I've been honored by a special request, but need some inspiration/help!

[mommy2mrb]

Some back info first......last year our friends lost their almost 10 month old DS to Leukemia, he was diagnosed at 2 1/2 months......it was a heartbreaking time for them. The one year anniversary was a couple of weeks ago and we just did "Light The Night" walk/fundraiser last night with them.

So last night my DF asked if I would put together an album for the baby. They have two DD and just had another DS in June, so she has her hands full, but is ready to have a special album to share w/family and friends. I was so honored, but now I'm not sure if I can handle it. To me, it seems like such a special/personal thing. They have tons of photos of him during his illness.

I took some of the ideas from the baby album swap we are doing that I think would be appropriate, but am thinking I should have my DF go through her favorite photos first and then create pages from there and have her do the journaling. Will probably do a 12x12 album so will have plenty of space.

I need some input, is this something I should take on? any ideas for pages? I appreciate your thoughts and ideas.

Lisa

 

[Lisa]

You absolutely MUST do this for your friend! I agree it is a very personal thing, but she knows how talented you are with your album preservation and she is trusting you to create a memorial album for her precious angel.

I think it is a great idea for the two of you to go through the pictures, and perhaps she may want to journal as she will know the age, who gave him the outfit he was wearing, where the picture was taken, etc. On the other hand, it still might be too difficult for her to do at this time. While you go thru the pictures, have a sticky note pad with you. As she reflects on the pictures, take some notes to stick on the back for the journaling if you do it. Or perhaps then she will feel she can do the journaling later during a quiet time and will be able to refer to your notes of her reflections.

Where pictures taken at the Light the Night Walk? Perhaps you could include a few pictures from that too.

I know this will be an emotional endeavor for you. It is heartbreaking he died so young. My thoughts go out to your friend and the family, and dear friends such as you.

 

[KerTggr]

That is an amazing honor and request. Your friend must really trust your ability to ask this of you. There was an article in CK about a year back talking about layouts that deal with loss... I can't find it on their site back issues , but maybe someone else knows which one this was or has the issue.

Your idea of asking her to organize the photos is nice. Since she's so busy, maybe a good way to motivate her and block out some time would be to go to a cafe nearby for lunch/dinner/late night coffee and bring a laptop (if digital) or the pictures themselves. Then bring a tape recorder, video camera or paper/laptop and ask her to maybe talk about the photos as you go through them and take some notes. I think this would help to give you an idea of what the pictures really mean and maybe the emotion you may want to portray on the page. HTH

 

[mommy2mrb]

Thanks Lisa and Kerry, I know I need to do this, but I really don't want to mess up something so wonderful. I've made blank albums before as gifts, but never a finished one.

This will probably be a few weeks/months just in the planning since she really wants to make this the ONE album of his life, we are then going to make other albums in date order of the other photos but will be a more generic theme running through them.

BTW Kerry, I grew up in Lynnwood WA and still have my "webbed feet" I do miss a cloudy, grey, misty day now and then.

Lisa

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

definitely bring a tape recorder, there are things she may forget when journalling but may talk more freely about when looking through pics. Also talk to her DH if he is willing , get his perspective on what they went through.

This is such a great honor. If you need help doing some of the layouts or bounce Ideas, let us know!

 

[aroyer]

That is an amazing honor and request. Your friend must really trust your ability to ask this of you. There was an article in CK about a year back talking about layouts that deal with loss... I can't find it on their site back issues , but maybe someone else knows which one this was or has the issue.

I don't have the CK article, but the latest issue of Simple Scrapbooks has an article on layouts dealing with loss. Let me know if you would like me to send you a copy. What an honor.

 

[MazdaUK]

My DH's family come from Hungary, and there it is a big thing to take photos of funerals - we've had more of them sent to us than weddings! Are there any special photos of the funeral, headstone/memorial tablet she might want to include? As well as getting hr husband's view, it would also be nice to get views of the two big sisters, if that can be done without them getting too upset - perhaps they could write a message to their brother, and you could fix it under a photo of them so they are a part of it too.

Do any other friends and relatives have any photos you could include, especially of the whole family? That's often the "missing" photo in any album.

Also do they have a lock of baby hair or a tiny outfit or anything it include/scan in? I've seen a cute layout (not about loss) using a portion of baby blanket.

 

[LindaBabe]

Here are a couple of potentially helpful sites for you

http://kotapress.com/section_articles/rituals/other/ScrapbookingYourBaby.htm

http://www.justacloudaway.com/

 

[mommy2mrb]

Thanks for the ideas and info, they are wonderful.......aroyer I have PM'd you w/my addy. Thanks LindaBabe for the websites, I will pass them onto my friend too. I love the idea about getting his sisters to write something too, they are 5 & 7 and I think would love to have special pages of their own.

I know they have some photos of his grave sight and took some at the funeral of the guests. I'm not quiet sure of how to scrap those type though.
Like I said before, this will be an on going process, she has SO many photos to go through which will be so tough.

Thanks again for your ideas, if you come up with more let me know.

Lisa

 

[aroyer]

Thanks for the ideas and info, they are wonderful.......aroyer I have PM'd you w/my addy. Thanks LindaBabe for the websites, I will pass them onto my friend too. I love the idea about getting his sisters to write something too, they are 5 & 7 and I think would love to have special pages of their own.

Got it! I will get that to you ASAP.

 

[mommy2mrb]

Got it! I will get that to you ASAP.

Thanks again will be on the lookout for it......spoke to my friend today and told her all the ideas, she started to cry......she wanted me to thank everyone she was so touched that people cared enough to take the time out and share their ideas, but I told her what a great group we have here , we hope to start in a couple of weeks by going through the photos.
So thanks again everyone, will keep you updated with our progress..

 

[Spinning]

I think you will do great. I did something similar for a dear friend but it was her who was dying. I scrapped many of their family events but the one that was the hardest was our trip to WDW. It was her last big event with her kids. She wanted it for them to be able to look back on and remember the good times. I created the pages as I normally would. Which I think is the key even for your book. Think of it as a celebration of life not the end of one.
It's a baby book. So you want to include "first" first steps, smile, foods...all the typical things babies do. If his parents took pictures of hospital stays and thing like that then include it. I am sure they have many pictures of him in the hospital, which definately need to be scrapped and explained.
I would leave journal boxes through out the book. Leave the big stuff blank. I wouldn't journal anything even if the mom tells you things. This is something they should do in their time. Doing toppers is fine or cute sayings.
Love the idea of his sisters writing and creating something.
This will be such a wonderful healing book and something everyone will laugh and cry over. You are a great friend to want to help them I know the book will be beautiful and capture this special little guy.

 

[MazdaUK]

There's a layout in the Becky Higgens scrapbook sketches book "honouring grandma" which might help with the funeral. I did a page for my DFiL's funeral, just because I had some photos and didn't know what to do with them. It was one of the first pages I did, so its not worth sharing, but I think it calls for primas and Eastery-type shades (mauves, possibly yellows). You might want to mount on a black page.