Bows for Babies- Support A Wonderful Cause

Amanda and I connected for the first time via my Veronika's Blushing page on Facebook.  She sent me a note telling me she thought she had seen me at the hospital (I was pregnant at the time and seeing my OB) and that she had a baby in the NICU there.

I work pretty extensively with our neonatology service and have a special place in my heart for these families after having worked with so many of them on news stories over the last few years. I meet these families during a very vulnerable and stressful time in their lives and it is a privilege every time I get to meet their precious miracles and learn about their journeys.

I want to share with you a very special project Amanda is working on to support new moms and dads who have babies in the NICU at Texas Children's Hospital and also to bring a moment of happiness to families who have to spend a holiday in the hospital. 

Tell us briefly about your pregnancy and experience having Cami in the NICU

After a scary pregnancy, filled with more downs than ups, Cami was born at the gestational age of 25 weeks and 5 days, weighing just over 2 pounds. We were incredibly lucky to know ahead of time that she would be born early so that we were prepared to get to the hospital at a moments notice. 

Though our NICU stay was long, and filled with highs and lows, we managed to maintain a positive attitude, knowing how lucky we were to still have Cami with us. In addition to the great relationships I had with Cami�s nurses and doctors, one thing that always made me feel special was when volunteers brought us an unexpected gift, whether it was a hand knit baby blanket or a cup of hot tea.

After 86 days in the NICU, Cami came home. Not a day goes by that I don�t consciously think of how lucky I am to have my perfect angel on Earth.

When did you first come up with the idea to give/donate bows and bow ties to babies in the NICU at Texas Children's?

We were so fortunate to not have to spend a Christmas in the NICU.  As we were decorating for the holidays and planning out all of the traditions we were excited to start for Cami, it dawned on me that even though WE weren�t in the NICU for Christmas, other families were.  I knew I wanted to do something to bring joy to these families, but wasn�t sure what that was.

I considered making ornaments that the families could put on their Christmas tree at home, but decided I wanted to give the babies and families something special that they could enjoy inside the hospital. Then it hit me - bows! When Cami was in the NICU, the nurses would help me tape regular bows onto her CPAP hat because I couldn�t find any preemie sized bows.  Even though this was something only the families of baby girls could enjoy, it was something that was very special to me during our stay that I wanted to share with others.  I made about 60 tiny headbands and put them in a little baggie with a before and after picture of Cami wearing the huge bow I had bought her at the hospital gift shop during our NICU stay. I made a promise to myself that I would think of something to do for the boys by Christmas 2014.

What inspired you to start your business � Squishy Cheeks BOWtique?

After making bows for the little preemie girls, I decided I wanted to start making and selling bows to others via a Facebook page.  I named the business after my once tiny, now big squishy baby girl � Squishy Cheeks BOWtique.  After the first couple of weeks of operation, moms of boys started telling me that I need to offer something for boys.  I joked around with them about the idea of making bows for boys until it hit me � bow ties!

Since I learned how to make the bow ties in March, I decided Easter would be the perfect holiday to do a bow and bowtie donation to the hospital.  

Tell us about what you have planned for this Easter for the babies in the NICU

This past Christmas, I was so late with my idea of making and donating bows that I had to drop the bows off at the front desk of the NICU.  For Easter, I am very excited that I might have the opportunity to actually take the bows to the families and see them on some of the babies.   

I will be holding a bow sale on my Facebook page starting this week, with profits going towards the Easter bows and bow ties.  If the sale is a success, I hope to have money left over to donate to a great organization offered to moms in the Texas Children�s Pavilion for Women NICU called First Memories Texas.  They go into the NICU rooms each week and take photos of the babies.  Then, they print the pictures and provide scrap booking supplies for moms and dads to make a memory card for that week.  I put all of the cards I made during our NICU stay into a photo album and it is something I treasure greatly.

If you would like to support a wonderful cause and get a cute little hair bow or bow tie for your little one (or the baby of a friend or family member!) please visit Amanda's Facebook boutique page here. Thanks for your support and for making a difference for these babies and families!

I also want to mention that through my job I have worked with First Memories Texas and they are a wonderful volunteer group providing a very crucial service to our NICU families. I have done a few news stories with them on the news and I can't tell you just how much happiness they bring to families who want to document their child's journey. You can learn more about First Memories here.

Holiday Giving- Making a Difference for Children

When I announced my pregnancy a few weeks ago, I talked about gratitude.  The holidays stir up those feelings in me even more.  

For the last few years, my husband and I haven't been big on getting Christmas gifts for each other. We get a few things here and there, but most of the time we just agree not to buy each other anything major.  This year, we ordered a Panini Press on sale at Williams Sonoma as our gift for each other.

I think the joy of Christmas really comes from kids---seeing their smiling faces opening up their gifts and being so excited about Santa. I was lucky enough to be introduced to some charities where we can make a difference in the lives of children we'll never meet.

Before I get into this post---this is not about "bragging" about what we do philanthropically---it's about empowering other young people to reach out and make a difference in a child's life.  I feel like I have a platform here to really spread a message about giving back and based on the amazing comments I get everyday from my incredible readers, I know I will learn about many important organizations that a lot of you support as well.

Earlier this year, we started to sponsor a little girl named Jenifer in Guatemala through an organization called The Arms of Jesus Children's Mission.  My cousins have both gone on a Mission trip with this organization to help build houses for some of these families, so it's an organization we wanted to contribute to because we know it makes a direct impact on the life of a child like making sure they have food and get to go to school. For just $35 each month (a few trips to Starbucks or ordering pizza in) you can help a child get the essentials we take for granted each day.  During the holidays, The Arms of Jesus gives you a list of items you can choose from as a special holiday treat for your sponsored child.  This year we had them send Jenifer some clothes and shoes and toys. If you'd like to learn more about this organization, please visit their website at: http://www.armsofjesus.org.

(from The Arms of Jesus website)

Every Christmas, we also sponsor a child through CPS (Child Protective Services) through their "Bearing Gifts" program. You can fulfill the wish of a child in care of CPS in Harris County by sponsoring a child and purchasing the three gifts on their wish list. This year, we sponsored a 7 year old girl. She wanted an Easy Bake Ultimate Oven, Girl Tech Password Journal and Hello Kitty CD Boombox.  It was so much fun to go to Target and Walmart with my husband to get the gifts for her, knowing that though she is going through a tough time that she may not fully even understand...she will get to smile on Christmas morning like all children deserve to.  You can check out the Bearing Gifts website if you are interested. Gifts are due by Dec. 14th. You can also help the organization in other ways, here.

(from the Bearing Gifts website---toys ready to go to each child that was sponsored!)

My boss at work sponsors several families through her church each year so a lot of my co-workers got together this year to sponsor multiple families.  A lot of the kids are asking for coats and clothes and some toys---but the most heartbreaking thing I saw on the list was blankets. I don't know why but (maybe due to my pregnancy hormones) I got teary eyed in the car on the way to Walmart because I was thinking of a child asking for a blanket on their Christmas wish list.  We got some blankets and some sports equipment like a football, soccer ball, etc. I don't have a specific link for this one, but a lot of schools and churches do programs like this for children and families in need during the holidays. Ask around in your community to see if there is a program in your area that supports local families.

If you can give this year---or any time of year---I encourage you to look into volunteer or sponsorship opportunities where you can make a difference.  No matter what you're passionate about, make one of your New Year resolutions to help make the world a better place---it's an easy one to keep (and feel good about all year round) I promise.

Thank you for reading!  Please feel free to share below any organizations you support during the holidays (or any time of year).