Your Cards and an Update

Sorry that it took me so long to get pictures of all of the cards everyone has sent me for Baby Francesca, but I finally did it! Well minus about 4 that I can't seem to get off of my camera...the disc got corrupted somehow...so I will get those later. I am up to 111 cards now! So thank you again to all and congratulations Deborah (yes, she did get back to me!). Please check out all of the cards. I am listing those on Splitcoast too (even though I also took pictures of them and included them with the rest) so that you can leave comments to those that made them. Also, I apologize for the poor photography on some of the cards...I wasn't checking each picture as I took them...too many pictures to take at one time. So check them out!!

Cards on SCS - Leave them some love!

All of the Baby Francesca RAKs

Also, I finally have an update for you on Francesca. It had been awhile since I have heard anything, which drives me crazy...my mind goes to the worst first for some reason. Anyway, things seem to be progressing, just busy in her world. She is still working at being weaned from the ventilator and increasing her feedings. Maureen and Ronny, though, are continuing to show what amazing parents they already are...below is copied from the online journal. The last part is a message directly from them (all of the other updates have been written by Maureen's sister's husband). As you can read, they feel the latest news to be a blessing...something they are proud the Lord entrusted them with. Not that I feel the news is bad, I just know that things will be harder for them, so I ask you to please keep them in your prayers...and thank the Lord for the amazing parents that Baby Francesca has been given.





Posted on 1/12/09:
"Hello All:
We apologize for the delay in posting an update, our Sweet Francesca has had a busy few days, slowly getting the ventilator weaned down more and increasing her feeds. Francesca is scheduled to have an MRI early tomorrow morning, and then will possibly have her second try at being extubated in the afternoon.

In addition, we have recently learned more about our angel baby, Francesca. Below is a letter from Maureen and Ronny, her very proud parents...

Dear Family and Friends,

As you know, our Sweetest Francesca is truly a miracle. God has made Francesca very special, and chosen us to be her parents – we feel blessed. She was born with Down Syndrome. We just found out this past weekend, and we want to give you time to adjust to the news, so you won’t feel the need to have an immediate response. We hope you will feel the same as we do, we’re happy and proud. We would like you to see her as we do, a Beautiful Baby Girl. We also want you to treat her just like any other baby – Congratulate US – Be happy we have a baby. We’re a family now, this is not a sad moment, PLEASE do not apologize, we aren’t sorry. We are still gathering information on Down Syndrome and probably won’t be able to answer any questions for a while. We would like to encourage you to continue to check the website, send us messages, and watch our baby girl heal and grow. She sleeps, eats, cries, and dirties diapers, just like every other baby. She’s just got an extra chromosome to go with her very feisty attitude!

Love,

Ronny and Maureen"

And the Winner Is - Take 3

Fortunately for the rest of you, I never heard from Marsha Sutton of Stafford, TX, so I had to have my son pick yet another name! This time it was someone that posted something on their blog, so I have a blog to go with the name. So let's try this again....drumroll, please....the winner of my Blog Candy for a Cause II is:

Deborah Anton of North Carolina

Beadn & Stampn

So Deborah, please contact me by January 14 with your mailing address so I can get you the loot. Here is your reminder of what you won (at the bottom of the original winner's post)!

In regards to Baby Francesca...I don't have any new updates and the visit with Maureen and Ronny had to be postponed for a couple of reasons. Francesca was having a fussy day when I was suppose to go, so Maureen didn't feel up to having visitors since she would be with Francie all day. Plus we got like 12 inches (might be a slight exaggeration, but it was definitely over 8 inches) of snow that day and I was driving back from my sister's house. So alas the visit was postponed till another date yet to be set. They were talking about taking her off the ventilator too, so I will post something when I get an update. Thanks for the continued prayers for her!

And the Winner Is -Take 2

Unfortunately for Wendy, I never heard from her...fortunately for all of you, I had to pick a new winner of my Blog Candy for a Cause II. I cannot leave it open forever and if I don't get the goodies out of my house, I am going to be tempted to use them myself...I mean seriously, did you see what I have in front of me! Anyway, drum roll please..........the new winner of the Blog Candy for a Cause II is:

Marsha Sutton of Stafford, TX

Congrats Marsha! I can't wait to send you the loot...if you need a reminder again of that loot see my original winner's post HERE. Please contact me by Monday, January 12 to give me your mailing address...and like we have already seen, if I am not contacted, I will have to pull yet another winner.

