tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15539809730269834292024-03-05T21:39:47.965-05:00Blogging To Remember: 2014 BlogathonLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-18551084526484538862014-11-23T07:54:00.000-05:002014-11-23T07:54:08.527-05:00and that's a wrap (8:00 am)Well, it's been a great 24 hours of blogging around the clock for The Compassionate Friends. Our fundraising total is officially in:<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1ouPhpSnwHazYeAYk-luwxXDFtIur2ZZl1_B_djhMCBSypg7_H0u1y95XVmulDZg16q_9xHIZ6mOAZXjIdGyfGNaLS-8LPgnF2nABvn5pxubD0XD5alcM_lfrMLjK7igTXqdyNCQWPDr/s1600/thetotal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1ouPhpSnwHazYeAYk-luwxXDFtIur2ZZl1_B_djhMCBSypg7_H0u1y95XVmulDZg16q_9xHIZ6mOAZXjIdGyfGNaLS-8LPgnF2nABvn5pxubD0XD5alcM_lfrMLjK7igTXqdyNCQWPDr/s400/thetotal.png" /></a></div><p>Thank you again to everyone who made this happen. I'll be sending out e-mails to all raffle prize winners over the next day or so!
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIqedxWDfndg79F7Sjgk767NqF5jRUeW_qYLpd8hYnPcgQYgVQ7TPi7dFjBy9hLmL_BYTLl9wwlYbzpOz-fkJip7VH3e65mWl9jIJ29HXiukgrwTzYjDltHWvNCnYNPV_aSW_eHz4oG9y/s1600/rememberingwylie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIqedxWDfndg79F7Sjgk767NqF5jRUeW_qYLpd8hYnPcgQYgVQ7TPi7dFjBy9hLmL_BYTLl9wwlYbzpOz-fkJip7VH3e65mWl9jIJ29HXiukgrwTzYjDltHWvNCnYNPV_aSW_eHz4oG9y/s400/rememberingwylie.jpg" /></a></div><center><br><i> I'll love you forever,<br>I'll like you for always,<br>As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.</i><p>Wylie Meadow Joly<br>
5/23/2014</center>
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-19816264431805701972014-11-23T07:30:00.000-05:002014-11-23T07:30:21.642-05:00thank yous & wrapping it all up (7:30 am)Thank you from the very bottom of my heart to <i>you</i>. All of you.<p>Every donor who generously donated. Everyone who sent me encouraging texts and Facebook messages. Everyone who sent me an e-mail to introduce yourself and your children. Every company and business who selflessly donated product to be raffled off during the Blogathon.<p>Thank you to The Compassionate Friends for doing what you do to comfort so many, to end the isolation, to provide support. Thank you for including parents of stillbirth, infant loss and miscarriage when society is so quick to turn us away. Thank you for caring. Thank you for making a difference.<p>--<p>I wish everyone could have won something. With 60 donors this year, it was easily my biggest Blogathon yet. The support completely blew my mind. I wish every single person who donated could have walked away with a raffle prize. I am so appreciative for every single donor, for every dollar donated, for everyone who so generously made a donation to The Compassionate Friends through the Blogathon. You all have my sincere thanks and my gratitude. When I set my fundraising goal of $500, I never imagined I would wrap up the Blogathon at nearly $2,000 raised. I am grateful for all of you and want you to know how very appreciative that I am.<p> --- <p> Thank you to all of the sponsors who donated raffle prizes: <a href="http://www.hellomerch.com">Hello Apparel</a>, <a href="http://www.corebamboo.com">Core Bamboo</a>, <a href="http://www.hydroflask.com">Hydro Flask</a>, <a href="http://www.theprintedpalette.com">The Printed Palette</a>, <a href="http://etsy.com/shop/DesignsByJessika">Designs by Jessika</a>, <a href="http://stephanieaudra.origamiowl.com/default.aspx">Stephanie Pederson's Origami Owl</a>, <a href="http://www.yogiproducts.com/">Yogi Teas</a>, <a href="http://www.sweatybands.com/">Sweaty Bands</a>, <a href="http://www.planetbox.com/">Planet Box</a>, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetblissco">Sweet Bliss Sugar Scrubs Co.</a>, <a href="http://www.benandjerrys.com/">Ben and Jerry's</a>, <a href="http://www.bbolder.com/">Bolder Band</a>, <a href="http://www.leakeycollection.com/">The Leakey Collection</a>, <a href="https://www.mythirtyone.com/ashleyseiden">Ashley Seiden's 31</a>, <a href="http://www.arvowear.com/">Arvo</a>, <a href="http://scentsandsongs.scentsy.us/">Sarah's Scents and Songs</a> and <a href="http://www.keurig.com/">Keurig</a>.<p>--- One more post to go and that's a wrap for this year. Thank you for your support and for allowing me to break the silence over something that needs to be talked about. Thank you for letting me remember my daughter and all of your children, too. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support.<p>Just one more post to go.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-17298174032886500032014-11-23T06:54:00.000-05:002014-11-23T06:56:12.974-05:00the one with the keurig raffle (7am)<center><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/soundtracktosayinggoodbye1/blogathon/blogathonprizes17.png" border="0"></center><p>I met the Keurig PR people at a blogging event. That night, I received an e-mail CC'd to me and someone in Keurig management. Two days later, someone was knocking on my door with a Keurig K10 Mini Brewing System and a tray full of K-Cups to be raffled away during the Blogathon. Those folks at Keurig? They're good people.<p>Without further ado, congratulations to the winner of the Keurig mini brewing system and coffee...
