Laura

Dear Laura-

I cannot believe it has been 13 weeks since the beginning of this assignment and the beginning to a great new friendship. God has blessed me so much with amazing friends!! You and I have had many great days and nights here in Connecticut!! We sufferred through a HORRIBLE orientation together at St. Francis... and kept each other company a few times when I was transferred to work in the Newborn Nursery. From the movies we saw to the awesome church services... we did and saw a lot! We lived through an earthquake AND a hurricane!! We not so patiently awaited the foliage (which you are missing btw)... We laughed a lot! :-)

I will never forget our many adventures- the major flop of a day that was Harvey Beach!!!! It was beautiful, wasn't it?!? Good thing we drove around for 5 HOURS to find this!!! :-)

 I don't have to say much about this- the Henny Penny... the famous author. The picture that will someday make me very rich. :-)

 

Our incredible "snacks" on the beach.

We did much better in Rhode Island.. Watch Hill.

 We laughed in New York City...

 

Central Park

We "discovered" Block Island together... making memories I know neither of us will NEVER forget!! I will never forget watching you try to figure out the moped...

OR how we felt when we walked out over the bluffs.. amazing-Feelings that neither of us could explain to anyone except each other- because it was a true "God moment".

And Boston...

Where is Paul Harvey?!?!?

I kept my eyes open!! :-)

Enjoying New England... in all it's glory at the Big E with great friends...

Sharing a lobster.. My first (and last) lobster! :-)

And elephant rides.... 

And Middletown... 'Nuff said. :-)

  

 Traveling is hard.. it's hard to be away from everyone we love.. or are learning to love..... ;-) Thanks for being here Laura. For listening to your heart... when life didn't go the way you thought it would- and it turned your world upside down. I'm glad you were here in Connecticut with me. I'm glad I learned to love New England with you. God put you here for a reason for the last 13 weeks and I am thankful for you!! Good luck back home.. Atlanta better prepare itself... you are going to be a GREAT ER nurse!!!! I will miss you for the next month- CT wont be the same! And remember.. whenever you want the honest truth.. when you don't want to hear "it's up to you..".... when you need someone to TELL YOU WHAT TO DO.. I'm only a phone call away (because I'm good at that)!! :-)  Follow your heart Laura- do what you love, and always listen to HIM. Never forget who your first love was. God has amazing plans for your life.. and I'm excited that I will be a part of it!!

Love Always.

-Jessica-

Our last night- Cromwell Diner.

9/11

I will never forget...

God Bless America.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. "

2 Chronicles 7:14

What To Share...

A lot of times when I write blog posts I have to really think about what I'm writing and who is going to be able to read it. This post is random... kind of a bunch of random thoughts jumbled together. I don't just blog for my readers- but for myself as well. I want to remember this week. Usually when I write a post I read it over and over and edit it several times. I didn't do that with this post.So this post is for me.. my random thoughts on yet ANOTHER rainy afternoon here in Connecticut. Sharing from the heart.
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This week has been an interesting week. It's amazing how certain circumstances or events can change you.... who you are.. what you believe. And maybe not change you- but influence you. Effect you... your emotions. What you think.. how you feel.. about yourself, your life, your friends...

Sometimes I wish it was different. Sometimes I wish that certain things like this wouldn't effect me as much as they do. Sometimes I wish I had the power to turn my emotions on and off with a switch. I wish I could say, "oh well.... it's no big deal".. and MEAN IT! But I can't- I'm human. I was given these emotions for a reason. I was given these emotions by a God who can use them for HIS glory... because that is why we are all here anyway. For God. To use ourselves, our feelings, our lives.. for Him. It's a powerful thing- can you imagine how much stronger this world would be if we all worked together for the same God?

 I'm praying this week for those around me who don't know the Lord. Those that aren't living to fulfill some kind of purpose for HIM. I'm praying for a girl, my age, whose husband committed suicide yesterday... I'm praying for everyone effected by domestic abuse and violence.. I'm praying for those too scared to ask for help. I'm praying that God would reveal to me what He wants me to do with this overwhelming feeling that I need to do something for Him...that He would reveal how I can use my life and myself for HIM in a bigger way. 

It's been an interesting week. I don't know what the Lord is trying to reveal through it all.. but I know that He is working in my life. I know that He has a plan for me.. a big plan. I am praying that through the tough stuff.. that He will be revealed- always. I'm living this life for Him and I will never be afraid afraid to share that.

"Just Please Take Care Of My Girls...."

