Preemie Presents

2009 Round Up & News

2010-01-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

GRAND TOTALS!!! In 2009, by giving up your time, energy, crafts, discounts, cash, energy, and effort.... you helped me donate the following:

120 thank you cards

3 lamaze developmental toys

26 hand-knit hats

63 homemade burp cloths

16 homemade terry washcloths

9 tag blankets

2 big quilts

5 fuzzy blankets

31 preemie outfits

108 receiving blankets

24 bags of coffee

24 bags of candy

40 votive candles

100 fortune cookies

ISN'T THAT AMAZING?!?!

By the way, if you are on Facebook, you can do a search for "Preemie Presents" and become a fan of my page there. I posted these photos on there a few days ago, so it is a good way to get sneak peaks at things. :)

Now, on to pictures of the Christmas Delivery. :)

The delay has been for two major reasons, one is that I'm 12 weeks pregnant and have been feeling sick as a dog most of the time, with zero energy! Being pregnant again, after it went so badly last time, is really nerve wracking. And it is part of the reason why we're moving to England.

In a few weeks, no less!! We're moving soon so I can quickly get under the care of the doctors there, so my husband can change his job, and so my in-laws can help take care of me and the boys. SO much is changing in 2010 - - but Preemie Presents will remain, rest assured! I'll have to sort some details out, but hope to donate to the hospital where this newest baby will be born, as well as trying to continue to help the nurses to brought henry into the world. So stay tuned (again, facebook is good for that!) - a lot is changing!

Christmas Eve!

2009-12-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

I have a ton of photos to share, but it may take me a day or two to get them organized and on the computer. But for now, I wanted to share the details of our delivery. Instead of the individual gifts given at Thanksgiving time, we delivered 9 large bags of general donations to give to the nursing staff. That way, the gifts can be distributed as needed to the families that come through, whether now or later on in the year.

Today we delivered:

3 large Lamaze developmental toys

26 hand-knit hats

33 burp cloths

10 wash cloths

9 tag blankets

2 large quilts

5 handmade blankets

19 complete preemie outfits

60 receiving blankets

Isn't that fantastic?!?! I'll update as soon as I can with photos, a sort of year-end wrap up of donations, and also some info about what we're doing next year. :D Hooray!

Thanksgiving Delivery 2009

2009-12-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving delivery! I was having a problem finding the right cord to get my photos, so sorry for the delay in the post. :) If you have become a "fan" of preemie presents on Facebook (just search for preemie presents!) then you'll see a few extra photos. :)

Delivery was perfect, there were a few parents in the unit tending to their super tiny babies and we even got to meet one of the teeny little girls in there. The boys were in awe! But realistically, they were much happier that the nurses were sharing their new bag of Oreos with them. ;) It was really nice that Philip got to give a bag out to some parents himself, he felt very proud about himself afterwards. :)

The bag on the left was Philip's idea, it is filled with nothing but a bunch of drawings for the nurses. :)

And now we're on to Christmas!! I still need some knit hats, and donations (or cash to buy) Bath & Body Works hand sanitizers, socks, candy, and glass tea light holders. So please contact me if you want to get in on the game before Christmas shows up!!

The Day Before Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Thanksgiving bags are finished!

We will be delivering these tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day to the hospital, along with a bag full of hand-drawn pictures from my 5 year old and a big bunch of brownies and cookies from me. :)

THANK YOU to my friends Bianca and Maureen who helped me assemble these bags yesterday! I'll have photos of the delivery up tomorrow.

For the deliveries tomorrow, the parents can look forward to this in their gifts:
2 bags of Melitta coffee
1 preemie outfit
1 washcloth set
1 burp cloth
2 votive candles
10 thank you cards
4 receiving blankets
1 Hershey kiss bag
1 box mini chocolates
2 fortune cookies

The following shops all have items in these Thanksgiving Bags:
Card Maven
Molly Lee's Pop Up & Mechanical Cards
Oh Sew Cute
JBart Greeting Cards & Art
Fish in the Attic Studios
Dodge Boys Mom
Curious Gravy Hand Printed Notecards
Cards 'n' Crafts by Klow
The Shabby Shop
Cardwear
Melitta
Preemie-Yums
Fancy Fortune Cookies

And another thank you to Heather, Trish, Vicki, Brian, Mariclar, Stacey, Pam, Leah, Lysbeth, and Maureen for cash donations to buy the other items! Christmas gifts will be donated a month from now, featuring hand-knit hats, blankets, and other items, so if you don't see your name or shop above it is simply because you are a part of Christmas instead of Thansgiving!

Those last 2 pictures include a lot of the Christmas items, like blankets and toys and hats and things. See you tomorrow for delivery photos! :D

A lot coming in at the last minute!!

2009-11-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

ARGH with the sideways pictures! Why it only happens in this blog and not my family blog, I do not know! You'll just have to tilt your head sideways for some of these. ;)

So anyway! LOTS to update on! First, I received a shipment of 100 custom fortune cookies from Fancy Fortune Cookies. I was nominated by Theresa for a promotion they are running through their Facebook page, to "grant wishes". I was a wish granted! So I got 50 mint flavored and 50 chocolate flavored, then had them put the following messages on the inside. It took me a while to think of appropriate messages for these parents tending to their vulnerable little babies... I hope these are good! (Go on, tilt your head)

The best things about these fortune cookies are how actually *yummy* they are! Seriously!

I got several fantastic packs of receiving blankets from Robyn, thank you Robyn!!

And here are the offerings from Karista over at Cards 'n' Crafts by Klow. A card maker AND a knitter!! :)

With the first round of cash donations I received when hunting for help this summer, I bought a big lot of preemie clothes from Preemie Yums. They were really wonderful in working with me to give me a really healthy discount on these, so the donated money could go far. I ordered 12 complete outfits and they finally arrived the other day!

I *love* these teeny little outfits, they are absolutely perfect!! Here, my former Preemie (now a chunk-meister who will be turning 3 this winter) sees if the clothes will fit him. Not anymore!!

