Haley Joe Morrison

3-30-04~~R.I.P.
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Today is the day that I had my one and only baby girl. It is exactly 5 years today of her birth & angel date. Some of you might have been around during this time and some of you might have just heard about it, but I want to tell my story & how GOD prepared me for my own daughter’s death & to be closer to HIM and to trust HIM completely.
God taught me soo much about trusting in HIM on Tuesday, March 30, 2004. As the nursing staff at UAB was prepping me for an emergency c-section, I sat on the table getting ready and doing what the staff told me and I prayed. I whispered prayers for my unborn baby girl not to do what I wanted, but for GOD to do what was best for her. I was still unaware of my baby’s fate.
My original doctor told me what was happening to Haley and he also explained it to my Step Mom who had come with me on this particular day. He did leave off an important detail which is that what she had developed throughout my pregnancy was essentatially fatal. I was in care of a high risk doctor after being admitted to UAB hospital earlier that afternoon and he was the one that made the call to give Haley steroids for quick lung development and to go ahead with an emergency c-section because she was dying in the womb and the only way they could remotely save her was to deliver her then.
The anesthesiologist that was assigned to me was absolutely awesome. He stayed with me from the time the epiderial was started until I went up to recovery. I was really impressed by him. He answered all my questions and was very patient with me.
At around 7:30 or so Haley Jo was born, she was 5lbs 15ozs and about 17 inches long. I can remember hearing her crying not to long after they pulled her out. When they cut the cord though she stopped crying and they had to rush her into another room to see if they could revive her a few minutes after she was born Haley was pronounced dead. I remember someone asking Joey if he wanted to hold her and at about the same time the anesthesiologist told me that he was giving me something to sleep. As a doctor layed Haley in Joey’s arms so that he could hold her for a small bit my eyes were slowly closing. I did get to see the back of her head. She had the most beautiful curly multi colored blonde brown hair I have ever seen.
Later on that night I finally got to hold my baby girl and pictures of her were also made. Not that I will post them (grown men cried as they looked at the pics) due to it showing some of the deformities. I got to hold her for 2 or 3 hours and one of my best friends got to hold her too (but just for a minute).
I know that GOD was with me throughout my pregnancy and I know that HE knew what was going to happen to her. HE stayed with me and held me as I layed on that operating table and prayed. As I heard her cry HE held me close to HIM. HE carried & held me during the recovery when the tears came and I sobbed. HE watched & held me as I held my little girl for the first AND last time. As I looked at her beautiful hair and rubbed her beautiful face I knew that she was in a better place, but it was SO hard to let her go even though I knew she was gone already. I know that her heavenly FATHER is the best to be taken care of even though I miss her & want her here with me. When I finally find out what happened to her I won’t care because I will be there with her. So I take great joy & REJOICE that she is in heaven with GOD and that she is watching over all of us.
Here is the verse I took great comfort in after Haley’s death:
2 Samuel 12:18-23
On the Seventh day Bathsheba & David’s baby died. But the servants were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead. They said, “Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn’t listen to us. So how can we tell him [David] the baby is dead? He may do something desperate.” When David saw his servants whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the baby dead?” “He is dead,” they replied. Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the LORD’S house, and worshipped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So they served him food, and he ate. His servants asked him, “What did you just do? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food.” He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I’ll go to him, but he will never return to me.”

The Marriage Retreat

Joey and Joscelyn at the Village in Gaitlinburg, TN.


During the first "true" weekend of March (6,7, & 8) Joey & I was able to be so blessed by going to our church's annual marriage retreat. The devil was trying to stop us the entire time. Or at least make us upset. We traveled all the way up to TN with barely any problems. I did a naughty thing though and read while in the church van (can anyone say the recipe for car sickness?) but I wanted to be able to read Multiple Bles8ings by Jon & Kate Gosselin & Beth Carson during my spring break. Not too long into TN we ran into (not literally) the backup of a horrible car/18 wheeler truck wreck near Chattanooga. It took us 2 hours to go 5 or 10 miles. Can we say another recipe for car sickness-UGH!?!


Joey and Joscelyn at the Brass Grill Joscelyn in front of Sleepy's in the HUGE chair.

Oh, but we got to ride and get to know two sweet couples from our church that we knew but didn't know. I feel truly blessed that they were willing to drive the van and let us go with them & get to know them (even if it was just a little bit). Also they were very patient (especially the men) while we shopped and all (but that was on the way home).



