Pink and Blue for Lily

My sweet girl! 💗 💙  #GoingPinkandBlueForLily #PregnancyandInfantLossAwarenessMonth

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Our Family

I love this from a sweet new Instagram friend! She even incorporated roses, lilies, and a butterfly.  🌹 🌸

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Sweet Precious Letters

Amy from "Sweet Precious Letters" on Instagram sent me this for Lily. 💕 💛 💕

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Avery's Garden Coloring Page

Avery's mama Tara is creating a coloring book for bereaved parents in her little man's memory. It is scheduled to publish soon! This is the gorgeous page she created for Lily. I requested the roses, lilies, butterflies, and quote. 💕 🎨

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From Carson's Aunt

One of my friends on Instagram made this for me. She is actually the aunt of a precious baby boy named Carson who was stillborn and she has her own account about his life and her grief. That touches my heart so. 💕

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Birthday Art from BreAnna

I'm so deeply touched that BreAnna in Utah created a couple pieces for me in honor of Lily's birthday.

She made this gorgeous whimsical watercolor keepsake. It's based on my favorite photo of my girl and me. It's one of the most thoughtful and gorgeous Lily-gifts I've received. I'm not sure yet if I'll frame it or include it in Lily's scrapbook. I am truly amazed by how beautiful it is. I showed my mom when I first saw a photo of it, before BreAnna mailed it, and we both were tearing up. 💕

This is the photo the watercolor is based on. A big part of why I love this photo is because of all the pink, pink, pink... in my robe, in Lily's blanket and hat, and in my pillowcase. It's perfect for my sweet girl. And the watercolor shows all the pink. I love the flower wreath, full of roses, lilies, and a butterfly. BreAnna was so sweet in how she handled my photo and how touched she was by it. This watercolor is a beautiful way to celebrate the moment captured in this priceless photo.

This is the other thing she sent, for my mid-March baby girl. As you probably know if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, I associate all things green/clovers/shamrock/St. Patrick's Day with Lily because she was born the day before, and it was one of two days in this world I held Lily. It's the date the photo above was taken. This will be included in Lily's scrapbook. I just think Lily Katherine's name is gorgeous... to say, to hear, and to see written out, especially with such lovely hand lettering. 💚

When I came home yesterday afternoon, I was delighted to see the package waiting for me, addressed to "Lily's mommy." :)

BreAnna has started creating artwork like this to process her grief in losing her precious daughter, Lois. I can picture our girls being pals. What a beautiful legacy Lois has. I told BreAnna she should open an Etsy shop to sell these... I'll let you know if she does!

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Letter it with Love

I was so touched that Ashlee from Letter it with Love on Instagram wrote Lily's name as a part of her February Name Game. :) 💕

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Filled with Color

Today I filled in Lily's page from In Living Memory for the first time with color. It's a great way to de-stress. 💕🎨🌹🌸 

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Coloring Page for Lily

Nicole from In Living Memory is creating and hopes to publish an adult coloring book featuring the names of babies who were stillborn, in honor and memory of her daughter, Lucia.

This is Lily Katherine's gorgeous page! Isn't it perfect for her? I'm excited to add some color to it. Roses, lilies, butterflies, and hearts... all reminders of Lily girl. When Nicole shared this photo, she wrote, "Feels like Spring time on this girl's page." I told her I like that since Lily's birthday if just before the genesis of spring. 💕🎨🌹🌸 

Right now, she is not taking anymore names because she has many pages to complete. However, if she opens up requests again for another coloring book or potentially starts selling them individually, I will be sure to share an update here.

I am so impressed by the amount of detail and personalization that goes into each one of these. I imagine it takes a lot of time, effort, and love. It's a way for this sweet mama to spend time with her baby girl.

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Heart of Butterflies

I got this beautiful wall hanging a couple years ago and forgot to share it. It's a lovely heart of butterflies (2 things that remind me of my girl). I also got one for my friend Heather, whose baby daughter shared the same due date as Lily, 5 years apart. The butterflies are 3-D and are in a frame that allows them to remain that way. I got it on Etsy from Abounding Treasures (the shop owner is a mother whose also lost a baby). 💕

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Drawing for Babies in Heaven

Avery's mama, Tara, created this drawing for several mothers with babies in Heaven. There is Lily Katherine's name on the right side, with a rose and lily to symbolize her. 🌹❤️

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Baby Names Collage

Lincoln's mommy, Janelle, created this in honor of babies of Heaven. I was touched for her to include my sweet flower. There's Lily's name in purple on the right side in the middle area. 💜

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Her Heartbeat Changed My Heart