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#365, Lorin Rodman<p>---<p>That's a wrap on our Blogathon raffles! I can hardly believe it. We had so many incredible prizes donated this year and I'm so grateful for all of our sponsors! I wish everyone could have won something (that's the mom in me -- I'm one of those "everyone gets a trophy for trying!" moms), but I know the world won a little something -- a little kindness and compassion, maybe -- through everyone's donation to The Compassionate Friends.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-30899670898736197112014-11-23T06:32:00.001-05:002014-11-23T06:32:41.384-05:00and everyone is waking up (6;30 am)Well, my house is up.<p>Ethan had a bad dream somewhere around 5:30, before the sun came up. After trying unsuccessfully to get him back to sleep, we're all laid up on the couch watching The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on Netflix. My bed is totally calling my name. Not too much longer to go now.<p>I guess the next post will be the Keurig raffle!<p>Oh, coffee. My very best friend.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-39367162984206434382014-11-23T05:56:00.000-05:002014-11-23T05:56:05.686-05:00sweaty bands raffle time (6:00 am)From the <a href="http://www.sweatybands.com">Sweaty Bands</a> website: <i>"Fitness instructor Donna Browning needed a headband that could hold up to her grueling workouts and busy working mom lifestyle—so she made one. After loving her hand-sewn finished product, she realized her headbands had what it took to become a global business—so she made that happen too. Through late nights sewing in her basement, and weekends spent traveling to eCommerce seminars and fitness expos, Donna built a cult following for Sweaty Bands, and grew the business from a basement operation to the 30,000 square foot warehouse we operate out of today.<p>
This spirit of female entrepreneurship has carried through our evolving brand, and remains the driving factor for what makes us great. We care about our products and our people, and strive to empower women everywhere through our female-led workforce and continued sourcing of domestic seamstresses for production. We are a fun, close-knit group, who believe in celebrating the journey, and who know that healthy bodies lead to healthy minds, and, ultimately, a healthy business."</i><p><center><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/soundtracktosayinggoodbye1/blogathon/blogathonprizes8.png" border="0"></center><p>I'm excited to raffle off one Sweaty Bands headband! I can't believe this is the 2nd to last raffle left!<p>Without further ado, congratulations to...<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNA6hDfBafqSqaq7Y-fOT0InEZQ2zNI-GxaKvQSsJl6kf9qo8rj5GT0lAmHfbNmcbVyoBTo6YTDT9bzO1f_385XLqFuCNwGbk-41mSFBbpyK-eiG727Ac3jd12ZncBbF5JfTFAE6vGYE8/s1600/sweatybands.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNA6hDfBafqSqaq7Y-fOT0InEZQ2zNI-GxaKvQSsJl6kf9qo8rj5GT0lAmHfbNmcbVyoBTo6YTDT9bzO1f_385XLqFuCNwGbk-41mSFBbpyK-eiG727Ac3jd12ZncBbF5JfTFAE6vGYE8/s400/sweatybands.png" /></a></div><p>#205 Rhian LockardLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-73811718329355945122014-11-23T05:34:00.000-05:002014-11-23T05:34:37.880-05:00the best i can do. (5:30 am)People love to ask me if I'm going to have another child. Some seem to think I can replace the one I lost. Others mean well, they just wonder if I'll ever consider it.<p>I don't know.<p>I lost Wylie and I also lost the dreams of the big family we will never actually have.<p>I don't know if I'll ever be lucky enough to bring home a third baby. I don't know when I will ever be brave enough to try.<p>That's another thing about grief: there are no rules, which I know I said earlier. There are no guidelines. There's just your gut, your broken heart and your fractured sense of self. That's what you get to rely on for direction.<p>I lost my daughter and I lost the dreams of kids and cousins and chaos that I wanted. Sometimes I believe that there is a third baby in my future. Sometimes I don't know if I'm brave enough to find out. Sometimes I don't want to know the answer.<p>The future looks different once you face a loss. I used to have mine all planned out but now, it's all day by day.<p>And that's the very best I can do.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-1031966548853457682014-11-23T04:59:00.000-05:002014-11-23T05:00:38.902-05:00three hours to go! (5:00 am)Alright, I'm still going! Three more hours to go!
