Day 4: Most Treasured Item(s)

Today’s photo challenge was to post your most treasured item.  I thought about this all day as there are so many items from Avery’s brief life that I treasure.  Since she was only here for 6 days, I have every outfit she wore, every blanket I swaddled her in all tucked safely away in a bin, unwashed.  These are items I will never part with.  This picture symbolizes the things that mean the most to me. 

Her pictures are something I truly cherish.  When she passed, I was so upset that I hadn’t had any professional pictures taken, that we only had 1 family photograph and I only have a small handful of her and I together.  I regret not being more of a picture taker, this is something I have always said I needed to do more of and now it has come back to bite me.  But, after pulling together all of the pictures our family took in those 6 short days, I have a 160 slot album almost full.  Recently, my husband and I printed some of our favorites and now have her spread throughout our home.  These pictures are some of my favorites.  The one on the left my husband took while she napped in our arms.  He posted it on his Facebook with the caption, “Our new version of a lazy Saturday.”  Oh how I wish that were still true.  The middle picture was taken at the hospital the day after she was born; I love that you can really see her dark locks in it.  And the picture on the right is my favorite.  I took it on Sunday while my husband napped; she was 4 days old and cracked her first smile. 

In the middle, is her Molly Bear.  This is a new addition to our family as it just arrived yesterday.  For those of you who aren’t family, Molly Bears is a non-profit organization who creates weighted teddy bears for baby loss parents.  Hers weighs exactly 7 pounds 15.5 ounces.  I had forgotten how it felt to hold that weight in my arms.  Holding this bear is so comforting.  I am sure this bear will have a spot in our bed for many years to come.  I absolutely love it and plan to contribute as much as possible to this amazing organization.

Lastly, at the bottom left and bottom right are the last 2 items that she wore.  Her froggy pajamas and her flower blanket.  This is what we put her to bed in the last time we tucked her in-these were the last items that touched her.  That awful day when we left the hospital; this was all we took home.  These items are possibly most near and dear to me.  Every night since she left us, they have been in my arms when I go to sleep and are still in my arms when I wake up in the morning.  They’ve been to Missouri with me on a trip and will be heading to Chicago with me tomorrow.  I have a feeling these 2 pieces will make many trips with me.  They bring a comfort to me, like she is there with me when I go to sleep each night.