I also received these ribbon-tie candy bags for filling with candy, thank you Caryn!! Caryn's also got her own etsy shop here: Two Cats Creative

Lysbeth helped me out with a super great coupon, and with more donated money - and help from Lysbeth - we were able to snag these 18 packs of receiving blankets for a steal.

I've also been able to buy a few more little winter outfits, look at how CUTE these feet are!!

And even though they are upside down, I'm sure you can recognize their total cuteness.

Gift assembly is Tuesday!! I have a few more donations I'm picking up on Monday, I'll be receiving all the coffee bags on Tuesday from Bianca who works with Melitta - super yummy coffee to give these parents!!

So I'll be posting more picture early next week, when I get back from a little mini trip this weekend to visit family. :) Thanks everyone for your help!! Thanksgiving is next week... next stop, Christmas!!

More donations, more people to thank!

2009-11-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

Some more thank yous are in order! Thank you Jeanette, Jennifer, Lysbeth, Kristin, Ian, and Jo for your help!! The cash donations were used to buy candy (seen below) and a few more receiving blankets. Look below to see some of the goodies I got in the mail. :)

40 super soft, super wonderful hand-sewn burp cloths made by Dodge Boys Mom.

With donated money, I was able to buy 40 boxes of Mrs. Fields chocolates. Mmm!

Some tiny, adorable handmade preemie hats made by Kristin at Dragondreamer's Lair.

And some absolutely GORGEOUS hand printed cards from Curious Gravy.

Thanksgiving is coming up soon!! For that shipment I mainly need:

Cash donations now (for votive holders, preemie socks, packaging, and food for nurses)
Gift certificates to Bath & Body Works for hand sanitizers
Thank you cards
Receiving blankets

Everything else is going for my huge Christmas delivery, more on that later!
Thanks everyone!!

My inspirations.

2009-10-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

I've written about this many times before, in other posts and in other places, but it is worth a re-telling as I'm seeking help with my donations... to share the story that got us here. The story of how Henry, this gorgeous blue eyed boy, arrived in our lives.

Henry was born 6 weeks prematurely just 15 days after my mother died of cancer. I developed HELLP Syndrome and he was born via emergency c-section. His lungs didn't work, and he needed three weeks of care in the hospital before we were able to bring him home.

I can not think of that time in my life without deep sadness. Each birthday Henry has had since then is such a bittersweet celebration. An anniversary of my mother's death, an anniversary of a traumatic birth, an anniversary of nearly losing him and myself. Remembering how awful it felt to have given birth, but to have my tiny child miles away from me every night. How helpless, lost, angry, and confused I was that whole time.

I was lucky that I got to see Henry at least once a day. I was lucky that he lived, and that despite some speech and motor delays he is now 100% *average*, which is all I ever hoped for him. To just be OKAY, to just be normal. And when I think of that guilt-ridden, inhumanly painful time in our lives.... I think about the parents going through it right now. Those who are going through it over the holidays, during a time that is supposed to be filled with family, celebrations, good food and cheer.... not heart monitors, surgeries, brain scans, and that horrible feeling of an empty womb combined with no baby to cuddle.

My mother taught me, through words, and actions, that the best way to get yourself through pain is to help someone else through theirs. So in honor of Henry, in memory of my mother who never got to meet him, and in celebration of how lucky we've been coming through it all... I put my time, effort, and money into this charity project every year. And for those people out there who want to "do something" over the holidays but aren't sure how or who to help, I offer an avenue. Giving gifts to these parents, these parents who feel lost, disconnected, scared and guilty... is rewarding beyond measure. And I'm glad to share that feeling with others who want to help me in my mission.

Progress at the end of October

2009-10-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

At the end of this post you'll find a new list of HOW TO HELP, it is forever changing depending on what I've been able to receive so far, and how creative my helpers have been! :)

But first, on to some THANK YOUS. With donated money I've been able to order 12 outfits from Preemie-Yums, and I've also been able to purchase a further 5 outfits and 8 onesies with the rest of the donations! Here are some pics of the clothes I was able to purchase, including a little matching set for preemie twins:

I've also received more thank you cards from some of my lovely card makers over at Etsy. I've received donations from JBart Handmade Cards and Fish in the Attic Studios. Thank you ladies! I have some more etsy sellers contributing cards soon, including myself, and I'll pst links when I get them!

I've also received my first batch of developmental toys, donated by Pam K. via my Amazon Wish List... find it at the top left corner of the blog if you want to donate that way. Thank you, Pam K.!!

And thank you to Jennifer, Stacey, Pam S, and Leah for the cash donations that helped make the clothing purchases possible!!

And now... an updated list of HOW YOU CAN HELP!! :)

1. BUY FROM MY SHOP:
I'm restocking my holiday cards next Monday, and all proceeds from purchases made now until 2 mid December go DIRECTLY to buying things for the parents of these preemies and the nursing staffs at the 2 hospitals where I donate. My shop is Coffee Bean Cards.

2. BUY FROM THE AMAZON WISH LIST:
Click on the link at the top left hand corner of this blog. I've got diapers, developmental toys, socks, hand sanitizers, aromatherapy products, and receiving blankets on the list.

3. MAKE SOMETHING:
It isn't too late do make me some preemie hats, a blanket or two, some Thank You cards, burp towels, or any other little gift the parents might appreciate.

4. BUY SOMETHING AND MAIL IT:
I need gender neutral receiving blankets, candy, boxes of tea, preemie clothes, developmental toys, votive holders, candles, and baby blankets.

5. DONATE GIFT CERTIFICATES:
I can use gift certificates from Bath & Body Works, BabiesRUs, Target, Wal-Mart, and also gift certificates for places like Pizza Hut or Jimmy Johns for when I'm feeding the nurses over the holidays too!

6. SPREAD THE WORD:
Post a link to this page on your blog, your twitter, your facebook, a post in your backyard, your forehead, your office, your knitting group, your friends, your family. If there isn't something YOU can do to help personally, then be a foot soldier and find someone who can donate something themselves, or from their workplace. Spread the word!

