CARE Package

Have you heard about CARE Package? CARE Package is a non-profit organization who helps families who lose their newborns. CARE Package began when the family who started this organization had two beautiful twin boys. However, one of the boys, Robby, died due to complications with Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome.

What do we do here at CARE Package, Inc.?

Our mission is to help CARE for all the other babies who, like Robby, don't survive. This includes neonatal loss as well as miscarriages and stillborn infants.

We hand-crochet and hand-knit items to deliver to hospitals, to be given to the parents as they prepare to say goodbye to their little one. Parents will be given several different sets of our items, including booties, sweaters, hats, and/or blankets, to choose from in order to find that unique outfit in which to dress their baby. (They may also choose not to put the items on the baby and can simply bring them home, if they like.)

Along with these sets, parents will also receive a small laminated card to glance over before they receive their child and while they are holding him or her. This will include suggestions for things they might want to do with their baby, such as take pictures, dress him/her, bathe him/her, bring in other siblings, etc. It is our firm belief that knowing we could have done these things, and doing them, would have made a drastic difference in this painful experience for us. We would like to spare other parents from realizing too late what they could have done, had they only known.

Finally, once CARE Package, Inc. becomes large enough, we would like to develop a fund to help parents with their memorial and funeral services. We were lucky enough to have insurance to cover our needs, but we know that not every family will be able to do everything they choose to do to remember their baby.

Soon: New Blog Design

I won a Fun and Funky Blog Design from a recent contest held at her board! I'm so excited! There is another one going on right now, so go check that out! And keep an eye out for the new design! :D

Have you been to the Carnival?

Bloggy Giveaways is hosting a giveaway carnival! How fun! There is a linky list of hundreds of bloggers who have giveaways going on right now! Just click HERE to go to that list!

Photos of the Boys

The proud family at their babyshower!


Babies A. & A. less than 1 day old.

Babies A. and A. were born yesterday morning to my good friend V. Mom and dad are doing fine, just tired! I watermarked the cr*p out of the photos because they aren't my sons and I want the photos to be especially safe! Aren't they adorable!? Click Photo to Enlarge.

Breastfeeding Poll

I'd like to help out Olivia, a lady who posted on my blog, who has a breastfeeding survey. If you would like to take the survey, please click here.

Photo thanks to Baby Centre. Read Helen's breastfeeding story.

Scripture Sunday

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”- 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

Twins Born!

I'm happy to announce that she had the boys, A. and A., at 2:48 and 3:05. They were 5 pounds 2 ounces and 5 pounds 10 ounces. They are doing well! I'll share photos later when I have her permission.

Friend in Labor!

I just got a message that my friend, V. is in labor right now! As we speak!!! She is 4CM and 80% effaced! She is in the hospital right now! Baby boys A. and A. are going to be here soon and join big sister C. who is just 16 months old! Mom and Dad are going to be BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSY! LOL! Say a prayer for a safe vaginal (Baby A. is head down so the other twin should be able to be born vaginally despite being butt-down!) delivery, which is what she wants (hey, who wants a major abdominal surgery? Not me! Not her!) Yay! I'm on cloud nine right now!
glitter-graphics.com

5 Things That Were Easier Than They Said...

5 Things That Were Easier Than They Said It Would Be:

1. Breastfeeding. I should've never gotten psyched out by everyone that told me that it would be a nightmare. Sure it hurt. I mean, I'd never had a baby suck on them before like there was no tomorrow. Of course it hurt. My nipples were sore. I think I remember blisters or skin peeling... I don't know. It really only lasted like two weeks. After that it began to become WONDERFUL. Of course it was wonderful before that, too. I remember nursing my little newborn and just CRYING because of the wonderful bond that we were sharing, the fact that she depended on me solely for nutrition and comfort. What a blessing these last 17 months of nursing and cuddling have been!

2. Having a newborn. She was like any other newborn. She cried at night and slept during the day, but she was SO EASY. It's the toddler that is difficult! If she could just sit still for one second! If I could tell her "No" and she would understand the first time! LOL! Having a toddler is an adventure every day. But I think I'm more tired now than when she was a newborn. When she was in the pre-crawling, pre-walking, pre-CLIMBING stage of life I could put her where ever I wanted! It was wonderful lol!

