Another Busy Week . . . and We're in the News!

Well first off, before I start anything about what we have been doing, I gotta post a link to the Toepka Capital Journal, who came and interviewed us about MJ's Memories. We made the front page!!



http://cjonline.com/news/local/2009-11-15/project_keeps_babys_memory_alive



Also, as of 10 am on Monday morning (the day the paper came out), I have received three emails from people who would like to donate things! How amazing is that!



So anyway, on Thursday of last week, after I posted last, Willie called me and said that he had an opportunity for us to get into an Arts and Craft Show on Saturday. As much as lounging around all day sounded appealing, we decided to go ahead and do it. It only cost us $25 to get in, so we only had to sell 5 bracelets to at least make our money back. It was a very small show, so we decided that our goal was to sell 10 bracelets. It would also give us an opportunity to prepare ourselves for December 5, when we go to the big art show in Kansas City. The show was from 9 am to 4 pm, and we brought Will along to help us sell. And he really did! We ended up selling 14 bracelets, and we have an order for 10 more! It was really funny because when Will was awake, we sold more bracelets then we he slept. Guess on December 5 he won't be sleeping at all! (Yeah right, then he'll be grumpy and screaming).



Anyway after our amazingly successfull day on Saturday, we were spent! But my parents were in town and we had been planning all week to make baby eye masks, or baby bling, as my friend Chanda calls them. Chanda lost her daughter, Ireland Rose, to CDH the same day that I lost MJ. Chanda makes them beautifully, I don't know if mine are as good as hers, but yesterday was my first time on the sowing machine since high school! Here is a link the her blog:



http://mybabysbling.blogspot.com/



So anyway, last week when my sisters were in, we picked out some fabric, and yesterday, with my mom, we got down to it! We had a great assembly line going, My mom traced the pattern, Willie cut them out, I sowed them and turned them inside out (to hide the seam), Wille trimed the edges, my mom ironed and finishe sowing the hole by hand. Willie has decided he is our project manager, which I am very glad! He is super organzied, which I am not, and he has it down to a great system. Here is a picture of our bags to the left.










So far here are the things we have completed and/or ready for our first 50 bags:



Eye masks

Decks of Cards

Baby Girl Bows

Handpring/footprint Kits



Slowly we are starting to get some donations in as well. Jen, from my group on babyfit.com sent us a huge box of donations, along with 10 handprint/footprint kits! If you are reading this, thanks again Jen! Her daugther was in the NICU for a few weeks due to being premature and Jen had preeclampsyia, which I had as well, but not nearly as bad as she did.



Things are really progressing well for us, I am so excited about the next few weeks! Next week we go to Nevada for Thanksgiving and to see Willie's side of our family. (We can't wait to see them). Shannon, my sister-in-law has organized a CDH Awareness Benefit the day after Thanksgiving, which I am super excited about! We are also going to be able to meet another CDH family that lost their son to CDH in March of this year. We met on facebook, so it is so amazing to be able to meet them. Then comes Christmas with my family, and my mom has organized a MJ's Memories benefit December 27, which we are also very excited for. All in all, as hard as the last few months have been, I feel like I am able to do something for MJ, even though he is gone. The song Second Chance, by Shindown reminds me so much of MJ. Here are the lyrics:



My eyes are open wide,

by the way

I made it through the day.

I watch the world outside,

by the way

I'm leaving out today.

I just saw Hailey's Comet she waved

Said, "why are you always running in place?

Even the man in the moon disappeared

somewhere in the stratosphere."



Tell my mother, tell my father

I've done the best I can

To make them realize this is my life

I hope they understand.I

'm not angry, I'm just saying

Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.



Please don't cry one tear for me

I'm not afraid of what I have to say.

This is my one and only voice

so listen close, it's only for today.



I just saw Hailey's Comet she waved,

Said, "why are you always running in place?

Even the man in the moon disappeared

somewhere in the stratosphere."



Tell my mother, tell my father

I've done the best I can

To make them realize this is my life

I hope they understand.

I'm not angry, I'm just saying

Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.

Here is my chance

This is my chance!



Tell my mother, tell my father

I've done the best I can

To make them realize this is my life

I hope they understand.

I'm not angry, I'm just saying

Sometimes goodbye is a second chance,

Sometimes goodbye is a second chance,

Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.





Maybe MJ's second chance is up in Heaven, welcoming all the CDH babies, and our second chance to help all the families we can here on Earth, until we can meet again. Maybe . . .