Give a Little Gift

I was born 8 weeks early. I have spent my entire pregnancy praying my baby would not be premature. I have a friend, Janet, and her husband, Mike, who weren't as lucky as I have been.  They don't know I'm writing this post, and I really hope they don't mind. I'll show it to them when we're done here...

Janet and Mike are a sweet couple, smart, and funny. I enjoy their company.  I met them through a friend a few years ago.  

Janet and Mike got pregnant with twins after being married over a decade.  They delivered their babies early, 16 weeks early.  Which means their twins Jaina and Cade were born at 24 weeks. Sweet baby Jaina fought hard for a few days, but is now waiting in heaven for her family.  Cade spent about 4 months in the NICU surrounded by nurses and doctors who cared for him expertly.

I cannot imagine travelling back and forth every day like Janet and Mike.
I cannot imagine the pain of bringing Cade home without his sister.

Cade 4mo old and home!

Why am I telling you this story and showing you an adorable baby photo?  Janet is participating in the March Of Dimes walk and is raising money in honor of her beautiful son Cade, and in memory of her precious daughter Jaina. I'm hoping that by being a friend of TheCatholicLovebirds and all that we love, you might consider donating to this fight.  There are so many babies born early, March of Dimes is doing everything they can to prevent this. When it can't be prevented March of Dimes does what they can to support these babies and their families.  Think of all your friends, how many have been affected by miscarriage, early births, premature or preterm births, birth defects?  Then click the link below and donate.  Donate in honor of the babies that fight to become adults.   Could you give a dollar? One dollar isn't much of a sacrifice really when you think of it... You've probably got that much between the couch cushions.

I've committed to donate a dollar amount equivalent to the weeks at which Lucy is born. What will you commit to?  Pickel Family MOD page

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My Nursery theme wish-list

Allicia and I made a deal. If the child we're having is a boy, then I get majority say-so on the theme of the nursery. If it's a girl, she gets the majority say-so.

With that in mind, I'm preparing for the possibility of coming up with what to decorate the room in. I love that little kid already, and I want him to have the coolest nursery ever. So he can look back and say, "My dad isn't that dumb."

So here are a few themes I'd go with, and a few I absolutely hate.

Good themes


Mickey Mouse - This, I suppose, could be Disney-themed, but I especially love the classic Mickey Mouse cartoons, so Mickey would get the nod here. One of my favorite Mickey Mouse pictures is this shot of him surfing. I think my cousin Amelia had a record with this photo on the front.

True, I know this isn't the cute and cuddly photo of Mickey that is familiar to most people, but it brings back so many childhood memories.

Farm - This theme would be a nod to my parents, who live on a farm full of Cattle. Cows, chickens and pigs always make good kid decorations, and the fact that my parents are on the farm gives me access to authentic items that could really spruce up the room, such as rope, hay, or cowbells.

Space - Our boy's name will probably be named after a famous astronaut (keeping this one a secret so it doesn't leak out), so having an outer space theme would be a nice touch considering his name. Planets make good mobiles too.

Shapes - Just a bunch of crazy shapes. Circles, rectangles, all in classy patterns and colors. No smiling characters on this one, but maybe that's for the best. I'm not sure I'd want a clown staring at me in my sleep.

Bad themes


Garfield - I still love and cherish Garfield's Christmas Special. It's a yearly tradition I share with my family. That being said, those were the good old days of Garfield. Now? He's a corporate schmuck who is responsible for Bill Murray's worst film. The merchandise is over the top and everywhere. Not in my kid's room.

Hooters - Yeah I didn't think this was a possible theme either, but on this message board, a woman said that her man was actually serious about this theme. Yes, let's teach our infant child to objectify women from the crib. That will be a swell life lesson.

WWE - I love the WWE more than any sport in the world. I'm in front of the TV on every Monday night. Still, I think that even John Cena would agree that he probably wouldn't make the best nursery theme.

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