Family, friends, and prayer warriors near and far... We are asking for your support of 'Baby Niner' and her amazing parents Eric and Jessica.

After years of heartache and struggling with infertility, Jessica and Eric were exhilarated when they received the news that their precious #9 embryo had successfully implanted and they were going to be parents! From the day we celebrated this amazing news with them, this little lady was given the nickname 'NINER'. Through the first 2 trimesters, everything was going right as planned with a healthy pregnancy and the parents to be growing more excited each day at the anticipation of meeting their daughter.

Suddenly, at only 26 weeks and 5 days, Jessica went into pre-term labor. The labor could not be stopped or delayed and it was decided that Baby Niner needed to be delivered via emergency C-Section. At 7:59 AM on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, our sweet beautiful #9 was welcomed into this world weighing a mere 2lbs 7oz and measuring 14.4 inches long.

From the moment Jessica first began to feel her move inside, she intuitively remarked at how active and what a strong little girl she felt from within. Mother's intuition is never wrong... and when Baby Niner came into this world she came with her Daddy's Fighting Irish Spirit and her Mama's Superwoman Strength! (Though she be but little, she is fierce!)

Shortly after delivery, Niner took her first helicopter flight from Jackson Hole, WY to Idaho Falls, ID. Eric made sure that Jessica was in the good hands and care of her parents, close friends, and amazing staff, then set off on the drive to stay with their daughter until Jessica was able to join them 2 days later. On Friday evening this beautiful little family was finally reunited... As Jessica was able to rest her hands on her daughter's tiny body, she instinctively reached for her Momma's hand. Baby Niner's stats simultaneously began to improve with the presence of her mother and Eric watched in awe as he could see from the readings on the monitors that his daughter was calming and finding peace knowing that Jessica was there.

We are all blown away each hour and each day that passes by the determination and beautiful spirit that this precious child has. Her doctors are encouraged by her stats and her fighting spirit and we are so thankful for these amazing individuals in the NICU that are using their gifts to help Baby Niner reach her NICU graduation. We are looking forward to the day when Eric and Jessica will be able to hold her in their arms, and better yet, when they will be able to take her home... But she has a long road ahead of her and that means Mom and Dad do, too.

If you are able to help financially to lift some of the burden of expenses that will be incurred over the next several months, we would be sincerely grateful for anything you can do. Although they are blessed to have good insurance coverage, we don't know how mcuh will be covered (the helicopter ride could be as much as $30,000 and a single day in the NICU can be between $6,000-$8,000). Besides medical expenses, they will be living away from home or traveling over an hour one way back and forth from home to the hosptial, so the cost of gas and food will add up quickly.

If you are not able to help financially, we ask that you hold this family in prayer and send good vibes their way!

Baby Niner, Jessica, Eric, and both of their families want to extend a deep and sincere THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has checked in, helped out, or sent their love and prayers from afar. I assure you that every bit of it is felt, needed and appreciated.

For updates on Baby Niner's journey, you can follow along with Eric and Jessica as they keep a journal on Caring Bridge: Baby Niner's NICU Journey . Also, we will be setting up a MealTrain in the near future as another way to support. Thank you again for your support and please help us spread the word for Baby Niner.