Monday, November 24, 2008

Names In The Sand



These names were written in the sand in Australia by a couple who lost their son, Christian. I requested "Polka Dot" and borrowed the "Emma" picture from another family who is also missing their sweet Emma. Pretty beautiful. Check it out: http://www.namesinthesand.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Another Year Gone


Finally, here are some pictures that we took on year number two. As you can see, things have changed a little bit from last year with little sister Carli now in the picture. We still feel that it's important for both kids to be involved in remembering Emma.
We ended the weekend on a lighter note, going to the mountains and letting Jackson pick one activity that he really wanted to do. You don't see them here, but how lucky for me that we got sent out on our bumper boat ride with three 12 year old boys!!! It caused quite the scene when all three of them attacked me with their water guns the entire time we were out there.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Year Number Two Without You

Dear Sweet Emma,

We think of you often and miss you more and more each day! Happy Second Birthday, sweet baby girl. We love you soooooooo much!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, Jackson and Carli

(*Having some computer problems, but hope to update with pictures soon. Thanks for remembering Emma and stopping by*)

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

When September Ends

Well, it's definitely been a long time and here we are once again in September, what used to be one of my favorite months. You'll notice I had to add a song to my playlist which, by the way, you can pause or turn down your volume if you're not in the mood for music. For some reason, I just can't seem to get that song out of my head this time of year when there's a new chill in the air and the leaves begin to turn. So far, it's not nearly as bad as last year. Many things, including friends, can now be categorized into before, during and after, and I have been so 'lucky' as to have inherited a dear friend, Shawna, who also lost her full term baby boy, Tyson, shortly after his birth. She knew my husband from high school and after reading Emma's obituary, she so bravely decided to call me one day and the rest has been the making of a great friendship. Along with blogging, Shawna has played a HUGE part in my healing. I guess I lied a little when I said I'd try to 'keep it real' because if this blog was to reflect absolutely every emotion I've had, it definitely wouldn't be rated PG. There have been many phone calls or emails between Shawna and I where we felt we could truly be honest and just let it all out because the other person knows exactly what we're feeling. It also really helps that we share the same sarcastic sense of humor, which believe it or not, you actually have times where you can find smiles again here in "Dead Baby Land". Anyway, we both have since had other children so between them keeping us busy and the natural healing that occurs over time, thankfully, our emails entitled, "Warning: Big Spew Ahead", have been fewer and farther between. However, with our second anniversaries upon us (woo hoo), we have both been emailing a little more lately and I just wanted to say "thanks" to Shawna and all the other mommies who have lost babies for their continued support. I really don't know how people survived losses like these back in the days before emailing, blogging, phone calls and especially when it was not okay to talk about death like it is today.

I know every September there will be a little twinge of pain that comes along with witnessing the beauty of Fall, but it is slowly becoming a bittersweet feeling. I know this is only year number two of the rest of our lives and who knows, hopefully, I might even be around someday wondering what my baby girl would have been like on her 52nd birthday!

Friday, June 6, 2008

A Time For Change


The pictures above are of the first thing you used to see when walking through our front door. Our little shrine if you will. I took these pictures right before we got new carpet installed, knowing I probably wouldn't be putting this display back together in the same way. There was a brief time where I felt that a perfect stranger coming into our home wouldn't know, at first glance, that the baby on the wall was someone else and that was starting to bother me. In all fairness to my living children, I've purchased new frames to display their pictures along with a smaller version of Emma's (I will always keep a picture of her out as I'm not going to completely pretend she didn't exist). We've known other people who have had children die and I totally get it now. Everyone grieves differently, but I am apparently falling on the 'out of sight, out of mind' side of the spectrum. The memories are just too painful sometimes and it's easier to pack those painful reminders away in a special box and pretend it never happened. We've only been to the cemetery ONCE since her first birthday and even then, I stayed in the car with the baby. Am I a total jerk or what!?!

