In Honor of Liam Heintz's Second Birthday

Last week, I received seven books from our Amazon book registry for babies in the NICU. All of these books were sent in memory of Liam Heintz. I didn't get to meet Liam, but he was one of our precious NICU babies who became an angel.

What I do know about Liam is that he is loved and that he was wanted from the moment his parents knew of his existence. I know that Liam's parents were delighted when they felt his movements and saw his heart beating on the ultra sound. As a parent who has lost a set of twins, I know they dreamed and planned for the baby, child, and man he would become.

Sometimes our hopes and dreams get changed, and like Liam's parents, I look forward to that great day when I will embrace my babies and they will once again hold Liam in their arms.

Liam has many people who love him, so his sweet parents held a birthday party to honor his second birthday and asked people to bring books for the NICU to celebrate his time on earth. Guests brought a whole stack of books that will be on their way to us soon. I'll show pictures when they get here.

To Liam's parents: I want you to know that each gift of books brings me to tears as I get see the love that your baby boy brought into the world. Many books were donated on behalf of Liam several months ago, but I didn't know Liam's name then. I was gladdened to see this batch come with his name.

Each of the books that are donated in his name will contain the following bookplate, and each packet we give will only contain one of his books along with four others, so that many may receive a share of the love that surrounds Liam. When we get the box of books that were brought to the party, each of those books will also receive this book plate:

These are the books that came last week from people who love Liam and his family. I can already hear the children saying, "Again, again. Read it again." I memorized Where the Wild Things Are when my now 27 year-old was little. She would turn the pages in her car seat as I recited the book while I drove. She snuggled that book in bed at night like it was a Teddy bear.

These books will become keepsakes for the babies who receive them. Thank you to Liam's friends and family who have given the gift of reading and storytime to others.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.