OUR NILMDTS PHOTOGRAPHER

These were pictures that our Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep photographer sent to us the week of Samuel's birthday. Now I lay Me Down To Sleep is the organization that has volunteer photographers that go to the hospital to photograph babies either before they pass away or after. They give an unbelievably priceless, precious gift to us parents who have children in heaven.

Our photographer, Kaycee, has since moved to Virginia. We just love her and think that she is amazing. She went above and beyond what she needed to do for us the day Samuel died and in the months following while she edited all our pictures and made us our DVD. Months after Samuel had died I sent her some gift cards as a little thank you for all she did for us. What she did with those gift cards amazed me. She sent us a letter and these pictures the week of Samuel's birthday. She also sent a beautiful paper weight with a pictures of all of the kids together in it.

In the letter she told how she wanted to do something special with the gift cards. Now, that was the first thing that amazed me. (A lot of times if I get a gift card for me, I just spend it on something fun for me, a shirt, jewelry... whatever... but she actually put time into thinking about how to spend them. ) She decided to get a small Waterford compote. She had it engraved with one of "Samuel's" verses. Isn't it absolutely beautiful? What a meaningful way to spend our gift card... in a way that will help her remember our boy. She plans on putting it in her future baby's room as a gift from Samuel. She said she had no idea how our NILMDTS session would affect her even a year later. Her words were so sweet, she mentioned how often she thinks of us, including Samuel, and still prays for us. We so appreciat that.

I was just amazed, here this sweet gal volunteered her time to be there to capture our only moments with our son. She gave us the gift of our only photos as a family and the only photos of all 5 of our children together. We still have them all over our home. I'm sure some find it peculiar to have so many pictures around. But for now we still need that many to look at. Who knows, maybe I need them to look at. Maybe it won't always be that way, but for now it is. She did an amazing job and captured so many of the beautiful bits and pieces of our precious son. Her gift of photos is priceless. Now her gift of remembering our Samuel is priceless as well and touched us all so deeply.

I plan on writing a little more about Samuel's birthday week and either special things that were said to us, written to us, or given to us. I haven't had the chance yet... but it is in the plan...