While I am here, I thought I would pass along the latest with Francesca. They actually had her off of the ventilator for over 12 hours! Unfortunately, she was put back on, but the fact that she was off for a bit was incredible! So keep praying that they can get her off and keep her off of the ventilator soon!

Posted on 1/7/09:
"Hello Family and Friends,

Francesca has had a few very busy days, with lots of tests and consults. Overall, her test results have been good, with a few small bumps along the way. She has continued to be quite uncomfortable at times, as she goes through withdrawal from her sedation medications.

The main focus over the past few days has been weaning down the ventilator settings. Francesca took a giant step forward today, as she was taken off the ventilator around 10:30 this morning. She has had difficult periods during the day since being extubated, but she was still off the ventilator at 10:00 this evening, which is just amazing to us!! However, she was having to work quite hard to breathe tonight, so the doctors and nurses have cautioned us, that there is a chance that Francesca will have to be re-intubated (and thus, put back on the ventilator). It sounds like this is a very common thing, to try going off the ventilator, but then needing to go back on. We are just waiting to see what Francesca needs at this time, and we will go from there.

Francesca continues to grow more and more adorable every day. We are so thankful for the wonderful doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists at Children’s Hospital, who take such good care of our little angel…and we are so thankful for the support of our family and friends. Francesca is such a fighter, please continue to keep her in your prayers."

Posted on 1/8/09:

"Hello Everyone……

We just wanted to post a quick update about the beautiful Francesca. Last night she was struggling to breath and her blood gases were pretty bad so this morning the doctors decided to put her back on the ventilator. Francesca is now doing better and resting comfortably. They will most likely give it a few days and try again.

Thank you for all your support and prayers for Our Sweet Francesca."

Francesca Update

Hey everyone! I haven't had a chance to make anything recently, so nothing to show right now. I just wanted to pop in to give a quick Francesca update. Speaking of which...Wendy Byrd of Elizabeth City, NC are you out there??? If you are you need to look at this POST! For the rest of you, if I don't hear from Wendy by Friday, I will have to pick a new winner from my Blog Candy for a Cause II!!! So stay posted!

Anyway, it sounds as if Francesca is doing fairly well...ups and downs still. The biggest concern right now is the weaning of her sedatives. I guess she is having some trouble with that. I am tentatively scheduled to visit Maureen and Ronny on Saturday (pending how Francie is doing that day) to give them the box full of love! As always it is better to get the update in their words than in mine! So here you go:

Posted 1/4/09:
"Hello Everyone!
Francesca has had a few “up and down” days…Her oxygen saturation and blood gases have been fairly good, so they have been able to continue to slowly wean the ventilator (oxygen down to 48%, and weaning her pressure and rate down too). In addition, Francesca has done well tolerating her tube feedings, and now has a small feeding every three hours. She has lost even more of the fluid she has been retaining for so long, and has been able to be weaned down a bit on her Lasix (a diuretic which assisted her with getting rid of her excess fluid).

Francesca has had difficulty over the past two days, as her two sedation medications are being weaned, and Francesca is experiencing significant withdrawal symptoms. The doctors say this is expected, and that these symptoms could last days…to weeks. Our sweet little baby is quite uncomfortable, and it is quite painful for us to watch. Luckily, singing lullabies and feeling a loved one’s hand on her seems to calm her…a little. Let’s just say, we are singing ourselves hoarse!

Prayers for comfort for our angel baby Francesca would be greatly appreciated. We hope you all enjoyed a great New Years weekend. Thanks again for your continued support."

And the Winner Is......

