The Road Less Traveled

Mother's Day came and went as everything does. It was a good day.

 

This is one of my favorite times of year because it brings me back to the time when my son was born.

 

I remember fondly taking him for warm, sunny walks in my neighborhood, quiet afternoons while he napped, and time spent putting together his first photo albums.

 

Our son was born 10 months after my husband came home from Iraq. After he returned from his deployment, we got off the rollercoaster and found a new road.

 

From

 

                                                                               To

 

This road has certainly been winding, but all roads lead to Home.

Where is My Sign?

How long have you been looking for the perfect sign?

How long have you been waiting for the perfect sign?

What are you looking for?

What are you waiting for?

Maybe it's right behind you. 

Maybe it's Black
Maybe it's White.
Maybe it's Both.

Maybe it's right in front of you

Red Envelope for Mother's Day

I am pleased to provide a review for a Red Envelope product!

When I placed my order with Red Envelope, I received confirmation emails regarding my order placement, when the order was prepared for shipping, and notification when the order shipped. I designated the shipment date, and it arrived promptly on that date. In addition, when ordering you may also notate a special gift message. This is a nice touch!

When my package arrived, I opened it quickly and inside was a Red Box.

Inside the Red Box this was waiting for me to put on. The beauty of this necklace is you can customize it with one, two, or three children; however, if you have a larger family you may have to order more than one :)

This necklace is simple in sleek sterling silver. The curves are elegant.

Simple and Elegant. Perfect.

Parents and children embraced in a circle of love.

Beautiful.

Looking for something for Mom on Mother's Day or Someone Special? Find it HERE!

While you are there, use these coupon codes to save some cash!

In addition to jewelry, Red Envelope offers many unique products for all kinds of moms, dads, wives, husbands, children, Someone Special, and for special occasions.

Red Envelope will not disappoint, especially with an eye-catching Red Box.

For the Newborns...I do remember.

Yes, I do remember when both of my children were born.

My son came 21 hours after arriving at the hospital. I remember the nurse telling me, "Oh you will get so much attention because you are one of two moms here!" Yippee for me! That was before this and that and then some more this and that. Some of that included the arrival of more patients which overloaded staff. At one point the doctor came in and after frustration (no baby moving the right way...out!) he said, "don't push." Uh, that really doesn't work. He rushes back out to attend to another expectant mom. By the time my son arrived after an emergency C-section we were both exhausted. He had to spend several days in the NICU. We had to go home without our baby boy. After five days and lots of monitoring we were able to bring him home.

Fast forward a year and some months later. While I thought the first delivery was dramatic, this one topped it. After a routine appointment I was sent to the hospital for monitoring. I had a wedding to attend that night. My husband arrived at the hospital, and while I'm on the monitor we're basically waiting to be told we can leave (this happened with my son as well--we went home that day and he came on his own one week later). I remember telling the nurse, "I hope this doesn't take too long." She gave me a gentle smile. I thought she was just being nice. Turns out she was trying to be nice and calm. Turns out my health was deteriorating and quickly. My daughter arrived via emergency C-section. Either she was coming out, or my future was not looking so good. My daughter clearly didn't know any differently by her cries! She came out loud, willful, and a force of her own!

I love my kids, and although it's been awhile since they were newborns, I will never forget.

We were fortunate to receive the medical care we needed for our health, for our future.

Newborns are born practically every second of every day. But, did you know.....?

• Nearly 3 million newborns die each year globally
• 99% of these newborns die in low- and middle-income countries
• A newborn is 45X times more likely to die in the first month of life, when compared to age 1 month to 5 years
• The major causes of newborn death are prematurity, infection, and birth asphyxia when a baby’s brain and other organs do not get enough oxygen before, during or right after birth are
• Complications of preterm birth are the second leading cause of death in children before their fifth birthday
• The majority of these newborn deaths can be prevented.

In an effort to globally examine maternal and newborn health, collaborate on initiatives, and develop interventions to save new born lives, the Global Newborn Health Conference will take place April 15 to 18 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This inaugural conference is held in collaboration with the 

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID's Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program, Save the Children's Saving Newborn Lives (SNL), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).  

Want to get involved? 

** You can watch the conference LIVE Here!

** Read more posts on the Tumblr site Advocating for Newborn Health. 

**Join and follow the conversation on Twitter with the official conference hash tag #Newborn2013

**Tweet facts from the Director of the Family Health Division of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Dr. Gary Darmstadt (@gdarmsta).

     

Although there were complications, I remember with fond memories the day I met my children.

I remember when they were newborns.

I want to help other mothers have this experience. 

Globally, we are mothers