Last night, in an effort to learn more about exactly what causes death in anencephalic babies, I stumbled across the work of a midwife who in the ’80s worked to end the medical term anencephalic monster. Never once have I thought of Brielle as a monster. Brielle doesn’t look like other babies, and she wont always act like other babies. But no matter her disability, she is not a monster, and she deserves a chance at life no matter how short her life is. And I’ll fight for that right until my last dying breath. It hurts to think she wont be with us for long and it tears me apart to feel how happy and special she is and to know that once she’s born the clock starts ticking. But already her little life has provided David and I with more love and happiness than anyone can imagine. She’s beautiful and special. She likes it when I talk to her and she loves to hear her Daddy’s voice. She’s perfect and if given the chance to do it all over again I’d choose her every time.