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I thought I'd bravely post my 5 a.m. sleepy selfie. (So attractive, right?!) Three hours to go, two more raffles to go. We're at $1,965 raised for The Compassionate Friends!<p>----<p>I'm a little tired and fuzzy and feeling totally incapable of saying anything profound, but I hope that this Blogathon brought some awareness. I hope that it helped someone feel strong enough to talk about their loss, or maybe it helped someone know how to be there for a grieving friend. I wanted to create awareness and I wanted to bring remembrance. I hope I was able to do a little bit of that.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-8477763223167237742014-11-23T04:36:00.000-05:002014-11-23T04:36:00.365-05:00ben and jerry's pint of ice cream raffle (4:30 am)<center><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/soundtracktosayinggoodbye1/blogathon/blogathonprizes11.png" border="0"></center><p>Oh, I love Ben and Jerry's! Their ice cream has always been my favorite. I love them even more that they've been so supportive of the Blogathon. They've given me several free pint vouchers to hand out prior to the Blogathon and now I get to hand out seven more the day of!<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEIOAjxWdc4HVRFmHpq-N-hoUPdpvC8G2hHCArFf0FHnP9v8308vtAdhjqApPFIxR2OXL2yHgqinVE25yf4khZ02tjyupl82lbwlG1N53RqFQBicCm1KtCxjrmmSrhaiY56qk81M5vnMe/s1600/benandjerrys.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEIOAjxWdc4HVRFmHpq-N-hoUPdpvC8G2hHCArFf0FHnP9v8308vtAdhjqApPFIxR2OXL2yHgqinVE25yf4khZ02tjyupl82lbwlG1N53RqFQBicCm1KtCxjrmmSrhaiY56qk81M5vnMe/s400/benandjerrys.png" /></a></div>
151 - Isabella Denaro, 334 - Melanie Kafka, 373 - Emily Connor, 185 - Ashley Reztsch, 296 - Deborah Biggerstaff, 68 - The Mendoza Family, 257 - Meghan HanrahanLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-51192472540826806922014-11-23T04:01:00.000-05:002014-11-23T04:01:00.459-05:00four hours to go (4:00 am)Alright, I'm getting tired -- but I'm still going! These are always the hardest hours. I'm hoping it'll get a little easier once it starts getting light outside again, which at least happens a little earlier these days. I'm also sort of looking forward to a nice day of sleeping in tomorrow before getting back to the weekly grind of everyday life. I think even I may be sick of coffee. A little. Maybe.<p>Maybe not.<p>Thank you to everyone who has followed along and everyone who is still following along! I have received somewhere in the ballpark of 40 e-mails since I began the Blogathon and I promise I'm going to write back to all of them. I want to give each e-mail the attention it deserves so bear with me if it takes me an extra day or two. My brain is a little fuzzy. It's 4 a.m. after all!<p>Here's to these last hours of the Blogathon!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-24516605421742178422014-11-23T03:29:00.000-05:002014-11-23T03:29:20.424-05:00houndstooth bag raffle - ashley's 31 (3:30 am)It's 3:30! It's almost morning! Or it's technically morning, actually. You know what I mean.<p><a href="https://www.mythirtyone.com/ashleyseiden">Ashley Seiden's Thirty One</a> shop sells tons of different storage, tote and handbag options many of which can be embroidered or personalized to make a perfect gift!<p>Ashley has donated a houndstooth blue/green handbag for the Blogging To Remember Blogathon!<p>Congratulations to:
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#282 Ruth Velat
Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-41431858367980999772014-11-23T03:04:00.000-05:002014-11-23T03:04:00.070-05:00six months (3:00 am)It's officially the 23rd.<p>It's officially six months since Wylie's birth.<p>It's been six months since we said goodbye and let the funeral home take her away, my sweet baby girl dressed in her brother's first-night-home layette gown. At the last minute, I asked to keep her hat. It still has tiny little blood stains on part of it from her birth. Sometimes I just like to breathe it in and remember how beautiful she looked in it, although not what I planned when we ordered it after our anatomy scan.<p>It's been six months since our lives changed forever. Six months since we became parents to a child who was no longer alive.<p>It's been six months. Half of a year. So much has happened but so much has felt paused, like time just couldn't trudge forward any longer.<p>Half of a year. So long and yet the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the years ahead of me without her.<p>Six months today since Ethan became the big brother he desperately wants to be and yet cannot be all the same.<p>Six months of advocating for her. Six months of understanding the depths of the human heart.<p>Six months today. It's so hard to believe.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-45908964301995716772014-11-23T02:33:00.000-05:002014-11-23T03:33:05.817-05:00the leakey collection jewelry raffle (2:30 am)<a href="http://www.leakeycollection.com/">The Leakey Collection</a> offers natural and sustainable African-made, elegant jewelry. They have graciously donated three pieces of jewelry to the Blogging To Remember Blogathon this year!<p>
