Loving Peirce: Fly high; forever three

10/17/2023

It’s fundraiser time.

Peighton is hoping you’ll take a look the website and order if you want.

She’s trying to hear an electric scooter.

Make a purchase to help Oak Heights Elementary PTC raise funds…PLUS Peighton will get some awesome prizes!

09/15/2023

Danielle is trying her best to be everything to everyone while navigating her own grief. The last thing she needed was to be told the home she built with Joel would potentially be taken from her because she wasn’t on the mortgage.

Now she’s having to hire a lawyer to help fight to keep their home. While she also became a single mom, with only her income, trying to provide and give her children the life Joel and she wanted them to have.

Please continue to share, and if possible donate to help Danielle and their children keep the home they’ve spent years in, shared irreplaceable memories and endless love.

I am doing this for the Applebaum family, as I know they’d never want to burden anyone with their ow… Kimberly Perkins needs your support for Joel Applebaum

08/01/2023

I know I haven’t been active on this page in a while. Grieving two children is hard. But being a parent to a child who is also grieving and needing her mom to be all there mentally and physically is that much harder.

2023 has been a year for change. Alex & I officially divorced after 3 long years of waiting. I left my job of 3 years and took on a larger role in a smaller company but the company aligns better with my values. Learning to adjust to life changes is hard.

Peighton also made some life changes- she chopped her hair off & got braces all in a week. And she also made the tough decision to change schools for her 5th grade year. But I’m so proud of her and putting HER first. She’s so strong and brave and I’m so blessed to be her mom.

We miss Landon and Peirce so much, and they’re often the topic of conversation in our home. Sharing memories, or stopping when we hear one of their favorite songs and just being there in that moment.

Life is very different then I imagined it would be, but we’re taking it one day at a time. Thank you for your continued support through out the years.

01/26/2023

3 years
36 months
157 weeks
1096 days
26,287 hours
1,577,257 minutes
94,635,452 seconds

Since your last day on earth.

Your life was extremely hard and often times painful. But you never let that stop you from showing the entire world what love was. To know you, was to know unconditional love.

I’ll never know how I got so lucky to be your mom. But I cherish every damn second I got with you.

I still remember this day like it was today. The smell of the room, the awkward silences, the alarms, the tears, the warmth of your hand as it squeezed mine as you faded away in my arms, but more than anything, the stillness within all the moments.

Your life while short was so impactful. Your life, your love, you as a person; changed me. You taught me how to be an advocate, how to be a better person, and the meaning of strength.

I will never be able to thank you for loving me through my faults, unconditionally even though many times I felt I had failed you as your mother. It was often you+me against the world; and no matter what, you loved me for the person I was supposed to be, and never for the person I was in any given moment. You saw a side of me so many people haven’t. You saw me at my strongest and at my weakest. You saw the true authentic me, the one I hide away from the world. And yet through it all, you still loved me.

Today, I remember you & I am celebrating your perfect life, and all the memories, laughs, but mostly all the love you shared with me.

I’ll never be able to thank you for allowing me to be broken within the beauty of your courageous fight, your life, and now your death.

Until the day we meet again my sweet son. I hope you’re flying high, and dancing in the sky.

01/24/2023

After Peirce passed away the nurses from DCH thought we needed this board filled with their favorite memories of him. They delivered it to us at his celebration of life where- all of his favorite nurses/doctors showed up. I leave this up so I can see it everyday and know how much his life meant to them.

In so many ways they loved him as much as he loved them.

At his celebration of life we gifted his 2 doctors, and 3 nurses a statue of a little boy holding a heart, so they could always see it and remember our sweet boy, and know how much he loved them.

The last months of a Peirce’s life were so hard and the 5 of those women fought tirelessly to make sure our boy was happy and able to live as much of a life as possible.

Dr.Bailey, his pediatrician
Dr. Ronai- his cardiologist
Caroline- PICU RN
Hannah- PICU RN
Jami- RN on the step down floor

For all that you do, and all that you are. Thank you for giving the gift of time with my boy. Time to love, cherish, and create memories. I’ll forever be thankful.

01/15/2023

Peirce always held his G-tube. For him it was his security blanket.

This smile is such a warming thing. He was such a fun and happy boy.

I’ll always remember Peirce’s smile.

01/11/2023

One memory I have of Peirce that I will laugh at each time I think about it:

As we took off in the Life flight plane going to California on 1/9/2020- Peirce, while wearing his face mask yelled "HEY YOU, SLOOOWWWW DOWN" to the Pilot.

I don't know why but it cracked me up how bossy this little guy was, in the most adorable way. He had just a soft voice, but he used it in very powerful ways.

01/11/2023

3 years ago today, I took this video. This was the last time Peirce spoke before he was intubated and passed away 16 days later.

I’m so glad I got to hear him say I love you, one last time that day.

But what I’d do to hear it again.

01/10/2023

We are almost on Peirce's three year passing anniversary. It's crazy to me to think that it's been 3 years, when it feels like just yesterday.

I don't know who needs to hear this, but it is totally fine to not be okay yet. Its okay to not be over something that impacted your life so much that it takes everything in you to get up each morning.

If you're doing your best, then give yourself credit for that and give yourself grace.. You're still here, and you're still trying!

09/13/2020

💜💜💜💜

Haley and her sweet family had to evacuate their home due to the Holiday Farm Fire, and they currently waiting to hear any update on if they've lost their home or not. Currently they're staying with family/friends and are trying to keep their heads up and think positively while trying to keep their....

07/30/2020

Many of our family and friends have asked about meals/donations. We did not opt for a go-fund me. But my work set up a meal train to help. If you'd like to contribute, there is an option for meals or just a money donation that will come directly to us.... Thank you all so much for your thoughts/prayers...
and thank you for respecting our privacy as we grieve.

If you feel like sharing this, we're okay with this also.

https://mealtrain.com/w1mqgw

Landon passed away during a nap on Friday July 24th. Without any known reason. While we process the loss of two of our children in 2020, it would be greatly appreciated if meals were not something we had to focus on. If you feel moved to help, we greatly appreciate it as we grieve and begin to proce...

07/27/2020

We took some time and focused on our family. But it’s with great sadness I write that our youngest son Landon, passed away in his sleep on Friday he was 9 months old. 2 days shy of Peirce’s 6 month mark of passing.

Our families are devastated and trying to grasp and control the anger, sadness and all the emotions that come along with losing two children in 6 months.

If you could keep up in your prayers; we’d appreciate it.

06/12/2020

If you guys remember back when I talked about Peirce's absolute favorite nurse "sunshine caroline"... You'd know how much she meant to not only Peirce, but to us as his parents. Today I learned that she earned a "GOLDEN ROSE" award from OHSU. Specifically for her care of Peirce!
Which, lets be honest SHE DESERVED! I instantly began crying while reading the words of the person nominating her. They're all true. She did so much to make our last months with Peirce full of smiles, laughter and so much freaking love. I can't put into words how much she means to me, or how much she meant to Peirce. But I'm beyond proud of the woman she is. I've attached some of the pictures that are part of the nominators words.... she truly is AMAZING

06/11/2020

As you see, I have transitioned this page into a memorial type of page. I will leave all the memories and comments and things as they were. The name has changed, but it is still me behind the curtain, managing this.