Through my online social networking I’ve met some other mom’s of preemies who have websites with information /or products to help other parent’s facing premature infant issues. I myself am a mother to 2 preemie boys. Born about 6 wks early due to me having preeclampsia- 2004 and 2006 (just so you understand they are not twins).  You can read a little about our story and find some other preemie resources at my Squidoo page by clicking here.

First, meet Michelle Staley of BusyBreathersLLC. Michelle had a baby born 3 months premature and required carrying oxygen after being discharged from the hospital. You can read about her story at that link as well as check out the specially designed bag she created to carry oxygen for preemies. If you are connected to a support group for parent’s of preemies or work in a NICU you may want to check out these specially designed oxygen carrying bags and refer to other parent’s needing such a product.

Next, Angela Davids of KeepEmCookin. She has a website and forum for mom’s facing bedrest and focusing on preterm labor. Angela faced preterm labor twice and beat it, but did lose one of her twins.

I’ve visited both of these websites and highly recommend them. I hope you pay a visit and share these resources with the Parent’s of Preemies (or soon to be)  you know personally.

Thanks,

I know, I’ve gone about 6 days with no posts…but I was a busy girl! Well, I’m pretty much ALWAYS a busy girl! But if you have young children and love to get great toys and clothes at bargain prices…and you live within driving distance to Canton/Massillon, Ohio then you need to know about this sale!

Lil Lambs Closet
The Church of The Lakes (corner of Fulton/Brunnerdale) in the Canton/Massillon area puts on the Lil’ Lambs Closet sale twice a year. Anyone can sell in it, I’ve been selling and buying their for some time now. Lil’ Lambs takes your gently used or new clothing, toys, nursery furniture, maternity items…infants to kids size 20 and sells them through a highly organized and quality-tight two day sale. Sellers volunteer as workers during the sale and we get to shop exclusively the day before the sale opens to the public! Since I’m working 3 shifts I get to be in the first group of shoppers, tonight! I’m so excited!!

The sales runs this Friday/Saturday March 13 & 14. You canclick here to go the website for Lil Lambs and get more info on where they are and what you can expect. This is only a two day sale. Many items are discounted to 1/2 price on Saturday. Sellers keep 70% of their profits and Lil Lambs keeps 30% to donate to children’s charities both local and far reaching. Go to their website and see how much they’ve been able to help and who they’ve helped.

Facebook
Are you on Facebook? I am. If you’d like to be added to my network find me …Tracy Creager Zdelar.
I also use Myspace, but honestly…I rarely go there. Facebook really is so user friendly, not that Myspace isn’t, but I’ve been able to connect with so many more people and it seems to be easier to connect with so many at once. Recently I asked my FB friends to give me their advice on whether I should send my soon to be 5 yr old to kindergarten this fall or hold him back. This is our first child going into school and I wanted to hear from parent’s who’d been through it already. It really helped me make the right choice I’m confident. Before I asked people for advice, for some reason I was thinking I kind of had to put Brendan in k-garten…then I asked a friend from church who is in the same school district as us if her son was starting, and she said no. I began to think a little deeper about it and decided to poll around for some advice. I decided the day before registration -and after talking to the hubby- to not enroll him and I have been at total peace about it. Facebook was a great tool to help me be able to hear back from so many different perspectives about the pros and cons of sending my son to school at this time.

Preemie Parent Connection
Last night was the March meeting for the preemie group at the hospital. We had a nice sized group show up and the representative for our area from the March of Dimes was speaking about the March for Babies walk coming up in May in Akron, Ohio. I’m planning to get my family involved and will probably “create an event” on my Facebook profile to invite my friends to support the cause. March of Dimes has done much to help meet the needs of many people from knocking out polio and more. I learned some things I didn’t know last night. Awhile back I created a Squidoo lens on the premature issue…monies generated from my site do go to the March of Dimes as well. Click here to see My Preemie. It includes a short story of our experience having both our sons prematurely.

Both our boys were born about 6 wks premature due to me having pre-eclampsia. Interestingly, they had many things in common as a result…both were slow to learn to eat on their own, both spent at least 3 wks in the NICU, both had some degree of respiratory distress, they almost weighed and measured exactly the same down to the ounce and inch…4.5#s and 18″ long aprx.  There was no support group for parent’s like us at the time when I had Brendan, but after I had Jack Nurse Maurer got one started at Aultman. I now attend and help out with the meetings. Recently, Aultman Hospital threw a really big First Reunion Picnic for their NICU grads of the last few years. We were there. If you would like to learn more about the Parent Preemie Connection support group you can contact the Nicu Dept at Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio.

(I did have the link the Canton Repository’s story on this event but the link has since expired so I deleted it).