Bright and early today, well maybe not bright...
Xantha passed away on Sunday morning in my arms at the Royal Children's Hospital at 9.50am, surrounded by family and friends. After we all had a hold to say goodbye, Peter and the nurse gave her a bath, wrapped her in bandages and dressed her after making handprints and footprints for her. We drove her home on Monday afternoon, my great aunt, who is a funeral director, picked her up that night. I though I was coping well until it was time to put her into my aunt's car, but I broke down completely, I just couldn't bear to let her go.

Yesterday our minister came over to help us arrange the church service, he has prepared a lovely photo presentation to be shown at the service instead of saying a life story, as it would more accurately depict her life than any words he could say.

I feel like I'm in some sort of surreal reality at the moment, there are times when I am doing something and then I realise that I'm not thinking about her, and I start feeling guilty, and then this morning when I got up to go to the bathroom, I checked her cot on the way back, and remember that she would never lie there again. I don't know how I'm going to get through the funeral on Friday...

Mel