Thankful Thursday....love at first sight

Yesterday I found the cutest little frame that is just perfect for our first and last picture of teeny Reese.  We had our first ultrasound with him at almost 10 weeks. I cried the second I saw our sweet baby waving at us and then Ben and I laughed at how sweet he looked dancing all around. He was so active and his heartbeat was so strong. I was so happy and relieved to see his little heart flickering on the screen and hear it beating so loud. I was already in love with him but seeing him made my love just grow so much. What I especially loved was that you could tell on the ultrasound just how perfectly formed he was already. His little hands...those perfect precious hands...were waving at us as if to say hello. He was just so beautiful!

We could hardly wait to show everyone the first picture of our sweet new baby. I sent it out via text and e-mail to the friends that knew. The next day we showed the kids and they were so excited to see this new baby that we had been praying and fasting for. At Nick's baptism we showed our entire family and the friends there.  Ben took the picture to his church meetings the next day with the entire Ward Council and Stake Presidency and showed him off there.  I remember everyone being so awed that you could see him so clearly in the picture. He was this perfect little baby. What a precious gift that was. Our sweet little Reese brought us so much joy. We were so happy to finally have him in our family. 

   I am so, so, so very thankful for this ultrasound picture and the memories I will always hold dear of seeing my little Reese so alive that day. With Gabriel, we never got to see him until he was already gone. I've always wished we could have seen him when he was alive because he was so active too. Yet, even though I had felt Gabriel kick and move, I didn't get that with Reese....something that I have greatly felt the loss of. Instead I got this picture and that few minutes seeing him on the ultrasound screen that made me fall instantly head over heels more in love with him. I know what a precious gift this picture has been to me. I am so very thankful that I had the chance to see my little Reese while he was alive and that I also got to hold his precious and perfect little body in my hand after he had died. Those are gifts that not everyone that goes through a first trimester miscarriage get. Although the circumstances around his birth were not pleasant and the D&C would have been so much easier, I know that Heavenly Father knew I needed to hold my perfect baby and get the chance to love him outside my womb and for that I am so thankful. I am very blessed.