A Family Session in Dubbo, with a whole lot'a heart!
We met Ash and Scott in March last year. Their son, Blake, was fighting for his own life alongside our son, Carter.
Being the parent of a NICU baby is an entirely different world.
You're in close proximity to other parents.. other families.. but you don't speak to anyone; partly because you're at an all time low, both physically, emotionally and mentally, and you can't really function outside of being with your baby and, partly, because you're not really sure if they're open to you introducing yourself and asking about their precious little bub in the humidity crib next to you or across from you.
Being an introvert and a complete home-body who was TOTALLY out of her comfort zone already, I surprised myself when I coughed out, "I'm Erin, my son was born yesterday." Ash introduced herself and her husband, Scott, and asked about Carter, "How's he doing?"
It wasn't long before John and I were going up to the NICU and hoping to see Ash and Scott
When a baby you know is finally discharged from the NICU, the feelings you have are so strange and make you feel a little bit selfish. On one hand, you feel so happy for their entire family. Finally, they can take their baby home where there are no restrictions to what you can and can't do. You can introduce them to your family and friends and you can snuggle with them on your pyjamas and no one is there to say a thing. On the other hand, you realise that they're going.. and you're staying. You won't get to see them every day. You won't get to chat about how much milk you'd managed to express through the night or how sore you are from your c-section.
When Blake went home, we had those feelings. We were so happy for Ash and Scott to be taking him home to sleep in his own bed.. in his own house. But we were so sad to see them go.
It wasn't long before we saw them again, with deliveries of the most amazing home-cooked meals and delicious Tee-lish Brownies (if you don't know about these, you're missing out!). And not just one! They dropped off a wide range of meals.. treats.. They came to have lunch with us at the hospital and Scott even came and picked John up for the ANZAC Day dawn service because John had never missed one.
We were absolutely floored that they would go out of their way to make our life feel less of the scary and unhappy place that it was. We were in an unfamiliar place, with a toddler and a kindergartener, living at a hospital. What they did for us played a huge part in helping us keep ourselves (and our family) together.
The Taylors are the most down-to-Earth people you'll ever meet and they have a heart of gold! We are truly so grateful to have them in our life and we can't imagine going through all that without having them around to ride it out with.
Ash and Scott braved the 5-or-so hour drive with baby Blake (who, actually, isn't really a BABY anymore!) and came all the way out to Dubbo for the weekend so, of course, we did a family session.
Ash & Scott, thank you for all the love and kindness you have shown our family over the past 20 months! It feels so natural to sit around a table with you guys and talk about anything and everything until it gets way too late. You've become like family to us and we can't imagine going through this journey without you.
Here are a few of my favourite photos from their session over the weekend. (Sometimes you just have to pull out a lolly-pop to get those smiles going!.. and how ADORABLE is that cheeky smile?!).
Love Erin .x