A pair of earrings:
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0tE3m_ChUpDBGldN3P8zZFsZhL5IK_TDJ-o0Eg7UEA_YjQ4p0EG1KYmhvHTtgwa9ozQAvjQSZ7C4TpSUmvxZnYXvqpydgORtwJ1pV_Eql_pDFaJyfOzWbdKq_rnKyN2Boot8-c3QV4Vl/s1600/leakeyearrings2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0tE3m_ChUpDBGldN3P8zZFsZhL5IK_TDJ-o0Eg7UEA_YjQ4p0EG1KYmhvHTtgwa9ozQAvjQSZ7C4TpSUmvxZnYXvqpydgORtwJ1pV_Eql_pDFaJyfOzWbdKq_rnKyN2Boot8-c3QV4Vl/s320/leakeyearrings2.png" /></a></div><br>Ashley Noonan<p>A multistrand necklace:<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-OgyvuVSuMXIYjRYpwGi-7y_Px3nxb3E2nuH4sdjAy_83DPofuwPUOTdwlwTQJJtAEZ_7vCFcdDyXMchCo2zHy3WS8_hSTwxMTCagt7DOI3e1A6SgxW1O7zLWWDh_dyUGM4gqHWdPr_I/s1600/leakeynecklace.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-OgyvuVSuMXIYjRYpwGi-7y_Px3nxb3E2nuH4sdjAy_83DPofuwPUOTdwlwTQJJtAEZ_7vCFcdDyXMchCo2zHy3WS8_hSTwxMTCagt7DOI3e1A6SgxW1O7zLWWDh_dyUGM4gqHWdPr_I/s320/leakeynecklace.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wnk6ar6QgNCznk7rpdSHEtfIJ0NHKWWkD0rWbuKpYsp2uTa1FhUCC1Mhu574GOFtYS5BHid-LCKKRr5X7gmEfvtVVp2nkNBIfJGnn_xsXi8Kr1RQAlgX2x66UOOXBhFIzQNE-FdZXiZ0/s1600/leakeynecklace2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wnk6ar6QgNCznk7rpdSHEtfIJ0NHKWWkD0rWbuKpYsp2uTa1FhUCC1Mhu574GOFtYS5BHid-LCKKRr5X7gmEfvtVVp2nkNBIfJGnn_xsXi8Kr1RQAlgX2x66UOOXBhFIzQNE-FdZXiZ0/s320/leakeynecklace2.png" /></a></div><br>Jenna Edwards<p>Zulu Grass:
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Cindy HarariLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-90425372855294963352014-11-23T02:04:00.000-05:002014-11-23T02:04:24.516-05:00wildflowers (2:00 am)Well, it's 2 a.m. Six more hours to go! I think I've reached the point where even coffee isn't doing me much good at this point, so I'm trying to run on adrenaline. I still can't believe how much we have raised this year for The Compassionate Friends.<p>Anyone else still up? Anyone have any Netflix recommendations for me? (Anyone? Bueller?)<p>I'll share another song, one that manages to calm me always (not that I need help with that at 2 a.m.). I always sang the words to Ethan and now, they're relevant for Wylie as well. Both my children.<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ozgmyx919a4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-31909802563589710832014-11-23T01:31:00.001-05:002014-11-23T01:31:18.614-05:00origami owl $20 gift certificate raffle (1:30 am)<center><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/soundtracktosayinggoodbye1/blogathon/blogathonprizes6.png" border="0"></center><p><a href="http://stephanieaudra.origamiowl.com/default.aspx">Stephanie Pederson's Origami Owl</a> shop has graciously offered a $20 gift certificate to be raffled off during the Blogathon!<p>If you're unfamiliar with Origami Owl, you can create beautiful custom jewelry pieces. There are so many different locket, charm and accessory options to choose from. Origami Owl jewelry makes a great holiday gift so be sure to check out <a href="http://stephanieaudra.origamiowl.com/default.aspx">Stephanie's shop</a> when making your holiday shopping list!<p>Congratulations to...
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclGzFgb2YjDSB7bQyvNh8_WmV1L_gel3Ggge7oOATeq9piT0KdzqAwkXHLLb5MV9WFhhyqbEmpQsah6edXq7l4U45_fZ_vLB90WpWSHWoxi7OYpaHoxU8eGE7wyMcw9br9QemEXO1XoTe/s1600/donnademaio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclGzFgb2YjDSB7bQyvNh8_WmV1L_gel3Ggge7oOATeq9piT0KdzqAwkXHLLb5MV9WFhhyqbEmpQsah6edXq7l4U45_fZ_vLB90WpWSHWoxi7OYpaHoxU8eGE7wyMcw9br9QemEXO1XoTe/s400/donnademaio.png" /></a></div><p>#357, Donna DeMaioLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-43435040313159914032014-11-23T01:13:00.000-05:002014-11-23T01:13:03.200-05:00old lady party (1:00 am)It's 1:00 am. The only time I've seen 1:00 am has been when Ethan is up at 1:00 am. Before kids, I was always asleep by, like, 10:00. (Party animals, you know it!) But it's 1:00 a.m. and my friend and I are talking about That '70's Show (she's on Team Fez and I am on Team Hyde) while I marathon it on Netflix. While eating M&M's. And drinking Dr. Pepper. Which is like the ultimate party night for me because, you know, I'm such a party animal. It's the little things.<p>---<p>It's hard to know how to talk about yourself once you've lost a child. You never realize how often you're asked how many kids you have until you lose one and realize the effort answering that takes. For those who have no surviving children, the question of "do you have kids?" is a painful blow as well. I think of myself of a mother of two. I think of Ethan as Wylie's big brother. I think of Wylie as Ethan's little sister. And, if one day I am fortunate enough to bring another baby home awake, they will be Ethan and Wylie's younger sibling. I will always have a son, I will always have a daughter. My parents have two grandkids.<p>The world won't always see that. I'll always have people -- even close friends -- who say "but you only have one." One, they mean. One to bathe, to clothe, to feed. One to stay up with and make lunches for and tend to on the playground. One to chase at the park or worry about at mommy and me classes when someone steals their ball away. But harder than juggling more than one in a physical way is spending your entire life without one.