7. DONATE MONEY:
Contact me via email at sara.nunn@gmail.com and paypal me money to use for clothing, gift bags, boxes, tissue wrap, food for the nurses, candy, socks, and everything else that I'll need as the delivery times get closer.

That is it for now - I've got a lot of good news to share soon hopefully once I receive a few promised donations! THANK YOU EVERYBODY for helping me help these parents in a really, really difficult time in their lives. :D

Donation Pictures

2009-10-13T07:02:00.000-07:00

I've finally had enough sunshine outside to take some decent photos of some recent donations. :) I've got several promised donations still floating around out there, but some of the items have finally started filtering in, and they are gorgeous & wonderful. :) At the bottom of this post you'll find items I STILL NEED if you are interested in donating to the cause.

For the cash donations so far, thank you Heather, Trish, Vicki, Brian, and Mariclar! Your money will be spent at Preemie-Yums to buy discounted preemie outfits.

Thank you Melissa at Stirrup Queens and Kristen at Dragon Dreamer's Lair for all the shout outs and traffic!

Thank you Sharon from CardMaven and Molly from MollyLee for my first batches of gorgeous thank you cards!

Thank you Lesley from Oh Sew Cute for the beautiful burp cloths, wash cloths, and tissue holders, I love them!

And thank you Cheryl from the blog Cheryl Looking Forward for the aromatherapy donations!!

And thank you Veronica, who doesn't have an etsy shop BUT SHOULD, for these absolutely gorgeous quilts to be given to the families.

THANK YOU!!!

Donations for Clothing

2009-10-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

I'm about 10 days away from ordering the preemies clothes to go in the bags, and anyone wanting to make a cash donation ... now would be a good time! The clothes are by far the most expensive thing I buy for all these preemies. I'm making 40 gift bags, 20 for each hospital, and putting at least one preemie outfit in each of them.

I've receive a few other donations today of cards and aromatherapy things, I'll post pictures soon, I'm expecting even more mail in the enxt day or two with blankets, hats, cards, and other preemie goodies.

Thank you everyone who has helped so far... there is still so much to do!! :)

Sara

How You Can Help, 2009 Edition!

2009-09-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here we go, things are starting to get into high gear. :)
(Click on this post if you are new here: http://preemiepresents.blogspot.com/2009/07/it-is-on.html)

Some of the handmade items are starting to roll in! Here are some preemie hats, booties & gloves that have been sent to me from a friend in England:

And here is some blanket progress from another friendly donating lady, Belle Maldonado.

Lisa over at the online store Preemie-yums (http://www.preemie-yums.com/) has offered to help with all of the clothing this year, giving me a discount on certain items and matching others. The cash donations I receive will mainly be going here. I took clothing off of the Amazon wish list since they would be full price, and using cash to get discounted items from this supplier is a much better use of your money! :)

And now... for the big list....

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. PROMOTE!
Link to this site on facebook, myspace, twitter, your blog. Tell your friends about it. Spread the word and we'll see how far it can go. :)

2. CASH!
The most expensive items are always clothing, but with a discounted provider I can make the money go further. I need to buy 40 outfits in the 5 lb range, but will also need other outfits in the micropreemie size ( for 2-4 lb babies) and will buy as many as I can afford. Money is also going to buy the other goodies such as coffees, chocolates, developmental toys, and other items I've listed.

3. MAKE STUFF!
I need loads of thank you cards. (These have to be sort of specific, so email me for details). I need loads of blankets and hats, in non-itchy materials. I need to find candlemakers who might want to donate. Make something else that you think the parents or nurses might like? Let me know!

4. AMAZON!
The wish list in the top left corner of this apge is for this project's Amazon wish list. The quantities are high on these items, but there are only a few listings. If you want to buy soemthing rather than send money or use paypal, this is a good option. There are things like hand sanitizers, preemie socks, toys, and preemie diapers.

For this afternoon, I'm now off to etsy to send out a trillion messages asking for donated candles, I'm looking for 40 of them!! Wish me luck. ;)

contact me

2009-07-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that if you want to get involved, the best thing to do is email me directly! Email me from the button at the top of the screen, or by sending me a message at sara.nunn@gmail.com! ;)

Amazon List

2009-07-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

I've got a cool little button at the top left of the page now, connecting you to my wish list on Amazon. There were several things I couldn't put on the list, things I'll get in person (like the chocolates) things I'm trying to get donated through stores, donations I'm seeking from specific places or people, and other items I might be able to get a discount on. But there is still plenty to choose from for those who want to simply buy something off a list and have it mailed to me!

I've begun contacting stores, looking for partners in this project. I'm also beginning to reach out to a few bloggers, crafty people I know, and friends & family. I'm not all the way there yet with this Initial Request, but then again I am at home alone with the two boys while my husband is away. I'll cut myself some slack. ;)

It is ON!!

2009-07-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

4 months from now I hope to be tidying up the last of the donations for Preemie Project 2009. Of course, that means I need to get my butt in gear about asking for donations!

My plan for this year is here: http://preemiepresents.blogspot.com/2009/04/2009-preemie-project-and-march-for.html

The story behind this project is here: http://preemiepresents.blogspot.com/2008/12/why-i-am-doing-this.html

WHAT I NEED: (with the idea of creating 40 identical gifts)

