Can We Borrow YOUR Voice?

Taken From With Permission: Motherhood Truth 

Original Post Can Be Found Here.

As a blogger I read MANY blogs. Some are funny off the wall stories and some are a look inside the blogger's life. People start blogs for many reasons but end up using them for something they never thought they would.

The Anderson's started a blog back in July to simply keep their friends and family up to date on their pregnancy. At 26 wks "peanut" arrived while they were on vacation, miles away from home. Not only did dad have a new baby that was 14 wks early but he had a wife that was on life support.

"Peanut" was then transferred to a hospital 2 hrs away, which meant dad would drive 4+ hrs a day to see his girls.

Mom was finally transferred closer to baby and woke up after about a month, but baby continues to stay critical and mom is still healing.

You can read their entire story HERE

Motherhood Truth: "As a mom that went through a hospital experience with a child (although very minor compared to this) I know one thing adds up. The bills. Not just the hospital bills but the everyday bills that continue to grow and don't stop just because this family's life has paused. The money needed to feed dad, and get him things to live on because he is so far from home. Finances then become another burden on top of the stress of a sick child, and in this case a sick mom.

While this family has a huge support system I cannot help but think I can and HAVE to do something. I am in the US and they live in the UK.  What could I do?

At one point I tried to ignore my need to help, but I just couldn't. I went to bed praying for this family. Praying I would get up and see their blog and everything would be better. I woke up with an urge to help. I decided I NEED to help them pay for things since I cannot be there to physically help them.

 I have emailed the family and they have only confirmed my NEED to help them, not because they asked for the help, but because they felt they couldn't accept but were so grateful. I didn't give them a choice, the hardest thing for parents in a situation like this is asking for help.

After another email I was told they would accept my help to raise money for them on a couple conditions. One of them brought me to tears.

* Depending on what they need they would donate half the money to BLISS, a charity that helps preemies (baby's born too soon, too small, too sick) and their parents across the UK. 

This family is going through something most cannot even imagine. A time when they have ALL RIGHT to be selfish and live for them, but they are looking to help others through our help!

THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOUR VOICE!!


I have had the family set up a Paypal account. I am asking people to donate what they can, IF they can. I am also asking fellow bloggers to donate ONE blog post to this family and/or a Tweet and/or Facebook Post. You are more than welcome to copy and paste this post, or just parts. Whatever is easiest for you!

If you do not want to post this story on your blog I understand but hope you will still send people here to help!

I have absolutely NO contact with any money sent. It all goes DIRECTLY to the family so that they can access it when they need it!

*Because I have NO contact with the money I will not know how well we are doing. If you make a donation I would love for you to shoot me an email or comment just saying you donated. I do not need to know how much, I just want to know if this story is actually getting out. Danielle@Motherhoodtruth.com

If you have ANY questions AT ALL please Email me. My goal is to help this family, I will sit here and answer 5 million questions if I have to in order to make sure they get the help they deserve!

Want to Donate Money?

No amount is too small! Every dollar will GREATLY be appreciated!

*Go to Paypal
*Click "Send Money"
*Enter the amount you wish to send and check "Friends and Family"
*Enter their email address mattaanderson {at} mail {dot} com
(Sorry I do not care if I get the spam, but I want to avoid the family from getting spam)
*Fill out the rest of the information asked of you

Please note that Paypal will do the currency exchange for you with the money being sent. It is a small fee in comparison to the other options of raising money. 


I am aiming high...I want to try to ease the financial burden from this family so they can just focus on getting better! I also know that at this point even if we mange to come together and get $100 it will help them!

Please help me help this family that deserves all the help they can get! We have voices! Let's use them for a good reason.

Thank you in advance to anyone and everyone that donates, whether it is money, a post, a tweet or a FB update!

**Update**

This comment was left by Matt (dad) and I just wanted to pull it up here so you guys can see how grateful they really truly are!

