Merry Christmas to You and Yours

A Gift from the Heart to the NICU

A needle. A thread. Fabrics of red and green. Love. Kindness.

Hours, days, weeks, and months go by. A group of sweet ladies sew away. A scrap of fabric added to another and then another... soon beautiful quilts emerge. Lovely Christmas quilts.

As batting is layered with fabric, and panels are tied, the women ponder the difficult experience that NICU parents endure. The quilters are touched and want to give just a little something to brighten a day, to bring a smile to a weary mom.

The ladies have considered that some of the infants would be home for the holidays snuggled in their new quilts. But, they also knew very will that some of the quilts would only held in the arms of a mom or a dad, as they sat by their baby's bedside, peering into an isolette and watching the hard working nurses and doctors keep their precious little one alive.

A few days ago the call came. It was time to pick up the bounty of blankets, in flannel and cotton. An incredible woman, my sister, went to work, throughtout an entire day, laundering dozens upon dozens of tiny treasures. Finally the quilts were ready. Ready to be united with their little boy or girl

Arriving at the hospital with my car loaded up like Santa's sleigh, I brought the hand-made gifts up to the NICU. After piling the quilts high on a cart, I began to push them from NICU room to NICU room. And sure enough, when the parents and nurses caught sight of the handmade presents, their eyes brighted. They gathered around the cart, amazed at all of the beautiful choices. It wasn't easy to decide which to pick. They were all so beautiful.

Soon, many little cherubs had little quilts wrapped around them. More smiles filled each room.

Some of the babies parents could not be at their bedsides when I arrived. But, my own heart was touched again as I watched the NICU nurses search through the abundance of blankets, choosing quilts for "their babies".

"Look Emma, " a nurse said sweetly as she brought a quilt to her tiny patient, "I picked this one just for you!"

Beautiful.

It was beautiful to see the labor of love of the many quilting "angels" bless almost ninety NICU families this Christmas with their simple, meaningful gift.

It is the true spirit of Christmas.

I send out a special thank you to all of the NICU nurses out there who offer such extaordinary care and love to premature and sick babies and their families. You are amazing.

'Tis the Season

Hey there, I know I am preaching to the choir... but,

• Why would a school have a science fair project due a couple weeks before Christmas?
• Why me a boss give me an important deadline now?
• Why would another of my bosses set a very important bereavement teleconference that I have to go to when I am so very busy??
• Why would my scout have a court of honor this week?
• Why would I schedule an eye doctor appointment-duh?

Don't they know I am drowning with...

• The children's Christmas performance (and all the rehearsals that go with it!)
• Going to the American Girl Store (fun)
• Getting ready for my brother's wedding reception here in America :)
• Having a white elephant (hilarious)
• Going to my bro-in-law's 5oth. (nice, but included 100 mile drive in torrential rain to get there and a night in a hotel to avoid falling asleep at the wheel while driving home at midnight 100miles in torrential rain)
• Prepping for a Christmas children's present giveaway.
• Going to my department Christmas party (at least trying to get there...long story)
• Having the most amazing support group Christmas gathering. We had 18 people come and made the most darling Christmas ornaments to remember their babies with.

This on top of all the usual...

• Doing my best to care of home and family
• Working shifts
• Trying to take care of me...not enough exercise and good eating!
• Completely failing at being a good blogger

Time to slow it way, way, way down!

Now, I will put my focus on this...

Ahhhhh, true peace

Starbucks Thumb

Oh, it's very painful.

With each sip, I get a cramp from knuckle to knuckle.

Yep, I am suffering.

I had no idea that switching from Grande brewed decaf to Venti would so traumatic.

Note to self: Next fall...must start my Venti training.

Sllllurrrp...ahhhhhh!

oops...I dropped it!

No, not a newborn! (I just know you thought that when you read the title!)

No, tonight I have Julie & Julia on my mind:

I adore Amy Adams. She was delightful in Enchanted.

Meryl Streep is the best!

And Julia, Julia Childs, what a lovely woman.

(Although, I have trouble not imagining Dan Ackroyd spoofing her...oh my :)

I was so dissappointed to miss the movie in theatres.

So, when I saw the book @ Borders, when the movie was not out on DVD yet, I bought it and dug right in.

Julie Powell, the author, is a crass, unsophisticated person.

But, I thought I would try to overlook that. Afterall, I'd heard great things about the movie.

When she proudly described her time with the Joy of S*x book at age 11, I felt sick to my stomach.

This must get better...I hoped.

Her political rhetoric was a turn off. And her athiestic cynicism was just plain sad.

But the final straw was when she tells about working in a position to help the families of 9/11 victims. On the first anniversary of the tragic event she makes it clear that she was indignant that she was forced to do, in her words, the "emotional sh*t work" of supporting the bereaved.

It was at the moment...

when I read that sentence...





I "accidentally" dropped the book into the bathtub.

Oopsy.

Take me Away...

Dreaming of laying on this beach...

You know when I start posting pictures of tropical islands that things are getting BUSY!

I notice that things are getting more quiet in bloggyville, but not as quiet as this ol' blog.

No end in sight...

Missing you...