Thanks and An Update

Hey everyone! Hope you are having a happy Monday! It's rainy and dreary here in Houston but I'm loving it {and so is my grass!!} because it feels so nice outside and we SOOO needed the rain!!!

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you so much for all you kind words about my surprise. It means so much coming from all of you. Being pregnant after a loss is a struggle and it helps to have people who care and understand in your corner. Every comment, message, text, and e-mail you sent this weekend really just meant the world to me so thank you!! I appreciate every loving word and heartfelt prayer :)

I did get a few questions and I'll try to answer as much as I can here. LJ made me realize that I didn't post how far along I am in the pregnancy {thanks lady!} so the answer to that is I'm 6 months pregnant. Yes- I've kept quiet for that long :) We do know we're having a little boy {yay!!} and I'm still keeping everyone in suspense about his name- so sorry! We're expecting to meet our little rainbow in December which can't come fast enough for me!! We do have an amazing medical team working with us to get this little one here safely and a great monitoring/delivery plan in place for the remainder of the pregnancy.

I hope this helps with some of the questions. I know I didn't get to them all but I do talk about everything in detail on my private blog. I plan to make it public at some point but it will probably be after the baby is born. I still need a space that I can use to talk about everything that only those who understand my situation and who have been there supporting me have access to view.

Again if you'd like to follow me on this pregnancy journey please send an e-mail here or you can leave your e-mail address in the comments and I'll send you an invite. I have to warn you that Blogger is really weird about private blogs so once I send the invitation it's only good for a certain amount of time and after you access the blog the first time the link won't work again. In order to be able to come back again to view the blog you have to follow the bog/join the site. If anyone has any better advice on how to follow private blogs with Blogger please feel free to leave a comment! It drives me crazy how difficult they make it!

Finally I want to tell you that I put the Linky back for the Happy List Saturdays blog hop! So sorry that I accidentally took it out when I updated my post on Saturday!!! Since I messed it up AND since it's been awhile since we did a Happy List I've decided to leave it open until next Monday (9/26/11) to give everyone time to join in and share their lists. I hope you all will take a moment to share what brings joy to your life despite everything we've been through. I would love to see YOUR list!!!

Sending much love to you all!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Quick Post

Hey everyone!  *Waving hi*  I just have to say thank you so much for all your sweet words on my post the other day.  I was really struggling that day and as always you guys lifted me up with your love and care.  So thank you again......you all mean the world to me! Thank goodness I'm doing a little better today :) I know my little Aiden is staying close to me as well.

I wanted to post really quickly in between my meetings about my surprise with Tiffany that I mentioned the other day! In case you haven't heard the big news-------Tiffany is joining me as the second Online Community Organizer for Faces of Loss, Faces of Hope! That's right people! You get two of us for the price of one! HA! I am soooooooooooo excited about this!!! I asked Kristin if I could have someone help me with the online projects for you guys and not only did she say yes BUT she also let me have someone I admire and love to fill the spot- my Tiffany!

So we are partners in crime now- T & T! LOL!!! Tiffany and I have so many good things in store for the online BLM community and we can't wait to share it with you all! If you have anything special you want to see us do for you please shoot an e-mail to me at Natasha@facesofloss.com.

Stay tuned for our next online community event.........you are gonna LOVE it!!!!!!

A Few Thank Yous

Hey everyone!  First I have to say thank you so much to everyone who has thought of me and sent well wishes my way!  I am definitely starting to feel better after several trips to the doctor and a few days of rest :)  I feel so bad for falling behind on everything but I know you all understand......thank you for being so fabulous!!!

Next I have to say thank you to a truly amazing baby loss mama- Shaina over at Rows for Remembrance.  Let me just say that God truly blessed my life with Shaina.  She reached out to me several months back when I was fresh in the depths of my grief.  So sweet, so caring........she asked if she could make a blanket for me to remember Aiden by.  I cried. I couldn't believe someone could be so giving. I was new to the blogging community and just taken back at how generous she was considering she really didn't even know me.  Of course I told her I would LOVE for her to make a blanket for me.

The idea behind Rows for Remembrance is simple- Shaina's ministry is set up to help families remember their little angels and have something tangible to hold in their arms.  If you have not heard of this ministry before please take a moment to visit her page or you can read about it in my post from a few months back.

I just wanted to share the amazing blanket that Shaina created for my little Aiden......it is perfect.

It's amazing isn't it?  I LOVE it!!!  I cannot tell you how soft and sweet this blanket is.  The first night I got it I carried it around on my shoulder the whole evening but then I had my mom put it away in Aiden's room because I didn't want it to get dirty.  Well a few weeks after that the blanket moved from Aiden's room and into my bed.  I sleep with it every night and it truly comforts me when I am struggling........didn't I tell you God blessed me with Shaina! This blanket has been a source of strength for me when I didn't have any strength left.  I can feel the love that was used to make it....I can feel the tears Shaina cried as she knit this blanket for Aiden and for me.......I can feel God all through this awesome blanket.  Thank you so much Shaina- you have truly blessed my life!!!