"Thank-you so much for this Danielle. You have written a lovely post dedicated to us and we can thank you enough. From the very bottom of our hearts we have been touched by your willingness to want to help and your selfless carign nature. 

Also big thank-you to anyone re-posting, tweeting, FB, G+ and specially those donating to us. We are eternally grateful. 

Matt, Lauren & Isla x"

 

-Danielle from Motherhood Truth"

Note from Lacey:

Thank you for taking the time to read this, to tweet this, to donate, to re-blog this story. Every bit helps.

 

 

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14 Weeks Left On This Crazy Train

How far along?

26 Weeks

Maternity clothes? 

yep.

Symptoms: 

oh I don't know, a wriggly wormy baby in my belly could be one ;)

Stretch marks?: 

I found some new ugly, angry ones on the inside of my newly gelatinous thighs this past week. Sigh.

Sleep: 

Is better than it has been, once I get in a comfortable position

Movement: 

see above :)

Food cravings:

carbs. Lots of em. Bread sticks and pastas and potatoes!

Gender: 

Will see if she is still, well, a she in 2 weeks :) I hope so!

Belly Button in or out?

Now has it's own zip code.

What I miss: 

seeing my feet :)

 Best moment of the week: 

it's a toss up between S falling backwards off the birthing ball and the candle lit bubble bath I took

What I am looking forward to:

this weekend's adventure off to Dallas to do some shopping and browsing :)

I need a few more maternity tops and time to start looking into a good breast milk pump and some nursing wear

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Wordless Wednesday- Saturday til Tuesday

 Grocery Shopping- if I don't have a list, I feel lost

 My husband meets Instant Karma (John Lennon style) after making fun of me on my birth ball...and Shawty is checking on her daddy to see if he's alive

The Shawtness sitting pretty with me in the game room while the men-folk shot pool and drank beer

 Candle-lit bubble bath. Not pictured is my sweet husband coming in with a bottle of water so I stay hydrated and giving me a quick back rub before heading back to the xbox controller. 

 Getting my calcium ;)

 Yesterday's Glucose Tolerance Test...it wasn't really as bad as I thought it would be! I'm still waiting to hear back about the results!

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A to Z of Me (with help from Pinterest)

A. Age: 21

B. Bed Size: King size...we are both bed hogs and some days even our king feels a little small..uh oh!
C. Chore you hate: folding laundry. I will wash it, dry it, and hang it up but folding? ugh!

D. Dog(s): Ruby, my tibetan terrier and Shawty, S's min pin
E. Essential start to your day: Pee. Brush my teeth. HATE morning breath.
F. Favorite Color: Green!!!
G. Gold or Silver: Silver.
H. Height: 5'4" according to my driver's license!
I. Instruments you play: In the car, I'm an amazing percussionist on the steering wheel and with some toddlers, I can play a mean pots & pans symphony :)
J. Job Title: laze-about...I mean, a stay at home wife and mom to be

 K. Kids: the one I'm growing in my belleh, in case you haven't realized I'm pregnant yet
L. Live: In a rural small town in North East Texas.

 

M. Mother's Name: Avis.
N. Nicknames: Lace, Laceface for a select few, (technically Lacey is a nickname, as my first name is Lacey Ann) and my husband makes up a new nickname/pet name for me every week...we won't get into those.
P. Pet Peeves: Lying. Chewing with your mouth open. Lack of common manners and courtesy...so many more but they all boil down to being a rude, uncivilized person.
Q. Quote from a Movie: toss up between:  "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." brought to you by the one and only Hannibal Lector or "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."/"After all, tomorrow is another day!" -Rhett Butler/Scarlet O'Hara
R. Right handed or Left handed: Righty.
S. Siblings: I have a younger brother and an older half sister, but she doesn't count. We don't get along and I've only met/talked to her a handful of times.
T. Time to wake up: 6:30am on Mondays and Fridays to watch my nieces, and 7:45am the rest of the work week to take S to work. We are a one car family for economical reasons. Since he'd only drive his personal vehicle approximately 10 minutes a day Monday through Friday, we sold his truck over a year ago.