Donations. I buy most of the items for the gifts myself, and it is easiest for me to receive donations and then buy things when they come on sale. Also, I can sometimes get a discount from stores (particularly online stores) for this project, so the money can go further sometimes if I am the one spending it. ALL DONATIONS are very carefully put into a separate bank account and used wisely!
Blankets. Lovely, warm, cuddly handmade blankets made with love stitched right in. This is where handmade means the most to me.
Hats. Knitters unite! I want hats. Hats to fit a peach. Hats to fit an orange. Hats to fit a grapefruit. Preemies struggle to control their body temperatures, and keeping their heads nice and cozy goes a long way in keeping these tiny creatures comfortable.
Clothes. Micro preemie outfits, preemie outfits, 0-3 month outfits. Most important is in the preemie range, usually around a 4-6pound size, as a "going home" outfit. But realistically, many babies won't be going home for months and they need their own little clothes while they are getting better in the hospital. Donations help, but if you buy any of these items yourself they still get used.
Candles. I will be soliciting a bunch of handmade candle vendors on Etsy this year, but I'm not sure how far that will get me. These gifts are designed for the PARENTS mainly, and a little, glowing, fragrant candle can go al ong way in clearing your mind of their angst. Last year I used donations and bought a ton of candles from Ikea, this year I'd like to put a little more focus on this item and see if I can get better fragranced items, and would LOVE to get more handmade.
Hand Sanitizers. This stuff gets used a lot with a preemie. We had to use it before the nurses would let us in the room every time, and when we got home with Henry we used it a lot as a precaution as well, since a sickness in a preemie is a lot harder than a sickness in a full term baby. Last year I used donations to buy full sized Bath & Body Works hand saitizers. I'd love donations of these full sized bottles, or money to purchase them myself.
Coffee. Parents of newborns need coffee anyway, the parents of a preemie even more so. Well, at least we did. ;) Last year I bought small 2-3 serving bags of flavored coffees. This year I'd like to try to get larger bags if possible. A full sized bag of ground coffee from Starbucks, Peets, Caribou Coffee etc... are they on sale at the grocery store? Get a discount? Grab them ans send them to me! Otherwise this is another place donations will go.
Thank You Cards. Last year my fellow Etsy card makers and I were able to put 5 handmade Thank You cards in each gift. These parents will have a lot of people to thank. I kept the thank you's gender neutral and purposely NOT happy looking thank yous - much more pretty but generic - because realistically some of these parents may be going home without their child, and their thank you notes shouldn't have puppies and rainbows on them.
Socks. Preemie socks, nice and itty bitty, for the same reason hats are needed. Last year I was able to get a discount on price from an online shop, but still bought more with donations and put them in the bags.
Chocolate. Last year I took hundred and hundreds of Hershey Kisses and wrapped them up in little bags with white bows on them. I'll be doing the same thing this year, and would love donations of Hershey Kisses or the money to buy them. The best time to do this is after Halloween when all the candy goes on MEGA sale! That would be a great time to get EXTRA chocolate as well because seriously? That is probably the most important part of the bag!!
Developmental Toys. This is a new goal of mine this year. In talking with one of the nurses last year, she suggested that I donate items for the nursing staff to give away to families they identify as having a greater need. I'm lucky. When Henry was born early we had nothing for him, but we were able to go out and buy the crib, buy the blankets, buy the extra clothes we'd need. But there are SO many people who can't do that. And who also can't afford to give their child some of the extras we gave Henry to help him as he continued to develop with delay. At 2.5 he is still significantly delayed in speech and gross motor skills, and he's not alone. I'm looking for donations of crib mobiles, black & white soft blocks, picture cards, and other toys you'll find in the "developmental" category for newborns.
Going Home Items. This is also for the nurses to give away to parents of preemies that they feel need a little extra help going home. This is where the newborn & 0-3 month clothes would be used. socks that are slightly bigger. Baby blankets. Other items that can be sent home with families who need a little extra hand, and who the nurses can help on the sly without them having to ask.
Preemie Diapers. This is also a new goal of mine. Wouldn't it be nice to send some families home with a free pack of ridiculously expensive preemie diapers? Yes it would!

Gifts will be assempled in November for delivery the week of Thanksgiving. The gifts will be non denominational and non holiday specific so that they can be distributed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New years depending on how many families the hospital is helping at the time. The 2nd round of donations - all the "loose" items - will be delivered the week of Christmas.

So far I have solicited exactly zero people, but hey, I'm just starting! I'll be looking for knitters, crafters, card makers, candle makers, store employees with discounts to share, online stores offering discoutns or donated goods, big shopw like Target and Toys R Us to see if they will donate to the cause, every friend and family member I have, and maybe even making an Amazon Wish List to list a bunch of things that people can just buy and mail to me.

Actually... I think the Amazon list will be my 1st priority! I'm so full of good ideas. ;) I'll post a link when I get it sorted out!

Here we go!!! This year is going to be AWESOME, I just know it! I'm aiming for 40 gifts this year, 20 per hospital, but if I get less than that, I'll just distribute what I have between the hospitals.

2009 Preemie Project... and March for Babies

2009-04-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

I registered for the annual March for Babies walk, I'd like to raise $200 this year which is right around what I raised last year, slightly less than the year before - but I only have 21 days and those 21 days are going to be packed. We're actually flying to England the day AFTER the walk, and my husband will be out of town for 2 weeks PRIOR to the walk, so I'll sort of be lucky if I'm not insane by the time I step foot in London!

My fundraising page is here: http://www.marchforbabies.com/saranunn

When I get back from England, I'll be launching into the Preemie Project once again. Lat year I reached out and asked for help casually, and at the last minute. I was astonished by how many people wanted to help, but struggled to keep it all organized - this year will be different. Here are a few highlights...

Donations are going to be logged in a much more organized fashion, that way everyone can get thanks yous, and the recognition they deserve.
I'm going ask for handmade donations to be started earlier. By beginning in March, that gives crafters 6 full months to either make the few items that they can or to make more than they'd have been able to last year.
6 months of planning and receiving donations.
I'll be asking for corporate donations this year. Getting on that earlier - in those 6 months - hopefully means I'll find some success.
I'll be widening my internet requests, finding more small internet stores who might be willing to help with advertising, word of mouth, or extra stock.
Gifts will be donated to 2 hospitals the week before Thanksgiving. There will be enough gifts to last through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Because it covers more than 1 holiday, they will be non-specifically decorated. These bags will all have the same contents.
For Christmas, a different kind of gift will be given. I'll be giving gifts to the nurses, but the donation of goods will be given in "bulk". Items for the micro-preemies, regular preemie clothes, and some of the items from gift bags that were "left over" and didn't fit into the gift bags.
I'll be making an effort to get donations of non-preemie infant items as well, specifically developmental toys, diapers, and newborn clothes. Preemies have different needs than full term babies. They need smaller clothes, more medical care, and more developmental encouragement - and a lot of the parents just aren't able to give that little bit extra that a preemie needs. So maybe I can collect some items to send home to those parents that need extra help, at the nurses discretion.

