Kelle Hampton is a talented photographer and blogger, and the words and photographs that appear on her blog have attracted the attention of so many people. Her photographs are stunningly beautiful, and would not be out of place on the pages of a parenting magazine, or in an art gallery. Her words are honest, and come from her heart, even when it would be easier to sugar coat what she is trying to say. Together, the words and photos tell the story of what life is like as a mother of two beautiful daughters, one of whom happens to have special needs.
Her blog is called “Enjoying the Small Things”. It begins with the birth story of Nella Cordelia, her second daughter. Kelle planned out all the details of her daughter’s birth: she chose the music that would play, the scent that would be in the air, and made the perfect “Big Sister” crown for her elder daughter, Lainey, to wear when she first met her brand new little sister. Family and friends surrounded her at the hospital, offering love and support. The first time Nella was placed into Kelle’s arms, she knew. Nella was born with Down Syndrome, and this was not something that Kelle, or her husband Brett, were expecting.
The words Kelle has written about that night are incredibly, painfully, honest. She doesn’t hold back as she describes exactly what she felt in those first moments with her new daughter. Kelle very bravely writes about feeling like Nella wasn’t, couldn’t really be, her baby. She describes the grief she felt, for the daughter she had pictured in her mind all through her pregnancy, an image she felt “died” when she learned that Nella was different. She cried for hours that night, and thought about running away, longing to return to the perfect life that existed before she knew that Nella had special needs. I think that these emotions are ones that many parents of special needs children feel, but struggle not to acknowledge. For Kelle, it seems that she needed to go through this grieving process before she could be ready to be Nella’s mommy.
After that first difficult night was over, Kelle was able to bond, very strongly, and love her beautiful, perfect, daughter. The story of Nella’s birth is so touching, that one doesn’t have to be the parent of a special needs child, or even a parent at all, to empathize with what Kelle went through when Nella was born. Scattered through this blog are wonderful photographs of the whole experience, adding emphasis to how things happened. It is almost like you are right there with Kelle that night. It is impossible not to smile at how adorable Nella is, and at how her big sister Lainey instantly accepted and loved her. The blog continues with more stories of their lives together, and each entry includes more beautiful photos. It is easy to see why Kelle Hampton’s blog has become so popular.