our package included a beautifully handmade prayer blanket, a tiny knitted baby cap, a plaster kit to make hand and foot molds, clay for creating hand and foot prints, a christmas ornament with paint to make footprints on the ornament, a journal, a small photo album, and an envelope for locks of hair, plus more. i was just so touched, pulling out one thing after another. someone who has been there before me knows very well all the things i will likely need to make lasting memories of our sweet jonathan. a very sincere thanks to laura with string of pearls.
and if anyone can think of any other things we can do or ways we can memorialize jonathan's time with us, please let us know.
Lauren take pictures and add them to your blog, then make a blog book using one of the services (Blurb or blog2print). The paperback books are fairly expensive, but you can get the whole blog printed as long as there are no slide shows or videos. I made one for Sophie's second year and I love it. It has all the wonderful pictures she put in individually and all the words Karen wrote to explain the happenings of the year. You have a great blog of the love you have for Jonathan and if God blesses you with time to hold him then those pictures would be priceless and would be a great addition to your blog book.
ReplyDeletethat is a fabulous idea! i didn't know you could do that with a blog. thanks!
ReplyDelete~Lauren
Oh, that's what I was going to suggest. I have wanted to do the same with my blogs...
ReplyDeleteLauren, get as many photos as you can from now and on. Maybe your friend (the photographer) can do a few photo shoots including pregnancy, family shots/belly shots, birth and beyond. If not, I think I recall a certain photography organization that does something similar. I can check for you.
Think of you and your family everyday.
Much love,
Jenny
Lauren, there is an organization called "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" that will send a local photographer to take pictures of your family once Jonathan is born. The website is nowilaymedowntosleep.org you can check out their site to see if it's something you'd be interested in doing.
ReplyDeleteamy summerville
Yes, that is the site. Thanks Amy!!
ReplyDeleteI 2nd, 3rd and 4th the recommendation (was going to make it myself) for the nowilaymedowntosleep.org organization. As a maternity nurse, seeing women who go through situations like this (not often but then again, all too often) I really recommend photographs! Even when a family is unsure or think they don't want them we take pictures ourselves and seal them for the family to choose to look at or not in the future and almost all of them eventually do. However, for those who know they want pictures not only of the baby but of the family's meeting and bonding time, however short or long the photographers that are members of this group are amazing and such a blessing to families in their time of need as they help make lasting memories. you can go to the site and find the local photographer(s) by zip code search and they provide their services and photos as a gift - no cost at all. I hope that this service, or something similar will be able to help you and your family in this joyful yet sorrowful time. Also, just fyi the nurses at most hospitals that i know of are trained in perinatal loss care and are used to collecting (or helping you collect) most of the keepsakes you have described here such as hand/foot prints in ink and clay, locks of hair if possible and any/all clothes, blankets etc that they baby touched. I hope some of this info helps make a difficult time a little easier.
ReplyDeleteI will keep you and your family in my prayers - we didn't really know each other but we did go to high school together for a few years and you lived down the street from me - I remember always seeing your sister out playing basketball as I drove by... You are all in my thoughts and prayers. God be with and continue to bless you all.
I am praying for you and your family. I was blessed and sad to read your blog. Take care
ReplyDelete