<p>That pain never leaves. It never takes a break.<p>I am a mother of two, even if the Target cashier only sees me with one.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-36897296046933161102014-11-23T00:34:00.001-05:002014-11-23T00:34:56.886-05:00wylie's memorials: wylie's tattoo (12:30 am)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1ccpUy5ipX_4d95L52Owqec4LLvxUc-0Jwh3GPkNQIJ-VZy-1ETKvnUtNu_RJWXUUaChoFuMAco7jPLYHBQcAY2fx22tR6odozX04gDzxGtjiVxMs4PAzDpV-1m0busDaqDpmtDVtyYv/s1600/womankingtattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1ccpUy5ipX_4d95L52Owqec4LLvxUc-0Jwh3GPkNQIJ-VZy-1ETKvnUtNu_RJWXUUaChoFuMAco7jPLYHBQcAY2fx22tR6odozX04gDzxGtjiVxMs4PAzDpV-1m0busDaqDpmtDVtyYv/s400/womankingtattoo.jpg" /></a></div><p>Wylie's heart was broken. Her heart was "incompatible with human life." (If I never hear that term again, it would be too soon.) I knew I wanted to incorporate a human heart into her memorial tattoo and I knew I wanted it to be a whole heart, one that didn't have to be broken anymore. I wanted the lyrics to her song, <i>Woman King</i> by Iron and Wine, to be there, too. I showed the tattoo studio a few different sketches and what was waiting for me was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.<p>Of course, big thanks to Ted Mendoza at No Hard Feelings in Coral Springs for Wylie's beautiful memorial tattoo. It's nice to have this piece of her with me always, a piece of her that is no longer broken or suffering.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-36638704477625860072014-11-23T00:13:00.000-05:002014-11-23T00:13:35.951-05:00happy sunday + yogi tea raffle (12am midnight)It's officially Sunday! Eight more hours to go until Blogathon '14 comes to a close. These hours are the hardest, but I'm still trucking along -- thanks to an insane amount of caffeine.<p>Anyway, I'm one of those people who is really into baby books. I do a great job at documenting things online (obviously), but there's something about a hard copy baby book that I just love. I kept up Ethan's baby book until I filled out the last page when he turned one. I began to keep up Wylie's, too, and can't help but notice how thin it is in comparison to Ethan's. There wasn't much to write about other than pregnancy cravings and doctor's appointments. There wasn't much to shove into the pockets other than footprints and handprints and ultrasound photos. There were the pictures of Ethan painting her nursery and then there was nothing. There were blank pages. There were no more memories to be made.<p>That's the thing about loss. It's permanent. You don't get to add things anymore and it sort of helps you see the world in a different way. We've been having bedwetting issues with Ethan at nighttime and I don't even care. I will launder sheets until he's a teenager if it means he is here giving me things to add to the laundry pile. You began to cherish all of those things, vomit and puke and tantrums in public places, because there's always something worse. There's always losing the child to do those things.<p>Wylie's nursery is still exactly as it was when she was alive and we thought she would be coming home with us. The clothes are hanging in the closet, organized by size. The glider sits with no one to rock in it. I've thought often about what to do with her things. I don't know that I could ever part with them. They were hers, after all, even if she was never able to wear them or use them.<p>My father has a steamer trunk of his things that has sat in our garage for as long as I can remember. I always loved sitting with him and looking back at all of his childhood memories. Wylie will never have a family to sit around and look at her things, but I want to. I want to keep them and breathe them in and remember what could have been, what should have been. They were her things and no one can take that away from her, as irrational as that may sound. Is there really any rationality in losing a child?<p>But her baby book. I want it to grow. I want it to be thick like Ethan's. I want to add things and memories. Sometimes I <a href="http://www.wyliesactsofkindness.com">pay it forward for Wylie</a>. Sometimes I just want to write something to her that I know she will never read. Sometimes I just want her name, her memory, something about her to stay here. This Blogathon is a little bit like that. All that we raised, all that we did for The Compassionate Friends, it'll all go in her baby book because it was her that inspired me to do this. It is her that continues to inspire me to do so much.<p>---<p><center>
<img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/soundtracktosayinggoodbye1/blogathon/blogathonprizes7.png"></center><p><a href="http://www.yogiproducts.com">Yogi Tea</a> are a second year Blogathon sponsor and I am always so grateful for their support. Yogi Teas are of the finest quality, sustainable and so good for you. They have graciously offered a donor the chance to win an entire case of their teas.<p>Congratulations to...
