Tuesday, August 19, 2008

"Pregnancy Loss"

Dear Kate and Riley,
This is a beautiful post written by the woman who founded and runs the MISS foundation. She talks about the use of language and how it affects people's perception of things. She mentions the term "pregnancy loss" often used to describe a stillbirth, a term that I, too have come to hate. I like how she ends her post...

"In more than 13 years of working with bereaved families, I have never had a parent of a stillborn baby say, "I am so sad that I lost my pregnancy."

That is not, most often, their reality. They say simply, "My baby died, I lost my beloved child." And so it is."

I am so glad that there are people out there working with families and working to change misconceptions.

Love, Mom

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Pictures!






Dear Kate and Riley,
We love Megan! My cousin, Megan, is an AMAZING photographer! She did our engagement, our wedding and we've been lucky enough to have her around twice this year to take great pictures of Zachary. We are so lucky to have such a great photographer in the family, we just wish she lived closer. Luckily she loves to visit California so we should be able to bribe her out here again some time.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Hansen Family Reuinion


Dear Kate and Riley,
Its been a long time since I've written anything because its been a busy few weeks. Zachary had swimming lessons for two weeks, we spent a week recovering and getting ready for our reunion, then we spent a week in Carlsbad with the Hansen side of the family and we are finally home (and almost unpacked after a week!). I thought things would calm down once we got home but we are just trying to soak up every minute of summer and have been at the beach or the pool every day.

The Hansen family reunion happens every two years and at the last one I was pregnant with you. It is hard to believe how much has happened in that two years. Zach loved playing with Summer and Ali and for the first time I held both of them at once, we snuggled on a chair for a little bit and I had a wistful sort of 'what if' moment and really missed.

Zachary is getting so big, he did great at the beach, loves the water and especially the sand. He is standing now and I know he is going to take off walking any day now. We mostly just hung out at the beach all week, Dad did a little golfing and Grandma and Grandpa did a little babysitting, which was great! I'm already excited for the next reunion, I wish it was sooner!

Love, Mom



The "original" Hansens, Alisa, Kent, Grandpa Ross, Marsha, Kathy
and Grandma Great and Grandpa Great