2nd Birthday post #2

Below is the birthday card that I got for Carleigh from us. It’s always hard to find the right card because hardly any seem appropriate but I managed to find a really good one this year.

I also got another card in the mail for Carleigh from my friend Betty. Thank you!

Sunday was prolly the hardest day of the weekend because of going to church. Church is always a place were emotions run higher for me. After we took communion I went to the altar and cried. Anthony came up and kneeled with me for a little bit and then I went back to my pew with Lainey. The rest of the day after that was tear free and more light. It was 2 years ago this day that I was in a hospital room hooked up to a Pitocin drip just waiting to meet my little girl. We waited anxiously all day and all night but she wasn’t born until 3:49 am on March 28th.

On Monday, Carleigh’s birthday, both Anthony and I were off of work. I had decided that I wanted us to go and do something as a family. When Kyndra went home with my mom and dad after the party of Saturday we thought of just staying home but I decided that we needed to go do something and enjoy ourselves for the day.

In preparation for this day, I had Franchesca make me 2 memory boxes that I could fill and present to the Mother Baby Unit at the hospital where Carleigh was born. It also happens to be the place that I work. I also found some bears that I bought and prepared too to donate in her memory. In the memory boxes I put a lavender candle, a disposable camera, a card/bag to put a lock of hair, a card/bag that has a baby ring (with Carleigh’s handprint on the card), and a small heart with a tear drop that can be removed. I figured the families could use this by putting the tear drop with their baby (whether in a casket or urn) and keep the heart with them. We were given something very similar to this and it was nice. Ours was a small heart and a larger heart.

The memory boxes on Carleigh’s blanket

The items I put in the memory boxes

The bears I made up to donate.

I included a card in the boxes for the families that will receive them. ( I ended up putting the date on the card after I had already taken the picture.)

After we got around we went to the hospital. I went to the department where I work first so that I could get my bff Lindsey and have her come with us to take pictures. I forgot my camera in the car so she had to take pics with her cell phone.

We stopped by the memorial quilt first and got our picture taken by Carleigh’s name. While we were doing that, the manager of the unit, Mandie, came out and greeted us. I presented her with a box of all the items (which also included 3 Dreams of You memory books I received from Kelly to give to the unit). She asked if I wanted to say hi to all the nurses and of course I wanted to!

It was nice to see some of the nurses on the unit. And my nurse, Erin, who was there when Carleigh was born was there! It was good to see her that day. And I saw my postpartum nurse, Michaela, the last time I visited the unit just a couple weeks earlier.

All the nurses loved the stuff we donated and were so glad for all of it. I’m so glad for the opportunity to help other families who are grieving. And to think that I prolly never would be doing any of this had it not been for my daughter…

After our visit at the hospital we got on the road and headed to the Creation Museum. I’ve been wanting to visit for such a long time now so it was a little extra special to go on Carleigh’s birthday. The museum was so neat and I loved it. We definitely want to go back and take Kyndra with us so we made a point not to see everything.

After the museum we stopped at a little candy/ice cream shop that was so quaint and cute called Agalamesis Bro’s! I guess they’ve been around since 1908 and they had some good ice cream. Their red raspberry sorbet was quite good! I also got some vanilla caramels and they were so yummy!

After a long day we went home and just rested. Later in the evening I got on the computer and I watched a couple of Carleigh’s videos. I haven’t seen any of them in 2 years. Watching the videos really brought the memories back and I couldn’t believe how much had faded from my memory. I’m so glad we have those videos. What I really wanted to do was just reach out and touch her through the screen. If only that were possible.

Happy 2nd Birthday in Heaven, Carleigh! You are still so loved and missed every single day!