WWBH Prompt (Plus a brief update)

Hello, everyone. :) With tomorrow being Halloween, things are a bit touch and go over here. Not only because we had holiday plans including little Analin, but because it is the last day of our due-date month. We have dress up all day, through breakfast at day care, lunch at Kris' work and possibly trick or treating at night, depending on the rain-predicted weather. We had already gotten all of the kids' costumes, including Analin's, which is now packed up with the rest of her things.

The difficult part is the memories we won't be making that we thought we would is brought into light on a holiday, and this is the first one we've reached so far. As with everything else, however, I'm sure it won't be as difficult as we're thinking it may be.

I am ready, I think, to start up with the WWBH prompts again. This week Leanne has put it together for us, and I'm scheduled for next week, along with the choosing of the monthly ad winner. Get your writing caps on, and dive into the prompt, making sure to get it in by 8pm EST next Tuesday to be eligible. :)

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Scary movies and candy galore, entice the imagination to explore. Take a picture and five simple terms, write a story of fiction to make readers squirm.

Haha! Happy Writer Wednesday and Happy Halloween, friends. It's time for another round of the blog hop photo stories. Here are the two stories we received from last week's prompt:

No Heroes Death by Tena Carr
Window Seat by Leanne Sype

Writers inspiring writers, spurring the growth of an imaginative writing community! This is what the blog hop is really all about, my friends. So we hope you'll join us this week, and be sure to invite a friend to join in too. All are welcome. Here's a quick review of how the blog hop works:

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

Here is this week's photograph (courtesy of Leanne Sype):

Your mandatory words:

day

vowel

stool

spaceship

calm

Kris' Speech

These were the words Kris wrote and spoke for Analin's memorial. <3 You can read more about her here.

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I want to start by thanking all of you for coming tonight. Carrie and I have been overwhelmed by all the love and support we’ve received from our families, friends and colleagues. It has been incredibly helpful to us to know that we have not been alone in our grief. We can never express our gratitude to all of you, but we will always try. 


One of the things I kept asking myself early last week was ‘Why?’. Why did this happen to us?

Why did this happen to our family? What had we done to deserve this fate? 

I know that many of you shared the same question with me. That this was so pointless - that it was so hard to understand the reason for our loss. 

I’ve come to realize that it’s really the wrong question to ask - this should not make us question and it’s not helpful for us to ask ‘why’. 

If there’s a greater meaning with Analin’s death, I cannot see it - But what I can do, is to cherish Analin’s memory and make her mean something. 

I take great strength from the fact that Analin was with us for 38 weeks. I smile when I think about how she would get mad at Carrie (and me I suppose) when the food Carrie ate was too spicy. It was amazing to feel Carrie’s belly when Analin had hiccups.

It was incredible to see when Analin had her kick-boxing workouts. 

I will cherish forever those hard, hard hours after Analin was born when we had her in our room at the hospital. When we got to hold our baby-girl in our arms. 

As I think of all those memories, I so wish that we could have had more. Right now, that’s the hardest thing for me to accept - that those incredible memories won’t continue. It makes me so sad but I’m really grateful that since I can’t have those future memories, at least I have some. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about how you actually can have a memorial for a baby girl when you hadn’t spent all that much time with her. But the thing is - I know her. We all do. And I know she’s with us. Right here.

We know she would have been beautiful and compassionate like her mother. 

She would have been smart and sweet like her oldest brother Joshua. She would have been smiling and happy like her brother, Sebastian. 

And maybe she would have had her father’s sense of humor - which of course would have driven her mother crazy. 

We know she would have been all those things - and of course, she would have been completely her own - our unique, amazing, beautiful girl.

So what do we do now? Well, we continue. Analin and her story is now part of our family and we will always keep her memory with us. We will cherish life and we will keep sharing our love with our family and our friends. We will try to be the best people we can be. Now this is just part of us and our lives.

I want to share with you just how amazing Carrie and our boys have been to me and to our family in the last week. Our boys are our super-heroes. 

Carrie, it sucks so much that we have to go through this, but I’m so incredibly grateful that since I have to go through it, that I go through it with you. You’ve been amazing for me, for our boys and you give us so much strength. Not an hour passes without me thanking the stars for you.

I want to finish by saying thank you again to our family, our friends and also to Kristin and everyone from Tiny Purpose. We will always be grateful for the support you have given us in these difficult days.

And of course a huge thank you to all for being with us tonight - we appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.

We will continue to need to lean on you. But you can lean on us too.