3. Labor. Labor was fine. I expected the pain. It was so painful. I'm not kidding. I didn't get an epidural (Argh to you, anesthesiologist!!!) and my daughter was posterior. That part was not the hard part. It was the stinking RECOVERY. I won't go into gory details... but let's just say I had an episiotomy and a at 6 days postpartum I got to go to the ER due to complications with that particular recovery. I'm not nervous about childbirth with baby #2, it's the recover. I'm praying that I don't get an episiotomy so I don't have to take pain killers postpartum!

4. Expenses. I know that babies are supposed to be expensive, but I can say that in the first 6 months of my daughter's life, the only thing I bought was diapers and wipes. And I admit I went to the nearby Walmart for inexpensive diapers! In the next 6 months I bought a few outfits and a few things of baby food and diapers and wipes. After that we moved and I started deal shopping for diapers and wipes. I found that with purchasing Luvs and with a coupon, I could get them pretty cheap. Even other brands, if I found coupons or deals (online is where I searched!) that I didn't have to pay much. Since I nursed my daughter, I didn't have to ever buy one bottle, one nipple, or even formula or other accessories. My LC gave me a hand pump after delivery so I used that. I think I pumped two sippies of milk for my daughter in her first year. She refused baby food, so I let her self feed from 7 months on and never bought baby food again. I got all of my daughter's clothing from gifts before she was born with the exception of a few outfits that I really didn't NEED to purchase. The carseat and crib (not that she slept in it!) were gifts, too. God provided everything. I didn't need to stress at all!

5. College. I didn't have a hard time at all after my daughter was born in college. I graduated with an AA when she was around 6 months old. I got mostly As that semester and the semester my daughter was born. However, I do admit that I gave up some things to graduate that May. I had been accepted into the teaching program at N.U. I was pretty excited, but once they told me that I should get a baby sitter and going to school and entering the program were like 2 full time jobs, I immediately imagined going to school in the morning then off to my internship and then coming home in the late hours... Anna already asleep. My breastmilk drying up. A bottle of formula in her mouth. A babysitter seeing her firsts. Her first roll. Her first crawl. Her first step. I cried. I couldn't bear to imagine it. I couldn't let that happen. I'm her mom. That means that I raise her. That means that I nourish her. That means that I see her firsts. That kind of lifestyle might be more than acceptable for other moms, but for me, that was some sort of suicide. The suicide of motherhood in a way. It was awful. I withdrew the very next day. There was no argument. I didn't even have to think hard on it for a while. I know it was the right decision every time I see my daughter do a new first. Every time she comes to me when she is upset. I'm not a stranger to her. I'm her mother! And it never felt more wonderful!
As my professor said when she and I spoke the day I withdrew, "College will always be here, but your daughter will grow up. You don't want to miss that!"

Win! Flip Video Camera!

This Full House is offering an awesome giveaway: This chic, beautiful, erm, might I say sexy(???) Flip Video Camera! Oh I want one so bad... I bet you want one, too!?

The FLIP Video Ultra Series Camcorder offers:

Ultra slim, premium camcorder
No Glare display screen (1.4")
Instant playback, review, and delete features
On-board memory: 30 Minute (1 GB) or 60 Minute (2 GB)
TV quality video
Connects to PC or TV for instant viewing
Built-in high-speed software enables sharing of video instantly from any PC or Mac.
Capture moments anywhere and share them with ease!

Breastfeeding Fact O' The Week #02

...although I don't always do them weekly. :D

From Kellymom.com

Myth #1 – Breastfeeding cannot be relied upon to prevent pregnancy.

Myth #2 – Any amount of breastfeeding will prevent pregnancy, regardless of the frequency of breastfeeding or whether mom’s period has returned.

Exclusive breastfeeding has in fact been shown to be an excellent form of birth control, but there are certain criteria that must be met for breastfeeding to be used effectively.

Exclusive breastfeeding (by itself) is 98-99.5% effective in preventing pregnancy as long as all of the following conditions are met:

1. Your baby is less than six months old
2. Your menstrual periods have not yet returned
3. Baby is breastfeeding on cue (both day & night), and gets nothing but breastmilk or only token amounts of other foods.


