As some of you know Hope is a daily reader of Kayleighs blog (if you haven't checked out this little girls story please do!) She keeps me informed as well. So when I heard they we're changing this weeks "thoughtful" to "thankful" I knew I had to sneak on the blog and write my Thanks to my lovely wife.
We met online while I was stationed in Jacksonville,NC. I had just come back to the states from my deployment oversea's. I'll be the first to admit I didn't want the married life. I just didn't think it was in my cards. But she was persistant and soon enough we we're talking for hours about anything. We built our relationship through communication and to this day I think that's the best thing we could've done. I was the first to take the leap of fate and tell her I loved her. She had been hurt and was a little more cautious. So the roles we're reversed and I stuck by her as she sorted out her feelings. I'll never forget the phone call. It was Christmas morning 2003 (like 12:30 morning lol) we had just gotten off the phone. She called back and told me she loved me and that she couldn't sleep until she told me lol That phone call only lasted a few minutes as soon after she told me she was sleepy. It was the best Christmas present ever.
We married in April 2004 and she moved away from her family the following month. A few days before she arrived I had the first of many surgeries on my foot. I was injured while oversea's. So my poor new wife had to take care of me while getting accustomed to her new home. She never griped and did it all with a smile. And did I mention she was happily expecting a baby? Sadly that happiness ended when at the first appt we we're told that the baby had passed. It was heartbreaking but she held on and got us both thru it. We struggled and struggled and she took medicine after medicine to try to get pregnat again. But no luck and our faith and marriage was tested. But we talked about everything and worked through it. 2 months before I was set to leave the Marines, she left for Florida to get us settled there. 3 days after she got there she got sick and ended up in the ER. After a few hours and being diagnosed with a kidney stone (ouch!) the Dr came to tell her that she was pregnant! Again another early morning phone call (3 am) to tell me I was going to be a daddy and I was the one who couldn't sleep! Thing's we're going great until around 30 weeks she started getting sick. She got admitted into the hospital when her blood pressure went too high. 3 short weeks later our little girl was born a little too early. Hope had developed HELLP Syndrome. We didn't know how serious that was until later when she found some sites about it. A year and half went by when another set of 2 line's popped up on a test. Again all seemed well and we happily went in for oour 18 week u/s to find out what our little "squirt" was. That day ended sadly as our little baby had no heartbeat. It was our first son. Again she pulled both of us through it and we then decided on our jewelry business to help raise awareness and to help get a local support group.
5 months later and I was told on Father's Day about our new little miracle. We help our breaths for the first 18 weeks. But thankfully we past that milestone with a healthy little girl :) Just as we took a big sigh of relief and started making plans for this little one Hope got sick again. It wasn't suppose to happen that early but sure enough she had HELLP again. She was 22 weeks so our first goal was 24 weeks. Got there and they did steriod shots and we waited. Thankfully she was able to come home for about 2 weeks and be with Abby for Halloween. About a week later she was back in and we we're told that we would be delivering in about 2 weeks. She put on a smile and went with the flow. I was dying inside. You see I had to watch my wife slowly fade away as she got worse and worse. It was no suprise when a few days later they took her in for an emergency c-section and our second little girl was born at 30 weeks weighing a little over 3 lbs.
I am THANKFUL for my wife. She is my rock. When my world seems to be caving in she is there with this smile on her face and I know that we can get through anything. I have gone from the military bachlor to the father of 2 beautiful little girls and the husband to the most amazing wife ever. She has gone through hell and back to give me our 3 miracle's and I thank God everyday for that.
Hope you are my world! I truely am nothing without you and the girls. You have shown me what true strength and courage is. You have stuck by me when I was at my worst and have been my spotlight when I was at my best. You are my bestfriend and I thank God everyday that he brought you into my life.
I think Lonestar puts it best,
......"baby I'm amazed by you."
-Greg
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