Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
I've loved this organization for a very long time. I found it while pregnant with my first daughter Bella when a fellow mommy-to-be lost her baby born prematurely shortly after birth. I had never heard of professional berievment photography for newborns and babies. While I was completely shaken to my core at the death of my friends precious angel, I was also incredibly grateful that she was given the gift of priceless images of her family with their sweet baby boy before they laid him to rest.
The thought of losing either of my babies is a thought that sends chills down my spine and gives me goosebumps & yet I know I am not immune to tragedy-I myself suffer from multiple miscarriages-3 to date and they don't get easier-but that's another blog entry. But to actually give birth to your baby and have them taken from you so soon after birth is just unfathomable.
I am thankful to God that I am not ignorant to the heartache that so many fellow mommies, daddies, brothers and sisters have to deal with daily. Although it seem so devastatingly unnatural the thought of a baby being taken from this world so soon I know that it is not uncommon. The families that are blessed from this organization would give anything for a horrifically poopy diaper, for a morning of exhaustion after having been up all night with their teething daughter, to have to deal with their son throwing a tantrum in the middle of the grocery store. But their lives are now quiet-very quiet-which urges me to try with all of my heart & soul to appreciate all the deafening, screeching, headache inducing & joyful noise between my home's walls.
I've seen only 1 snap shot of my older brother who died shortly after his birth-Ian. He's laying on a blue sheet of some kind. He's naked. It might even be a poloroid. I see my mother's hand which I can almost see trembling through the picture right next to his impossibly tiny fingers. My older brother. My big brother. Well, the big brother I never had. Due on October 8, 1984. I came 1 year later-October 8, 1985. Without his death, I would not be here. I wish I had a better picture of him. I'm thankful he's Up There taking care of his nieces & nephews that didn't make it either. I shake my head in sorrow and wish so badly my parents could have had an organization like this.
I know there are quite a few photographer's who follow my blog. I urge you to apply to be a photographer for this beautiful organization-even if you don't have children I know you will still understand the beauty and importance of it after looking around their website and reading some of the stories. Everything is on a volunteer basis but what a miraculous gift to give.
And if you're not a photographer but are moved to donate to this amazing cause I urge you to do so as well-whether in honor of a sweet little one you know who was taken too soon or simply out of the kindness of your heart and awareness that no one is immune to tragedy-not you, not me. No one. Many of these men & women were told at the beginning of their pregnancies that their babies were going to die at birth & doctors urged them to end the pregnancies-they did not. Some of the these babies had absolutely no foreseen complications and were simply born still.
The bottom line, some babies live 90 years. Some live 1 day. But every life lived is a miracle.
I've loved this organization for a very long time. I found it while pregnant with my first daughter Bella when a fellow mommy-to-be lost her baby born prematurely shortly after birth. I had never heard of professional berievment photography for newborns and babies. While I was completely shaken to my core at the death of my friends precious angel, I was also incredibly grateful that she was given the gift of priceless images of her family with their sweet baby boy before they laid him to rest.
The thought of losing either of my babies is a thought that sends chills down my spine and gives me goosebumps & yet I know I am not immune to tragedy-I myself suffer from multiple miscarriages-3 to date and they don't get easier-but that's another blog entry. But to actually give birth to your baby and have them taken from you so soon after birth is just unfathomable.
I am thankful to God that I am not ignorant to the heartache that so many fellow mommies, daddies, brothers and sisters have to deal with daily. Although it seem so devastatingly unnatural the thought of a baby being taken from this world so soon I know that it is not uncommon. The families that are blessed from this organization would give anything for a horrifically poopy diaper, for a morning of exhaustion after having been up all night with their teething daughter, to have to deal with their son throwing a tantrum in the middle of the grocery store. But their lives are now quiet-very quiet-which urges me to try with all of my heart & soul to appreciate all the deafening, screeching, headache inducing & joyful noise between my home's walls.
I've seen only 1 snap shot of my older brother who died shortly after his birth-Ian. He's laying on a blue sheet of some kind. He's naked. It might even be a poloroid. I see my mother's hand which I can almost see trembling through the picture right next to his impossibly tiny fingers. My older brother. My big brother. Well, the big brother I never had. Due on October 8, 1984. I came 1 year later-October 8, 1985. Without his death, I would not be here. I wish I had a better picture of him. I'm thankful he's Up There taking care of his nieces & nephews that didn't make it either. I shake my head in sorrow and wish so badly my parents could have had an organization like this.
I know there are quite a few photographer's who follow my blog. I urge you to apply to be a photographer for this beautiful organization-even if you don't have children I know you will still understand the beauty and importance of it after looking around their website and reading some of the stories. Everything is on a volunteer basis but what a miraculous gift to give.
And if you're not a photographer but are moved to donate to this amazing cause I urge you to do so as well-whether in honor of a sweet little one you know who was taken too soon or simply out of the kindness of your heart and awareness that no one is immune to tragedy-not you, not me. No one. Many of these men & women were told at the beginning of their pregnancies that their babies were going to die at birth & doctors urged them to end the pregnancies-they did not. Some of the these babies had absolutely no foreseen complications and were simply born still.
The bottom line, some babies live 90 years. Some live 1 day. But every life lived is a miracle.