...I personally have been nursing for now 17 months today. I've yet to see a period (Yessssss!!!!!) but my daughter is no longer nursing exclusively, so I'm on birth control. ;)

Read the whole article at Kellymom.com for more information. It's a very fascinating article!

*See my other Breastfeeding Fact O' The Week post on the Benefits of Breastfeeding a Toddler, which even lists the vitamins and nutrients in breastmilk after age 1. Very informative!

17 Months Old Today

Today my daughter is one month older! She is 17 months old! Wow how time flies!!!

Win a FuzzyMe Tutu

Envyla is offering an adorable FuzzyMe Tutu! It's so adorable that I want to cry! So head on over to Envyla if you'd like a chance to win the cherubic tutu of your own design!

Review: Huggies Clean Team Products

I was contacted recently by M80 Parents Meta Blog to do a review of Huggies Clean Team Products. I received a box in the mail a few days ago and it contained http://www.huggiescleanteam.com/ moist flushable wipes, conditioning shampoo, and hand soap.

Anna was immediately enthralled with the hand soap. The hand soap has a cute purple hippo head on it that flashes with a red light for 20 seconds (the time needed for proper hand cleansing) when you push down on the pump. Anna loved this. Aside from the handy flasher (which I admit to using myself after going potty--hey, where else do you find a timer in the bathroom?), and the lovable purple Hippo named Henry, the scent is wonderful. It doesn't smell strong, but it is a light and sweet scent. As for the hand soap, did it deliver? Yes, it did. Did it do its job? Yes, it cleans hands for sure, and it goes beyond the regular soap expectations by adding a timer and a friendly character named Henry. Anything to add? You can also purchase a refill once you run out and hang onto the timer top! Of all of the products tested, this was my favorite and definitely one that I will purchase time and again!

The Huggies Clean Team Shampoo with its slithery mascot, Sammy, was next to be analyzed (ah, I sound so scientific!)... I used it first on my dear little darling Anna (later on the toddler I watch once a week). Bathtime is slippery business with a 16 month old who refuses to listen to the word, "Sit!" So on went the shampoo. Not that she has much hair, but I swear it's pretty long in the back! The bottle is not too large and its shape fit perfectly, even in my small hands! But trouble came when I couldn't get the darn cap to open--and SNAP--I actually broke the thing off! Eeek! Now, as for the shampoo, did it do its job? Yes, it did. Squeaky clean toddler hair all around. Was it easy to use? Easy to hold, not so easy to dispense. Maybe the cap was a little too hard to open and I don't know my own strength?(???) Anything to add? The yummy blueberry scent tempted me to use the shampoo, too!

Finally came the Flushable Moist Wipes with the cute pink flamingo named Freddy! Anna sits on the potty about once a week... sometimes she pees a little, sometimes she doesn't... nothing regular yet. The good news: with the flushable wipes I can just dump everything in the potty afterwards, which means no yucky wipes in the bin to smell! Yay! I also used the flushable wipes on my potty trained toddler friend whom I watch. With the #2 It took a few swipes more than I usually do, but with the convenience of a much cleaner bottom than with toilet paper and the added bonus of not needing to take poopy wipes out, I was very pleased. Did the wipes do their job? Yes, they did. Were they easy to use? Yes. I was very happy to see that when I reach for ONE wipe, I get just ONE wipe! There are rubber gripper thingies (erm, do they have a name?) that keep you from dispensing more than one! Why aren't these on other wipe containers? They're fantastic! Anything else to add? The Blue Melon Splash scent is such a nice change from other strange wipe smells!

Overall, I was very pleased with all of the products I tested. They all performed very well. They had nice scents (very important for me as it turns out), and extras which made use so much easier!

Huggies Clean Team Products also include the Disposable Washcloths, Bath Wash, Cleansing Cloths, and Detangler.

Quick! Baby Legs Giveaway!!!

JP & the Boys is giving away baby legs! Oh I love baby legs! They're so cute! But the deadline is tonight! So hop to it!