "playlist". They are songs that we love and want Quinn to hear along with some songs that help Eric and I make it through the day. I thought I would share a few today.

This song is perfect for our little family. It's why we call Quinn our "little piece of Heaven"...

The next one was on the CD that was in Eric's car when we left our 20 week ultrasound appointment and had first heard the news about Quinn...

I shared my song that helps me get through the days a few posts back, this one is Eric's. I love these lyrics...

This last song means a lot to me because it reminds my Mom and Dad of Quinn. I think that's one other thing that people sometimes forget. Quinn's relatives are just as heartbroken as Eric and I are. For my parents, Quinn is their first grandbaby. I know it hasn't been easy for them. My Mom has picked me up in my broken pieces and put me back together again more times then I can count. My Dad loves talking and sharing things with Quinn. They have been amazing and I know I wouldn't have been able to make it through with out them. My Twin has had to watch me fall apart and just hugs me and loves me. Eric's family is incredible. I am so lucky to have married in to such a great family. Eric is the youngest of 6 so we have 18 nieces and nephews, Quinn will make #19 with #20 close behind. :) The huge blessing I have been able to see is that each and everyone one of them (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents) love Quinn just as much as we do. No words can describe how happy and lucky that makes Eric, Quinn and me.

Quinn's first photo session :)

Earlier this month, Eric and I had the amazing opportunity to take maternity pictures with Quinn. Something that made it even more special is our photographer, Heidi. She was so fun, so kind, so caring and she went through a loss of her own daughter about 7 years ago from a condition called "Potter's Syndrome." I've said so many times how many incredible people we have gotten to meet these last few months with Quinn's journey and Heidi is one of them.

Heidi is a volunteer photographer for a organization called "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep".

I had never heard of this group till we met with Angel Watch. Their entire mission is to 
"introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with a free gift of professional portraiture."  These volunteers dedicate their time to families like ours. They do maternity sessions along with pictures of sweet babies after they are born, whether sleeping or living. It is one of the most beautiful and kind things I could ever have hoped for. Knowing that photographs are some of the only material remembrances I will have for my sweet Quinn, it means the world to me. They are something I can treasure and can have with me in this life until I get to hold him again in the next. 

The organization is through out the US but Heidi informed me that just this past month, they have seen 20 families along the Wasatch Front alone. They only have a small number of photographers in Utah that take the majority of the calls so these people are very busy. There is really great need for photographers in Utah. The more they have available, the less amount of days these sweet people are on call. Heidi is a full time Mom of 3 on this earth, works as a nurse and is planning on going back to school to become a nurse practitioner. But she does NILMDTS because she knows what a great blessing and comfort is was to her. To any of my photographer friends that are interested in becoming one, please contact me. I would love to get you in touch with Heidi to answer any questions. The website also has a lot of information as well. It is an incredible program, Eric and I will always be eternally grateful for it. 

www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org

We decided to do our photo session at the Bonneville Glen. Some of you may have heard of it because Eric and I have a fun history there :) It was one of our first dates (the live nativity that the Bonneville Stake puts on every year), where Eric proposed to me and where we were suppose to have our wedding reception (if you don't know that story, I'll fill ya in later:) ). The Glen has been very dear to our hearts and we couldn't think of a better place to have Quinn's first photos taken!

And my favorite...

Of course we had to have the Utes involved!

Our little piece of Heaven...

There are lots of variables with Quinn right now. His time to leave may be before labor. It may be during. It could be a few precious minutes afterward. It could be an hour or two later. And although all of these are very possible, we are of course hoping for the best which is where we would get to keep him here on earth for a few days. That means lots of NICU, deciding about respiratory action, feeding (feeding tubes or IV's) and possible baby hospice if we are lucky enough to take him home for a short time. We know that these are hopes and dreams for us but that is what we have right now.

