If you have read my blog for some time, you know that I went…um…crazy…when I went past my due date and was still pregnant. I was 41 weeks along when I was induced. Now that I’m two years removed from my hormonal haze, I realize how unbelievably blessed I was to be pregnant that long. Charlotte came out round, screaming, and squishy like all babies should. Full-term.

Since I started working with the March of Dimes as a member of their Board of Directors Eastern North Carolina Division I have learned so much about their mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Of the 16,000 babies born too soon each year in my home state, North Carolina, half of the cases happen for unknown reasons. That means it could have been me. My water could have broken early and I could have delivered my baby too soon even with proper prenatal care. Doctors are still searching for answers as to why healthy women go into labor too soon. Check out more stats here.

I’m sure you all know someone who was, or has had a preemie. My dear friend Nicole did everything right. She got all the proper care. It happened to her. She has two little 2 1/2 year-old angels named Avery and Raegan.  Their picture is above. When I say these kids are miracles, I mean they are miracles. The twins were born at about 25 weeks and had extensive stays in the NICU. Avery has endured multiple surgeries to put a stint in his brain. He now has hearing aids and a special wheelchair. He is a little fighter and doctors continue to be amazed at his progress! Raegan is Little Miss Personality and it’s a joy to see her run around with Charlotte.

 

Saturday is World Prematurity Day. The March of Dimes is working to get enough signatures to light the White House purple for one night for prematurity awareness. That’s where you come in, readers! Get pumped! Please sign the petition. Sign it for Avery. Sign it for Raegan. Sign it for any preemie you’ve ever known. Sign it for the full-term, fat 10-pounders you know. Sign it with thanksgiving for your healthy children. Sign it with the hope that all babies will be born strong and healthy. Sign it and then tell me who you’re signing it for in the comments below. It’s super easy, I promise!  Here’s the link.  Let’s light the White House purple!

 

This is what I made when we had an impromptu family Play-Doh session this weekend. We rolled out a plastic table cover on the coffee table and played. This was, of course, while constantly working to convince our child she couldn’t eat the neon goop that is obviously salty and delicious.

I was excited for this family play session. I hoped to make it a learning opportunity too. My daughter and I discussed my sculpture. “What sound does the snake make? What color is it? Can you pick out the orange triangles on the snake? What about the pink dots?” All that was fine and she seemed to learn something.

But, she thought Daddy’s art was way cooler. The glasses were great, very creative. Of course they didn’t come until after he made the Play-Doh “poop” out of his hands, complete with sound effects.

When I wrote this post about loving the new Pampers commercial with the baby girls having crazy bed head, I had no idea Pampers would actually see the funny picture Greyson took of Charlotte.  They asked to make her the Pampers Beautiful Mornings baby on their Facebook and Twitter this week.  “Of course!” I thought.  “How fun?!”  My mama heart was so swelled with pride at that image of my little cutie’s crazy hair.  Pampers’ more than 1.3 million followers got a glimpse of my girl.

When the picture went up on Facebook yesterday, it got lots of likes and comments.  Most comments were very sweet and flattering.  Other mothers shared their kids’ crazy bed head stories.  Everyone got a laugh at Charlotte’s funny hairdo.  Someone said Greyson looked like Seth Rogen.  Ha!  He gets that a lot.

I don’t know what it is about human nature, but naturally I focused on the three nasty comments from total strangers.  It was all I could do not to drive to Whereverville, California or Someplace, Illinois and angrily unplug the laptops of the morons who would dare say mean things about my kid.  (Oooh!  Unplug them!?  I’m such a destructive rebel, I know.)

Like this Internet user who thought it was okay to say “Kid is kind of weird looking. And i know im not the only one thinking it”  You think?  Yeah, that is kind of the point.  It’s weird and crazy hair.  That is the whole point of the picture and the ad campaign.  (Oh yeah, capitalize your “I’s”!  )  

I got all defensive when I read, “Dad’s lookin mighty creepy behind that phone…”  I mean, who is she to say that about my man!?!?  Greyson on the other hand laughed and said he did kind of look creepy and went on to make fun of other creepy Internet pictures.

Someone else said, “Stupid picture.”  Okay, then why even comment?  Thanks to Amanda who defended me after that comment.

