ABOUT AMY
AN INTERVIEW WITH AMY
Where did you get the idea to do this
book?
When our daughter was just fifteen months
old, Jon and I learned that she was going to be a big sister. Since she
was so young, I struggled with how to explain to her about the baby
growing in my belly. It was then that I was inspired to start my little
project. I decided to write a children’s book about the baby's life in
the womb. This was no easy task, however. I hit a lot of brick walls and
put the project on hold more than I’d care to admit … Especially after
my son was born. Eventually though, I gained the clarity I was looking
for and it all came together.
This is a great book for children but I
learned a lot about life in the womb too. Who is the audience for this
book?
As I was researching the details of fetal
development for this book, it occurred to me that there was a greater
need for this than just educating children about babies in their mommas’
bellies. The beauty of this work is that it is relevant to a variety of
audiences. While it's simple enough for children, it's great for
expecting parents as well.
Why photography? Why not
illustrations?
The most important feature of the book, in
my opinion, is the use of real in-utero photography. I did not want the
reader to think of the baby as a made up character in a book. It’s much
easier to connect with the baby in the photographs. In the end, I
believe that seeing really is believing!
While many of the photographs were donated by Priests for Life and
Seminarian Life Link, I obtained the rights to use Lennart Nilsson's
famous photographs for this effort. The pregnant belly pictures as well
as the newborn baby shots were secured through Dreamstime and iStock,
two online photography resources. And the sonogram picture on page 25 is
close to my heart. That is a picture of our son. And I should give
credit to my friend, Lara Streck, for the picture of me too.
Is this book based on fact or fiction?
While every child grows and develops at his own pace, the weights
and lengths noted in the book are those of “average” babies. The
contents of the book are medically sound. In fact, The Miracle of Me has
been reviewed and endorsed for medical accuracy by Dr. Gerry Sotomayor,
OB/GYN.
Do you plan to write another book?
That’s like asking a woman who has just
given birth when she is having the next one! One thing that children
have taught me is to NEVER SAY NEVER. For now though, I’ll just say,
“We’ll see”.