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv23WpOGQ0akfSjzs7ttNIHgfXpp0_EcRHOqIkG8FQJDMistyYsQnRizE7zDUK8cjZqOCxgRkTYamv7VdV-YNzBiBlQDrlSNs7XsLlZh8HFQq4G-eGqbezFOExuR6q6ubZBNAK9XJHq4RE/s1600/yogitea.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv23WpOGQ0akfSjzs7ttNIHgfXpp0_EcRHOqIkG8FQJDMistyYsQnRizE7zDUK8cjZqOCxgRkTYamv7VdV-YNzBiBlQDrlSNs7XsLlZh8HFQq4G-eGqbezFOExuR6q6ubZBNAK9XJHq4RE/s400/yogitea.png" /></a></div><p>#379 Carol HagensLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-84101829283506567792014-11-22T23:36:00.000-05:002014-11-22T23:36:41.752-05:00thanks to you (11:30 pm)I threw this Blogathon together over a short period of time, at least in comparison to years past. I wasn't planning on doing a Blogathon this year. In my plans, I would have a newborn and I figured I would take the year off from blogging around the clock. When we lost Wylie, I threw this together on a whim and was constantly amazed and humbled by the support of sponsors who continued to ask how they could help. When I met the Keurig PR team at a blogging event, I didn't expect a Keurig raffle prize to wind up at my door just a few days later. And when I set my fundraising goal at $500, I didn't expect to be $50 away from $2,000 before Sunday even came along.<p>I just want to thank you. Yes, you. All of you reading this and all of you who have donated. All of the sponsors, the donors, the people who are sending e-mails and comments. It's all thanks to you that this Blogathon is shaping up to be the biggest success yet.<p>---
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<i>"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."</i></center>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-33357108421572451372014-11-22T23:03:00.001-05:002014-11-22T23:03:38.055-05:00an hour until tomorrow! (11:00 pm)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_s1Wgctce5DEYlHrv6MazyS4-si3a0YHAfhQFiwS6tEXLMKTOElGcJjrHzq81rkxQReaIng9QUZtYVyZO2RQHggxRtTzwNqgGSV37-o57z6OCHKXgAtYjo8mDLoyusu7-OvjDHV1B3sn/s1600/dentalwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_s1Wgctce5DEYlHrv6MazyS4-si3a0YHAfhQFiwS6tEXLMKTOElGcJjrHzq81rkxQReaIng9QUZtYVyZO2RQHggxRtTzwNqgGSV37-o57z6OCHKXgAtYjo8mDLoyusu7-OvjDHV1B3sn/s400/dentalwork.jpg" /></a></div><p>My best friend came back into town from Central Florida for her Thanksgiving break and she's been stopping by to keep me company. Tonight she dropped by with some Italian Ices from our favorite local spot (hey, Cecilie's!) and we're marathoning some <i>Undercover Boss.</i> It's hard to believe we're an hour away from it being Sunday! Bring it on, late night hours. I'm ready for you!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-47485198376825083122014-11-22T22:39:00.001-05:002014-11-22T22:39:59.680-05:00hydroflask raffle (10:30 pm)<p>I am super excited for this next raffle -- six winners get to be selected!<p><a href="http://www.hydroflask.com">Hydro Flask</a> focuses exclusively on delivering the world’s best quality and widest variety of high performance, double-wall vacuum insulated products. Each flask is made from high-quality 18/8 stainless steel and is stylish, lightweight, reusable and BPA-free. Hydro Flasks provide users the freedom to go anywhere with the assurance that their cold liquids will stay cold for 24 hours, and hot liquids will stay hot for 12 hours."<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKROdwsEdADcS2Mc_r9T7zVOPDPp60i01gYYmJFd1FzjpiWqvltyHFm9uI4b5lVD8vpVp-MTABLA85jrWwyCU0EKj8UNjUMInws82GnNTtH7tUppp6F-uljgDsGSmfeOjjOWy5y7gq7112/s1600/hydroflaskcoffee2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKROdwsEdADcS2Mc_r9T7zVOPDPp60i01gYYmJFd1FzjpiWqvltyHFm9uI4b5lVD8vpVp-MTABLA85jrWwyCU0EKj8UNjUMInws82GnNTtH7tUppp6F-uljgDsGSmfeOjjOWy5y7gq7112/s320/hydroflaskcoffee2.png" /></a></div><p>The three 18oz insulated coffee, tea and water bottles go to...<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZk03Ug9yO1r5e3tPiT1W8V7G4ATVK99j7ZoULKxklf2HUD3jRbZ-ISUT83VVQqQdWpX3sBn7kMSH16OeaJMvWQL4zcgepMxEMSl4XnFbPeehrzLCpaEtDXL-04bI15J3srQC0YqOv9bQx/s1600/hydroflaskcoffee.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZk03Ug9yO1r5e3tPiT1W8V7G4ATVK99j7ZoULKxklf2HUD3jRbZ-ISUT83VVQqQdWpX3sBn7kMSH16OeaJMvWQL4zcgepMxEMSl4XnFbPeehrzLCpaEtDXL-04bI15J3srQC0YqOv9bQx/s400/hydroflaskcoffee.png" /></a></div><p>305 - Tricia Bracher, 153 - Jessica Zietz, 315 - Sara Castro<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAkoNcLDs0ptXKajIJEVp7VYNMdpFVxIO2UdOIb6IzlJFQP6y3oE-FHU5E5JvzRxsdYj81yo3yFzjN_Ik2PW60O6HoQz53mUouZvV6eo8INUC7NryRtx-Jw4tnSVPy9buK19NnK7TvigT/s1600/hydroflaskwater2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAkoNcLDs0ptXKajIJEVp7VYNMdpFVxIO2UdOIb6IzlJFQP6y3oE-FHU5E5JvzRxsdYj81yo3yFzjN_Ik2PW60O6HoQz53mUouZvV6eo8INUC7NryRtx-Jw4tnSVPy9buK19NnK7TvigT/s400/hydroflaskwater2.png" /></a></div><p>And the winners of the three 18oz insulated water bottles are...<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsJltvkUw__QUS61PxRFm-1CVtc2uEARD1Sx9dLMK0z2HqSUkGqXABR0duQw15HBXGTjsyThlYLcHQnUoYWl-tkUUeMFMHdCAFAmDt-lTgl1ZSxtcO2Nz3Qy0ghAll3WBuEm43nCb0ULd/s1600/hydroflaskwater.