So that's the plan, stan! Nice and.... ambitious. :D

A valentines delivery - and thinking about next year.

2009-02-26T18:35:00.000-08:00

Henry went for his final developmental clinic at the hospital last week, and while I was there I delivered another chunk of donations I had received. I figured I'd give them out now instead of waiting until next fall.

These are from Kristen over at thefertileinfertile.blogspot.com/ - preemie hat heaven!!

Lots of little sizes for lots of wonderful little heads.

And here are some more wonderful preemie onesies donated by www.miraclebaby.com

And finally, another complete knitted set from my mother in law. The booty is on my finger. The set includes a tiny hat, tiny button down sweater, tiny booties, and tiny gloves.

I honestly tear up every time I hold one of these sets, they are so itty bitty and I am instantly transported to 2 years ago when Henry wore his.

So yes! The thinking has begun to be thunk about next year. I'm planning on asking for donations earlier this year, especially the handmade stuff so people have more time to get things done. So in the next few weeks I'm going to come up with a big master plan of what I want, how I plan to get it, what kind of help I need... and all of that fun stuff. :)

By the way - Henry's appointment went well. He is at the bottom range of normal on everything except gross motor, and he still scores way delayed on that... but looking at the whole picture we're sure he's fine. He is making progress, just seems to be taking is merry old time.

Everything has been delayed for him - everything except his fine motor skills but you KNOW those were going to be good because that involves eating. Nothing gets in the way of his food! But still... he's in weekly speech therapy and we've signed him up for music and dance classes to help encourage his other delays to hurry up already.

Not a day goes by that I don't consider the ramifications of his prematurity, not a day goes by that I'm not extremely grateful for him.... which keeps this nice little charity project right up there with Important Things for Me To Do. :) See you soon!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well the end has come, for this year anyway. :) Yesterday when I was preparing the bags for Sherman, and after I had called to see how many babies they had, I knew I had plenty to share with another hospital. So my large original gifts went to Sherman, and I was able to give smaller bags to Saint Joseph.

For Sherman, there were 3 bag types. 1 for the parents, 1 for the nurses, and 1 for 'extra gifts'. That is where the outfits for the 2-4 pounders were... and if I didn't have enough of one thing to put in all the bags I put them in this bag for the nurses to distribute as they saw fit. Here is a pciture of the 'extra gifts' bag.

We delivered two of these to Sherman, one for the sbcu staff and one for labor & delivery staff. I put more savory snacks in there, like chips & salsa and cheesy pretzels, since I figured they'd get a lot of sweet stuff over the holidays.

This is the bag of 'extra gifts' that went to Saint Joseph. I explained my project a bit on the front, since they had never seen me or heard from me ever before. :) While I was there doing my delivery once of the nurses said a woman had just recently delivered preemie twins, so it felt really wonderful knowing one of my gifts was already going to be given out. :)

And these are the bags of gifts for Sherman filled with candles, glass votive holders, clothing, cameras, chocolates, socks and coffee.

These are the little bags that went to Saint Joseph. And even though they are smaller, they had almost the identical loot as the bigger Sherman bags, but the blankets were smaller.

A table full of gifts.

Again. :)

After months of preparation, we actually scrambled to get out the door this morning. Of course that meant I forgot something - namely my Christmas cards I wanted to give out - but those can go in the mail and be a little late. :) But the weather here continues to be INSANE and we rushed around this morning so that the kids were back home safely before the next pummeling began. Even still, I was sloshing and slipping around like nobody's business.

And the light is red don't worry, I wouldn't take a picture whiel I was driving!!

A cold and dishevelled Henry in the elevator up to the fifth floor.

Philip guarded all of the gifts.

And then we came home to undress, re-dress into pajamas, and gorge on Christmas baking.

Thank you a MILLION times over for all of you who helped me with this project! It was worth everything, and I can't wait to start preparing for next year already! My hope is to spread the warm fuzzies even further next year, and as always there will be a ton of different ways for people to get involved if they want. :)

Rather than let this website die for the next few months, I'm also going to chronicle a few other charity projects here that I'm going to do with my boys. For instance, I am planning on growing a cutting garden this summer so that I can make bouquets. Along with my flowers, and those that I can get donated, I'm going to deliver bouquets and a visit to people in the cancer units at the hospitals who don't have flowers in their rooms. When my mom was in the hospital, every time, she was guaranteed to have several bright bouquets to keep her comforted while she wa in there. And when she died my father & I delivered several of her funeral arrangements to the hospital to sit with people who could get an even better use out of them. My mom would have been thrilled. And so I want to take this on as another personal charity cause of my own, and see where the love can take me. If all I can do is give one sick lonely person flowers and a visit, then my mom would be proud.

There are also many times throughout the year that I donate my crafts to people who need cheer for whatever reason. And who knows. Maybe if I've found enough money, time, help, consultation by this time next year my dream of starting my own 501(c)(3) charity will be realized. Who knows!! :)

For now.... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Twas the night before delivery...

2008-12-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big day! And I am up to my eyeballs in BUSY. I got an amazing package of knitted preemie hats today from England, cutest things ever! Lovely colors, different sizes... the tiniest preemie hats fitting an apple quite well. :)

Isn't that adorable and tiny??

I think I mentioned this earlier, but I had to buy new bags for the gifts to Sherman because the blankets didn't fit inside! So here are the new bags labelled with some text about the story behind the gifts along witha link to this blog.

Here are the two thank you cards i made for the nursing staffs. One for the SBCU/NICO nurses, once for maternity nurses. I also bought them big bags of food, but those pictures will be up tomorrow.

Also!!! I had enough donations to actually help another hospital! My main donation is going to Sherman hospital, but right after that I'm driving over to St. Joseph Provena hospital on the other side of town to donate 5 other bags! Their bags are smaller simply because their blankets aren't the larger knit ones, the rest of the contents is pretty much the same.