Friday, April 4, 2008

Thank Heaven for Little Girls




I can't believe I'm posting these pictures like this, as I don't want Carli to ever think she is here merely as a replacement. I guess I'm just amazed at how quick people are to tell me how much she looks like Jackson, which she does at times, but am I the only one who sees it??? Now that she's filling out more, you can definitely tell these two little girls are sisters.

When we first found out we were expecting again, I immediately began convincing myself that it was a boy, even though I was secretly hoping for a girl. Not that there's anything wrong with little boys (we've already been blessed with a great one). I just think that there always would have been a little twinge of pain inside wondering what life with a little girl would have been like. I guess God knew how healing another little girl would be for us. I catch myself at times drifting so far into new baby bliss that it sometimes feels like nothing ever went wrong. Then, of course, reality quickly sinks in and it hits like a ton of bricks that there will always be someone so special missing from our lives. Thank God for NILMDTS for providing us with such precious memories, as my own seems to be failing me lately.

Anyway, I don't know where I'm going with this post, but I guess I just mainly wanted to update in case anyone still stops by. I do plan on sharing the full story of Carli's pregnancy and birth soon as it has a lot to do with the whole reason I began blogging in the first place. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long and been so difficult for me to just spill it already, but I do feel like I'm getting closer to being ready to share. Thanks for hangin' in there with us!





Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Baby Update





Well, our newest arrival is seven weeks old today. It's true what they say, life definitely becomes more challenging with more than one child, no matter how old they are. As you can see, Jackson is quite proud of his new little sister. For the first few weeks he kept saying, "Wow - I can't believe I actually have a sister at home now!"

So far, Carli is surviving the added joys of being female (like being forced into this cute litte doll dress in early February just so her mom and aunt could have a photo shoot. What can I say - she was about to outgrow it on the spot!).

Overall, she's a really good baby, doing everything that a newborn should. So, even during those trying times and exhausting, sleepless hours of the night when I'm at my wits end, I am able to remind myself that this is exactly what I signed up for: the good, the bad and the really smelly.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

It's a Girl!


We've been blessed for the second time
with the sweet sound of a baby's cry.
Introducing:
Carli Paige
Who joined our family on January 16th
6 lbs 9 oz
20 1/4" long





Monday, January 14, 2008

"A Different Child"

Well, time is still slowly ticking by in subsequent pregnancy land. I still struggle to find the right words to adequately describe what being pregnant after a full term loss is truly like. It's not easy to find that good balance between relying on modern medicine and putting it all into God's hands. What I can tell you, is being pregnant again is definitely not a cure-all. After Emma died, I did have a few people tell me, "Well, at least your still young so you can try again," as if that would solve everything. We have a very wise relative (who lost his only son to cancer almost fifty years ago) who summed it up best when he told us: "Having other children around is definitely not a cure, but they do make a mighty nice pain killer."
And, of course I've found a poem that relates a little to the subject. You didn't think I'd actually go this long without another tear jerking poem, did you?

A Different Child
A Poem
A different child,
People notice
There's a special glow around you,
You grow
Surrounded by love,
Never doubting you are wanted;
Only look at the pride and joy
In your mother and father's eyes.

And if sometimes
Between the smiles
There's a trace of tears,
One day
You'll understand.
You'll understand
There was once a different child
Who was in their hopes and dreams.
That child will never outgrow the baby clothes
That child will never keep them up at night
In fact, that child will never be of any trouble at all
Except sometimes, in a silent moment,
When mother and father miss so much
That different child.

May hope and love wrap you warmly
And may you learn the lesson forever
How infinitely precious
How infinitely fragile
Is this life on Earth.

One day, as a young man or woman
You may see another mother's tears
Another father's silent grief
Then you, and you alone
Will understand
And offer the greatest comfort.
When all hope seems lost,
You will tell them
With great compassion,
"I know how you feel. I am only here because my mother tried again."

Author Unknown