Tonight, we want to start a tradition that we intend to keep every year on Analin’s birthday - and that is to release sky lanterns. So with your help, we’d like to begin.

I don't know how to title this post ...

There really is no easy way to put this, so I'll use the main thing that has gotten me through these last few weeks - the Band-aid Method.

On October 6, Analin was stillborn. She was born at 2:25 in the morning weighing 6lbs 8oz, 20 inches long and she never opened her eyes or took a breath.

We had gone into the hospital on the 5th because I hadn't felt her moving. We had thought it was birth preparation and our visit was just a precaution. However, the nurse couldn't find a heartbeat, and the ultrasound confirmed there was none.

As of now, we don't have a reason for her loss. On initial exam, there was nothing obvious. We're not sure if the cord and placenta were sent to pathology because I had a different OB deliver me, and my OB hadn't had a chance to ask before my post-partum appointment with her. It doesn't matter much right now, except that my blood clotting proteins may have played a role, and that's important for any future pregnancy we might have.

On Monday the 15th, we had a beautiful ceremony for Analin in our front yard. Everyone who was able to attend had a small candle, each tied carefully with a power-word; strength, courage, memory, love, etc. Kristoffer gave a beautiful speech and chose an amazing play list. Then we lit up some sky lanterns. Joshua (4), who had been having a rough time, and I poured all of our sadness into the lanterns. We watched them rise straight up into the cold, windless dusk, and be carried away on higher winds.

We're still struggling a little over here, but have taken on the decision to move past this. The firsts - the first things to do without her - are the most difficult, hence the band-aid method. And then there's the belief that we cannot allow this grief to take over our lives, to poison our hearts against the other babies being born now (have I mentioned before that everyone we knew who was pregnant was also due in October?), to stop us from enjoying the two children still with us, or to come between us as husband and wife. So we move on, and we manage, but we don't forget. <3

WWBH Prompt Post and Winner!!

Happy October!! Are you excited for Halloween, or do you have Holiday Confusion Syndrome inspired by the plethora of holiday decor available in stores? ;-)

Good thing there's no confusion to be had here. This month's Ad Winner is --

Scott Taylor!!

Congratulations, Scott. :-) Thank you and everyone for being so loyal to our weekly hop and sharing all your fantastic stories. Here's to a lot more to come.

With that, let's move on to our new prompt with a review of the rules:

 1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story

 2) Keep your word count 500 words or less. 3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post. 4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below. 5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

Photo courtesy of Flikr Commons:

5 Must-Use Words:

System

Quarry

Ant

Bible

Artillery

And where to link up:

WWBH Post

Only a few more days until October!!!!! And that is very, very exciting, because at this point I have less than a month until my due date!! And I may have been quiet here, but the gears are always turning ...

And with that, off we go to Leanne's offering for the writing prompt. It's raining where she is with the first days of Autumn, but it's sunny here in the Midwest at the moment and the trees are just starting to gild themselves.

**Blogger was acting up for me this morning, so if something's not right, please let me know.

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It's raining, it's pouring... at least it is here in the NW! Has fall graced your doorsteps yet? Whether autumn is in the throes of change or still has an air of summer, it is Wednesday for the majority of us. Which means we have a fresh photo reveal for you this week!

Before we get to that, take a moment to read through the stories inspired from last weeks photograph (don't forget to leave some comment love to the authors ;))

Loaded Letter by Leanne Sype
Cap't Monkey and Toole Boy and the Big Decision by Scott Taylor
The Outing by Sally Stackhouse


If you are new to the blog hop, here is how it works:

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story.
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, </ a>Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow. Ready for this week's photo?

Mandatory words:

election

t-shirt

picnic

lodger

wood

WWBH Prompt Post

Via Nicole. :D

Thank you for the birthday wishes!!!

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We're back again! Anyone else ready for Friday? I know I am! And a belated happy birthday to our host Carrie! :)

Here's the stories from last week -

This Ain't No Yellow Submarine by Randy Lindsey
The News by Sally
From the Depths
A Note from the Deep by Scott Taylor
You Get Today, I Get Tomorrow

Now for the rules, in case you are joining us for the first time -

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

And now for the photo -

And the five words -

Bingo

Courage

Saliva

Ant

Brooch

WWHB Prompt

Leanne has put together this week's prompt and this month's Ad winner button is revealed. :D

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We're at the peak of the week, friends! I hope the week has proven fruitful for you thus far. If it hasn't been a great week yet, then I hope something beautifully unexpected happens in the upcoming days that allows you to smile freely.