Here are the bag labels drying on my craft desk, I glitterized them all. :)

I'll have to post the text of the bags tomorrow, right now they are all in my bedroom and I've got sleeping people in there right now. Here is an image of one of the thank you cards I included myself.

And here is the card making process, complete with egg nog off to the far left.

So! Lots of pictures tomorrow and stories about the delivery. If I'm remembering this correctly, here is what everyone's outstanding generosity has put in each of these gift bags:

1 handmade blanket

Pack of handmade thank you notes

2 pairs of socks

1 onesie outfit

1 long sleeved outfit

1 bag of candy

1 bag of coffee

1 glass votive

2 tealight candles

1 Bath & Body Works soap

1 disposable camera w/video service

Also given to the nurses to distribute are hand knit sweaters, knitted caps, extra thank you notes, extra hats and socks, 10 complete outfits for the 2-4 pound babies, extra blankets, a few extra cameras, and extra candy!!

Isn't that amazing!!!!! I promise to wax philosophical when the whole deal is done. But for now, I'm off to bed.

Why I am doing this.

2008-12-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

I end up doing a lot of quiet, alone, evening-thinking this time of year - especially when my husband is travelling for work like he is tonight. It is coming up to the 2nd anniversary of my mother's death and the 2nd anniversary of Henry's traumatic entry into the world. The two events are forever linked for me, and it is my hope that eventually Henry's birthday arrives and I feel more happiness than pain. I suspect that will take a while though.

In making these gifts, I've also been remembering how I felt when I was in these other parents' positions. And over and over again the overwhelming memory and feeling I have is Failure. Those three weeks (and beyond, truthfully) were lived with an all encompassing feeling of guilt and failure.

I had failed in my only job as a pregnant woman, to keep my child healthy and see him into the world safely. My body had failed not only him, it had failed me. What millions of women find easy, my body rejected. My body failed by trying to kill me first, then Henry. I failed at having a happy birth story, particularly because my eldest son's birth story is quite different but was equally traumatic. I failed at motherhood because I could only see my infant son twice a day at best and surely he'd grow up at a disadvantage for that as well. I failed at motherhood over again because I couldn't give my 2 year old what he needed and so surely he'd grow up at a disadvantage for that. I failed at life. I failed at the world. I failed at breastfeeding, though the desperate Pssssh Psssssh of the breast pump still rings in my ears.

When you have a sick baby, every single thing in the entire world is absolutely and unbendingly WRONG. It is the most unnatural feeling in the world to lie in bed at night, your child having just been surprisingly removed from your body, and you are miles and miles and miles away. To feel like the nurses are the Real mothers, you were just a host. And a bad one at that. To feel the deflating of your soft, battered stomach and have absolutely nothing to show for it. To be going about your daily business without your infant seems so absolutely alien and wrong... it is just impossible to not feel broken into pieces.

My feelings about Henry's arrival are far from numbed, and far from happy. He is now (as the pictures indicate) a gorgeous, happy, healthy, talking, running, bounding, joyous, funny, delectible, chubby, adjusted, NORMAL little boy. And yet here I am crying as I type this because the pain of his time in the hospital is still very fresh. Forever tied to the pain of my mother dying exactly 2 weeks prior to his arrival, and feeling like an abandoned kitten, having no idea how to deal with this tiny baby and my failing body, and having no mother to talk to about it. And even though my sense tells me otherwise and my brain knows better, part of me - that irrational heartstrong mommy part of me - will always feel a sense of failure and guilt when thinking about Henry's birth.

And that is why this project exists. I watched my mother die an agonizing death. I watched her suffer through cancer for 7 years, and in the end I watched her practically melt before my eyes. And yet through it all she held an optimism that everyone found shocking. No amount of pain could stop her from being her best self, her best mother, her best wife. And as long as she had anything to do with it, nothing was going to stop her from making people laugh, taking care of her friends, and showing her unrelenting compassion.

Lesson learned, mom. Seeking comfort in your own situation by bringing light to others going through the same thing. Saying yes, life DOES suck and it IS unfair, so what are we going to do to make it better? Offering hope to people who are easily lost in the dark. Knowing that the smallest acts of kindness are often the ones with the longest effects, and often the ones that prompt even more giving. And so yes I am doing this project for Henry, my shockingly perfect nearly 2 year old... but I am also doing it for my mom. Both of them amazing people. Both of them worth honoring.

Less than a week to go, many more goodies!

2008-12-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

I've had another couple of awesome deliveries! I now have very close to everything I need for these bags. To start off, I received more knitted preemie hats, booties, gloves, and a sweater made by my amazing mother in law. This is what her amazing skills did for Henry when he was off for his first doctor appointment after coming home. This is the preemie size, and he's almost 4 weeks old in thie picture.

Here is what she sent for the Christmas bags:

Absolutely AMAZING. And holding them makes me think very much of when my tubby nearly 2 year old was tiny and fragile and new and skinny.

Secondly, I received my package from www.preemiesrus.com. With donations I was able to buy 10 of these outfits called Sweet Ts. These outfits are geared towards the 2-4 pound baby who won't be out of the hospital any time soon. The parents will still be receiving 2 preemie outfits that the baby will fit into when they are ready to go home, but it didn't seem fair that the super tiny babies didn't get their own clothes while spending time in their incubators.

I have 10 of these sets in non-holiday gender neutral colors, that way they can be used after the holiday season as needed.

Next, I was able to buy the mini bags of yummy coffees.

And I've received several more card packs from the wonderful people over at www.etsygreetings.blogspot.com.

Then, my friend Gwen came deliering her crocheted blankets in person, along with some thank you cards and a plate of cookies for my family! The cappucino ones were my favorites. :D

There are 6 of these amazing blankets, all of them different, and all of them very cuddly indeed.

She also added these very sweet little tags to each blanket.

I also have 2 extra fleece blankets to deliver, I love this green polka dotty print.