U. Underwear: I wear it.
V. Vegetables you hate: Raw tomatoes and onions. I'll eat them stewed or grilled (in case of the onions) but that's about it.
W. What makes you run late: my tendency to forget my head if it wasn't attached firmly to the rest of my body.
X. X-rays you have: Teeth (dental), hips & back (chiropractor), right leg (spiral fracture), left arm/wrist (broke/fracture x 2), right arm/wrist/hand (broke/fracture x 3), chest (diagnostics), right knee (damaged tendons)...probably a lot more. My M.O. growing up was to break or destroy something at least once a year.
Y. Yummy food that you make: I make some killer homemade mac and cheese, my husband married me for the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and I every time I bake a loaf of banana bread, I have to make extra batches for everyone or they get upset!
Z. Zoo animals: Lions...well, to be more precise, the Lionesses! dur!

this isn't from Pinterest. This is from last summer when S and I went to the zoo

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Thank You for Calming My Fears

Yesterday, I wrote about my second and third trimester fears and how I enable myself to think that way...

and thankfully, there are some calm, cool collected women that are awesome enough to "talk me off the ledge" and give some amazing advice. And this post is dedicated to you lovelies. For the blog post comments, the twitter messages, the emails telling me to one: get over it, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen! And two: worrying is just going to make things worse and give me grey hairs before my time!

Y'all are just amazing. And I'm taking your advice! This evening, I am going through my inboxes (yes, multiple inboxes. sigh.) and unsubscribing from all those dreadful "what if" pregnancy newsletters. I'm deleting any iPhone apps I might have (like the What to Expect app) that will enable my obsession. I am deleting all of those newsletters that are in my inbox so I can't go back and search if I ever get really crazy one night.

I'm cleaning out the enabling clutter.

Once again, thank you for being an amazing community of women who have e-knocked some sense into my brain and refuse to let me let the hormones and fear get the best of me. You are all amazing. Every single one of you.

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New Set of Fears and Worries

I have to admit, sometimes I act the part of fearless pregnant woman quite well.
I've had a glass of wine.
I don't heat up my lunch meat.
Sometimes I forget my vitamins.
I drink a pepsi here and there.
I can't live without my coffee and if you offer me decaf, I'll probably laugh in your face.
I probably don't get the recommended amount of water a day.
I tend to lift more than 20 pounds sometimes.
I had a few bites of sushi.
I eat a buffets when the mood strikes.
I prefer my steak rare but will err on the side of caution and eat it medium-well.
But I also have to admit, I'm scared. I'm  afraid my lax stance on things are going to come bite me in the ass. You'd think since I've had a loss and struggle to get past said loss that I'd be hyper-vigilant about all these things. That I'd be more concerned about both of our well being.
I don't want to sound like I take this pregnancy for granted because that's not the case. At all. I am very grateful for what I'm being allowed to experience and that so far, I haven't had any major complications or reasons to complain.
Now that the risk of miscarriage is that of the past, of the last trimester, I have a new fear.
I'm this freaking close to my third trimester. And I'm petrified.
Of preterm labor.
I google non stop signs, warning signs, complications that can lead to it, everything. What worries me the most is that there seems no way to really stop it, just hold it off as long as possible if you catch it early enough! Yikes!
And all the emails I'm getting saying things like "what to watch for" and "signs of preterm labor" just enable this fear.  I know there is no sure way to quell these fears but I must admit, writing about them does help get the weight off my shoulders. I suppose as a mommy (to be) I need something to worry about, I just wish it was something silly like nursery decor or hoping my husband can put a crib together! :)


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25 down, approximately 15 to go!

How far along?

25 weeks

Maternity clothes? 

yes but lately, I'm having not food aversions but a clothing aversion. I just wanna be naked all the time.

Symptoms: 

heartburn...I'm so asking for a prescription next weeks

Stretch marks?: 

S is convinced that I'm passing all my stretchies on to him at night while we sleep because my belly is unmarred while his growing love handles look like a tiger mauled him!