Okay, since it is Wednesday, it's time for the next round of our blog hop! By the way, did you catch the little creative addition to the blog hop? If not, click here to learn more.

First, here is the button for this month's blog hop ad winner, Ellen Peterson. Congrats, Ellen!

 Here are the stories from last week's photo:

Lost Again by Leanne Sype

Writing Holiday by Sally Stackhouse

Ghosts of Memories Long Past are Haunting Me by Nicole Pyles

Bright Eyes by Heather Musk

How Long Had it Been by Tena Carr

Here are the rules of how this all works:

1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story
2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, </ a>Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

Okay-- ready?

Your photo:

 

Photo courtesy of Leanne Sype

Your words:

letter

velcro

planet

fever

shopping

Ready? Go! Have a blast, friends!

And your Challenge is, should you choose to accept it ...

(via Nicole)

The challenge is here!  And we are so excited to bring a new spin to our weekly writing prompt.

Now here is how it will work. Throughout the month of September, every Sunday, your writing prompt hosts will bring you the stories we shared with you from last Wednesday.

Then, you have the challenge part of it, and the challenge part of it is due the NEXT Sunday.

First, let's bring the stories we had from last week -

Memories of Granny by Tena Carr

The Journey by Sally Stackhouse

Cap't Monkey and and Tooele Boy and the Opulent Evening by Scott Taylor

Break a Leg by Debra Elliott

Now, here's what you have to do.

Take one of the above stories and do one of the following -

1) Continue the story from where it left off.

2) Write the story from someone else's point of view.

3) Write what happened before the story.

4) Turn one of the stories into one of the following genres - horror, western, romance, or mystery.

Now, after you've chosen one of the challenges, you have a maximum of 1,000 words this time.

We're so excited!

Like we said, you have until NEXT Sunday to take part in the challenge. And we will be giving you this challenge every week throughout September.

If you have any questions, leave a comment for your host and we will respond!

If you're ready to post your response, leave your link below -

WWBH Prompt and Winner

If you haven't yet, please stop by to check out Athena's story, my best friend's daughter who was born at 27 weeks.

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Winner-winner, chicken dinner. Well, I won't make you dinner (believe me, you're better off), but I will make you a button ....

Ellen Peterson

@ Drink Coffee - Make Stuff Up

Congratulations!! Let me know if you have a photo you prefer to use, otherwise I'll study your blog for inspiration and your button will be proudly shown on the hostess's blogs. :-)

On to the submission list! Sally was a little late to be counted in last week's post for her response to the prompt 2 weeks ago. Her story can be found here:

Demolition by Sally Stackhouse

The submissions for this past week's prompt are here.

Memories of Granny by Tena Carr

The Journey by Sally Stackhouse

Cap't Monkey and and Tooele Boy and the Opulent Evening by Scott Taylor

Break a Leg by Debra Elliott

Thank you everyone who has stuck with us, and to those just trying us out. We are thrilled with how the prompt posts have been going, and would like to offer up a little twist, an added bonus, something new to thrill you --- and you can come back on Saturday to find out just what we have in mind. Until then, here's this week's WWBH prompt post to chew over.

The Rules:

 1) Use the photo and the 5 words provided in your story
 2) Keep your word count 500 words or less.
 3) You have until next Tuesday to link up your post.
 4) Link up with your blog hostess (Nicole, Carrie, Tena or Leanne) when you’re done via the inLinkz linky below.
 5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow.

The Photo by +Kristoffer Sorensen:

The Words:

Bench

Reindeer

Court

Teddy Bear

Leader

Is your story peaceful? Twisted? Funny? Well, make sure to link it up right here by next Tuesday.

Athena

I realize I forgot this past week's WWBH post. I'll be back on board next week. Until then, please check out Nicole, Leanne or Tena's blog to see what was missed.

Life has been something of a struggle over here. My best friend and I have been pregnant together. Since she had twins, we were expected to give birth very close to each other. As it turned out, the lost their son at 24 weeks, but didn't deliver him to give their daughter a stronger fighting chance. At 27 weeks, my friend was rushed into surgery so their son and daughter could be born. Athena survived and has been cared for wonderfully at the NICU.

She was 10 days old when I got to hold her hand. Athena is working on getting big and strong for her trip home. She's already beautiful. I've known her mother since first grade, my best friend. This indiegogo post was put together by Athena's aunt, describing the struggle of this amazing family, and looking toward hope for the future.


http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bringing-home-baby-murphy