I know you already do, but give your kids an extra big hug tonight.

I just recently joined an amazingly WONDERFUL organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. It is a group of photographers who volunteer and donate their time to helping families preserve the memory of babies who die too early. Some are born prematurely while others face problems early on and lose their battles. I stumbled upon this organization's website very shortly after one of my best friends lost her 2 nieces, and her sister-in-law had to deliver them, stillborn, WAY too early. The hospital she was at, had a photographer come in and take pictures of their beautiful little girls. The nurse told her that the parents ALWAYS come back for those pictures within the first year. It is amazing to be able to offer this beautiful gift to these grieving families.

I was extremely nervous about joining and actually taking pictures of babies who have passed on, or aren't expected to live very long, but as I read through the site and learned more from both photographers and the parents, I realized the importance of documenting their lives (no matter how long) and keep their memory. Even if a baby doesn't survive very long outside of the womb or never takes their first breath, they WERE here, they ARE real and most importantly, they are someone's baby and that somebody wants to remember them as painful as that may be.

Last Saturday I got my first call. I was very anxious and nervous. I went down to Hermann Hospital to meet a grieving family that just lost their 1 year old little boy, brother and cousin. He was born prematurely in January 2006 and fought every day to overcome his developmental complications, but a few days after his first birthday, he lost his battle. It was an almost out of body experience. I had to constantly remind myself of the good I was doing to help keep me from growing too anxious. I feel so honored that I got to meet this family and help them preserve memories. Memories they may not want to see now, or next week, but knowing they have  a beautiful way to remember him is priceless.

I am so happy that I am doing something I love and am passionate about and this is just a small way of my giving back.