Sleep: 

I want naps again! And lots of em!

Movement: 

still movement a-plenty but today she was a little more reserved...

wait, nevermind, I'm assuming she knows I'm writing this up and wants to say Hi! to everyone!

Food cravings:

I want a pumpkin spice frappe or an iced chai latte so bad it hurts right now. 

and more frozen strawberries, thankfully I have another bag in the freezer!

Gender: 

still a sweet baby girl as far as I know! :)

Belly Button in or out?

poking out

What I miss: 

tying my shoes effortlessly :)

oh, and getting off the couch unassisted after a meal...

 Best moment of the week: 

just about 20 minutes ago I was laying on the couch, waiting for S to come grab my hand and hoist this plump, juicy little Pe-can ;) off the couch and I swear to it but I did NOT have to go pee at all and the minute I moved into a more upright position to get hauled off the couch, my bladder felt FULL and I had to sprint (as best as I could, mind you!) to the bathroom or I was going to wet myself! Maybe not MY best moment, but S sure thought it was hilarious. That or watching me run was funny...

What I am looking forward to:

I am so so so ready to hold my baby in my arms...

oh and to go on a cloth diaper shopping spree come November! :)

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A Day In The Life...

So, I missed the link up over at another blog but had wanted to do the photo challenge as well. I will admit, I'm rarely the first one to grab a camera during a moment or to even remember to pack on when we go somewhere so it's always shoddy iPhone pictures...that being said, I tried real hard to capture my day. It's a little boring but it's my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

 

 

like I said, it's not too interesting but it's my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

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The Accent Game

Some of the blogs I read on a pretty regular basis have been doing this cute little vlog game, basically, you are given a list of words said differently all over the country and some questions that have different answers based on your region and we get to hear how different we all sound and the different terms we use for the same things.

Feel free to play along and post a backlink :) (ps. please don't be to harsh on my country twang and my crazy hair!)

 sheesh, when I said: can I look any worse for a vlog today, that wasn't a challenge, youtube. What a great screenshot, huh?

The words:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And answer these questions:
What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

 

You can watch others play the accent game at Nurse Loves Farmer, Our Growing Garden, The Stauffer Shenanigans, Loving Life with My Little Cupcake, among others!

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Nursery Letters Tutorial (with pictures!)

Okay, I know you've seen these adorable things all over etsy and other places online, maybe in a local boutique... you like them, you think they are just adorable...you just can't imagine paying around $8.00 and upwards per letter.

I can't blame you cause neither can I!

Luckily for you, I've figured out how to make them myself...cause I'm crafty like that. And I may have called upon other crafty friends for some help and tips!

some pretty paper from my scrap-booking pile

What you need (for the actual letters):
wooden letters for initials or name or whatever you are spelling out
some pretty paper (general rule of thumb is one piece per letter)
Spray Adhesive
X-Acto Knife (or something similar)
Acrylic paint in complimentary color to pretty paper (if you bought unfinished letters not already painted white)
Appliques and Embellishments
Craft Lacquer (optional)

Step 1:

Paint your letters if need be on the sides and backs and allow them to dry (if you are anything like me, this means when you start this project at 9pm, paint em, go shower and catch up on some tv shows...come back in a few hours or the next day.)

Step 2:

When your paint is dry...

Figure out how and where you want the letters to be patterned (if the paper has special designs) and mark it out on the back of the paper for a guide.

You are going to (on a protected surface or one you don't care about mucking up, I laid down so giant sheets of white paper to protect my desk) spray the adhesive on the front of your letter. 

Also, spray the backside of the pretty paper for that letter in adhesive, too.

Lay your paper down, adhesive side up and press your letter onto the paper, adhesive side down. Walk away for a good 15 minutes. Please be sure to read and follow the directions on the back of the can of spray adhesive. If the directions are different than mine, please follow those instead. I'm sure the results will turn out the same.

