Day 2: Identity

My Julia was named after her maternal great-great grandmother, Julia Ann Elizabeth Ward. The name means "youth". Her middle name, Grace, was chosen after we learned that Julia would have some special challenges after she was born. Despite her challenges, we chose to see her as a precious gift, like grace from God.

Julia was born at 37 weeks and 3 days gestation. She weighed 5 lbs 1 oz and measured 18 inches long. Although she  seemed tiny, she was a very good size for a baby with trisomy 18! She was born with dark hair and dark eyes. She was beautiful! When she was born we knew she had critical heart issues, but we did not yet know about the trisomy 18 diagnosis. 

Although T18 was a part of Julia, to us it was not her true identity. Her true identity is that she was (and is) a beloved daughter and sister, a precious niece and granddaughter, a cherished member of our community, and a beautiful child of God.

This post is part of Carly Marie's Capture Your Grief Photography Challenge in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.