Well I am gong to make you wait just a minute to find out who the winner of the Blog Candy for a Cause II is....if you really can't wait, it is at the end of this post! First I want to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone that said a prayer, sent me a card, and/or donated blog candy. The lid to the box will hardly stay on due to the amount of cards that fill it...and I thought I got a big box too! Cards that wish Maureen and Ronny strength and comfort. Cards that wish healing for baby Francesca. Cards that simply let them know they are in someone's prayers. And as I give them this box of "love", I pray that it brings them peace and comfort during their time of struggle and healing and love for baby Francesca. So thank you all for helping me say prayers for them and helping me lift their spirits. I cannot find the right words to express how truly grateful I am!

This box was created as a keepsake for Francesca Maria Bucci (FMB) to hold all of the amazing and heartfelt cards that were created for her and her family. Maureen, without knowing if she was having a boy or a girl, decided to paint the room a pale green with black & white accents. So I went with the black & white theme and added accents of certainly celery and pretty in pink. I am so pleased with the result! I just hope the box reflects even half of the beauty that is contained inside it!

This was a large paper mache box from JoAnn's. I painted it black inside and out. Then I glued on the beautiful black & white patterned paper by Me & My Big Ideas (bought it at JoAnn's as well) to the sides, top and inside bottom. I adhered a pretty light green flower trim (again from JoAnn's) to the sides of the lid and added some pink rhinestones to the centers of the flowers. I did seal a lot of the box with Modge Podge so that it "weathers" well for Francesca.

For the lid of the box I wanted her name or something on it. I ended up with her initials out of Chipboard cutouts (from the SU! Lots of Letters chipboard). I painted them black and sealed them. Then I adhered white behind for the letters and layered it on a scallop square (Nestabilities) of Certainly Celery. Some pink rhinestones finished them off. They are raised up over top of the black embossed paper with the white strip and more of the flower trim. The saying and the flower from Verve Stamps Beautiful You set completed the box...see the details below.

Lastly, I made a card from me to go with all of your cards. I decided to coordinate it with the box, using the same colors, flower, and accents. From the same Beautiful You set, I chose the saying "There are no small Miracles". I think that might say it all!

I added a little Cotton Candy stickles to the flower this time, but I kept most of the other design elements the same. I just love how this flower looks with the patterned paper...it just coordinates so very well! And you gotta love getting a chance to use Christmas presents (I got the Swiss Dots embossing folder and the complete set of square Nestabilities!).

O.k. I won't make you wait any longer...oh actually I will. I wanted to share some interesting information from this RAK request. I received 107 cards (don't worry any stragglers will get to them!) from literally all over the world. The cards came from all over the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, South Africa, and Australia! I had 40 bloggers post about my RAK request which helped me spread the word. And all of that comes down to one winner. After printing out everyone's name, cutting them out, and allowing my son to pick the winner...the winner is:

Wendy Byrd from Elizabeth, NC

Congratulations Wendy!! Email me your mailing address and I will get you the parts of the blog candy I have in my possession and I will share your address with the donators of the other parts to have them send you the rest. I hope you enjoy the loot!!!

And in case you need a reminder, I took a new picture of the much larger blog candy and listed all 42 items...crazy considering it started out with my measly 6 items!

1) IKEA Bygel Large Storage Basket, 2) Small container of adhesive backed blue rhinestones, 3)Glass Jar, 4) Fake Dew Drops, 5) Studio G Clear Acrylic Mini Alphabet Stamp set, 6) Scrappy Cat Clear Acrylic Baby Girl Stamp Set, 7) Papertrey Ink - Holiday Treats Stamp Set, 8) Signed Whimsical Autumn Stamp Set, 9) Tinkering Ink - Haberdasher Petite Patterned paper pad, 10) Our Craft Lounge - Tree-mendous Love Stamp Set, 11) SU! - Sleigh Full of Toys Stamp Set, 12),
Bottle of Prima Flowers, 13) Close to My Heart - Heartthrob stamp set, 14) SU! - Punches Three Stamp Set, 15) Autumn Leaves - 2 Clear Stamp sets, 16) Stampendous - Hey There Cupcake (gently used), 17) Heidi Swap - Forever Clear Stamp Set, 18) BoBunny - Aloha Acrylic Stamp Set, 19) Pink Paislee - Vintage Pop Clear Stamp Set, 20) Making Memories - Funky Vintage Ruby Collection 6x6 paper pack, 21) Studio G Clear Stamp Set, 22) SU! - $50 Gift Certificate redeemable through me, 23) Scor-pal with Case, 24) Close to My Heart - From the Heart stamp set, 25) Serendipity Kits - Papercraft kit, 26) Treehouse Stamps - $25 Gift Certificate, 27) Whimsy Stamps - Penguin and Seal Stamp, 28) JustRite Curlz Monogram Stamper Kit , 29) SU! - Shapes and Shadows Stamp Set, 30) Roll of ribbon from Michaels, 31)Studio G - Crystal Glitter Glue, 32) Studio G - Green Glitter Glue, 33) SU! - World Over stamp set (retired), 34) SU! - Event Full stamp set (retired), 35) Inkadinkadoo Brenda Walton stamp set - Somerset Expressions, 36) The Robin's Nest Dew Drops, 37) Fired Brick Distress Ink, 38)
Small photo album, 39) Darice Finishing Accents Rhinstone stickers, 40) Blumenthal Lansing Company - Button Sensations, 41) Inkadinkadoo Humingbird Stamp, 42) SU! - 6x6 Pattern Paper Pack

