Skip to main content

If you had just one day...

Mitch Album has a new book out called "For One More Day". The book isn't out yet, but the theme of it is about if you could spend one more day with someone you love that has died, what would you do with them, what would you say etc.

Obviously, I would spend the day with Aaron. It would be hard to pack everything I would want to do with him into one day, but first I would take him to our house so he could see the home we moved into especially for him. I would spend the first part of the day with just him and my husband, talking, playing, laughing and cuddling. I would apologize to him (I know I don't have to, but I would). I would tell him I am sorry that I got sick and he had to be born early, and I would apologize for any pain he was in while he was in the hospital. Then I would give him Christmas. Invite all of our family and friends over and let everyone meet him (okay so we'd probably need some big social hall area). We would decorate a tree, sing songs, and have "Grandpa Claus" come for a visit. At the end of the day I would give him a bath, get him into his pj's and just rock my little one to sleep while singing "You are my sunshine" and telling him that we will love him forever. I would hold him until well after I fell asleep.

So, I never ask for responses, but I would like to put YOU dear reader in the hot seat. If you could have one day with Aaron I would LOVE to know what you would do with him what your kids would do with him etc. Think of it as group therapy....

Comments

Josh said…
Honey...I can't participate in your little exercise. I would never want one more day with Aaron.

I'd hate to know that when I woke up the next morning he'd be gone again, and I'd have to go BACK to missing him. I'd much rather know that he's no longer in pain, and hold onto the hope and knowledge that I will see him again some day, and that time it'll be forever.
3:17 PM
Anonymous said…
I do think at times, what would I do if I had the opportunity to have had a day with Aaron. Sometimes I am sad, but many times it makes me smile. I would love a day to take him to his great grandparents home, to let them see him and hold him. I always wished for the day that Aaron would be rocked to sleep by his great grandpa. I would, of course, show him off to others, but when evening came, I would want him to myself to hold, rock, kiss and cuddle. I would wait for the second I heard a cry in the night and bring him into my bed - to cuddle more.
8:12 PM
Anonymous said…
I would have had Aaron spend the day with Skylin to show him the ropes....

We think of you guys often and forever will hold Aaron in our hearts.

Your NICU family.
11:38 PM
Anonymous said…
If we could spend one day with Aaron I would bring him to our home and start off with hugs and kisses. Matthew would show off his turtle and Maggie would want to play babies with him. From there we would go back to the pool and swim and splah and carry on and head over to the swing set. We would get a bubble bath and I would read a story and put them to bed.. after they fight to see where Aaron was going to sleep, of course. I'd let them fall asleep and go back in when everyone is sleeping and kiss them on there heads and just watch them til I couldn't stay awake any longer. That would be our one special day with Aaron. We love you!!

Bob, Bobbi, Matthew and Maggie
9:05 AM
Anonymous said…
I have imagined what it would be like to have one day with Aaron. I would hold him and hug him and kiss his little "Nikki" nose. I would watch Drew, Ben, Sophie, and Claire hold him ever so gently and ask a multitude of questions about him. I would watch as his great gramma and great grampa held and loved him. But most of all, I would watch Nikki and Pam as a loving mom and gramma.....while we were shopping for cute little outfits for him, of course. Some day we will get to do this and oh so much more.

Love & many blessings to you -
Roxie
2:29 PM
Anonymous said…
Dear Nikki,

I've given my assignment a great deal of thought and I'm afraid, like my son, I can't complete it. There are too many quiet moments, hugs, and kisses to share with him. There are too many people I would want to share Aaron with. Not to mention sitting back and watching him play with Mommy and Daddy (while wearing his Eagles gear). That sweet little guy wouldn't have time for a nap and that only makes for a cranky little one. Nope, can't do it. I look forward to heaven for many reasons. Aaron is the biggest one. I think I'll just keep picturing him, in Jesus' arms, rocking in a chair. I'll get my turn.

