Lauren & Brent's Wedding

Just a few pictures from Lauren and Brent's wedding. It was definately a full day. The excitement began when bridesmaid and cousin Rachel's water brook at the hair salon. Rachel and Andrew welcomed their first child (baby boy) into the world just after dinner. Please continue to pray for baby boy... he was four weeks early and so his lungs are not fully developed. Andrew was meant to be an Usher so Jonathan filled in... he also walked his mom down the isle (my pictures didn't turn out) and played camera man all day... yeah Jonathan!

Coming soon...

Please keep our cousins Rachel and Andrew in your prayers today. Rachel is due in just under four weeks but her water broke a little while ago so baby is on his or her way!

Victoria Times Colonist

Click Here To View The Article

We were approached last month about doing an interview with a reporter from the Victoria Times Colonist about our experience with "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep." Today's paper features the article and Jonathan has set up the above link for anyone who would like to read it. I am also including the story I wrote which is where the reporter (Tom McMillan) got his information. Reading the article online this morning I discovered the first mistake in the first sentences and he made some assumptions which he Incorporated as our view but isn't that what reporters do best? All in all we were happy to be part of spreading the news about NILMDTS. So again you can click the above link to view the article in the paper and read my story below.

Why you wanted to use the program?

A friend of ours told us about NILMDTS during our pregnancy after we were told that it was unlikely we would carry to term and that our son was not likely to survive delivery or long after.

What it meant to you personally?

NILMDTS offered comfort at a time when there was little comfort to be had. We shared an understanding that a baby is loved long before they are born into this world no matter how long or how short a time they are with us. They have been part of our journey beyond our pregnancy and Noah’s 28 days with us. The pictures we have now continue to play an immense role as we adjust to life without Noah. Jane captured Noah’s first few hours with us more beautifully then we could have imagined. She also made a slide show of the pictures she took set to a beautiful song which never ceases to bring healing tears. There is so little that offers peace when your child is taken away so soon. Memories turn into the peace that is slowly growing inside us, helping us cry less and smile more. NILMDTS photography helps us hold our loved ones forever in our hearts when we can no longer hold them forever in our arms.

Why was it a good thing to have?

We wanted desperately to meet our second son but his prenatal diagnosis left us an abundance of unanswered questions and little hope. Not knowing if we would be able to meet him before he died was heartbreaking to say the least. Jane (our NILMDTS photographer) asked us if we would like her to take some pregnancy pictures, so that we could cherish the time we had with Noah while he was still with us, should he not survive through birth. Those maternity pictures brought us comfort and hope in a time of so much confusion and uncertainty. When the doctors told us there was nothing they could do we felt abandoned. NILMDTS, through their website and through Jane showed us that there are people who care and that there is something that can be done. Memories can be captured.

Why might it be gaining rapidly in popularity?

Word spreads when a good thing is happening. I tell people about NILMDTS whenever I have the opportunity in the hope that anyone who is faced with the tragedy of losing a baby can experience the same comfort, hope and peace that NILMDTS has given us. The isolated tragedy of losing a baby is that our memories are cut short. More and more health care providers now realize the importance of memories to the grieving process. NILMDTS, through the photography services they provide brings parents the memories they need to cherish in order to celebrate the life of their child, in order to grieve, in order to heal.

Thank you NILMDTS and thank you Jane for the gift of your time and talent but mostly thank you for the gift of a caring hand reaching from one heart to another.

Fun with Water!

Here is a clip of David at the water park; as well as, David with the squirt gun he got from Nana. Sorry about the camera shake I was trying to keep the camera dry.

David's Birthday at Nana & Papa's

4 birthday cakes and we still didn't manage to get David to blow out his candles. He blows bubbles, kisses, and he blows on his food when it's hot but he was a little nervous around open flame.


Here is Elizabeth getting bigger... at 5 weeks old she weighs almost the same as David at birth... so he was about this big two years ago.

1st Horse Ride

July 8th we attended an "Our Town" event in Port Alberni. The theme was Farmyard Fun... we were thinking it would be like a petting zoo. David has been saying "horse" for a few weeks now, loves pictures of horses so when the opportunity came for his first horse ride we took it. Being one of the youngest in the line (and cutest) David also got his picture taken by a local photographer for the PA paper and was featured 2 days later. Very exciting for us... and for David too.

Sharing Memories Request

One of the things Jonathan and I have been doing more lately is sharing our memories of Noah. We've done a lot of this but lately we have been doing a bit more active remembering. A friend recently shared a bit about the day Noah was born with us and her story meant a lot. I know it has been four months but I would like to put out a request to everyone to share with us a special memory you have of Noah, or even if you didn't get the chance to meet him share with us what his life has meant to you. It might be a few short sentences or pages long. It might be about the day he was born or the first time you held him or it might be about how you didn't get to hold him at all. Even if it's a story you have already shared with us write it down or share it again. We have had so much fog covering our lives this year that it can be difficult to remember. Leave us a comment, send us an e-mail, give us a phone call (though we are a bit difficult to reach at the moment) or write us a letter. It would really mean a lot to us. I have been looking at my calendar for the 28 days Noah was with us and trying to write something down for each day so if your memory has a specific date please include that. Thanks so much. Looking forward to hearing from you.

White Roses

It is hard to believe that Noah would now be five months old. I've been remembering lately what David was like at 5 months and picturing Noah... wondering if his legs would be less skinny now... dreaming of what his smiles would be like.

Some friends of mom and dad gave them this white rose bush in remembrance of Noah and it is planted in the back yard. I took some pictures of the first rose which is now in full bloom and thought it would be an appropriate time to share them.

Hammer Time!

MC David moving to 'Can't Touch This'

2nd Party for my 2nd Birthday!

Many thanks to Great-Grandpa and Great- Grandma for the wonderful job they did making a "Pablo" cake for David... creative and delicious! So far we haven't had any luck getting David to blow out his candles.

Horse & Cow

On Monday, June 30th we bought a year zoo pass (as part of David's birthday gift) and enjoyed a fun day at the zoo (David's first time).
It was a hot day but we got there first thing in the morning when it was still cool and that is when we did most of our walking.
Had to take a picture of David next to the sign for the "Pere David's Deer"... he called it "Horse" which he called many of the first animals we saw that were horse like... zebra, camel, donkey, deer... we thought it was so cute! When we got to the buffalo david said "horse" again so we said no, that's more like a cow and he said "cow." That was the first time he said cow.
Baby Elk
Wasn't long before he decided it was nap time. He probably slept for the second part of our walk and then we woke him up just before it was time to go on the train.

David loved the "choo-choo"... the picture below was taken in the tunnel and his wide eyes make me think of the owl which I have for the next picture. We watched the "birds of prey" show which was very entertaining. We had several birds of prey fly so close to our heads that we had to duck. A little bit scary when you think about what they normally hunt (not so much the owl but I'm sure it would still hurt if he got his claws into you). You don't really get the picture from the shot captured below but the way this owl was staring at Jonathan was REALLY creepy!
David is really enjoying playgrounds now. At the zoo he went on his first "twirly" slide which as you can see from the picture he loved very much. He didn't want to go down any of the other slides, just this one and he went over and over again all by himself!
We also watched the Lions being fed which is always neat. It's easy to forget how big they are until you see them close up. It was too hot for the Tiger so she didn't come out but we did see her laying in the grass earlier that day. All in all we had a great day, the only thing we didn't enjoy was lunch... the food wasn't very good at all but we will bring a pic-nic next time.

Happy Canada Day!