Joey and then me on the bridge just past our hotel.


O.K. back to going up again (sorry my brain scatters)... we ate in Pigeon Forge @ TGIFriday's I have never personally eaten there so it was good to try something new (even though we have some here in bham too). Then we headed for our hotel IN Gaitlinburg itself. We got there about 11 p.m. (so much for sight seeing before the first session). I also had tummy problems when we got in. Like I said the devil was trying to get some of us not to work on our marriage. So so much for fun in the hotel too :-(!! Poor Joey, he was such a trooper, he was so nice to leave me alone & let me sleep the car sickness/tummy problems off so that we could have a wonderful day on Saturday.



Oh NO!! It's a bear!! Run Joe! I guess I should run too huh?!!


Speaking of Saturday it was such a wonderful day, after the first session, Joey & I went to window shopping and walked all the way down to the Ripley's Aquarium and back to the other side of Gaitlinburg where our hotel was. We ate at a wonderful place called the Brass Grill and then window shopped some more. We did by some T-shirt's for the kids and thought about the time when Daniel broke Mamah's coasters at her place in Pigeon Forge so I called my Mom to see about getting some (turns out we already had replaced them). I also found this baby shop (yes, I thought about Kelly & her new baby coming up) that we looked in & found some absolutely beautiful picture frames for sell. Sadly they were a little too expensive for our budget but still wow! Before it got dark Joey talked me into going on the tram (I AM VERY SCARED OF HEIGHTS) so that was a big deal and since I was going on it I figured I'd get some really good shots of the city from there.

On Sunday, we had our last session and then before we headed to Pigeon Forge, Carol Ann, Larry, Joey & I went to the Hollywood wax museum and had loads of fun taking pictures with the actors and just goofing off. We stayed in there for about an hour or so due to the fact that it was so outrageously expensive. See our fun below in the slide..

Before heading out we stopped by the outlet mall to let me go to Children's Place (Thanks Laine for the tip on the clothes) and to let Carol Ann & Michelle off at the stores they wanted to go. I got such a great deal for the kids new winter clothes. It was SO wonderful. I need to go online they told me about to get more of the deals before it goes off. We then stopped by Wendy's ate lunch (yes I know not that fantastic) and off we went to come home. Carol Ann was very nice to give me some car sickness meds and I slept like the entire time until we got to the Rainbow City, AL exit then I was awake until we got to the church and on.


The birds at the village that have their home in the bird haven in Pigeon Forge, TN.

Our journey doesn't exactly end at the church, we had to get our kids from my Dad & step Mom that lives in Lincoln. So we get onto the interstate to meet them in Moody/Leeds at our normal place. On the way though a crazy lady about made me slam right into the back of her. I still cannot figure out WHY she did that to me, but she did. All I can think of is maybe (which Joey nor I can remember me doing anything to make anyone mad) that she thought I was someone else OR I cut her off without knowing it, but how can you NOT know-I mean come on- you know.


OK, so that is the Marriage retreat I hope you enjoyed our story..

So are ya'll tired of the snow yet?

It has been soo long since I did a post that I've about forgotten to write a new one (nah just kidding). I have been VERY busy lately. I can give you the gest of it, but I do want to share with you my month in detail, plus I have a VERY special post coming up in the next few days. Or at least a very special post to me.

Ok so we had the big "blizzard" the first weekend of March. The next weekend held a wonderful trip to Gaitlinburg, TN with our lovely church family & friends during the annual marriage retreat. That week started MY Spring Break and then my spring break lead into Leah's birthday party & the kid's spring break. Which leads me to a huge post about this past week & then of course this weekend. All of this will come I promise. I just wanted to update ya'll & say I am still here & alive. Just studying for test, living life with my family, & loving the LORD with all my heart.
Oh, & I have loved reading YOUR updates on your blogs (if you've made any) :-)

What a "Snow" Wonderful day!!

Well what a wonderful day today was. The kids had the best time playing in the snow with Joey They had snow much fun. Here are some pics about our day! Enjoy :-)!!

I thank the good Lord above for today! The kids had soo much fun & the above pics show it. Now, even though I so Love to go to church HE knew that I could use this day "off" to thank HIM for the snow, to spend time with my kids, & to finish math homework so that I can focus on biology until Wednesday morning.

THANK YOU FATHER GOD!!!