Some have asked for pictures and I am completely willing to oblige. Here are what I have at work and a few million others at home. I may be biased but I think she's a cutie. Let me bring you up to date on the entire issue that's going on. I know that some are not sure of everything going on with her and lets hope to fix that. I apologize for my bad communication. Last year I joined the Army Guard and shipped for Basic at Ft Jackson, SC on Oct 30. I was given 3 minutes to call Beth on Nov 2 for paperwork at which time she informed me she was pregnant. We were excited but I was bummed to be missing it all. Many have said I am crazy but I guess we'll find out next time. Beth, however, is an amazing wife and was able to carry on with life. She maintained a housekeeping business, kept after a home, was involved at church, and went through a pregnancy all without her husband at home. I still don't know how she did it.
I came home for Christmas break between Dec 18, 06 and Jan 3, 07 and enjoyed the holidays with family. I had pneumonia the whole time and Beth had morning sickness AND the stomach flu but we could not have been happier to see each other. I went back to basic and waited for more news about the baby. The day I went back, the doctors discovered there was something unusual and asked Beth to go to a specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital. I remember crawling through snow and freezing rain on January 18 when I received a Red Cross emergency message from Beth. The doctors had discovered a problem with the pregnancy and the Army shipped me home within hours to be with my wife. During the first couple of weeks of pregnancy a child has a small tube or line of nerve cells that eventually form into the brain and spinal column. That tube (referred to as the neural tube) normally closes at the ends and forms into the skull and spine, protecting the precious nerve cells. However, the tube did not completely close in Aimee and her brain was starting to develop outside of her head as well as inside. She was 2 and half months along when we discovered the issue and doctors told us she would never grow to full term and would miscarry within the next 5 weeks. We decided against "terminating" the pregnancy believing God had a plan for us even though life looked a little bleak at that moment. I went back to basic and graduated a week later; from there I went to Ft. Eustis, VA to be a helicopter mechanic trainee.
Beth continued to work and take care of herself. She threw herself entirely into spending time with church family and friends who have been invaluable during this time. We believed in faith that the baby would NOT miscarry and continue to grow. As time drew on, the baby kept growing against expectations but the doctors were still certain she would not survive through labor and life afterward. Meanwhile, I graduated from school in VA on Jun 5, 07 and came home. 4 weeks later Beth went into labor at 3 AM on a Saturday morning. We rushed to the hospital and discovered among many other things that 1) No books, No videos, and No advice prepares parents for childbirth 2) Labor is only fast in the movies - Hollywood again for you; and 3) Epidurals are a Gift from the Almighty God above - first for the wife then the husband. Our little bundle of smiles was born on Saturday 7/7/07 at 3:45 PM. She was born 6 lbs. 5 oz. and was a cuddle-bug from the first breath. We did not expect her to live through the day and therefore spent as much time as we could holding her and cuddling. We were released from the hospital and sent home to enjoy her as much as time permitted. Hospice care was started and expected to be with us a couple of weeks. Well, I won't say it has been easy but now she is 5 months old on Friday, weighs a chunky 12 lbs. and has a ravenous appetite most of the time. She has had some close calls because her neurological damage will sometimes cause her to choke and stop breathing but she is getting strong enough to get through that by herself now. She is scheduled for surgery on Jan 11, 2008 for corrective surgery. The surgeons plan to remove the hemorrhaged brain matter and the sack that contains it. Some have asked me if this would be the same as a lobotomy and the answer is no. The external brain matter is actually considered nonfunctional. They think this is the case because 
she has lived so long. If the brain outside WAS still working it would have killed her months ago. Christmas is just around the corner and I feel like I have already gotten my present just being with her. Despite the fact that I was gone in the Army for a long time, the resulting health insurance benefits means Beth and I have paid $0 for a medical scenario already well over $100,000 and much, much more after the surgery costs. God has a way of putting some serious blessings in your life through some of the worst imaginable pain. There is no doubt in my mind that God gave her to us specifically to teach us something. Please let me know if you want more pictures. If you have a Facebook I have a lot of pictures there. God Bless and have a great Christmas!!
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