Angel Baby Peter

In Loving Memory of

Peter Domenic Viola

June 21, 2003 - July 7, 2003

Peter is 3 days old here. All kinds of doctors saw him and they finally decided he had liver problems.

Mom's Letter to Peter

My dear son Peter ~

You were mine on earth for two weeks that seemed to stretch in to years.
You'll be mine forever in my heart.
I tried so hard to give you a chance. A chance for a life filled with love.

We were so hopeful that our prayers and faith would heal him.

As soon as you were born, we heard your cry and were overjoyed, but it was bittersweet as they rushed you to the Nicu level 3. I saw you with many monitors and machines around you. I held your hand, kissed your forehead, and prayed with all my might. Each day your body changed, breaking my heart. But you held on, you strong little boy. Your heart kept pumping. Daddy and I admired your strength, will, and bravery.
You looked at us with eyes that said, "I love you, don't worry."

Peter looked at mommy and daddy with knowing eyes, as the doctors prepped him for his jet flight to Shands.

You can barely see Peter as he sleeps, ready for his flight.

But the day came, July 7th, Mommy and Daddy's wedding anniversary, a day on which we will always remember your love. That morning I watched as many doctors and nurses helped you to stay alive, but I could tell you were tired. By that evening, when they looked at me and asked if I wanted to hold you, I knew what that meant. I held you for an hour, but only in the first few minutes were you alive. You died in your mama's arms. Arms filled with love, anguish, tears, and a sadness beyond comprehension. I told you
how much you were loved and how much you will be missed. I asked Jesus to rock you on his lap.

I told you of how we tried to get you the best help but I knew you tried your best too. I thank you Peter. Thank you for staying alive for two long weeks so we could get to know you. I fell in love with you more and more each day. You had stared at me with eyes that seemed so wise. I love my son and
I will never forget your strong will and strength. You are always in my heart.
Love you forever,
Mommy and Daddy

These are two beautiful and loving gifts for Angel Peter from my dear friend, Carol, mom to Angel Michael.

In Memory of...
PETER

You couldn't say I'm leaving
You never said goodbye
You were gone before we knew it,
And only God knew why
A million times we needed you,
A million times we cried
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died
In life we loved you dearly,
In death we love you still
In our hearts you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you didn't go alone
For part of us went with you.
The day God took you home.

We continue to have blood drives in memory of Baby Peter.

Lullaby

I will sing you a lullaby,
'though you are beyond the night;
I will sing you a lullaby,
'though your little eyes no longer cry;
I will sing you a lullaby,
'though I can't rock you in my loving arms;
Yes, I will sing you a lullaby, my sweet baby,
And in so doing,
Hold you always in those deepest places
Of my heart.

I will sing you a lullaby,
'though angels' songs now fill your tiny ears;
I will sing you a lullaby,
'though I'll only imagine you growing in the passing of the years;
I will sing you a lullaby,
To celebrate your soul's being today, tomorrow, ever more;
Yes, I will sing you a lullaby, my sweet baby,
Until I hold you close on that last day,
On heaven's distant shore.
By Peggy Skantar

Your twin brother Charlie blows kisses to you all the time.

SAFELY HOME

I am home in Heaven, dear ones;
Oh, so happy and so bright!
There is perfect joy and beauty
In this everlasting light.

All the pain and grief is over,
Every restless tossing passed;
I am now at peace forever,
Safely home in Heaven at last.

Did you wonder I so calmly
Trod the valley of the shade?
Oh! but Jesus' love illumined
Every dark and fearful glade.

And He came Himself to meet me
In that way so hard to tread;
And with Jesus' arm to lean on,
Could I have one doubt or dread?

Then you must not grieve so sorely,
For I love you dearly still;
Try to look beyond earth's shadows,
Pray to trust our Father's Will.

There is work still waiting for you,
So you must not idly stand;
Do it now, while life remaineth -
You shall rest in Jesus' land.

When that work is all completed,
He will gently call you Home;
Oh, the rapture of that meeting,
Oh, the joy to see you come!

"Blessed Mother, I held my son Peter the same way you held Jesus."

FOR ALL PARENTS

I'll lend you for a little time, a child of mine, He said,
For you to love while he lives, and mourn when he is dead.
It may be six or seven days or years till twenty-three,
But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and shall his stay be brief,
You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught down here I want you all to learn.

I've looked the wide world over in my search for teachers true,
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love, nor think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call, to take him back again?

I fancied that I heard them say, Dear Lord, Thy will be done,
For all the joy Thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may;
And for the happiness we've known will ever grateful stay.

But shall the angels call for him much sooner than we planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand.

Every picture is missing another little boy.

Child of Mine

A child of God's I think they call..
That little boy of mine.
The one I held so close to me
For all that countless time.

For all the Moms and Dads out there
That have a special one..
You know that child of God's you have
You call your little son.

I call him mine as I see now
I held him when he cried...
And it was me that held him oh so close
On the night I watched him die.

Dear Lord I know you set with us
And held his little hand
I know you loved that son of mine
And loved us all you can.

But Lord I gave him life you see..
It was me that held him first,
It was you that watched us both so close
And helped us through the worst..

The child of mine I lend you now...
Take care of him for me...
And help the other Moms and Dads
As I know its hard to see...
That little child we call our son
Was really meant to be.

We’ll loan him to you for a while,
So love him while you may..
Cause when you call us home again
That will be the day...
I will hold that child of mine again
In my arms is where he’ll stay.
~Unknown Author~

For me, this is Jesus caring for my son, Peter.

"I'd like to thank Maria Faller for all she has done for me and many other moms.
I hope we'll be neighbors in heaven."

To Cathy and ANGEL Peter

The sun won't shine any more
The stars won't shine in the night
The moon won't rise in the sky
Nothing will ever again seem right

To know you and feel you
Was to love and hold you
Just to see that little smile
Made my life worth while

I will always remember you my ANGEL
With your 10 Tiny Toes and fingers
That baby scent you always had
Is a smell that will forever linger

Written By Sue-Anne Aguilera
MY LOVE TO YOU CATHY

Dear Cathy and ANGEL Peter

Peter's hands so soft to the touch
Peter's feet that touched the sand
Only GOD knew he wasn't going to stay
HE knew he would be better
In the PROMISED LAND

Written By Sue-Anne Aguilera~~~Lee'sMom
MY LOVE TO YOU CATHY