Love, Grammy Y.
8:18 PM
Anonymous said…
If I had one more day with Aaron back in the NICU, one more day knowing what would happen....I would never leave his side . I would have talked to him all day long telling him all about his mom and dad. About how they are such awesome and caring people. Over and over again I would tell him about how much he is loved by them and by all of us. And Dan would come down to Bryn Mawr to meet him and tell Aaron that he's his very proud uncle. We both would hold him and kiss his head before he went to sleep in his mommy's arms.

I can't even begin to think about all I would want to do with him in one day if he wasn't in the NICU....
9:18 PM
Anonymous said…
Oh Nikki . . . this is such a task . . . but I will certainly do it for you. I have to agree with Josh that it's hard to think about it and when I do the tears stream down my cheeks. Every time I see your's and Josh's pain, it makes my heart ache for you! Aaron must be thinking the "world" of you two!

What wouldn't we do with Aaron if we had "one more day?" My girls certainly would have wanted to hold him and kiss him and ask all the questions a 3 and 5 year old would have asked. They would show him all their toys and their dog. I would have to wrestle him from the girls to hold, cuddle, kiss and hug him. But . . . most importantly, I would have wanted to watch you and Josh and Grandma Pam with him . . . . enjoy him, hug him, cuddle him, kiss him. You three treat my girls like the best in the world and I can only imagine what it would have been like to see you with Aaron just "one more day!"
9:58 PM
Anonymous said…
Wow.. that's hard. As a "cyber friend" I can't imagine getting a day with Aaron. I'd probably hold him for a minute or two and then pass him on to Drummerwife and Drummer... as fun as it would be to hold him and cuddle with him.. just thinking of seeing the pictures of Nikki and Josh with him brings tears to my eyes... I think it'd be awesome just to act like a fly on the wall for that one precious day... heck, I'll even play Santa. ;-)
4:03 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Aaron didn't make it.

About 3 hours ago, Aaron passed away. After speaking with his doctors earlier in the last few weeks, we decided that if at any point they were no longer supporting Aaron's life, but instead preventing him from dying, that we didn't want him to suffer any longer. We reached that point this morning. Aaron had been struggling for life from Day One, and after surgery, and several weeks of fighting, Aaron ran out of strength. He fought hard, but the strain of surgery just proved to be too much for him. I'm sure I'll feel up to posting more information later. I just don't seem to have any energy left in me for relating this at the moment. But I did feel it was important to share this information with all of you who have been keeping tabs on us. Thank you for your concern, your prayers, and your well-wishes during this difficult time. We love you. P.S.: I'd like to leave you with the following lyrics that popped into my head while we held Aaron as he passed away. They
47 comments
Read more

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts

We feel so loved and supported right now and would like to thank each and every one of you. Whether we know you or not we know we are in your thoughts. We told Aaron each and every day how loved he was and I know that he knew that. I know that all of you were praying for a different outcome in all of this, but obviously God had a different plan. There are moments when I am at peace with this and moments when I am not. As hard and upsetting as it was - I am not sure I will ever experience a more peaceful moment as I did when I sat there holding Aaron after they had all the tubes and wires off and before he actually passed. Yes, I did hold him the whole time - at first I didn't think I could but God gave me the strength and I am so happy that I did. Josh pointed out last night that the time they placed him in my arms was at 12:44 pm. Ironically, Aaron was born at 12:44 am - I don't think that was a coincidence. My brother-in-law pointed out to me that Aaron was in our lives for 3
21 comments
Read more

IT WASN'T NEC!

After a long day of sitting at the hospital, hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst, the surgeon came in to talk to us and revealed to us that things went better than anyone could have possibly expected. Aaron never had an infection. What he did have though, was a hernia. He had a loop of intestine trapped beneath another loop, and while it was never "infected," it was trapped and deprived of blood, so it was dead. The surgeon removed the damaged loop, and thankfully, there is plenty more intestine left in there for Aaron. He's recovering peacefully from today's surgery, and was already at 28% oxygen (21% is room air) on the ventilator, and his other stats were all back where they were pre-surgery. He's doing fine. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and well-wishes during this time. I fully believe that Aaron wouldn't have rebounded from yesterday's procedure so quickly, and wouldn't have been as ready for today's if not for those
25 comments
Read more