We wanted to take a moment to thank our sweet friends, Matt and Kim Misner. Matt and Eric went to school together, played on sports teams together, sat by each other at the U of U football games for years and even play on basketball teams together still. Kim is his dear wife that I have been able to get to know and Eric has always told me that he doesn't know of a more "perfect for each other" couple. They have been so kind to us from the beginning and asked us these hopes and dreams that we have for Quinn right now. Because of this, the Misner's decided to set up a donation fund for our little family through Zions Bank.  There are no words to express the gratitude Eric and I have for them and how incredibly kind this gesture is. Most of the donations have been anonymous so Eric and I wanted to thank everyone that has donated so far. We are so grateful to have a little bit of stressed removed because of what this fund is doing. 

I've meant it every time I have written it but I will say it again. Eric and I are so blessed to have Quinn in our lives. We will never be the same. We love this little boy more than we ever imagined possible and are so happy for the time we get to have with him. We cherish the amazing people we have been able to come in contact with during this journey and we have been overwhelmed by the love and support we have received from our family and friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Support for families with Angel Babies

So... I forgot to tell what Eric got me for my birthday!! A CAR SEAT!!!!

The model is name is "Quinn". :) We HAD to have it. I fully understand that my Quinn will probably not have a chance to use it. But when I opened the box, I just cried. Not sad tears though. I was so happy. Because for one moment in the past 11 weeks, I felt "normal". I got to feel like a "normal" mom and be so excited for SOMETHING. There are no baby showers or other things for me to ever get to feel this way. It was such a nice and different feeling than what I normally deal with.

Every person is different. Every situation is different. But support is something that all mom's in this situation need. Whether it's T18, T13, Potter's Syndrome, miscarriage at ANY point, infertility, and the list goes on and on.

Eric and I are truly blessed. I hope that I say that enough. We have an incredible support system. Both of our families are amazing, our friends have been there and even the neighborhood has been kind. Some people surprise you, both good and bad. There are some people that you thought would be there for you and aren't but then there are plenty that surprise you and come out of the wood work. And guess what? IT'S OK. No matter what category you fall in to. Because lets be honest, no one really knows what to say or do. I'm not sure I would have known either before just getting to be in the situation myself.

But please....

Just be kind. Be sincere. Let me shed a tear without freaking out. Be my friend. And if it really makes you that uncomfortable, then go ahead and "take a leave of absence" for a while. It's ok, I do it too right now! :) It can't and shouldn't be our only topic of discussion. I promise we are still normal people. I still go to work, we see movies, we eat, we swim, we go on vacation. You can talk to me about "normal" things. Most Mom's just want their sweet baby to be acknowledged. When you don't acknowledge them it seems to us that you don't believe they exist when to us, they are very real.  It's not because we want pity. We just want our sweet babies to be remembered. They make such an impression on our lives and we will never be the same. To think that everyone else can forget them so quickly is a really hard concept for us to understand. Again, Eric and I really haven't had to deal with too much of these things because we are so blessed with the support we have. I have just been able to meet and talk with lots of families that are or have gone through something like this and some of these words really needed to be shared.

You may hear me call Quinn our "Angel Baby" and the reason why is because There is an AMAZING program in Utah that is dedicated to helping families. It's called "Angel Watch" through IHC that help families through this time. If you, or anyone you know has lost a baby or has been given a fatal diagnoses, there is support. There is help. They have a nurse and a bereavement counselor meet with you at your home, They get to know you, what your hopes and dreams are/were. They talk to you about planning, give you wonderful ideas and get you in contact with other families like yours. But best of all, they just listen. They are only there to love and help people through this time in their lives. Eric and I meet with ours (Carolyn and Kay) about every 4-5 weeks. Words can not express how much I love these ladies. PLEASE pass this information along to anyone that may need it.

http://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/womennewborn/pregnancy/highrisk/Pages/AngelWatch.aspx

One of the best parts of this program is knowing that you are not alone. There are other families that have gone or are going through the feelings and emotions that you are dealing with. It has been such a comfort to us in this time of need. Below is a song that was written by a mom that went through an experience like Eric and mine. The man singing in it is actually her husband. :) I love this song because it describes perfectly how Eric and I feel. A lot of people ask how we have been able to "deal" with this. To be honest, there is no other option for us. We love Quinn. We found Angel Watch. We have a great support system. We have  a strong testimony and religious belief and we know that Quinn was suppose to come to us this way. Hopefully the song can share a little more about our feelings :)

My Birthday with Quinn

I promise that I will get to the birthday story, but first I need to write a little bit about my husband, Eric. It will make the whole thing come together much better :) Some of you know Eric better than you know me. Some of you only know him through me. And some of you don't really know him at all. But Eric is the best man that I know.

