Day 8 "Jewelry"

My friend and neighbor at the time Shelley and her mom Patti had Grant's footprint shrunk down and imprinted on the oval pendant you see. On the back you will see his name and date of birth. I have worn this necklace every day since she gave it to me in 2008. If I want to wear a different necklace I wear two b/c I refuse to take this one off. Another friend of mine (Lori) made the other necklace for me- it includes a heart with his birth info, his birthstone, and sparkly stones- each stone represents each member of our family. These two necklaces are very special to me. ♥

Day 7 "What to Say"

A close friend of mine sent me this card after my miscarriage a few months ago. Inside the card reads "But I want you to know that I will walk beside you at your own pace, as far as you need me too". This card and the other comments you see helped me get through my darkest days. I am forever grateful to the people who said them. ♥

Day 6 "What Not to Say"

Day 6...What Not to Say I lost two babies- one to stillbirth four yrs ago; the other a miscarriage this past June. These were comments made to me over the course of BOTH losses. Sadly, these are only a HANDFUL of the comments said to me. It really hurts seeing it in writing, but healing all at the same time to get it out.

Day 5, Memorial

This is where I make the albums and boxes we put in our boxes for Granting Hope. This is more than just a memorial --- this is a place where I can think about all three of my children. I have a photo of my living child, Jacob, on the right hand side. He helps me assemble the baskets that we give to grieving families so this is a part of him too.

Day 3 After the Loss, Self Portrait

So I have gotten a little behind on my Capture Your Grief Postings- I've been sharing them on two Facebook pages and then I never get around to coming back to the blog. So here they are- Day 3 "After Loss, Self Portrait" This photo is very painful to share; however, dealing with your pain is what this is all about so here it is. This was taken two days after a very long hard labor and a last minute Csection. I was medicated so that I could attend my son's funeral. I remember wondering how a person should look in a photo like this. Do I try to smile? But that hardly seems appropriate so here is the result-

Day 2: BEFORE Loss, Self Portrait.

This is me with my son Jake. I was eight weeks pregnant with Grant. I remember how happy I was this day. Little did I know that my whole world was about to change in a matter of weeks. The week I would find out that my little baby boy was going to die from a chromosomal disorder.

Capture Your Grief Day One, SUNRISE

Sunrise this morning in Arizona...