I learned a few things from this experience:

1. I figure Katie Holmes must be ready to rip the throats out of the paparazzi and any writer for US Weekly.  Seriously.  I got bent out of shape over near-harmless comments on Facebook and she has to see pictures and read whole articles about her daughter’s lifestyle and welfare.  Be nice to Suri!  She’s somebody’s baby!  (Okay, I understand comparing my situation to hers is a bit of a stretch.)  
2. I learned that is the risk you take when you share your child’s image with the world.  I understand the risk I take writing a blog and having people read it.  I signed a waiver saying it was okay for Procter & Gamble to use the picture and I leave my blog open for your comments every day.  That’s what I decided to do and I have to take whatever comes with it.  I’m not trying to make money off my kid or anything, I just like writing about our lives.
3. I learned I need to relax my inner Mama Bear.  It’s okay.  It’s not a big deal.  I think my baby is beautiful.  Who cares what strangers think?

I love this picture.  It makes me smile.  I’m glad it made so many of you smile.  Thanks Pampers, and thanks to all the kind friends and strangers who write nice things on the Internet!

Today was the coldest election I remember in a long time here in North Carolina.  Before work this morning we bundled up our girl and waited in a long line that wrapped around the local church that served as our precinct.  Charlotte was very good as she nibbled on Goldfish.  We bribed her with a sticker if she was tantrum-free as her parents did their civic duty.

I looked down at her and said, “Charlotte, who are you voting for?”  She paused for a moment, looked up from her snack and said, “Elmo.”  Greyson and I busted up laughing and promised to put him as a write-in.

Her support for her candidate didn’t waver all day.  This was the note outside her class.

I promise this is my last Sesame Street-themed post for awhile, this tale was just too good not to pass along.  Happy Election Day everyone!

 

When I asked my husband and brother-in-law to move the couch and the love seat out of the house and into the garage I think they thought I had gone a little overboard.  Maybe I had, but it was totally worth it.  I wanted to open up space for Charlotte and her friends to run around and be 2-year-olds.  I got a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and other bloggers, but I really wanted to make this special and personal for Charlotte.

The fabulous Brooke from Brooke Wolfe Photography took these pictures for me.  Check her out here and here.

I wanted a line from the Sesame Street theme song on the front door.  I chose “On my way to where the air is sweet” to greet guests as they walked in the door.  Grover made sure they had a spot to drop their gifts.

Charlotte was ready to party!

The party was brought to you by the letter “C” and the number “2”.  I tried to include “C’s” and “2’s” everywhere.  We had pizza along with the veggie and fruit heads of Oscar and Cookie Monster, goldfish, juice, and cupcakes.

I found a lot of my supplies for the party at our local dollar store and Michael’s.  Take a look at the bottom of my china cabinet.  I covered our open fireplace, the lower part of our china cabinet, and bar with Sesame Street wrapping paper to block out little hands.

All around the room I had toddler friendly activities to keep the kids busy.  I think Big Bird’s “nest” was the most popular attraction.

Elmo’s station was coloring “C” and “2” coloring sheets I printed online.  Cookie Monster’s station was playing with cookie “doh”.  Every kid got an Abby Cadabby wand.

I used some of Charlotte’s blocks so the kids could build a “Flying Fairy School” and they tossed paper into “Oscar’s Trash Can”.

Elmo brought the house down when he danced through the door.  (Actually, he had to walk very carefully since he really couldn’t see anything.)  He did bust out “The Robot” once he got inside.  (It was my brother-in-law, Kevin in the costume.  Shhh!)  Kids either came to Elmo running, or ran away in fear.  I expect some parents will be sending their therapy bills our way.  My sister Julie had a friend who happened to have this costume that we could borrow.

If you couldn’t tell already by the Elmo suit, Kevin was the biggest kid at the party.  I love him!  He’s so awesome.  I love the picture of Greyson holding up Charlotte to Big Bird.  When she saw that plastic backdrop I got for like $6.00, she went crazy and had to kiss all of them.   That backdrop was by far her favorite thing.  She was all like, “I’ve been telling ya’ll to decorate like this for 2 years!”

We got a family shot in front of the backdrop.  Greyson and I also rocked our SS apparel.  If you’ll notice from Greyson’s shirt, Governor Romney did not fire Big Bird from our party.  Ha!  (Don’t hate, the party was just a few days before the election.)  Charlotte had a custom “2” Elmo shirt I found on Etsy.

Our party girl was wiped by the end.  She almost fell asleep in the nest with her wand.  This shot is proof of a good party.