2009 Round Up & News

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!

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

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

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!!

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!

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.

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.