Whew! Not sure what this loot is valued at, but I am guessing well over a couple hundred dollars!! Thank you again to the generous folks that donated to my blog candy!

Carolyn King (My Blog By Cammie), Cambria Turnbow (Stamp a Little Love Baby and Our Craft Lounge), Stephanie Benedict, Nicole Anderson (Anderson Arts), Mary Vogel (Life and Creating), Jane Bosi (Jane's Addiction), Julie Crossley (Scrapbook Store at Your Door), Joanne Basile (Stamped by Hand), Debbie Stelton (Dolce Deb Designs), Katie Cotton (Paper Makeup), Milissa Howes (Serendipity Kits), Ashley Bowen (Treehouse Stamps), Denise Lynn (Whimsy Stamps), Monique Matthews (Heavenly Creations by Monique), Cindy Walker, Anita Autore (Cards and Coffee), Alexandra Hobson (California Stampin), Stephanie Sheridan, Mikki Madden (Mik Inks)

Please visit their websites and blogs and thank them for contributing so generously!

I plan to take pictures of all of the wonderful cards and will get a link out to all of you so you can view them in one place....probably later this week. Thanks again!!!

Can You Feel the Excitement Rising??

Alrighty! I just got the mail today and got my last few cards to enter into the Blog Candy for a Cause II! I will be entering the names into my spreadsheet, printing out all of the names, throwing them in a bucket, and letting someone in my family pull the lucky winner out! And did you see that the blog candy grew again?! If not check out the latest additions HERE. I am completely floored by the generous nature of my fellow stampers and cannot believe the response I received! I will give all of the totals and show pictures of the box I made to put them all in tomorrow when I announce the winner. I can't wait to show you the box I did...I am so very proud of how it turned out.

Anyway, that all is for tomorrow. Today I wanted to share the latest update on baby Francesca. I happy to report that she had her first taste of breastmilk...through a tube. I don't know the logistics of how she stored it all or what she did with it all, but I am so proud that my friend Maureen was able to pump this entire time to maintain her milk supply so that her baby girl could get some of that important liquid! On the bad side, Francesca had low blood platelets and they have not been able to determine why...so prayers are still needed. Here is the post in their words:

Posted 1/1/09:

"Happy New Year and Happy One Month Birthday to our Sweetest Francesca!

Francesca woke up for the new year just before midnight, to ring in 2009 with Mommy and Daddy. Since then, Francesca has seemed to have a good day, with a couple “forward steps”. Her oxygen saturation and blood gases have been good enough for the ventilator to be weaned to 66% oxygen today. Francesca was also able to have her first feeding of breast milk, which was fed through an NG (nasogastric) tube. She appeared to tolerate the feeding well! They still have not figured out why her platelets have been so low, so we are still waiting on that.

We hope 2009 will continue on with this positive trend. We know Francesca still has a long road ahead, so we are sure to treasure each “baby step” forward she takes. She seems to be getting more and more adorable every day.