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsJltvkUw__QUS61PxRFm-1CVtc2uEARD1Sx9dLMK0z2HqSUkGqXABR0duQw15HBXGTjsyThlYLcHQnUoYWl-tkUUeMFMHdCAFAmDt-lTgl1ZSxtcO2Nz3Qy0ghAll3WBuEm43nCb0ULd/s400/hydroflaskwater.png" /></a></div><p>81 - Lee Smath, 34 - George Poveromo, 138 - Ed KumpLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-70092232018256555822014-11-22T22:08:00.000-05:002014-11-22T22:08:09.309-05:00grief through your words (10:00 pm)"Loss, death, grief, bereavement. For many those are taboo words. They are scary and some think they are contagious. This fear of loss and lack of discussion ends up putting roadblocks into our journey. It makes a person who has experienced loss, especially loss of their child, feel isolated. It makes you not want to express your feelings. People think that if you talk about your loss too much you aren’t moving on and you are unhealthy. I feel the opposite. As long as it is not interfering with every aspect of your daily life it is good to keep your loss, your child, an active part of your life. I loved my daughter very much and it has changed me as a person, for the rest of my life. I want people to know that. To know that it wasn’t just a blip in my life that I can get over. I will never get over it. I will never “get back to my old self.” Things that once meant something, don’t and vice versa. People need to know that this happens a lot and it needs to be discussed and talked about and a part of lives. I’ve noticed a lot of TV shows lately having miscarriages and stillborns. It happens in one episode and by the next episode everything is A-OK and they’ve “moved on." So, although I am glad that it is being put on mainstream TV it is not showing the reality of what happens AFTER the loss. How to get through the rest of your life with out your child is what needs to be talked about and explored in the mainstream world. Loss and death need to be intertwined with love and life." - Krissy T.
<p>I also would love for you to take a minute and read these blog posts by a new friend and fellow grieving mother, Rebecca:<p><a href="http://onepinkballoon.blogspot.com/2013/06/what-you-dont-know.html">What You Don't Know</a><br><a href="http://onepinkballoon.blogspot.com/2013/05/tubby-time.html">Tubby Time</a><br><a href="http://onepinkballoon.blogspot.com/2013/07/say-her-name.html">Say Her Name</a><p>Thank you for sharing your words and grief with me. I am reading all of the e-mails that come in.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-45303606968081652512014-11-22T21:37:00.000-05:002014-11-22T21:42:13.967-05:00when it can't be worse anymore (9:30 pm)I'm still at the new part of my grief where I'm still figuring it all out. How to talk to people, I mean. I'm figuring out how to respond to the old high school friend who asks "how many kids do you have?" when you meet up with them by accident at Target one night. I'm figuring out how to respond to the well-meaning cashier who asks "just the one?" while nodding towards my son. I'm figuring out how to take pictures of my husband, myself and our son again without it feeling like I'm deceiving the daughter who isn't here (how can a family picture be a family picture without everyone in the family in it?).<p>Sometimes I say something and someone, unsure of what to say, says "it could be worse. My cousin's friend's sister's baby died when they were 10." I take a deep breath. And I feel pain in my heat for that cousin's friend's sister for both their loss and the fact that I have no doubts someone once said to them "it could be worse. My aunt's neighbor's sister's nephew lost their child at 25. He had a kid, you know."<p>I can only speak of my own experience with stillbirth. My own experience with stillbirth can still be vastly different from someone else's. But I want to try to talk about miscarriage, because no one is. And they need to.<p>I don't know firsthand what it feels like to miscarry. I don't know firsthand what it feels like to hold the excitement of being pregnant in your heart and soul and then have it ripped away without any indication as to why it's happening and knowing you can't do anything about it. The hopes, the dreams -- they stay that way, as hopes and dreams. They never turn into anything else.<p>I know that people suffer from miscarriages and feel silly talking about them. I know people -- society -- doesn't want to hear it. I can only imagine the "it could be worse" stories that people tell those who have suffered a miscarriage and that's not fair.<p>When I lost Wylie, people began opening up to me about their losses. More people that my family knew had a stillbirth than I ever realized. More had miscarriages than I ever knew about, including my own grandmother. Knowing I wasn't alone, knowing I had these people to talk to -- well, it helped me feel less alone.<p>So why aren't we talking?<p>We aren't talking because someone is always going to chime in with "it could be worse." And it can't be worse. Whether you suffered a miscarriage early in your pregnancy or held your full term baby in your arms knowing they would never open their eyes and look at you or whether you lost your child as an adult, it can't be worse. It can't be worse because your pain is a justified pain. Your loss is a justified loss. Your hurt is justified hurt.<p>And you deserve the right to talk about it because it isn't shameful. Because it isn't something to be embarrassed about. Because no one has the right to trivialize your pain.<p>I have been receiving many e-mails since I began the Blogathon. I am trying to respond to them all, but they're coming in faster than I can reply to. I want you all to know that I read them. To the grieving mother who sent me the e-mail about your miscarriages and the people who think your loss doesn't count, this post is dedicated to you. It counts. You are a mother always.