Yes, I am trying to not get sued by covering up the price and store brand. Don't mind my unpainted toes in the picture either!

Step 3:

On a cut-proof mat or really thick cardboard, get out your craft knife...(if you are doing this with the kids, it's best if an adult does this. Or someone with an adult mentality.) Cut around the shape of the letter.

 Take your time with this and please, don't mess up your workspace, dig out a self healing mat or some thick cardboard to do this part of it!

(Optional Step 4)

Now it's time to paint over the entire thing with your craft lacquer. Let that dry for a few hours (or overnight!)

I didn't do this step because I liked the "unfinished" look of the paper on my letters. 

Step 4 (or 5):

Figure out how you are going to hang up your letters. This is important to do BEFORE you add your embellishments! If you want to hang them up with pretty ribbon:

Cut the desired length (remember, they are going to be looped or tied together so allow for that.)

Grab the staple gun and staple that ribbon to the back of your letters. 

Once again, I skipped this step because I'm lazy thoughtful and bought letters that were pre-cut with notches in the back to be hung on walls.

Now, it's time to add your pretty embellishments and appliques to your heart's desire.

Your letters are complete!

If you decide to make your own nursery letters using this tutorial and then blog about it, would you please link back to me? I'd love to see what you do with yours!

I linked up today with Jamie at Loving Life with My Little Cupcake and her Make Yourself Monday Blog Hop. 

 

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Seven Seas Roasting Company Giveaway!

After talking with the owners of Seven Seas Roasting Company this past week and about my blog post about my favorite little shop, we have decided that every mommy we know could use a good cup of coffee...so I have teamed up with them and want to bring the coffee shop experience to YOU!

Win! 

Seven Seas Roasting Company is generously giving one of my readers a 2 oz. sample bag of a gourmet coffee of your choice! That's enough to make up to a 12 cup pot at home or work to enjoy and share (if you feel like it!)

How to Enter:

This is a Rafflecopter giveaway.  Click "Read More" below and then follow the instructions on the widget.  All currents count! Please contact me at lacey@thesouthernmommychronicles.com if you run into any technical difficulties with Rafflecopter.

The first entry is mandatory -Visit Seven Seas Roasting Company and leave me a comment on the blog telling me which single origins or blend of coffee you would chose! Your comment must include this info for your entries to count.

Once you complete this entry, the widget will give you the option of completing the rest.  Complete more steps for more chances to win! Click "Read More" to access the Rafflecopter Widget and good luck! :)

The Viability Date

Okay, yesterday I hit 24 weeks in my pregnancy which according to every email I've ever gotten for this pregnancy, is a huge milestone. I'm supposed to be happy for this day...
Why?
Because it's the United States' standard of viability. Meaning, if my sweet baby girl was to decide to come this early (and I PRAY she doesn't) then the doctors would do everything in their power to try to keep her alive.

I'm sorry. I don't see a point in celebrating a 40% chance that my daughter would make it alive. I don't want to celebrate the fact that if she was to come between now and the next few weeks, I would have a tiny, premature baby that would more than likely have health and mental problems for the rest of her life. The fact that for the first months up to a year of her life she would be in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit hooked up to machines and in a little incubator. That she wouldn't be able to come home and sleep in her crib and next to me for a very long time. I don't see what's to celebrate if she wouldn't be allowed to roll around on mama's floors, fall asleep in the gilder while her momma breast feeds her in her home, in her own bedroom/nursery. That she wouldn't meet our 2 furry-faced babies that are sure to love her.

I don't see the point in celebrating a viability date.

Our goal as pregnant women is NOT to just keep this baby in our wombs just long enough where they might have a pissing chance in hell. Our goal is to nurture and grow these children inside our bodies until we are on the upward swing of 90% sure that our babies will be perfectly fine on the outside. Our goal is to take them home after just a few days maximum of a hospital stay. Our goal is to show them their home, their nursery, their family and not through pictures or strangers in masks and scrubs that can only hold him/her for a set amount of time.

