Presley Jefford

”I carried you every second of your life and I will love you every second of mine.”

On March 15, 2007, Presley Cecilia Jefford floated into our lives and just as quickly, floated right back out.

It had been a long and difficult pregnancy.  The day we were all anxiously waiting for was now just 8 weeks away.  Wearing my Mr. Roger”s Neighborhood shirt and struggling with a little cold, I was heading in for my routine checkup - just like every other past appointment.  

And then, just like that, our lives changed forever. “We can’t find her heartbeat.” What? The words just hung in the air. “Check again, look again, try a different ultrasound machine.” This didn’t make sense. I was there for a ROUTINE checkup. I always heard her heartbeat. ALWAYS. 

Reality quickly sank in. I looked around and noticed there were an abundance of hospital staff in the room. What was happening? “I’m so sorry Becky, we can’t find her heartbeat.”  

That was March 14, 2007.  Presley Cecilia Jefford was born early the next morning, March 15, 2007. This was not the plan, this was not how we envisioned her arrival the past 32 weeks. Instead, plans were turned to where we would bury her. What kind of service did we want? What day did we want her service to be? 

The longer I stayed in the hospital recovering from the c-section, the longer I was able to deny that none of this was really happening. I was still on the labor and delivery floor of the hospital.  I could hear babies crying all around me on other parts of the floor.  None of those cries were from our sweet Presley. The cries were coming from me, my family.  

Shawn, my husband, my everything and the most amazing father in the world, stepped right up and took care of everything.  This was his daughter and he was going to make certain everything was perfect for her, from the outfit he bought her and made sure to take home and wash so it would be nice and soft for her to her socks - one reading “I Love Mommy” and the other “I Love Daddy”.

In March of this year, we celebrated Presley’s Sweet 16th Birthday.  As is our tradition, we go visit her in the cemetery, sing happy birthday, and release pink balloons to her up in heaven.  A day never passes that I don’t think about her - sometimes with a smile when I hear her singing to me through her wind chimes and sometimes with a tear when I see a cardinal in our backyard.  

Here is a poem Presley’s oldest sister wrote for her…..

Visiting Hours

By Carleigh Jefford

I wish heaven had visiting hours

Just once a year would be fine

I always decorate your bench with flowers

And do not forget you are mine

Mom is always crying

It’s hard not to anymore

Saying we will get better is just lying

It really leaves me torn

Would you be really tall

Would you be super short
Would you love the season fall

Or would you dominate in a sport

I wish heaven had visiting hours

Just once a year would be fine

I really miss you Presley

But at least I know you are free

We all love and miss you more than you know Sweet P.  Comfort lies in knowing you are watching over all of us - singing to us through your wind chimes or popping in to say hi through the brightest cardinal.