Sweet Baby Elevi Rose's NICU graduate photos!

Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include online support groups, the gift of photography and handmade items, group events and meetings, information, and email support. With support we are working towards opening our 1st NICU Support House in the Brazos Valley. We currently help families in need when donations allow. Items we donate to families include preemie clothes, gas cards, restaurant gift cards, etc. Our mission is to support and connect parents letting them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and wonderful donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families on a daily basis. We pray these beautiful memories will help the parents to remember how strong they are in overcoming an extremely difficult time! 

A note from mom: 

"Our daughter Elevi Rose was born on July 4th at 30 weeks after my water broke at 28 weeks, and hospital bedrest was no longer an option. She weighed in at a whole 2 pounds 13 ounces. She has 2 amazing big sisters age 6 and 2, and she is currently still in the NICU here in Colorado. She is almost 6 weeks old, and we are hoping she will get to come home soon."

Volunteer Photographer: 

Rose Dreisbach - Denver, CO

A note from Rose

"The Herrera family was such a lovely family to meet and photograph. Their daughter Elevi Rose is seven weeks old and has just recently been discharged from the NICU and they were able to bring her home. She was born at 28 weeks and was 2 pounds 13 ounces. She is such a beautiful little girl and so loved by her parents and two lively older sisters. I was equallly surprised by how tiny Elevi was, and how healthy she seemed at the same time. Life is such a miracle, and I was in awe of how this precious girl made her entrance into the world. And what a lucky girl she is."

 These images are property of Preemie Prints, our volunteer photographers, and our families who have allowed us to share them with you. Please do not use for any purpose. 

We thank this family for sharing their inspiring photos & story with other NICU families. We also thank Rose for volunteering with Preemie Prints and sharing with us in our mission to support NICU families. 

Miracle Baby ~ Gabriel's NICU Graduate Shoot!

Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include an online support group, the gift of photography, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families. We pray these memories will help the parents to remember how strong they are in overcoming an extremely difficult time! 

A note from mom: 

"My son Gabriel was born 13 weeks premature July 21, 2011 weighing 2 lbs 8 ozs 15 in tall. He spent 93 days in the NICU. I was 27 week pregnant and he came unexpectedly. I still remember the first day I went to visit Gabriel in the nicu. Telling myself ok we have a about 16 weeks to go. I was very overwhelmed being a first time mother, I had never been around anything like this. So much to learn in so little time. Went off the ventilator 3 weeks later and started breathing on his own. As weeks went by recovering from my surgery he was growing so fast, and learning. So many test and wires I knew he was in good hands. A little over 3 months we finally graduated, it's still hard passing by the hospital and hope Gabriel will visit once he is a lil older."

Volunteer Photographer: 

Carolyn Finger - San Antonio, Tx

A note from Carolyn

"Mom picked a great location it was the beautiful Botanical Gardens. The session went smoothly with her help too! She did a great job with getting Gabriel's attention. He didn't cry, was smiling, and was so good!"

 These images are property of Preemie Prints, our volunteer photographers, and our families who have allowed us to share them with you. Please do not use for any purpose. 

www.preemieprints.org

What a handsome little fighter!!!! :) 

An Infant Loss ~ My First Born Son

My first born was 4 weeks early weighing 6lbs 4oz. He was a healthy and happy baby and came home with me after 3 days in the hospital. He had to have a UV light because he was Jaundice but other than that nothing else was wrong with him. As a new parent, I had the ups and downs and just don’t know moments like most parents do. After we figured out a rhythm to our days, things got better.

 In December of 2003 he had a temp of 103. We took him into the hospital because the temp just wouldn’t go down. He had x-rays and other tests done to figure out why his temp would not go down. Finally it started to go down with Tylenol and Ibuprofen and alternating the two of them. We were told to keep doing that for the next few days so the fever would stay down.

Tragedy happened on the 28^th of December 2003. I woke up to feed him in the morning and he was my smiling little man; I put him back to bed and went back to bed myself. I woke up about 4 hrs later when he should have been up 2 hrs before that. I ran to his crib to find that he was not breathing and blue. He was gone. There was nothing the paramedics could do for him. My heart broke in a million pieces that day. I went into a deep hole where I couldn’t see any light. My light was gone he was dead.