We hope you all enjoyed a safe New Year. Let’s pray that 2009 will have lots more forward steps for our Sweetest Francesca."

Blog Candy for a Cause II Update

I am finally through all of the cards I have received so far for baby Francesca! I am recording everyone's name that sends a card and a name for posting something on their blogs...let me tell you, my husband is tired of seeing me on the computer! You all have kept me wonderfully busy! I am officially up to 83 cards, but I had a note in the mailbox that the mailbox was too full...so there should have been even more today! Oh my goodness...I am excited to see how many I get tomorrow! In addition to all of the fabulous cards I have gotten, I also have gotten more blog candy! So be sure to check out the latest additions HERE. I am up to UPDATE 18!!

Now on to my Francesca update for all of you. As you can see, Francie's Dad, Ronny, got to hold her today! It appears she had a rough few days in there as they were trying to wean the ventilator. She is looking pretty good, but her blood gases and stats are still cause for concern. So keep the prayers going for her...she still has a long way to go! Below is what they posted today on their online journal:



Posted 12/29/08:

"Hello Family & Friends,

Francesca has appeared to weather the storm she was in for the past 3-4 days. It appears that Francesca was not able to tolerate the rate that the ventilator was being weaned at last week. After a few extremely rocky days, Francesca’s stats and blood gases have appeared to level out a bit. During those rocky days, the ventilator had to be turned back up to the original settings (in fact, even slightly higher settings than she started out at after ECMO). We started today back at “ground zero” with trying to wean the vent, this time, at a much slower pace. We are hoping she can tolerate this slower wean rate a bit better…She continues to have fluid in her lungs, as well as almost 2 pounds of excess fluid around her body (even though she already looks so much smaller!). The doctors do think she will do better and better as she gets rid of the excess fluid in her lungs and body.

Maureen and Ronny have both now officially been able to hold Francesca, and she has appeared to tolerate being held fairly well. The doctors and nurses have explained that, for Francesca, learning to be held can be tiring and a bit stressful. Luckily, she does seem pretty comfortable while being held by Mommy and Daddy, and has tolerated it for an hour at a time, once --sometimes twice-- per day.

Thanks so much to everyone who checks this website, and who thinks of Francesca, Maureen & Ronny every day. We appreciate each and every prayer said for Francesca, as she still definitely needs them."

Prayers Being Answered

Well, Merry Christmas a day late to all! I am finally done hosting 3 days of get-togethers and I am enjoying some quiet time...and catching up on emails! One thing that I have missed immensely with my off-line time was getting my Francesca updates out to you. But now I can share with you good news...I really feel that prayers are being answered! The following posts from their online journal say it best, but my friend, Maureen, was given a wonderful Christmas present in being allowed to hold Francesca for 10-15 minutes! Francie is probably a long ways from being out of the NICU, but this is definitely one huge step in the right direction! They even posted some videos showing Francie with her eyes open and moving a little...she is looking so good! Thanks to all of you out there that has said a prayer, continues to say prayers, and/or will say a prayer!

Also if you still haven't heard...the Blog Candy for a Cause II in honor of Francesca is STILL growing! So check out the latest additions to the blog candy HERE...I am still completely stunned by how generous everyone is! God Bless you all!!!

Posted on Dec. 24:

"Merry Christmas Eve to all of our Family and Friends,

Francesca has continued to have an “up and down day” here at Children’s. She started off the day well, with good blood gases and good oxygen saturation scores. Therefore, the ventilator rate and oxygen were able to be weaned down a bit (to 84% oxygen, from 95% this morning). This evening, however, she has had some problems with fluid in her lungs, which is causing her lungs to have difficulty with opening (atelectasis). They have had to turn the pressure up on the vent, to try to assist her lungs with opening better. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that the theme of the NICU is “2 steps forward, 1 step back”.

On a positive note, Francesca was able to wear her first onesie today. This was the first time she’s been able to wear clothing! Maureen and Ronny were so pleased. Francesca has also lost about two pounds of fluid (which is a great thing). She is currently about eight and a half pounds, and they expect that she will still lose at least another two pounds of fluid weight. She looks so adorable! Her doctor says she is a “shade of her former self”.