With T18 babies, or any Angel Baby actually, I'm not sure that it registers that the daddy's hurt just as much as us momma's. It's true that I am Quinn's Mommy and that there is a very special bond there. I feel him kick and wiggle, I have him with me 24/7, he is my baby boy. But Eric is his Daddy. Eric had just as many dreams for Quinn as I did, if not more. Quinn was going to be his first son, his camping buddy, his team mate, his best friend. He was going to take him to U of U football games, teach him sports and coach his little league teams. He was going to laugh and play with him everyday. He was going to teach him what it means to be a gentleman, a good friend, a priesthood holder, a good husband and a great dad. And now Eric has had to do what all these daddy's have had to, and let those things go for now.

Eric has been my rock and support since that life changing day in May. He holds me close and just lets me cry. He calms me and helps me recollect my thoughts as we review what doctors have said. He has made it to every single appointment we have had for Quinn and is able to keep his head/thoughts together so he remembers all the questions we've been waiting to ask. He keeps his head high, smiles and squeezes my hand when random people at the store or movies ask about when we are due, what Quinn's name is, how the pregnancy has been, etc. He talks to Quinn, he jokes with him, he tells him stories about his childhood or his mission or funny things about us. He sings to him and reads to him. He still makes me smile and laugh every single day (no joke, it's amazing!).

And through it all, he has never wavered. He has never been mad at the situation. He has never complained. He has never thought "why us".  It's true that we grieve very differently but that's ok, honestly. Because Eric has shown more love to Quinn then I ever thought possible.

Eric's name means "honorable ruler". Perfect words to describe the kind of man he has turned out to be. He is the best husband and friend I could have dreamed of. He is also the best example and best father for our baby boy, and I sincerely believe that Quinn knows that. :)

So... yesterday was my 27th birthday! Let me start by saying that I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY. I know, it's kind of odd. I think the reason I love it so much is that with it  being in August, it's pretty much the only "holiday" around, so it's another fun excuse to get family/friends together. When we first found out I was pregnant with Quinn, I couldn't wait till my birthday this year! It would mean that I'd hit my third trimester mark and in my head would be just putting the "finishing touches" on a nursery and baby shopping, hospital bag prepping, etc. It was going to be a really exciting mark in my first pregnancy. Well, things don't always go as planned. :) So with Quinn's diagnoses, I've really just avoided the thought of my birthday. When I finally had to face that it was coming up, I was really dreading it.

Eric knew this. He knew how much I had been looking forward to it and how now it was just one more memory to yank at my heart. I had work off for my birthday and the night before, I went to bed just hoping I would sleep through most of the day so I wouldn't have to face it. But (this is why I get to dibbs that Eric is the best husband ever, sorry ladies!)...HE SURPRISED ME AND GOT THE DAY OFF TOO!!! I woke up that morning in a panic thinking that Eric had slept through the alarm, only to find out that he was going to spend the whole day with me!!! I know this may sound silly to some of you, but it honestly meant the world to me. It was just so thoughtful and meaningful to me on this birthday.

Our day went something like this...
We got to cuddle and sleep in. Then we went to Tepenyaki for lunch! I had been craving to go there for a while now :). After that, we went to the Hogle Zoo!! This is something that I've REALLY wanted to do with Quinn. It was always a tradition we had with my Daddy growing up and the fact that Eric could do it with Quinn is absolutely priceless to me. We got to talk to him about the giraffes, seals and elephants, and showed him the swimming polar bear and covered his eyes while the sea lions got it on (yes, you read that right). We saw all the animals and talked to him about each of them. Eric and I shared our stories of going to the Zoo when we were younger and told Quinn how much it has changed. He got to eat his first "Dippin Dots" ice cream (and loved it!! He wiggled with happiness the whole time we ate them!). We then went for a drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Eric loves the mountains and I have so many great memories from growing up with a cabin in Solitude Resort. Eric showed Quinn some good campgrounds and fire pits while I pointed out Papas favorite fishing spot. I took him and Eric to our old cabin and told them both how it was the best place to be growing up. I also got to show them both "The Brighton Store" and share how my Mom loved to go with Papa and everyone to get ice cream there.