Call me unreasonable, call me whatever you want but I don't want to celebrate that my daughter will have a small chance of survival. I want to celebrate her birth as a full term baby.

And the mother's of preterm/premature babies will hopefully agree. Yes, I'm glad that the doctors would move mountains to keep my little one alive, that she does have a chance but I'd rather not celebrate my viability date and would rather her stay snug and warm inside my body for as long as it is safe for her. It's not something to celebrate, it shouldn't be a huge milestone of "Yay, your baby COULD POSSIBLY survive on the outside now."

Could Possibly: my, oh my, that's not a definite, is it?

And don't give me crap about how nothing in life is definite...here's the deal, the better chance I can give my child is the one I want to give her. And 24 out of a potential of 40 weeks (give or take) is not it.

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24 Weeks Pregnant

How far along?

24 weeks

Maternity clothes? 

oh yes but I have to admit, it's become a love-hate relationship. I love having stuff that fits but I'd rather wear some loose sweatpants or S's basketball shorts that hit below my belly. Anything that comes over my belly or even touches it (bottoms wise) I take off as soon as I'm allowed to look indecent!

Symptoms: 

heartburn, headaches, millions of pee breaks during the day, the infamous sniss (peeing a little when a good sneeze hits), among other things

Stretch marks?: 

right breast still has em worse then lefty but none on the ol belly yet

Sleep: 

I want naps again! And lots of em!

Movement: 

Hiccups and rolls and belly quakes! You can feel it from the outside, too so it's fun to share that with S and my close friends and family

Food cravings:

Pumpkin Spice ANYTHING! (but a frappe would be best ;)

Gender: 

still a sweet baby girl as far as I know! :)

Belly Button in or out?

poking out

What I miss: 

tying my shoes effortlessly :)

 Best moment of the week: 

not my proudest but definitely goes in the book as funny: I was trying to put on a pair of pre-pregnancy pants and just use my B-Band to keep things looking smooth...well, I'm here to tell you that no matter how much butt jiggling, thigh compressing, laying on the bed, cursing, squeezing in your butt, and begging I still couldn't get my pants to come up past the bottom of my butt cheeks. 

What I am looking forward to:

meeting my sweet baby girl

a view from all sides

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Coffee Lovers UNITE!

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that many times throughout the week I'm drinking my coffee but I have a secret to share with you...

Come here....



lean in a little bit closer....




*whispers*: I don't make/brew my own coffee.

Not at home. No m'am. I am spoiled. Plus I love my coffee with a side of conversation. I talk about sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee, I do this at my local coffee shop. I could go on and on about how much I love this shop and the owners and the employees (who are all my close, personal friends.)

Seven Seas Roasting Company's Home Base & Shop

But let's get down to what really matters: Good Coffee.

I'm about to tell you something you won't hear from just about any other coffee shop around my parts or yours. I can brag to you that I know who roasts my coffee beans! And the exact date and location. Not some major company or some underpaid college student working in a roasting factory. Nope...

Here is a batch of freshly roasted beans cooling off from the roaster

 Seven Seas Roasting Company roasts their own coffee beans in house. They buy their green coffee beans from around the world from the free trade markets, responsibly grown and sold!

They take the time to roast the beans in individual 10 pound batches for quality control, to make sure they are serving up nothing but the very best to their customers! You can come in about once a month and watch the roasting process right there...now how awesome is that?!

The best part of all this? The news I want to share with you?

You, too, can enjoy some fresh roasted Seven Seas Coffee in the comfort of your own home!!

From Green to Roasted...all in one location!

Yep, if you want to know what I'm talking about, the quality, the taste, the experience you get from a simply perfect roasted coffee bean turned into a steaming liquid, you need to visit the website and order a pound to try and get it shipped straight to you!

My favorite is a Dark Roast Guatemalan!

Who knows, if you order, your coffee bags might have even been handled by me at some point! :)

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