Project Life: Thomasina

Imagine the magic of there being a photo of you, or something around you, for every single day of your life.

An amazing story of your life, even if your life only lasted for 7 special months.

I treasure that we have that for Thomasina, even though I ache all over from the effort that has gone into collating them.

In 2010 I discovered Project Life. I am far from being a scrapbooker or a clever photographer but was drawn to the concept of trying to document the everyday in life by attempting to take at least a photo a day and to then collate them together with little notes.

In 2011, I launched into Project Life, loving trying to take a photo a day. Loving the beautiful cards and colours, the ease of slipping the photos into the pockets. Committing to take a photo a day means you quickly see the photo opportunities you would not otherwise see. Photos of the everyday. Photos of the quirky, photos of the mundane.

Without Project Life, I don't think we would have thought to take so many photos of the 6 weeks that Thomasina spent in hospital. While it is magical to have photos of a pretty baby lying in her hospital cot, the habit of taking daily photos meant we took photos of the whole hospital stay.

Photos at day 4 strapped in for the transfer from one hospital to another

Photos of the brothers waiting in the hospital room itching to get out and explore the playground

Photos of mum and dad anxiously waiting during the 5 hours of surgery

A photo capturing exactly what a 6 day year old looks like after open heart surgery

So while Project Life might have been designed thinking of the usually joyous path of a baby's first year with milestones of first smiles, teeth and crawling, it meant that while we only had Miss T with us for 7 months we have thousands of photos of that time, photos showing every part of her short life.

It has been a wild mix of love, happiness but utter heartbreak to put these photos together as Thomasina's baby book. Over 180 pages it flows, telling her story. Later I shall share more of this "baby book" but for now, I hope you treasure and photograph the everyday.