Laynie Lessons- Defying Odds

As I was driving to work this morning, I was struck with an idea.  Especially after reading all the countless beautiful comments on Laynie's page, and mine and Lacey's pages.

Laynie made a difference.

She made a huge difference.

Lacey wrestled with the idea of closing Laynie's page a couple of months ago, and I argued with her about it.  "We don't use it anymore, mom"..... "BUT, what if we do?"   So, I've decided to write a series of "Laynie Lessons:  Things that an Angel Taught us"... and share them with all of you.  Filled with Laynie stories, pictures and the lessons this magnificent gift taught us in her 30 months on earth, and still teaches us today.  From the comments and stories you share with us, on how she impacted you.  Real life lessons from you guys.

I remember the day Laynie died, even the week and months preceeding her death, when I was writing faithfully of her journey.  People loved to read about Laynie.  They loved to hear how she was defying all the odds.  She made a difference.

So I have to start with a true Laynie lesson....What this little girl had to do even before she was born...

LESSON #1 -- Defying Odds

Before she was born, even at 20 weeks, she started defying odds.  The doctors advised Lacey to terminate, because the "Unknowns were great"... her quality of life outside the womb wouldn't be "Viable"... terms you never want to hear used when you are discussing your unborn baby.

But when she was born.....at 37 weeks.....she came out fighting.   She was here to change lives.

She wasn't bigger than the palm of your hand, and her little tiny head wasn't much bigger than an orange.  Her feet were totally tucked up under her booty, and she captured my heart the first breath she took.

This picture is scary...looks bad, but in reality it's not that big of deal.  They were giving her oxygen in her nose, through the equivalent of a C-Pap machine.  The big apparatus around her head, just helped keep it on.  That's it.  They had her wired for her blood pressure and heart rate, but our little miracle breathed on her own from the beginning.  They removed the oxygen hour 5.  She was a rock star.

It's hard to stay in perspective with how tiny she was.  This is a better idea of what we had on our hands.  Just gaze at your palm and look at your hand for a minute.  Go ahead.  Do it.  That was how big our baby was.  Just a tiny little smidge of a thing.  3 lbs 6 oz.  When the doctors told us that her kidneys were going to ultimately fail, and she would probably be blind and deaf, it was hard to take.  But we accepted it, and took her home to "love her".  She liked going home.  She thrived and defied odds.

I loved how she would hold your finger when she took a bottle.  When I say bottle I mean her 6 cc's.  Not 6 oz. (like most babies)... 6 cc's over a 20 minute period.  It was a painstaking, LOUD (for our baby was a squeaky eater) 20 minute task, for she wasn't a very vigorous sucker at the beginning and it had to be done about every 2 hours.  

Take a look at your ball caps laying in your house.  Turn it upside down and imagine a baby sitting inside of it.  After Payne Train's first bath (in a mixing bowl, no doubt), we tucked her in her dad's hunting hat and took about 100 pictures.  We weren't expecting to keep her more than a few days, and every second was precious.   She showed us how to defy staggering odds.  Again and again.  She showed doctors, she showed nurses, she showed everyone.    The baby that wouldn't live through the weekend....lived almost 30 months. .   Finally growing to a weight of just 13 pounds when she earned her angel wings. 

30 months later.....Defying odds.  That was this girl's strong suit.  She taught us that there is NOTHING you can't do with Christ on your side.   

So many people look at what seems to be a problem in their way...financial, marital, family, job, friendship, addiction, and think...."I just can't overcome that....I'm going to walk away from this and start over."   I am here to tell you people.....

What Laynie taught me.....

You Can Defy Odds.  One day at a time, one foot in front of the other.. being brave and moving forward.  

Keep God firmly in your sights...Keep your prayer life viral.....Keep your eye firmly on your goal...and just do it.  

Defy the Odds. 

Laynie did it, and she weighed 13 pounds.  I think you can, too.

We had so many wonderful things written on our wall, and I want to share some precious words from Trapper Sutterfield, our "Brother" from another mother....he summed it up so perfectly for a 16 year old genius....

Well, it's that day of the year again, July 10. Just a normal, insignificant day to most of you, but for some of us is one of the most celebrated, memorial days of the year. on this day, 2 years ago, believe it or not, my beloved niece, our beloved angel, passed away. And as sad as that may sound, and was at the time, this is a happy day. 

I've told many of you the story of Laynie, and some of you more than once (I do that a lot) and I wish I could re-tell it again and again because every time i tell it, not only does it bring her joyful memory back to me, but I feel like everyone who hears it takes a little something of their own from it. And thats what makes Laynie beautiful. How a little infant girl with too many handicaps to count, could take all of her troubles, and put them aside. And then replace them with something amazing. Her smile would make you tear up from straight cuteness, and knowing even with her disabilities, all she did was smile (Unless you end her bath time).
She brought you so much humbleness and humility, she did nothing but better people. Although I miss her, and can't wait to see her again one day in paradise, I am happy that she has passed. Not in the sense that she died, but in the sense that she finally started living. And I know she's up there just runnin' runnin' runnin'. I love you Laynie Bug. Thank you for everything ♥