Dead is a word that I didn’t want to even think about. A word that until this day only meant that older people died not 5 month old babies who haven’t even seen the world. I didn’t get to see my little man until he was in his casket at the funeral home. I was living in a dream world. This couldn’t be happening, it must be a nightmare this couldn’t be happening to me. It wasn’t a dream but it truly was a nightmare. I stared at my little boy wanting to hold him but knowing I couldn’t hold him ever again. Never see that smile that was just for me. To hold that freshly washed baby and cuddle with him before bed. I wouldn’t be singing him good night anymore. 

I had to put The End to the story I had wrote about him for him to read when he got older. He would never read this story because he was no longer here on Earth with me.  I buried my 5 month 1 week old son on New Year’s Eve 2003. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do - to leave my son in the cold at the cemetery to be buried.

Weeks later we were able to get the report on what happened to him. SIDS they ruled it. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. What is it I asked? They told me that he just died and they don’t know why this happens. I didn’t understand what SIDS meant. The medical people could only tell me it was SIDS and nothing can explain this cause of death. No one could tell me how this happens and why.

Birth

5 months old

Resting place

So here I was in a hole so deep no one could see me. I made it seem like I was ok. I put on my I’m just fine face. I was told by many people just to forget about it when I would lose that I’m ok persona and cry like a baby over stupid things.

I am on year 9 without my son. We celebrated his 9^th birthday this summer. We will remember him on his 9^th Angelversary this December. Does it get easier...a bit. Do I remember it like it was yesterday... yes.  Do I want got go back into my hole sometimes?  Do I cry like a baby? Yes I do and I’m not afraid to admit that. I found the strength to get out of my hole 5 years ago when I met my husband.

~Deja

Deja is a guest blogger for Preemie Prints blogging about infant loss, preemie adoption, and special needs babies. We are blessed to have her! 

We Welcome Rose!

Rose Driesbach

Rose Luzon Art and Photography

rosedreisbach@gmail.com

Service Area: Denver, Colorado

About Rose:

I have loved my work in travel and film photography over the years, and have been praying about a way to use my photography as a gift and a blessing for others. I have seven neices and nephews that I have always adored snapping photo's of, and having recently been a part of my sister's labor and delivery process as she brought her son into the world, I was deeply touched and knew I wanted to be a part of capturing those incredible first moments of life. I am drawn to capturing the pure honesty of children and how easily, yet unknowingly, they express themselves. I am inspired by the moments in time that hold so many emotions and memories; moments that are passing and fleeting, but so worth remembering. I do not want to simply portray an image - I want to illuminate a moment, a memory, a feeling.

Celebrating Strength! A NICU Grad Shoot: Baby Isabelle

Please enjoy this family's inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. In addition to giving NICU families the gift of photography, we also have an online support group, monthly group events and meetings, sew items for NICU families, provide information, prayer, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families.

A note from Isabelle's mom
I went into labor at 36 weeks gestation. We went to the hospital and were told we were in labor. Isabelle was taken to the NICU having difficulty breathing. She is on oxygen and is being feed with a tube.

Volunteer Photographer: 

Lindsey Louise - Bryan, Tx

A note from Lindsey
Isabelle, Erika, and Cody were such a sweet family to work with. Isabelle is now 2 weeks old and was born 4 weeks premature. When I met her, all I could think about was how tiny she was. But then I immediately was so grateful for her strength in life that she has already displayed. All premature babies are so incredibly strong in those teeny bodies. Sweet Isabelle was able to stay awake for our whole session! Every now and then she would look into the camera with the prettiest eyes. (It makes me wonder what they are thinking when they look at me with a camera to my face.) Cody and Erika love their little girl so very much. It is so easy to see in the way they hold her and talk to her. I loved being able to be a part of their journey with Isabelle. I hope that these photos will always remind them of how strong her spirit is and also how strong she has let them be! Enjoy these sweet photos!

 These images are property of Preemie Prints, our volunteer photographers, and our families who have allowed us to share them with you. Please do not use for any purpose. 

www.preemieprints.org

Sharing hope with NICU, preemie, & angel families! 

Welcome Lindsey Clare Photography

Lindsey Clare Photography

www.lindsey-clare.com

lindsey@lindseyclarephotography.com

Service Area: New Braunfels, San Antonio, San Marcos

About Lindsey:

"I've been looking for a way to give back to the community. I have a special place in my heart for family and feel so blessed to have brought home three beautiful babies from the hospital. I cannot imagine what the parents of preemies must go through, having to leave their precious newborn at the hospital. Being able to provide them with beautiful photos to hold onto and look at and share while their baby is not home is something I could do and would love to do. I currently specialize in newborn and high school senior portraits. I shoot mainly with natural light and creatively with off camera flash."