More recent additions are these glass tealight candle holders, each will have 3 yummy gorgeous smelling tealights included with it.

And finally, I had to go out and buy 15 new MUCH bigger bags to hold all of the donations!! There are 15 blue bags that I'll decorate, and the 2 white bags are to be filled with yummy foods for the nurses in the NICU/SBCU and also for the nurses in the maternity ward.

And for my final picture for now, this is what everything looks like together piled up on the blanket chest in my bedroom. :)

The time is getting near! I need to package the cards and put notes on the front about who made them. I need to make my own cards, 15 of them or maybe 30 if I feel a crazy burst of unexpected energy. I need to make tags to put on the bags that say what is inside and where the gift is coming from. I need to make my cards for the nursing staffs. Philip needs to draw his pictures for the nurses. I need to do all the packing. I need to finish doing the grocery shop for the nurses, though that is almost done.

That is all for now!!

HUGE awesome in the mail!

2008-12-11T18:05:00.001-08:00

In the last few days I've been floored by generosity. By how my little idea of helping these parents has sparked so many other people into giving and caring. I know life really sucks sometimes, and everyone has times in their lives that feel monumentally overwhelming and just not worth it... but this project really does prove something that I've known all along. People are GOOD. People are WONDERFUL. And life is completely awesome, just sometimes you have to go looking for it.

And I've been pelted with awesome lately! A few days ago I had the best mail day ever. Julie from www.alittlepregnant.com sent her donations, as did Donna from www.mymiraclebaby.com. The day before that I received the wonderful package from www.fodeo.com. And I've collected my donation money and am using it to purchase more clothes at a deep discount from www.preemiesrus.com. And I got new thank you cards from www.nypapercrafter.etsy.com as well! HOORAY! More on the clothes and cards after the photos.

Julie from www.alittlepregnant.com went overboard on awesome. Seriously. These 8 handmade blankets are completely huggable and outrageously soft. I'm a big believer in the power of hand made. About how love and affection is literally made solid when you give someone something you have created. And these blankets are precious.

(I wrote a little bit about why Handmade Matters a while ago at my craft blog, here: http://coffeebeancards.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-exploding-box-and-why-it-means-so.html)

Here are the 8 blankets folded neatly.

I LOVE the monkey + banana one.

But I think this bright doggy combo is my favorite.

Along with the super fuzzy blankets she sent some winter preemie sleepers.

And here is some of the precious donated items from www.mymiraclebaby.com. So cute! She sent along 14 onesies plus 4 long sleeved gowns. I now have enough clothes to put TWO outfits in each bag! A chort sleeved onesie and a long sleeved ensemble. Isn't that amazing??

Here is everything put together:

And on top of Julie's gifts it makes one big happy bundle of mail received in an afternoon!

Here is what the www.fodeo.com gift looked like when it arrived. These are the tubes that contain a disposable camera. Once the photos are taken (by the nurses in the parents' absence or by the parents themselves) it gets popped back into the postage paid tube, dropped in a mail box, and in a few weeks they get a well crafted musical DVD montage of their photos!

All of that totally went over Henry's head though, and he just thought it was a drink.

Nevertheless it made him quite happy!

NEXT, with my final financial donations, I am going to be buying several of these:

http://www.preemiesrus.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=122_125_140

These are called Sweet T's. They are designed for the smaller babies, those around 2-4 pounds, those who won't have the blessing of a going home outfit for a very long time. Many babies spend months on end in the hospital before being able to come home and those little precious kiddos need clothes too. So these Sweet T's are adjustable, the fold up through the legs and fasten at the sides, they have loads of space for all the tubs and monitors and patches that are attached to these little babies.

I will be donating these Sweet T's directly to the nursing staff. When they hand out one of our gifts to a baby who is only 2, 3, or 4 pounds big they will be able to add an additional outfit to their bag. The parents can keep the "lerger" preemie outfit designed for a 5 pound baby, but in the meantime they can keep their ultra tiny baby in a sweet new outfit while still in ths hospital.

And last but not least, I received a LOVELY parcel of thank you cards from Debbie over at www.nypapercrafter.etsy.com! Thank you so much Debbie, you'll see photos of your cards in the next round. :D

And so! That was a pretty big post, but a lot is going on. Before I go, I've decided not to return the anti-bacterial soaps in exchange for the hand sanitizers. The truth is that several parents who were there for Thanksgiving will still be in the hospital for Christmas, and for those few families who are there for both holidays I'd like to make sure they are receiving different items. So Sanitizers for Thanksgiving, Soaps for Christmas!

I'm off for now, more very soon I promise. And thank you to Everyone who has helped!

A nurse's thanks

2008-12-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

This is one of the nurses who cared for Henry while he was in the hospital, she's helping to untangle all of his tubes in this picture so David can have a cuddle. David wasn't able to see his son every day, so these rare cuddles were precious.

I ran into that nurse today while taking my eldest son to school, and of course I had Henry with me. She stopped me to thank me for the presents I had delivered on Thanskgiving. She was on the verge of tears when she was thanking me for my Thank You card, telling me how wonderful it is to hand out presents to the parents there, how much those parents appreciated that someone out there was thinking about them at such a hard time in their lives. She was just so thankful!! :)

And I of course can only take credit for the idea and the leg work, I've had so many people helping me. She was thrilled to hear about what http://www.fodeo.com/ is doing, with their donation of disposable cameras and an accompanying video service to make a beautiful DVD montage of those pictures. Much like David, many people aren't able to see their tiny fragile babies much while they are in the hospital, some of them live too far away. Some of them can't take that much time off work, especially for those who have babies in the hospital for months and months on end. Some have other children at home and can't split their lives enough or maky enough clones to be in two places at once. So the nurses will be able to take photographs in the absence of the parents, the parents will be bale to make a free DVD from those pictures, and they will have an emotional, beautiful momento from an important time in their babies lives they might have missed.

And so I am *SO* looking forward to delivering these with my husband and my two little boys. I am crossing my fingers and toes that I can get enough donations to help fill the rest of the bags up, but now matter what I know these parents will be happy. And that's the whole point. :)

If you didn't see it in the first post, this is what I wrote in their thank you note:

Christmas donations well under way...