Eric was so kind and thoughtful for being so attentive to help me not dread my birthday next year. He made sure that it was a happy day, filled with lots of making memories and sharing with him and Quinn so many things that made my childhood so great. It was the perfect day. :)

Part 2: Quinn's List

First of all, Eric and I wanted to thank everyone for their love and support for our cute growing family. We have been overwhelmed by the kind words, actions and thoughts that we have recieved. Sharing our story about Quinn was not the easist decision but we know what a difference he has made in our lives and can only hope that we can help or reach someone else out there.

Eric and I found out about Quinn's diagnoses Memorial Day weekend. I'm not sure there are words to describe the feelings and emotions that came to us. The best single word I can use is "shattered". Your whole world feels like that. All the hopes and dreams that you had, not just for us as a family but as your first child, your first son. That's what I had the hardest time with. I couldn't turn my brain off from thinking of all the things we had planned for him.  I'd thought of his Daddy being so happy and proud and taking him to the U of U football games at the end of the season this year and how we would keep him warm. I'd thought of our first Christmas together as a family, having another stocking hung on the fireplace and what I would fill it with. I'd already pictured him crawling, then walking, then kindergarten and so forth. And my brain wouldn't stop. Shattered. All shattered.

Eric had a very special, and very inspired, thought. Instead of thinking of all the things we "couldn't" do with Quinn, we needed to focus on the things that we ARE doing with him. And right there changed everything for us. Nightly we sit down and talk about our day and/or find time to do little things that we want to share with him. We don't have a checklist of things we want done, we just get to reflect and enjoy all those "little moments" I took for granted before. I know most people never even think twice about what they are doing when they are pregnant but it has been such a blessing and  a comfort to us.

This is the special journal that we bought to write these precious moments down. It's perfect isn't it? :)

As of today, he has 19 FULL pages of things that we have been doing with him over the last 8 weeks!! Some things that are on there...

• Snuggle with Mommy and Daddy every morning
• Celebrated with Daddy his first Father's Day and Mommy for her first Mother's Day
• Roasted marshmallows with Grandma and Pops in their backyard
• Went to the Living Planet Aquarium
• Ate late night breakfast at Denny's with Uncle Dane, Aunt Aubrey, Grandma, Pops, Mommy, Daddy and friend Dan
• First road trip!!
• Went to Disneyland! :)
• Played baseball with all the Burton cousins, Aunts and Uncles
• Rode in a convertible
• Ate your first wedding cake
• Fed the ducks

And the list goes on and on and on!!! He is such a loved little boy! :)

The story of our precious baby boy, Quinn Eric Burton

In April of this year, Eric and I were lucky enough to share the exciting news that we are expecting our first baby!! Weeks flew as we started to prepare for this new adventure in our lives. In May we went to our 20 week ultrasound and found out that our sweet bot has a genetic disorder called Trisomy 18 or Edwards Syndrome. It's a condition where Quinn has an extra 18th chromosome so he has some disfigurements such as a "rocker bottom" foot, scoliosis and clenched hands (they are my favorite, they are so stinking cute). But along with that he also has a large number of cysts on his brain and has some major heart problems. All these things put together make him, as the doctors told us, "incompatible with life". Wew ere told we had a c hoice to terminate the pregnancy or go along as far as Quinn can make it. It was never a hard decision though, we know that our Heavenly Father sent him here to have a body and that we will keep him here with us as long as he needs to be. We are on week 27 of pregnancy and are incredibly lucky to still have him here with us. He is such a fighter and already has the cutest personality. There is an incredible support group for Mom's in these situations called "Angel Watch" and it was suggested to blog about our experience. Part of it is therapy for me, the other part is sharing my love for Quinn. Some posts will be about parts of this journey or appointments or memories, some about how we are coping, some may just be letters I would write to him. Eric and I fall in love with him more and more everyday and are so proud to be called his parents.