Photo of Lindsey & her baby girl. Photo courtesy of Nikki Sue Photography http://www.facebook.com/Nikki.Sue.Photography 

www.preemieprints.org

Counting {Tiny} Blessings

There is no doubt in my mind that as parents of preemies, we would have loved to have a full term baby. No NICU, no roller coaster ride of fears and anguish…

It would be fun to grow a giant belly, have a baby the “normal” way, and take them home two days later. 

Yet for whatever reason, God in His infinite wisdom ordained otherwise for us. I am so thankful that He has a purpose in everything He does! 

While the NICU route is far from easy, here are some of the blessings I’ve enjoyed along the way:

Extra time to soak up the little days.  She came out little, and she has stayed little for a long time! Our daughter is still wearing 6 month clothes at almost one year old. Most moms say their babies grew way too fast, but I’ve enjoyed having a little baby for longer. Cherishing those sweet moments of snuggling… If I ever have a full term baby, I think babyhood will go by way too fast!

More wear out of baby clothes. Along the same lines, most babies outgrow their newborn clothes within a week or two. Our daughter wore hers for over two months! We definitely got our money’s worth out of them :). 

Fresh perspective. Having a 27 week preemie opened my eyes to an entire world that I was previously unaware of.  It has taught me to never take life for granted, and to be thankful for everything I have (though I confess at times I still slip and complain, forgetting how much I’ve been blessed).  If I ever get the chance to carry a baby to 40 weeks, you can bet your buttons that I will be holding my tongue about my aching back and sleepless nights ;)!

A “womb with a view.” Not everyone gets to see their child develop outside of the womb. While it was certainly stressful at times, there is something truly remarkable about watching a tiny baby grow to “full-term.” Tiny stubs of eyelashes turning to long ones, fat filling in and puffing out a babe who was once so skinny, lanugo falling off, hair growing on top of the head… life is a miracle!

Opportunities to trust. Nothing makes you cry out to the Lord like watching your child struggle for life and breath. We learned to trust God with our little girls’ development, her health, and progress. We learned to trust Him with providing for outrageous medical expenses. We learned to trust His goodness when the answer to our prayers were “no,” and to rejoice when He said “yes,” and did exceedingly and abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think.

Awareness of the wonderful support network we have. So many friends, church and family members surrounded us with love, prayers, and support during our two month NICU ordeal. They called to check in, came to visit, brought meals, sent surprise checks and gift cards in the mail. It was so encouraging to know that we were not alone, and that people were rooting for us, and upholding us as we struggled. I am so thankful  for organizations like Preemie Prints that step in for families who may not have the same support network that we had!

A chance to serve others. Now that our daughter is well out of the woods, I love talking with moms and dads who are in the thick of the NICU. It is such a blessing to be able to encourage, pray with, and just listen to a group of people whom I never would have been able to understand before our experience. God gave us a preemie and brought us out to the other side, and now He has given us the opportunity to bless others.

 

What blessings have you experienced as a preemie parent?

 Guest Blogger - Rachel O'Neill is the proud mama of S, her little girl who came at 27 weeks weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces. She blogs about walking with Jesus, marriage, motherhood and housekeeping at The Purposeful Wife. 

NICU Photos: Baby Millie's Preemie Prints Session!

Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include an online support group, the gift of photography, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families.

A note from mom: 

We have been at 3 different hospitals so far. Millie has been amazing as she has suffered some serious unexpected setbacks. I didn't get to hold her until day of life 14 because she was so sick. She was intubated 3 different times and on the ventilator for 2 weeks. She had a tube placed through her chest wall into her lung for 10 days. She has been to the operating room 3 times now for airway issues which thankfully seem to be fixed! We are now working on feeding and getting bigger so we can go home.

Volunteer Photographer: 

Kelsey Bigelow - Denver, CO

A note from Kelsey

Millie was born at 30 weeks and is now at 37 weeks. Hopefully, she will be able to go home soon. She is a beautiful girl who is very strong and alert. I loved being able to photograph their life inside the NICU. For all the pain it has caused, they are truly a beautiful family.

 These images are property of Preemie Prints, our volunteer photographers, and our families who have allowed us to share them with you. Please do not use for any purpose. 

www.preemieprints.org