2008-12-04T14:24:00.000-08:00

Big Update! I am still expecting things in the mail, but this is a look at what I have so far.

Here is a closer look at the 8 preemie outfits donated by http://www.sootherstore.com/. These are sweet little unisex white outfits with built in mittens and matching hats, they are Perfect for these bags!

And here is a shot of all the things I have so far.

15 bottles of Bath & Body Works Antibacterial Soap*

15 bags of Hershey kisses tied up in bows
15 pairs of preemie socks (discounted thanks to http://www.preemiesrus.com/)

8 gift bags
8 outfits (donated by http://www.sootherstore.com/)

8 Thank you cards (the ones in the picture are from http://www.cardsbyemily.etsy.com/)

Tissue Paper

I am still expecting several things in the mail, including a couple of outfits, some hand knit preemie hats, and the disposable camera & DVD service sets from http://www.fodeo.com/. So that means my new WANTED list looks like this:

At least 5 preemie outfits**
7 more gift bags
At least 70 more Thank You cards

15 mini bags of coffee

15 mini boxes of chocolates

15 mini tealight holders

15 mini candles

So! There is still a ton of things I'd like to get for these Christmas bags! I'll be getting what I can, making what I can, and hopefully a few more people step up to help out a bit for this special holiday project. :) Spread the word!

(( For more ideas of how to help, go here: http://flyingnunns.blogspot.com/2008/11/preemie-project-round-1-not-too-late-to.html ))

* I thought I ordered the hand gel, but didn't. My local store doesn't have enough hand gel in stock to trade these in for me, so I'm trying all the other local B&BW and hope to get these all switched out for hand sanitizing gels soon.

** If donations are received quickly enough, I can use money to get clothing discounted through http://www.preemiesrus.com/, so those looking to help towards the clothing costs can save money by doing it this way.

More thank yous...

2008-11-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

Here are the card companies that helped me make Thank You cards to include in the gift packs for Thanksgiving. Check them out! I need loads more cards for Christmas, so if you make Thank You cards please email me to participate! -----> sara.nunn@gmail.com

cardsbyirene.etsy.com

CardsByEmily.etsy.com

cardwear.etsy.com

LeasLetters.etsy.com

cardsbyjenna.etsy.com

blueleaves.etsy.com

tinybirdarts.etsy.com

coffeebeancards.etsy.com <---- me!

First big donations for Christmas

2008-11-29T12:10:00.001-08:00

And now on to Christmas!! :)

I should be getting mail here in the next few days with some extra items, like a few more outfits and some hand knit caps, but for now this is what I've received for the Christmas bags:

1. 8 donated preemie layettes from www.sootherstore.com. These little white outfits are perfect! unisex, built-in mittens, and a little matching cap.

2. 30 donated packages from www.fodeo.net. Valarie at Fodeo has donated 30 disposable cameras to give to the parents in the hospital. it is a luxury for parents to be able to spend time with their babies in the hospital, I was only able to see Henry about 2 hours a day and we even lived close by. So these cameras will be able to be used by the parents AND nurses. The best part though?! Is the service donated with it! Fodeo is a service that will make a fully edited custom video montage of the pictures!! This donation is SO AMAZING! Go have a look at the website to see what I'm talking about.

3. 16 bottles of full sized hand sanitizers from Bath & Body Works. I took advantage of some really amazing post-Thanksgiving sale flyer I got via email, and was able to purchase $117 worth of stuff for $48! So I used donated money to purchase thsoe right away.

I still need many things, like hats, blankets, clothes, candy, coffee, and a few extra bags - but I'll chat about that in a few days after I get the last of the mail I'm expecting. :)

Today's Delivery - Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-25T17:28:00.000-08:00

Today was the day! The gifts I made with personal and donated items were delivered by hand by Henry, Philip, Catherine & I. Catherine (my friend!) took the palce of my husband, he'll come with me for the Christmas delivery. We spent about an hour in the SBCU (Special Baby Care Unit) chatting with the nurses, looking at babies, showing Henry off, and Philip even got to hand deliver 3 of the bags to mommies who were there with their tiny new babies.

Below are some photos, make sure you click at the bottom to get to all 3 pages of photographs. Next time (at Christmas) I will take pictures of us actually *in* the hospital, which I got too distracted to do today!

I need to pack for our Thanksgiving holiday, which begins tomorrow. When I return I'll post about the next steps, and what we need to do for the Christmas deliveries!! It is going to be good, but I still need TONS of help!

Contents of each bag:
1 bag of coffee
1 chocolate box
1 full sized hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works
1 hand knitted preemie hat
2 pairs preemie socks
1 hand tied bag of hershey kisses
1 envelope of 5-6 handmade thank you cards from Etsy members

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

And thank you to everyone who helped SO MUCH with these gifts! When I get back from my vacation I'll be sure to include links here to all of you contributors who have shops or blogs! But for now... I SERIOUSLY need to get ready for our trip!! :)

Thank You to the nurses

2008-11-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

"For every holiday you've spent in the hospital, for every hour of sleep you've missed, for every life you've saved, for every loss you've felt, for every parent you've helped, for every kiss you've given, for every life you've touched, for every hope you've given, and for everyone else who has forgotten to say it or didn't know how.... THANK YOU."

That is what I wrote inside the Thank You note given to the nurses at the NICU/SBCU at our hospital, the nurses who kept Henry alive almost two years ago. Today I am making my first gift deliveries. Gifts to go to the parents who have preemies in the hospital over Thanksgiving. Parents who want more than anything to be thanksful and happy and showing their baby off to the world, but instead are caught worrying and torn between life inside the hospital and the life going on outside those walls.

This website is going to chronicle this gift giving progress, mainly so I stop congesting my family picture site with it. My once-small project has grown into a much bigger one this year, and my hope is that it does nothing BUT grow and that I can help more and more parents each holiday season, and bring a little smile to that many more people who are so hungry for one.