Day Eight of 30 Days of Project Sweet Peas Giveaway ( Plus a little something extra)

Before I start Day Eight of 30 Days of Project Sweet Peas I have to share a poem that my husband wrote:

At the time of the tulips

By William Skaggs III

At the time of the tulips

and at the time of spring,

the grief of a parent has been lifted just so high.

Just high enough for the grieving parent to lay in the warmth of an upcoming summer day.

The fog was thick, not letting in light,

no plants to grow.

Then out of the blue with time on his side his mood had changed

washing the fog away.

The grief of a parent for their child will rumble like the unsettling weather of the spring storms, but with each passing day the storms seem to be manageable and not as fierce as before.

The grief will always last but the love and memories will always outlast all.

As I have written about so many times before, one of the things that I do to remember and honor my son is donate care packages to families that have a baby in the NICU. I am able to do this through the help and support of Project Sweet Peas, which is a group of families just like mine, who have been in the NICU and know how hard it is. There are twelve local project spread out across the country that deliver these care packages. I am honored to be a part of this organization. And we need your help!!!

We have applied for a grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project, and have been selected as a finalist to win a $25,000 grant!! So here is how you can help us: vote once a day, every day for Project Sweet Peas to win. We need to be in the top ten at the end of the month to win. And to entice you to help us out and vote every day, I am doing a 30 Days of Project Sweet Peas giveaway! Everyday in the month of April I will be writing about the amazing things going on in Project Sweet Peas. And if you leave a comment that you voted each day, I will randomly pick one of these comments to win an Awareness Braceletof your choice! I make awareness bracelets of all colors, and I have a Pregnancy and Infant Loss Charm Bracelet featured right now. 

**Please note that you must leave a comment each day to qualify for the giveaway for that day. **

Welcome to Day Eight of 30 Days of Project Sweet Peas! We are still holding strong at Number Seventeen, and we still really need your votes so we can move up to number Sixteen and beyond! Please don't forget to vote so that you may help us out! Drake's Doodlebugs donates care packages to Ochsner Medical Center and Saint Tammany Hospital in Louisiana. For more information on Drake's Doodlebugs, please email Christy at christy@projectsweetpeas.com This is Drake's Story . . . 

Burt and Christy Michel were having trouble getting pregnant. After an appointment with the fertility specialist they found out that they had to start fertility medicine. After an ectopic pregnancy ,a miscarriage and many failed attempts, they found out they were expecting with an EDD of March 3 2008. At their 20 week ultrasound, they found out they were expecting a boy !! They also found out that he had a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. It is a birth defect that occurs when the diaphragm does not fully form, allowing organs to enter the chest cavity preventing lung growth. CDH strikes 1 in every 2500 babies, no matter the race, religious background, or financial status .No matter how well the prenatal care! 

  Drake Alexander Michel was born on February 18, 2008. After 6 major surgeries ,and 7 weeks in the NICU, He passed away in his mommy's arms on April 6, 2008. No mother should ever get to hold her baby for the first time and have to say goodbye at the same time.

  Drakes Doodlebugs is a local project started to give a little comfort to families of babies in the NICU. Having someone show that you are not alone through this stressful time is priceless.