Our family is huddled together in a nook at Children’s, where we are happy to celebrate Francesca’s first Christmas. We hope you all have a Merry Christmas Eve. You will be in our prayers, and we continue to appreciate prayers for our Sweet Francesca."

Posted on Dec. 25:

"Merry Christmas to our Family and Friends,

Francesca had another up and down day. Her oxygen saturation continued to be running a bit low today, and her blood gases have not been great, so the vent settings were not changed for the day. The doctors and nurses seem to feel that Francesca is regrouping after having so many vent changes (weans) over the past few days. They do seem to think she will likely build herself back up and have better scores in the next day or two.

A major highlight happened today, when Maureen was finally able to hold Francesca for 10-15 minutes (see pictures uploaded to the website today). Holding Francesca will probably not be a daily activity just yet, but it was a precious gift for Christmas for Maureen & Ronny, for Francesca to be able to be held “for real” for a short time. We were also able to upload four short video clips to the website, so that you can all see Francesca with her eyes open, looking at Mom and Dad. Francesca is still a bit sedated, but she usually has two or three wakeful periods during each day.

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Please keep Francesca in your thoughts and prayers during this holiday season."

Blog Candy and Francesca Update

Hey there everyone! I will actually post some stuff I have made soon, but I felt I needed to first post about the amazing generosity of all of you out there!!! Daily, and I mean daily...sometimes more than once in a day...I am being contacted by stampers from all over wanting to donate to my Blog Candy for a Cause II! I am completely floored by all of the donations I am getting (and secretly a little jealous of whomever wins this blog candy...I want some of this stuff!). Everyone keeps commenting how they are thankful to me for letting them help either with a donation, card, or even just prayers...but really I am thankful for all of you!!! I am just plain out of words for how thankful I am for all of you, your beautiful cards, and most importantly for your prayers. So, if you haven't seen what this blog candy has become, check out this POST. Every time I get a new addition, I add an UPDATE to the post...I am now up to UPDATE 12!!!


Now an update on sweet baby Francesca. I missed posting the journal entry on Dec. 21, so I have included both the 21st and the 22nd here. She has been off of the ECMO machine now for over 3 days...lots of ups and downs, but hanging in there. The best part was reading that Maureen and Ronny FINALLY got to hold their baby girl for a minute or two. That makes me squeeze my baby girl that much tighter though considering I got to hold her the minute she was out of me! As you can see I added a new picture of my friend, Maureen, watching over her baby girl!

Posted on Dec. 21:

"Hello Family and Friends,

Again, sorry for the gap in updates. The days are long and seem to blend together at times! Francesca has been off ECMO for two days, and has slowly been working on healing. Her doctors and nurses seem to think she is doing “OK”, after coming off the ECMO. They do still feel that it was the best decision to take her off the ECMO a little early, rather then take the risk of developing a large bleed in her brain.

Francesca’s blood gases and oxygen saturation have been inconsistent over the past two days. She has had several episodes when she desaturates and has needed to be quickly suctioned to help her oxygen saturation return to a safe level. They say this is because of fluid in her lungs moving and migrating when she is repositioned. She has retained fluid again, and is therefore, looking “puffy”. They said it is expected for her to retain fluid after going off ECMO. Francesca is urinating well, with the assist of diuretics, but the doctors say it will take a number of days (maybe weeks) before we see a noticeable improvement in her fluid retention.

We are hopeful that Francesca will continue to make slow improvements. The doctors remind us daily that although she is doing “OK”, she is by no means “out of the woods”. She still has a very determined look on her face. She has periods of wakefulness during the day when mom and dad are quick to be at her side, catching glimpses when her eyes are open. She still loves her ipod, and appears to enjoy both music and gossip.

Please continue to pray for our sweetest Francesca. Thanks to everybody."


Posted on Dec. 22

"Hello Family and Friends,

Today was a long, “up and down” day. Francesca’s blood gases and oxygen saturation have not been great, and she has needed to be suctioned a bit more frequently (which might be a good thing, meaning the fluid in her lungs is breaking up a bit).

