This story is reprinted courtesy of the Athens Banner-Herald. Reporter Jeff Cochran and photographer Tricia Spaulding are responsible for the story and photographs. William Zachary “Zach” Kirk was the infant son of Kyle Michael and Jessica Brim Kirk. Survivors also include his sister, Maddie Grace Kirk of Watkinsville; his maternal grandparents, Bill and Deborah Brim of Tifton; and his paternal grandparents, Lee and Esther Kirk of Montrose. Zach is buried at Oakridge Cemetery in Tifton.

AUGUSTA — Life with Zach was never easy for Kyle and Jessica Kirk, but they miss it.

They miss the daily struggle to scratch every minute from every hour from every day. They miss the battle to keep their emotions in check. They miss the moments when they let their emotions take over.

The couple misses the dark room in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Mary's Hospital. Kyle and Jessica miss the machines, and the nurses and doctors who were more likely to give them bad news than good.

They miss never knowing if it was going to be a good day or a bad day.

They miss Zach's wide, blue eyes. They miss his tiny, fragile body. They miss his weak whimpers.

Most of all, they miss their son.

Four months early

A combination of pain, panic and confusion burned the details of Halloween night into Kyle's memory.

"I could tell you the exact minute, what we were wearing, just everything," he said.

His wife, Jessica, was five months pregnant and feeling minor pain and pressure in her abdomen. Dr. Victor Morales, her doctor at St. Mary's Hospital, told Jessica to keep an eye on the pain, but no one was overly concerned.

The pains grew worse as they took their 4-year old daughter, Maddie Grace, trick-or-treating in her elephant costume.

Jessica did her best to ignore the pain. She didn't want to ruin Maddie's good time or to consider the worst-case scenario.