March of Dimes fundraiser

Hi everyone,

One of the things I am doing to raise money for the March For Babies Walk this year is to donate all the proceeds from one of my etsy products to March of Dimes. I am making cute hair clip sets and calling the MOD CLIPS (March of Dimes=MOD). There are many color combinations to choose from. Won't you come check them out? Click on my etsy link in the side bar.

I have a few Valentine's Day sets but time is running out to grab them up. I will send them out same or next day so that you can have them in time. While you're there, see if something else suits your fancy!

The babies thank you!

XOXO

March for Babies 2011

Hi everyone

It's me, McKenna

I've come to hijack my Grandma's blog again!

I hope you had a great Christmas, and that the New Year is off to a great start!

It's that time of year ... My grandma has just finished working on her personal page for "Team McKenna Faith" (that's me, dazzling you with my cuteness) for the March of Dimes walk coming up on May 1st.

My mommy did the March of Dimes walk for a few years before she even thought of having a baby. She didn't have any idea at the time that she and Daddy would plan to start their family, and that I would be one of the babies born prematurely. I was one of the babies that she was walking for and didn't even know it.

Since then, the March of Dimes has become even more important to Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa, and our whole entire family and circle of friends. That's why last year there were about 40 people on Team McKenna Faith who walked during a rainy weekend in April and raised more than $6,000.00 for the March of Dimes. This amount was the 5th highest fundraising effort for the whole Metro Detroit area, and we were 11th for the entire state of Michigan! YAY TEAM! But we are setting our sights even higher this year. We want to raise $10,000.00 for this very worthy cause.

You know, when I think back to my time in the hospital, I realize how lucky I am. Some of those babies in the NICU with me were not doing as well as I was. I wish every one of them could be as strong and healthy as I am now. I wish all of us could have stayed in our mommy's wombs a little longer so we could grow inside and not in the NICU. It was not a fun place to be for any of us, but those wonderful angels (nurses and doctors) helped me get bigger and stronger so I could go home to be with my mommy and daddy.

Look at me now! I have not been sick one single time in my whole life! Yee haw!

My mommy and daddy, and all the adults in our huge family are trying to get an even bigger team of local friends and family to walk with us. I will be in my stroller, which will be all decorated with balloons and signs. It's going to be a fun walk. Better than last year.... more people, more money raised (and please, MORE SUN NO RAIN!) But even if it rains again, we will march on for the cause.

I know you can't come walk with us, but please consider a donation for our team, for a very worthy cause, in honor and celebration of ME! Just click on the banner below for my grandma's donation page. Easy-peasy!

Thanks a bunch!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO,
McKenna

(my grandma, the Bloomin' Knitiot, thanks you too!) Mwah!

Just a little reminder of what I looked like when I was born. I weighed only 2 lb. 5 oz. Babies this small (and even way smaller) are born every day and they need our help!

Day 2, going strong!

I decided yesterday that I would do an extra "photo a day" project this year. In addition to my regular Project 365 photo, I'm going to try really hard to take a photo at the time of day that is the same as the date of the day. I came up with this idea while in the shower yesterday and when I came downstairs it was exactly 1:01 and I had to grab my camera and just shoot a picture of something nearby before it turned 1:02! Here's the photo I got. It's a small example of the new colors in the family room.

Here is today's Project 365 photo:

Love what you do! Not only that, Do what you love!!!

I have this plaque sitting next to the ceramic Christmas tree my dear Grandma made for me so many years ago. It hasn't gotten put away yet. The colored lights on the tree are reflecting here and there on the shiny paint on the plaque.

And I was in the middle of making these at 1:02 this afternoon so snapped a shot of the pile:

These orifice hooks are listed in my etsy shop if you're interested in purchasing one of them.

I didn't take this picture, but it is so cute I had to share it. This is McKenna at a NYE party she went to with her mommy and daddy. She looks so grown up in this picture. I can't believe she's 17 months old already! What a cutie-patootie!

Happy New Year!

So, we're off to a new start. What will this year bring?

I've decided to join a few friends (and thousands of other people I don't know) in doing Project 365, (<<-- flickr group link) which is basically a "photo a day" project. (Another site to check out: Project 365: How to take a photo a day and see your life in whole new way)

I'm not going to follow any particular theme, other than to try to capture a special moment or something that depicts what that day was all about. Some people do a self-portrait every day. Ahem. No. That will not be me.

I am hoping to become much more familiar with my camera (about time, since I've had it 2 years, and have mostly used the "auto" mode. What a waste of features!) and learn to take better photos. Hopefully when the year is over I can look back and see that this has turned out to be true! Join in, won't you?