This is one of the most amazing things I've ever been given in honor of my sweet Lily. An artist called MoxieMuseDesigns who free hands heartbeat paintings on Etsy paints them as gifts for parents who've lost their babies (she has a video on her page that shows a behind-the-scenes glimpse at her creating these paintings). She used Lily's recorded heartbeat and the sonogram image of her heartbeat to create this custom canvas painting, with the colors I requested (basically a combination of my favorite colors!). :) She also included the phrase I came up with - "Lily Katherine, Her heartbeat changed my heart." I had considered having the phrase "I will carry you while your heart beats here," from the Selah song that was played at Lily's service. But I decided that I wanted it to be something that captures her life (and not just her death), and something I came up with. I was able to choose between three sizes and ended up selecting the 8x16 inches canvas. For a long time, I wanted to have some sort of keepsake based on Lily's heartbeat and this is perfect. Her heartbeat is a gift to have forever to listen to and look at and be reminded of her brief, though breathtakingly beautiful existence. 💕🎨

Here's her heartbeat captured on a sonogram image. :)

Here's Lily's heartbeat recording, along with the video of her heart beating on the ultrasound screen.

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PAIL Awareness Tree of Life

The Born Into Heaven Foundation came up with a beautiful project for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in October. They had something called the Tree of Life, where they honored babies from all over the country, with a "leaf" sharing their names, birthdays, and where they were born. The Tree was at a hospital in Alabama. It was supposed to help break the silence surrounding pregnancy and infant loss. My sweet Lily was included! :)

Here's a video that shows the entire tree and then Lily's part on the tree.

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Facets of Grief Memorial

Jenna Belle's mommy, Fran, created an adult coloring page in recognition of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in October. She wrote the names of many babies on it, including Lily Katherine's. Here's a screen shot of her name.

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PAIL Painting

A sweet woman named Janelle who also has a precious baby named Lincoln with Jesus is an artist and created a beautiful painting in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

There are a total of 104 names on the canvas. As she wrote: Each name represents a different baby. A different life. Each and every individual name represents a heartbreak. These babies were wanted. They are loved. They are cherished. They are remembered."

I am honored that my Lily Katherine and my Aunt Rachel Ross were included.

Here's the close-up of Lily and Rachel's names on the painting, along with their years. 💕💙

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Lily's Watercolor Ultrasound Painting

I am so excited about this new custom watercolor ultrasound painting I got from one of my favorite places to shop - Etsy!

Over the past couple years, every now and then, I would search watercolor ultrasound paintings, but they were usually so expensive, so I didn't get one. That is until I found The Eclectic Pineapple. Their work is gorgeous and offered at a reasonable price. Not only that, but I learned that both of the shop owners are Christians and have suffered a miscarriage.

This is one of my favorite keepsakes I've gotten for Lily. It is absolutely stunning in person! A picture doesn't do it justice. The coloring is perfect, along with all the details. I love how Lily Katherine's name is written in that gorgeous gold. It's incredible how it truly captures her ultrasound.

The Eclectic Pineapple promptly answered all my questions and were so kind to make this and ship it quickly, in order for me to have it this weekend for a speaking engagement.

The painting is based on my favorite ultrasound photo of Lily at 17 weeks 5 days gestation. Isn't she so cute? Look at that profile! Here's a side-by-side comparison to show how much the painting looks like the actual ultrasound. She's blowing kisses. :)

Here is the frame I put it in to hang on my wall.

You can find The Eclectic Pineapple on Etsy here and the custom watercolor ultrasound painting like I got here. 💕

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Faceless - Psalm 139

I want to share a gorgeous piece of artwork that was given to me in the Spring of 2012. I was visiting my sister Emma in Colorado when she was attending her Basic Semester at Ellerslie and while I was there, I was able to share my story. A young woman named Rachel was at Ellerslie then too.

On the day we were leaving, I found this beautiful piece waiting for me in my sister's room. It is called "Faceless" and is based on Psalm 139.

Faceless, by artist Rachel Hollowell

Rachel is a talented artist and she was sweet to give me this drawing that beautifully portrays the sacred time of carrying life within.

"For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in Your book
before one of them came to be."
-Psalm 139:13-16

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The Angels Ark Project

Cherisse has started a new project in honor of her son, Aiden, called The Angels Ark Project. She creates beautiful personalized cards for other grieving parents. This is the card she made in honor of Lily Katherine. The infinity symbol is on the balloon, below her name and birthday, because my mother love will go on forever. I love the colors and design! It'll be going in her scrapbook. 💕

When I got this in the mail, it was addressed to:

Yep, that's me. 😌💕

You can request a card for your baby, read more about Aiden, and donate to the project on Cherisse's website.

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