Before we left for the funeral home, I documented Amelia's tiny momentos. Some will be buried with her, others we will keep in her butterfly box as reminders of how much she (and her family) were cared for and loved during this difficult time.
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The Quilt
One of my very good friends, Jessica, made this charming quilt for Amelia the night before she was born. It was made with great love and tenderness and its the quilt that we wrapped around Amelia's fragile little body before laying her in the casket. It makes me smile to think that she is wrapped in something PINK and adorable! Thank you so much, Jessica!
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The Puppy
Let me preface this by saying that I have the greatest online group of friends--they have offered such phenomenal support and sunshine during these dark days. One of the mementos that was chosen for Amelia is this darling puppy! Its ultra-tiny, just like Amelia, and will be buried with her, snuggled in right next to her. Thank you, friends (and Alison)!
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The Blanket
In the hospital, the nurses wrapped Amelia in the blanket pictured below. Its very dainty and precious and is something that will be preserved in Amelia's butterfly box.
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The Diaper
Its impossible to determine how small this diaper is--and even then how it dwarfed Amelia during the time she wore it in the hospital. We placed it on her when we dressed her for burial and it was a bit of a challenge as neither Clarke nor I am versed in the ways of the cloth diaper. It was bittersweet thinking that this is the only diaper we will have to put on Amelia, though, as diaper changing is not a favorite past time.
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The Dress & Bonnet
I'm not sure if this dress was specifically made for micro-preemies or if it is, in fact, doll clothing. This is the dress & bonnet that the hospital put on our doll-size baby and the dress that she will be buried in. We debated about the bonnet. In the end, we kept the bonnet as a keepsake as Amelia is already adorned with a pink ribbon on her head.
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Amelia's Bear
This was another keepsake given to us by the hospital and something that we're keeping as a cherished reminder. The bear's feet read "You're always in my heart."
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The Bracelets
One of the joys of little girls that we will not have the advantage of experiencing with Amelia is dress up. It was the generosity of my friend Leora, who made the three, small pink bracelets--that fit Amelia. Two will adorn her little wrists when she is buried and one is a precious keepsake. Thank you, Leora!
The "A-M-E-L-I-A" bracelet was made by the nurses at the hospital and is far too big for Amelia's tiny wrists. We're keeping that one as a memento as well.
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The Butterfly Box
This is the box that the hospital packed full of all of Amelia's keepsakes and the box that we will continue to store all of the precious memories of our baby girl. Inside you'll find the ultrasound pictures, sympathy cards, poems, photos of Amelia, a picture colored for her by her big brother, Brock, and other tiny keepsakes.
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