In April 2012, a twenty-week pregnancy ultrasound revealed that our second child – a girl! – had a fatal birth defect called anencephaly. Her brain did not form correctly, and because of this she lacked the necessary functions to live. I carried baby Amelia to term, knowing full well she would either die before, during, or shortly after birth.

There were a lot of awkward moments, a lot of questions, and a lot of dark, dark days for us in the summer of 2012. But we felt blessed for the short time we were able to spend with her here on earth, and she forever changed our lives.

Amelia Lynn Jones was born on August 27, 2012. She was 4lb 14oz and had a shocking amount of white blonde hair. She lived two-and-a-half days.

Here you’ll find an archive of Amelia’s story, from when we first found out to present day, when our lives are still affected by her. I think and write about her often, and miss her more than I can bear. But I feel incredibly blessed to be her mama, and knowing what we know now and how it has changed us for good, we’d go through it all over again.

To start from the beginning, click here. (To skip ahead to her birth story, click on the individual images below.)