Today we have Erin on the blog sharing a super sweet way to remember your babies in Heaven at Christmas time!
I’m super excited to guest post on Small Bird Studios today! I’m a big fan of Franchesca and all she does for the babyloss community. This series she is doing is sure to be amazing and helpful to so many. I am really looking forward to reading all of the posts!
Since this Christmas season is my family’s first without our precious son Christian, I am choosing to talk a little about what that feels like for me personally and also share some tips with you for ways to honor your baby during the holidays.
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If you are reading this and you have suffered a loss of any kind, you know that grief is not linear. It’s a few good days forward and the next day might be another one back. I am trying more and more to choose to see the JOY in my life and that ultimately helps me move forward. I am realizing that moving forward, being happy and making new memories without my son Christian doesn’t mean I have forgotten him. We can all get bogged down in the “why me’s” and the “what ifs” if we allow it. Some days it is a constant struggle to see the happy. I pray a lot for peace, understanding, and joy in my day. Jesus Christ and his love and grace is the reason I am where I am today and how I survived the loss of my son. He has blessed me with so much and even on my darkest days, I try to see the good that is in my life – because there is so much of it!
This Christmas is bittersweet. I have an almost 3 year old son who is really excited about all things Christmas! I feel stuck between enjoying the holidays with my son and missing my other little boy in heaven. Since losing Christian, it has been really helpful for me to do things to honor him. For me, it is helpful to have things that remind me of him. I would encourage you to find these special things that resonate with you. It might be a song, a scent, a color, a symbol. I think trying to incorporate these things into your Christmas traditions will be helpful and healing for years to come. Some things I think of include having a special stocking for your little one. If you think it may be hard to see it stay empty, think of writing your child a letter each Christmas to place inside. A special tree in your home might be helpful. Place ornaments, photos, butterfly or other symbols that remind you of your baby on it and add a few special remembrance ornaments each year. Carly Marie has AMAZING Christmas sand trees and Christmas tree collages just for the holidays that would look lovely framed and placed somewhere special.
Another idea is making a remembrance candle. I’m going to show you how!
You’ll need: scrapbook paper of your choice, a printer, scissors, ribbon/twine/raffia and other embellishments of your choice, Mod Podge or other adhesive, foam brush, glue gun and a candle. (My candle was $2.50 in the Target dollar spot and is an LED battery-powered one.)
Step 1: Print out what you want on your candle onto your scrapbook paper. You may need to play around with graphics and font size before figuring out what looks best. You could add a photo of your baby if you want, I just love Christian’s little footprints so much! I put a favorite verse on the back, you could really do anything that means something to you! Wrap the paper around the candle after applying the Mod Podge. I had to have two seperate pieces of paper, a longer one that covered the front (with his name/footprints), and another smaller piece (with the verse) that covered the back.
Step 2: Wrap ribbon/twine/raffia around the bottom and secure with hot glue where needed.
Step 3: Add scrapbooking stickers or other embellisments to the front.
Step 4: Add embellishments to the back.
You are done!
I plan to keep my candle on the mantle as a gentle reminder that Christian is ALWAYS with us, even if we can’t physically hold him during the holidays. It reminds me that he is with Jesus and having a Christmas celebration that I can only dream about!
It is my hope and prayer that the Christmas season is gentle on you and your family!-Erin
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My second son Christian was diagnosed at 22 weeks with a fatal prenatal diagnosis called Potter’s Syndrome. We made precious memories while carrying him and when he was born we were blessed with two and a half hours with him. Even when we question God’s plans for our family, we try our best to live out our lives to be pleasing to Him. We cling to Him daily and have HOPE that heaven is now the face of our little boy.Feel free to read more of my story on my blog The Buente Family.
Love the Christmas candle!
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