<p>And no one can take that away from you.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-70442337654423167472014-11-22T21:10:00.001-05:002014-11-22T21:10:13.137-05:00designs by jessika peg people raffle (9 pm)I met Jessika in high school when we were both part of the super cool punk rock scene. Someone else who loved trucker hats and eyeliner and wristbands as much as I did? Love at first LiveJournal add! Now that we're all grown up (or something like that), Jessika has gone on to have a beautiful daughter and make some really pretty things in her <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignsByJessika">Designs by Jessika</a> shop.<p><center><img src="http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a138/soundtracktosayinggoodbye1/blogathon/blogathonprizes5.png" border="0"></center><p>Jessika has donated some handpainted wooden peg people as a Blogathon raffle prize! The winner is able to pick their choice of two holiday peg people out of Santa, Mrs. Claus, Snowman, Elf, Hanukkah Friend, Penguin and Reindeer. <p>And the winner is...<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJ-5J60csgcxiefhr7F2AkmQYPai_GbbkhTNS1rgit-FGNqymp7qJPbLsGodKZGKBJpBquLRl7Nughbajyihz5563m5Qu1s9Q8BuVUCQB0vbXSlFdxrqmT-kEW7xIHBo9Jxp2E9HG5XiF/s1600/pegpeoplejessika.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJ-5J60csgcxiefhr7F2AkmQYPai_GbbkhTNS1rgit-FGNqymp7qJPbLsGodKZGKBJpBquLRl7Nughbajyihz5563m5Qu1s9Q8BuVUCQB0vbXSlFdxrqmT-kEW7xIHBo9Jxp2E9HG5XiF/s400/pegpeoplejessika.png" /></a></div><p>#73 Erin CallisLindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-8132594107410762662014-11-22T20:36:00.001-05:002014-11-22T20:36:46.295-05:00everyone grieves differently (8:30 pm)Everyone grieves differently.<p>The thing about grief is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. And that's okay. That's really okay.<p>Sometimes I hear "well, my cousin had a stillbirth and she started trying to conceive the following month!" (or something like it) when I explain to someone that I'm not ready to even consider another child at this point. You hear "well, just go out, it'll make you feel better" when they know someone else who went out a lot following their loss and you'd rather stay holed up in your house for a little while longer. You hear suggestions and advice that you never asked for because people know someone who was grieving and want to help you the only way know how. But sometimes it's not going to help you. Sometimes only you know how to help you.<p>And that's okay.<p>It's okay to not want to attend a baby shower, a children's party, the grocery store six months after losing a child. It's okay to throw a baby shower, attend five children's parties, go out for coffee and drinks with friends two weeks after losing a child.<p>You know what is right. You know how you're body is wanting to grieve. And if it's not the way someone else thinks you should, that's okay. You don't need to explain your grief to anyone.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1553980973026983429.post-60996496931750640352014-11-22T20:04:00.000-05:002014-11-22T20:04:57.158-05:00halfway there (8:00 pm!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tS3Wp2V-a2WClusBVCztW3d5J53e77uy32P48gCtBBX7YaTnGRpvKBPd2Al2w1r9IX2DPBQ-QGjfZ4rcXuaTJZBcHq88s49vnnzthBJ1VNz3G8OY_CjLXO4ucClg2iH3c24ZAKCpNVPT/s1600/xmaslights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tS3Wp2V-a2WClusBVCztW3d5J53e77uy32P48gCtBBX7YaTnGRpvKBPd2Al2w1r9IX2DPBQ-QGjfZ4rcXuaTJZBcHq88s49vnnzthBJ1VNz3G8OY_CjLXO4ucClg2iH3c24ZAKCpNVPT/s400/xmaslights.jpg" /></a></div><p>Well, I'm halfway through this year's Blogathon! I spent my time between posts on a quick walk to the front of our neighborhood to check out the Christmas lights that they've begun to put up. It rained on us on the way back, but the power walk home through the rain was a little invigorating!<p>So far, this Blogathon is the most successful one I've done to date. We have raised the most amount of money and I've had the most donors. At a frustrating time when it feels like no one wants to talk about loss, no one wants to deal with it, no one wants to hear about it anymore and everyone just forgets, it feels good to have all of this support for every parent who is grieving in this world tonight. Even now, halfway through the Blogathon, donations keep popping up and I know our voices are being heard.<p>I want to be Wylie's voice, the voice that was taken from her. I want to be her voice and do good in her memory. And through this journey, I've met so many other parents who are wanting the same: to speak on behalf of their children who are gone too soon and do good for them. In the next few entries, I'll be sharing some more insight on loss through the words of other bereaved parents who I am honored to know. If there is anything you want the world to know about your loss, about grief, please e-mail me - lindsaydelores@gmail.com. I would love to feature your words, too. I myself am only equipped to speak about my stillbirth experience, but I know there are grieving parents out there who have said goodbye at all different times and yet always too soon.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18101932639543215210noreply@blogger.com0