One year ago.....

I opened my email today and found a reminder from the NILMDTS Headquarters, stating that my $25 annual renewal fee is now due. This means that I have been with NILMDTS for one year.

One year.

One year ago I wrote THIS post on my old blog, and my life hasn't been the same since.

I can't believe it's been a year already. I feel extremely blessed and honored every time I enter a hospital room, knowing that I will have a hand in helping this family heal. Knowing that I am providing them with a precious gift that will mean so much to them for years to come.

Today I am remembering the 23 sweet little angels that I have been fortunate enough to meet, and their families who have touched my life so greatly. Tomorrow (October 15th) is the day set aside for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness. Please take time to remember your friend, sister, neighbor, sister-in-law, mother, aunt, grandmother or anyone else that you might know that has suffered the death of a baby. Show them that you care and that you remember.

Donation questions answered

I have had several people asking about making donations to Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, so I thought I would post about this and give some info that might be useful.

All monetary donations to the organization need to be made directly to the headquarters in Colorado. This can be done by visiting their WEBSITE or by sending a check to:
The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation
7201 S. Broadway Suite 150
Littleton, CO 80122

I have also had folks ask me about how they can support the NILMDTS photographers in Utah. There are several great ways that can be done. As a photographer for this organization, we each make a small annual donation of $25 to belong to the Photographers' Forum and to support its maintenance. If you would like to help support a specific photographer (or photographers) in your area, the best way is to pay for their forum membership for a year. They would certainly be grateful! You can specify their names in a small note with your donation.

Also, the photographers with our organization spend their own money on gas to drive to and from the hospitals, blank CD's and DVD's to give to the families with their images and slideshows, and packaging/mailing supplies to send the images to the families that we serve. Another great way to support your local NILMDTS photographers is to give gift cards for local gas stations, blank CD's and DVD's, CD jewel cases and padded mailing envelopes and stamps.

Also, if your church group, family or just yourself are ever looking for a service project to do, NILMDTS is always in need of many handmade and store-bought items, such as:

tiny baby blankets (crocheted, cloth etc.)
tiny baby hats and booties
delicate beaded bracelets (one for Mom and a matching one for Baby)
tiny stuffed animals to photograph with the baby and then give the family as a rememberance
memory boxes (decorated craft boxes) for the family to keep tokens of rememberance in

So if you were wondering about donating, I hope this has given you some good ideas. Please let me know if you have any other questions and if I can help you with anything else. Thank you so much for your support of this amazing organization!

NILMDTS again | Utah NILMDTS photographer

Yep, I've been a total blog slacker lately. Honestly I haven't had much to blog about. The weather here has been absolutely crazy, and I haven't been out taking as many pictures as I would like. I am sincerely looking forward to nicer Spring weather.

Most of the photos I have taken recently have been for NILMDTS. In the last month I have held 4 sweet angels and logged over 180 miles. NILMDTS photographers don't seem to be as busy up here in the Ogden area, but I still have a very strong need to help. So I have been offering to do sessions down in the valley whenever I can. It's more of a challenge and a sacrifice to get there, more of an expense for gas, but in no way comparable to how blessed I feel to be doing this important work.

So until I have a chance to post some more pictures, I leave you with another article about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. I cannot stress enough the significance of this incredible organization and the importance of spreading the word about it. So many families leave the hospital without their baby, without any tangible remembrance of their child and longing for something more. So many people do not understand why anyone would ever want to have pictures of their deceased or terminally ill child, not understanding how healing and comforting these images are.

Please make it a point to let people know about this organization. If you ever know of someone who finds out that their baby has a terminal birth defect or has just lost their child, please tell them about NILMDTS.

Here is the article. I hope you read it and enjoy it as much as I did. And have a tissue handy. Newsweek Article

Another NILMDTS session

At about 9:30 p.m., our Area Coordinator sent out a request for a photographer to go out to a hospital for a session. At 11:00 p.m. the mother was ready to push, so I headed over to the hospital.

Sweet little "H" was born just before midnight and never took a breath. He was 22 weeks, and his mom got a bad infection so they had to deliver him early. He was just beautiful, with long fingers and gorgeous lips.

Once again, I am so grateful to be a part of this incredible organization, and for the amazing people that I am able to meet because of it.

1st NILMDTS session

I went on my first call for NILMDTS yesterday, and it was an incredible experience. I didn't actually shoot any pictures, as I was just shadowing another photographer, but I was still able to form a connection with Baby "G" and his family.

The photographer that I was with told me that this case was very different from what she usually sees, as the baby was still living and wasn't connected to any wires or tubes. This sweet little boy is 2 months old and just beautiful. One day, just out of the blue, he developed an infection in his brain, and now has brain damage and won't live much longer. The family was so amazing, and the experience was unlike anything I've ever been involved in.

I feel extremely honored and humbled to be a part of this incredible organization, and for the opportunity to meet these beautiful families and their sweet angels.