"Just please take care of my girls."....

Was the first interaction I had with the Kamps family. I remember walking through the hallway near the c-section room and seeing Brad for the first time. The look on his face of pure fear... I asked him if he needed anything and his response was, "Just please take care of my girls."

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A year... I cannot believe it has been a year!! I feel like it was just yesterday I was at work in Des Moines and the charge nurse was in my room talking to me when we got the call that triplets were going to be born... at 25 weeks gestation. It was September 1. I remember setting up the room for them to come... going to the resuscitation room to get everything ready. I remember saying a prayer for the family.. who I had never met. For the parents.. and the babies. I remember thinking that if they all survived that it would be a miracle.... knowing a baby at 25 weeks gestation has just a 50% survival rate. I have always loved my job... watching miracles enter this world. But sometimes it is scary- and I know past the skills of all of the doctors, nurses, and therapists- we need to pray. Because ultimately it is HIM who takes care of the these precious little lives. We are just His instruments... His hands here on earth.

Brenna holding my finger.

Anna came first, then Brenna, and then Lucy.  I was the on the resuscitation team for Brenna...which was the start of a very special relationship between Ms. Brenna and I- all 680 grams of her....

Brenna did not have an easy stay in the NICU. She fought through 5 surgeries, a broken wrist, and infections... several scary nights.. and a lot of happy nights. I spent a lot of time with Brad and Angie.. talking about how the girls were progressing and watching them grow- but more than that. The Kamps family became a part of our NICU family- and the other way around.. We became a little part of their family as well. I loved Brenna and prayed for her so much. We all cried together when the future was unknown and celebrated together when she met new milestones. We played dress up for Halloween.......



Lucy, Brenna, Anna




Lucy, Brenna, Anna



And celebrated Christmas.... 

Me with the girls. Lucy, Brenna, Anna.

Brenna and I spent countless hours of rocking, singing, and talking... She was the BEST secret keeper!! :-)

Watching her animals...

 

Talking. :-)



Isn't she pretty?



I also got plenty of snuggle time in with Anna and Lucy- while mommy and daddy went to visit Brenna. So stinking sweet.

Brenna got to go home to join her sisters on January 31st. Since then I have gone over to visit several times and Angie and Brad always send a lot of pictures!! I have missed them while traveling!!! They are getting so big!!



Lucy, Anna, Brenna

 

Sweet Lucy.



I pray for the babies I take care of, I always have- and working as a nurse in a NICU is way more to me than a job. It is way more than a job for most any nurse who works in a NICU. It has to be. We see life.. and death. We learn to love the families we spend so much time with.  For me it's also such a privilege to be able to be a tiny little part of this new life. I feel honored to be trusted enough by these parents to take care of their precious miracles. Some may say I get "too involved"... but I can't help it. It's who I am- how I am. I promise to always take care of the babies at work in the same way I would take care of my own babies.

Angie and Brad know how much I love their girls. They know how much time I have spent with and prayed for Brenna. I was SO very honored when they asked me to be Brenna's godmother.



Baptism-June 2011

 



Brad, Angie, Myself and Brenna- Brenna was getting sick of taking pictures!! Poor girl!



I am honored to forever be part of the Kamps family. I'm excited to be able to watch Anna, Brenna, and Lucy grow up. I cannot wait to see what they will become and how they will excel.. through starting school... graduations... weddings. (hang in there, Brad!!) :-)

I will keep taking care of your girls, Brad and Angie. In a different way though. I will continue to pray for them. I will pray that they will forever know how much they are loved: by your entire family, by both of you, by me, and by the Lord.  I will be here to encourage them and love them. I will listen to them when they call me when they are 13 because you have said no to something they REALLY, REALLY want to do!! :-)

Thank you for sharing them with me- for allowing me to part of the miracle of their life. For trusting me to care for them when they were so tiny...

And letting me love them as they grow.

 And to my Sweet Brenna Renee... you are an amazing little girl. You have been through more in your short life than most people will ever go through in their entire lives.

You are amazing. You are beautiful. You are a miracle. 

 I am so honored and thankful to be your Godmother. I love you sweet girl!

 I will always pray this scripture over you...

I pray that Christ will make His home in your heart as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. I pray you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is for you. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. I pray that then you will be made complete with all of the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
 Ephesians 3:17-19

Happy 1st Birthday Anna, Brenna, and Lucy!

Love always to your entire family...

xoxo

Jessica

**Thank-you Brad and Angie for sharing photos for this post! :-)**