Here is 1/365. Our weather has gone from mid 20s for about a month to several days of mid 40s into the low 50s. The snow has melted, and we've had several days of rain. Nature has washed away the old year and freshened things up for 2011. Now, a nice layer of pristine snow would be nice. I'm not a fan of the gray/brown bleakness of winter when there is no snow to make things pretty.

Happy, healthy, wonderful new year to all of you!

Where DOES the time go?

Just popping in with a little note to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Things are in full swing around here, throwing in Kim's birthday today for good measure. McKenna should be so much fun this year when she gets to open her presents (and probably play with the paper and boxes more than the toys themselves, as all kids tend to do) We are SO looking forward to seeing Christmas through the eyes of a toddler once again.

Here's our little McKenna the Red-Nosed Reindeer, getting ready for the festivities.

Holiday reading material:

Sweet girl dressed in her Christmas finery:

To all of you who stop by to check in on my corner of the world, I wish you a safe, joyous, wonderful Christmas. May the new year find you healthy and happy and bring you pleasant surprises.

On Christmas morning, pretend YOU are the toddler and see the day through new eyes.

HO HO HO!

Leaving on a jet plane

I'm off tomorrow morning for a long weekend in Omaha for a knitting retreat. My dear sister and I have not seen each other in WAY too long and so I am so happy to meeting up with her (and Becky, a non-knitter) to do this. I wish it was going to be a longer visit, but we will be together, doing something we both love to do. Knit, and hang out with other knitters!

The setting is going to be lovely. We'll be at the Mahoney State Park in Omaha. The link is to a quick youtube video of the park's features. There is a huge lodge where the retreat will be, but we have a private cabin so we can catch up on our sister time in private when we want to. There is so much to do at this park. I am hoping to convince Mike to make a trip out there next summer to camp, and have Diane and Becky come too!

Coming with me on my long weekend is my new Kindle, which is an early birthday present. I treated myself to a really cute skin (from DecalGirl) and sleeve with some amazon gift certificates I had gotten with bank rewards. I'm looking forward to getting acquainted with it on my flights tomorrow, and then waiting for Diane and Becky to get off work and drive to Omaha to retrieve me from the airport about 3 hours after I arrive. I don't mind the wait though... I'll have my Kindle, my iPod Touch, and my knitting. Isn't she cute?

And speaking of cuteness.... McKenna has gotten her third tooth and started walking in the past few weeks. Oh my goodness, she is really so much fun these days. Learning words, the fun way she plays with her toys. Here is a picture of her and her friend the llama at the petting farm on Sunday.

In the blink of an eye

Tomorrow is McKenna's birthday. I can't believe it. A year ago we were getting ready for her very early arrival. It was stressful, worrisome, yet exciting, all rolled into one. We were worried about McKenna, but also about Kim, who was having a rough time due to severe pre-eclampsia and also HELLP syndrome. The 45 days that followed were also filled with many emotions while McKenna grew stronger in the NICU. But once she came home, things were better and better all the time.

McKenna is doing GREAT! She is still small for her age (wearing mostly 6 month sized clothes right now, though she can still fit in some 3 month size!) but has packed on some weight the last month or so and now has chubby thighs and a buddha tummy. She is catching up on more milestones and is only slightly behind on a few things.

We will have a small celebration for her tomorrow. We'll start out at the zoo, weather permitting, and later we'll have cake and ice cream with just Kim and Drew, Mike and I, Drew's Mom, Kaitlyn and Jake, and my mom and dad. Her big party will be in a few weeks. That will be quite the celebration of how far she's come over the past year.

Which brings me to the time warp thing that has happened. It just doesn't register in my mind that a year has gone by already. We certainly have enjoyed watching her grow and all the fun things she is doing now. I wish it didn't go by so fast. We have to remind ourselves to enjoy each and every moment of every single day.

She's gone from this little peanut

to this grown up girl who takes pix

and plays peekaboo

Happy Happy First Birthday, sweet McKenna! Grandma loves you SOOOOOO MUCH! Mwah!

We're going to play this song a few times today... one of my favorites from Raffi, and it's perfect for today!

Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Look at all the monkeys swingin' in the trees
Swingin' in the trees, swingin' in the trees
Look at all the monkeys swingin' in the trees
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Look at all the crocodiles swimmin' in the water
Swimmin' in the water, swimmin' in the water
Look at all the crocodiles swimmin' in the water
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Yes, Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
Mommy's takin' us to the zoo tomorrow
We can stay all day

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Hi everyone! I've got my accessories picked out, now I just need a cute outfit. Anyway, I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend!

