memory boxes

[for faith]

Shae - A keepsake box is a wonderful idea. I pressed some flowers with a card with her name and dates that is special to me. This is not necessary for a keepsake box, but one think that is very special to me is a braclet from The Shining Light Fund (http://www.shininglightfund.org/request.htm). She does mother's bracelets for free for women with losses. The owner lost her daughter several years ago and runs this non-profit company. She also has a great resource section that I found really helpful Wishing you the best, take care.

[rebecca2]

Shae, if you'll send me an email with your son's name and your address I'll get started on the bracelet. (Just click on my user name and there will be a link to send me an email under my profile.)

Becky

[jamilyn]

Shae - Im so sorry for your loss. A memory box is a great idea and one thing I still hold onto 8 years later. I just got a box from a craft store on sale for a few dollars and put a few things in it that i would want just for when I need those memories again the rest of his things are put in a bigger container in my closet for his anniversary when I get everything out from the hospital. 1 thing my Grandma did when I had my son was go to Walmart and she baught me a little ring with his birthstone and his name on one side of it and his b.day on the other side. Ive had it on a necklace around my neck every since. It didnt come in till after my son passed away and it is something that meant so much to me after I opened it.
((HUGS))

[kathyc]

Shae,

I'm so sorry for your loss. I wish there were better words of comfort for you. I had a miscarriage at 13 weeks that was very painful for me, but I can't imagine the pain of a loss of a child at or near term.

My loss was right before Christmas, so I put a bit of our Christmas tree in the box. Perhaps you could press some flowers or leaves representing the season of the year and add those? What about ultrasound pictures, cards/notes from friends and family, or maybe write a letter to your baby. I also added a magazine I was looking at for nursery ideas, and some of the literature the doc's office gave me at my first appointments. Do you have any OB appointment cards? You could add those too.

[shae]

rebecca- that would be great...thank you....
thank you guys for the help...i just wish his box wasnt so empty....how could some one who meant so much to me leave so little behind?

[amanda]

Shae - I also highly recommend namesinthesand.blogspot.com - the lady who runs the site does a beautiful job. I think too that you can you get a copy of the picture - maybe you could ask the website owner if you could reproduce the picture and make a special card (you can usually get inexpensive cardstock/scrapbooking materials) that you could add? I'll be thinking of you Shae -

[rebecca2]

Shae, I'm still working on my daughter's memory box. It has been almost 6 months and I can still only do a little at a time...it just gets too painful. I don't know of any free stuff other than what the hospital gives out, but I thought I'd share some of my ideas with you.

I have the clothes that Addison wore, the receiving blankets, and the bracelets, foot prints, etc that the nurse made for me. We also sent Angel Announcements to our family & friends, so I'll be putting one of those in the box as well. I plan on putting together a little book with cut outs from magazines of what I planned on buying her.

I also made a bracelet with Addison's name on it. I have some left over beads and would be happy to make you a bracelet with your son's name on it. It probably won't be as nice as something you can buy, but it is free and something to remember him.

[wvmom3320]

My hospital made an imprint of my sons footprints for me at birth ( a service they only do for NICU babies), they also made me a box with his hospital bracelets, and his little outfit and the tape measure for his head. It was sweet. Also the hospital I delivered at is a university childrnes hospital and a womens group knits blankets for all the NICU babies in the university colors. We got to keep that as well. Sadly my keepsakes include both his birth and death certificates and cremation certificate as well. We took some pictures ourselves in the hospital and the photo company that the hopital uses gives bereavement families those photos for free. Our son was cremated so the funeral home arranged for me to have a necklace with my sons cremains in them (they just saved a little out of the urn and put in the necklace for me. the urn was buried and we did a nice monument for him)
Also you should look at namesinthesand.blogspot.com the lady there lives near the beach in australia and will write your babies name in the sand and sent you the photo.
ALSO : onlysayitwithflowers.blogspot.com
and foryourtears.blogspot.com

[shae]

or any ideas for inexspensive things that I could do would be great

[rosemary]

Shae, I really don't know of any free keepsakes sites, but I'll check and see if I can find something for you. I ordered a few engraved pieces from the website that you mentioned Lisa - I had a good experience with them too.