My last thank you for this morning is for another fabulous BLM who I'm sure you all know and love......Kristin who is mama to Stevie Joy- LOVE her name!  Kristin has given me an amazing opportunity!  As you all know she founded Faces of Loss Faces of Hope after losing her precious baby girl Stevie.  Faces does so much for the baby loss community but most important it lets other moms and dads know they are not alone.  I know I felt so alone outside of Nygel and my immediate family when we lost Aiden.  I didn't know how to interact with people anymore. I felt like no one "got it".  And then I met you all!!!  And I found Faces!  And I realized I was not alone and there were people that understood where I was coming from.

When I first found out about FOLFOH I was amazed!  And I wanted to help!  I wanted to be there for other moms the way so many others had been (and still are) there for me. And Kristin was so fabulous to let me!!!!  She has given me the great honor of serving as the Online Community Organizer and the Hope Stories Coordinator for the Faces of Loss community.  I can't tell you how excited I am!  *Doing a happy dance*

We've already got some great events planned so please check out our community page to see all the exciting things we have going on right now!  And if you have any questions regarding our FOLFOH events or suggestions for new events please feel free to e-mail me at natasha@facesofloss.com.  Again thank you so much Kristin for this opportunity!  You are amazing and so inspiring......I hope I can do you proud!

Again I am so thankful for you all.....thank you for sharing this journey with me......I couldn't do it without you!

Thank You Thank You & ICLW!!!

Via

Welcome to all my ICLW visitors!!!!  So glad to see you here!!!  *Waving hi!!*

For those of you who want to check out the other bloggers who are participating or participate yourself next month click here!

Now on to my post........

Oh my goodness I was so overwhelmed yesterday with all the amazing packages and cards I received in the mail plus the fabulous gifts other mommies have left me online!  I love you guys!!!  Just when I think I can't make it anymore one of you comes along and picks me up with your love!

So many many thank yous are in order!

First to my Lovely friend New Year Mum- Thank You so much for my fabulous awards!!!!  I'll post about them more this weekend and follow all the award rules but I just HAD to say thank you!!!

Next up is all the amazing Easter Cards and gifts I've received in the mail!  Let me show you:

Wow huh?!?!  So blessed!

Thank You Casey!!!!!

Thank you Sarita!!!!!

Wow wow wow!!!!  So thankful for everyone's kind thoughts for Nygel, Aiden, and I!  I treasure every single thing I get in my precious Aiden's memory!

And THEN I got a few things in my e-mail.  Here they are:

Thank you Shauna!!!!!!

Check out the cute purple dragonfly!

Love that Aiden is with so many other sweet babies

Thank you Malory!!!

Again it was a day of much excitement for me :)  I thank you all for your support and love.....it means the world to me!!!

Rows For Remembrance

I wanted to take a moment to share with you all the amazing ministry that Shaina has started. Rows for Remembrance was created to help families who have suffered a pregnancy loss remember their little angels. Here is a description of the ministry from the blog site:

"Rows for Remembrance was created to minister to mothers and fathers who are sometimes forgotten in traditional ministry. Some parents never hold a baby in their arms, but forever hold them in their hearts. This ministry is designed to bring them a way of remembering their little ones, no matter how short the time they were carried with them.

Rows for Remembrance strives to bring hope to families who feel like their world is crashing around them. We also strive to provide a lasting memory as a comfort to the families we call our Angel Families."

I was so touched when Shania reached out to me last month and asked if this ministry could create a blanket for Aiden. I am always in awe of how amazing this baby loss community is.....so much love from those who share your pain.  I am so grateful that she found me and offered to provide us with this loving gift.  

Each blanket has rows that represent the weeks each little angel lived. The blankets start out with 20 rows each and then an additional row is added for every week that the baby was carried.  Aiden's blanket will have 56 rows for the 36 weeks he was with us. Each of the 36 rows will be knitted so they stand out from the other 20 rows on the blanket to signify the 36 weeks of his sweet life.

If you would like to help with this ministry please visit the Rows For Remembrance blog and check out the how to help page.  She needs a variety of things including: people who can knit, yarn, stationary, and prayers. Take a moment to stop by and see what you can do to help.  You can also apply to receive a blanket for yourself or someone you know that has experienced a pregnancy loss.  Also please pray for Shania and all the other hands that are working so hard on these special sweet blankets.

I can't say THANK YOU enough to this fabulous mama and her wonderful new ministry!!!!