Thank you!

McKenna won the Model Search for her age group! If you voted for her, thank you very much! It was a close race during the last 90 minutes of voting. She fell behind for a short while, but we all rallied and pulled her back to the top! Kim is so excited! I'll post pix here of McKenna in her custom-designed Halloween costume when she gets it, and point you to the website where her pix will be featured modeling the costume. Thanks again!

A few moments of your time please?

I'm going to hijack my blog for some shameless begging.

McKenna is in a Model Search for the Three Little Princesses company. She is just a few votes away from first place in her age group at this time, and voting ends tomorrow (Monday June 28) at 7 pm.

I am going to ask for anyone who has a Facebook account to go to the Three Little Princesses Facebook page. The first thing you have to do is click the "LIKE" button at the top of their page, and then click on "LIKE" on McKenna's photo in the 0-18 Months Album.

The prize is a custom made outfit from Three Little Princesses, and photos of her wearing it featured on their website. Please help us put McKenna in the spotlight. Thank you so much! It just takes a few seconds to vote!

Can you even believe that her first birthday is just over a month away? How far she has come from the day she was born...

March For Babies

It's finally here, the Weekend of Walking! Please consider a donation (large or small, every dollar helps the babies!) in honor and celebration of McKenna, born 10 weeks early at 2 lb. 5 oz. You can donate by clicking on the banner below. There is more information in the post below.

With many thanks to all of my readers, and a huge thank you to all donations to Team McKenna Faith. We are closing in on $6,000 for our team, and hope to surpass it by day's end. Can you help?

They are still forecasting rain for both days (BOO! HISS!) but we are still planning on having a powerful (and I'm sure emotional) experience. Here's hoping for a miracle that keeps the rain away! (Many families of premature babies have experienced miracles already... let's help many more with our donations)

Hugs,
Trish

(update: I will walk part of the time and be pushed in a wheel chair when I've had enough... thankfully physical therapy over the past month has done wonders for my sciatica and I am feeling 97% better! I don't want to overdo it and have a relapse. That would not be good)

Another message from McKenna

Hi everyone, it's me again. I asked Grandma to put up another post on her blog to remind everyone that we could still use a some help if you are able.... Please help us help the little babies! The March of Dimes March for Babies walk is coming up in 2 weeks. Grandma is very sad that she is not going to be able to walk for the babies, because of that dumb sciatica stuff... it makes her leg hurt a LOT when she is on her feet for very long at all. It would make her feel a little better though, if she could get a few more donations for the M.O.D.

To remind you, my mommy, Kim, has done the March of Dimes walk the last few years. She had no way of knowing then that I, her very own baby, would be one of the babies born prematurely... one of the babies that she was walking for and didn't even realize it.

As you can imagine, the March of Dimes has now become even more important to Mommy and Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa, and our whole entire family and circle of friends. My mommy has gathered a big team of family and friends to raise money and walk in the March for Babies. I will be in my stroller, which will be all decorated with balloons and signs. It's going to be a fun weekend (we will walk two different events in one weekend in 2 different locations) It's a lot of walking, but it will be great! Don'tcha think?

anyway.... since we all went through the experience of me being born before I was done cookin' in the oven, we definitely want to help prevent other families from going through the turmoil and emotional struggle that premature birth can cause, as well as the added financial burden, possible birth defects, etc. (Grandma put those words in... my vocabulary is not quite THAT good yet!)

Some of those babies in the NICU with me were not doing as well as I was. I wish every one of them could be as strong and healthy as I am now. I wish all of us could have stayed in our mommy's wombs a little longer so we could grow inside and not in the NICU. It was not a fun place to be for any of us, but those wonderful angels (nurses and doctors) helped me get bigger and stronger so I could go home to be with my mommy and daddy.

We have already had a team fundraiser, and everyone on the team has been working very hard on their own to raise as much money as possible for the preemies. Our team has raised well over $4,000.00 so far and I am not shy about asking for more! We only have 2 weeks left to get more donations and we are hoping to make that number grow even bigger! (for the babies! for the babies!)

I know you can't come walk with us, but please consider a donation for our team, for a very worthy cause, in honor and celebration of ME! Just click on the banner below. Easy-peasy!

Every donation, big or small, is appreciated SO much and I will be so happy that you helped us help the babies!
Thanks a bunch!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO,
McKenna
(my grandma, the Bloomin' Knitiot, thanks you too!) Mwah!

PS... just a little reminder....

this is me on the day I was born. I only weighed 2 lbs. 5 oz.

and me now, at 8 months, about 12 pounds, and doing great!