This was inspired by
this page on the Amy Butler site.
Journalling~
Your Great Nana Rose gave you this tiny little teddy bear when you were born. We put him inside your incubator with you, and one day when we came in to see you, the nurses had him lying beside you. He was almost as big as you were. One of the nurses explained to me that it was important to help you learn to keep your arms in different shapes from the ones you were used to so far.
I took a photo of you giving your first tiny teddy a first tiny hug and showed it to lots of people - not only was it a lovely picture on its own, but it also gave them an idea of just how small you were. That was what gave me the idea to take a photo of you with this teddy at regular intervals so that I could see how much you were growing.
So far, I have a sequence of nine photos, from that first photo when you were only 18 days old, through three, six and nine months to the photo of you and Nana Jill on your first birthday.
I did take one when you were 18 months old as well (you were back in hospital for that one), but from then on, I've stuck to your birthdays.
I don't really need the pictures to show you're growing any more, but it is still nice to have them, so I think I'll keep it up at least until you're five.
And, of course, when you have your 21st birthday, I'll probably drag out this tattered old blue teddy and make my grown up son have his photo taken with it. After all, a good tradition doesn't ever need to die completely.
I love you, Marcus.
When you were that tiny, tiny wee scrap of a person in hospital I needed everything I could find to help me deal with the unexpected situation we had found ourselves in when you arrived so early. I may not need those props much any more, but they were important then and it is lovely to be able to look back and see just how far you've come.
2nd Feb, 2007
Credits~
Paper from "Love Me Tender" in the "This Love" collection by Dani Mogstad; alpha and heart from "Crazy Little Thing" by Dani Mogstad; highlighting from "Highlight It" by Vicki Stegall; font is Arial.
Sweet Shoppe Community
