GRACE ROSE BROWN WAS WHAT I CALLED MY BELATED
VALENTINE'S DAY PRESENT. SHE WAS CONCEIVED AROUND
VALENTINE'S DAY 2000 AFTER MY HUSBAND JEFF AND I
HAD DECIDED TO GIVE UP ON TRYING TO CONCEIVE.
SPRING OF 2000 I FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT. I WAS
SO ELATED. I COULD HARDLY CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT.
I WANTED TO SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS. I KNEW IN
MY HEART RIGHT AWAY IT WAS A GIRL. WE NAMED HER
GRACE ROSE. SHE HAD HER MATERNAL GREAT
GRANDMOTHER'S MIDDLE NAME AND HER MATERNAL
GRANDMOTHER'S FIRST NAME TO COME UP WITH
GRACE ROSE.

MY PREGNANCY WITH GRACIE WAS EASY. NO PROBLEMS
WHAT SO EVER. THAT IS UP UNTIL HER DUE DATE. SHE
WENT 1 WEEK AND A HALF PAST HER DUE DATE AND STILL
NO SIGNS OF LABOR. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT
CONSIDERING I HAD A CESAREAN SECTIONN DELIVERY
WITH HER OLDER BROTHER, I COULD ALWAYS DO IT AGAIN
IF NEED BE, SO AFTER TWO TRIES OF INDUCED LABOR,
I FINALLY TOLD THE DOCTOR TO DO A "C". AT THIS
TIME, MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED THAT SINCE WE
ALREADY HAD OUR SON, AND I WAS ABOUT TO DELIVER MY
DAUGHTER, WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND HAVE MY TUBES
TIED. SO WE DID IT. GRACE ROSE BROWN WAS BORN
ON NOVEMBER 4, 2002 AT 11:18 AM. SHE WAS A
PERFECTLY HEALTHY 9 LB 1 OZ BABY GIRL. A DADDY'S
GIRL FROM SECOND ONE. QUITE OFTEN IN THE HOSPITAL
SHE WOULD BE SLEEPING ON DADDY'S CHEST.
IT WAS PERFECT!

GRACIE'S FIRST YEAR WENT BY FOR THE MOST PART
UNEVENTFUL. SHE CRAWLED AT ABOUT 8 MONTHS,
AND STARTED WALKING RIGHT AFTER HER
FIRST BIRTHDAY. WHAT A WONDERFUL EARLY CHRISTMAS
PRESENT THAT WAS! GRACIE WAS NEVER LACKING FOR
ANY ATTENTION. WHENEVER DADDY OR I WOULD TAKE
HER IN FOR HER NORMAL CHECKUPS, SHE WOULD MAKE THE
NURSES AND EVERYONE IN THE WAITING ROOM SMILE.
SHE WAS TRULY MY GIFT FROM GOD! MY LIFE WAS PERFECT.
I HAD A HUSBAND, A SON , A DAUGHTER, A CAT AND A DOG.
PERFECT UTOPIAN FAMILY.

THEN THE WEEK BEFORE EASTER 2002, MY PEFECT WORLD
CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT. GRACIE WAS 16 MONTHS
OLD WHEN SHE DIED IN THE TUB. THE NIGHT SHE DIED,
I HAD JUST FINISHED SUPPER WITH HER AND HER
BROTHER. AND PUT THEM IN THE TUB. THAT WEEK, MY
HUBBY AND BEEN ASKING ME TO CLEAN THE BATHROOMS,
WHICH I HAD NOT DONE YET. (I HATE CLEANING
BATHROOMS), ANYWAY, I PUT THEM IN THE TUB TO GET
CLEANED UP AS WE WERE GOING TO MEET DADDY FOR
ANOTHER SUPPER. I CLEANED THE UPSTAIRS BATHROOM
WHILE THEY WERE IN THE TUB AND RAN DOWNSTAIRS
LEAVING BOTH KIDS IN THE TUB AND CLEANED THE
SMALLER BATHROOM DOWNSTAIRS. JUST AS I WAS
FININSHING, MY SON CAME DOWNSTAIRS NAKED AND I
HEARD NO MOVEMENT IN THE TUB, AND I ASKED HIM WHAT
GRACIE WAS DOING. HE CLAIMED SHE WAS TIRED. I AM
LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S TIRED, HE REPLIED THAT
SHE WAS SLEEPING, I AM LIKE WHERE IS SHE SLEEPING,
HE SAID IN THE TUB. I SAID IS THERE WATER IN THE
TUB, HE SAID YES. I RAN UPSTAIRES SO FAST AND
FOUND MY PRECCUOUS BABY GIRL LAYING IN THE TUB
FACE DOWN IN THE WATER. I SCOOPED HER UP OUT OF
THE TUB AND BROUGHT HER INTO THE LIVING ROOM AND
LAID HER DOWN ON THE LIVING ROOM CARPET. THEN I
CALLED 911. I PROCEEDED TO DO CPR ON HER, AND
CONTINUED TO DO SO UNTIL THE SHERIFF SHOWED UP AND
TOOK OVER. HE CONTINUED CPR ON HER TILL THE
AMBULANCE SHOWED UP. THEY CONTINUED TO ASSIST
AND SOON AFTER MAYO I LANDED IN MY BACKYARD.
MAYO I IS THE LIFELINK HELICOPTER FOR THE MAYO
CLINC NEAR ROCHESTER, MN. ALL THESE PEOPLE
SURROUNDING MY DAUGHTER TRYING TO BRING HER BACK
BUT TO NO AVAIL. SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE
SCENE. MY BEAUTIFUL PRECIOUS BABY GIRL, THE ONE
I DREAMED OF HAVING MY ENTIRE LIFE WAS NOW LAYING
ON MY LIVING ROOM FLOOR DEAD AFTER SHE DROWNED IN
THE TUB.

IT'S BEEN A LONG YEAR WITHOUT HER, AND DAY BY DAY
IT GETS A LITTLE EASIER. I STILL MISS HER WITH
EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING. GRACIE'S BROTHER ROBERT,
WAS NOT EVEN 5 WHEN SHE DIED, AND TO THIS DAY HE
DOESN'T UNDERSTAND AS HE WAS SO YOUNG. EVERYONE
THAT GRACIE HAD AN OPPOUTUNITY TO COME INTO
CONTACT WITH HAD A SMILE ON HER FACE SHE WAS MY
SUNSHINE ON A CLOUDY DAY! FAMILY BIRTHDAYS ARE
DIFFICULT AS WELL AS MOTHER'S DAY AND FATHER'S
DAY. WITH OUR FAITH IN GOD, JEFF AND I VOW TO GET
THROUGHT THIS. WE TAKE EACH DAY ONE AT A TIME
KNOWING THAT EACH PASSING DAY BRINGS US ONE DAY
CLOSER TO SEEING GRACIE AGAIN.