A major highlight of the day was that for the first time, both Maureen and Ronny were able to hold Francesca for a short time (1-2 minutes) while standing next to her bassinet, as the bedding in her bassinet was changed. They both seemed very excited for the opportunity to hold their little angel.

Please continue to pray for our sweet little Francesca Maria. We just love her so dearly, and are so appreciative for all the supportive thoughts and prayers, from each and every one of you. "

Blog Candy for a Cause II

I think that most of the people that have found my blog found it when I did a Blog Candy for a Cause a little over a year ago. At that time I was gathering together RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) cards for the Dunn Family. Their twin baby girls had Neuroblastoma and were being treated very aggressively to save their lives. Thankfully all of the prayers were answered and the girls are doing great and the family treasured (and still does) all of the cards that people made for them.

Well now I am trying this again for a good friend of mine. Maureen had a baby girl, Francesca Maria Bucci, on Dec. 1 via c-section only about 2 weeks before her due date. The C-section was unplanned, but had to be done because the baby was showing signs of distress (low heartbeat, etc.). When Francie was born, she was not breathing due to meconium aspiration. Meconium is the first stools of a newborn and sometimes when a baby is distressed, they poop in the womb. Babies inhale the amniotic fluid while in the womb normally, but it is not good when they inhale meconium tainted amniotic fluid. The doctors were able to finally clear her airways so she could breathe, but her lungs were not functioning properly. Since her birth day, she has been at Children's Hospital where they are trying to stabilize her and get her lungs to heal and function properly. As a result of the meconium aspiration, she has developed pulmonary hypertension which basically means her lungs are not working. She is currently on an ECMO machine (heart-lung machine) that does the job of the lungs for her. They have to do daily brain ultrasounds to watch for bleeding in the brain which is a very dangerous side effect of the ECMO machine. One of the most heart-breaking journal entries said that it was a wonderful moment when Maureen was allowed to kiss Francesca on the forehead about a week after she had been born. Having had a baby recently, I can't imagine not being able to do that immediately. I would post the site that they update her progress on, but it is password protected and I am not sure they want it to be made public...I will see if they mind.

Upon hearing this news of my good friend's baby, I wanted to figure out a way to help her and her husband, Ronny. I have sent food to the hospital so that they can get some nourishment, as they have not left the hospital in two weeks. But, knowing that the best way to help them is prayers, I have decided to try and get as many prayers said for Francesca as possible. So now I ask anyone that reads this to do a couple of things: 1) stop and say a prayer for health and healing for Francesca and her parents, Maureen and Ronny...in particular the family prays for healing of her lungs, good brain ultrasounds, good blood gases, and good kidney functions (she has good deal of swelling at this time), and 2) make and send me a RAK card signed with your best wishes to give to my friends to let them know prayers are being said all over the country and maybe the world for their baby girl!

To entice you to do this, I am offering some blog candy...sorry it is small! The blog candy includes a couple of clear acrylic stamp sets, a glass jar filled with some dew drops (they are the fake ones though from the floral dept), a small container of adhesive backed blue rhinestones, and an IKEA Bygel large storage basket (see below for how I have used them for storage...great system!).

******************************************************

UPDATE: Carolyn King (My Blog by Cammie) has ever so generously donated a few more items to the blog candy. In addition to the above blog candy, she will mail the winner the following:

Papertrey Ink - Holiday Treats Stamp Set

A Signed Whimsical Autumn Stamp Set (she actually created this set)

Tinkering Ink- Haberdasher Petite Patterned paper pad

Thank you Cammie for your wonderful additions. Please visit Cammie HERE and thank her as well...plus she has amazing creative ideas that I am sure you will love!

UPDATE 2: Cambria Turnbow (Stamp a Little Love Baby and co-owner of Our Craft Lounge) has lovingly donated one Tree-mendous Love stamp set from Our Craft Lounge.

Thank you Cambria for your amazing donation to the blog candy! Most of you probably already visit her blog daily (as I do), but go HERE and show her a little love for her generosity!

UPDATE 3: A good friend of mine, Stephanie, has decided to add to my blog candy as well! She is going to include a retired SU! stamp set: Sleigh Full of Toys (it is new and unmounted). Thanks Steph...you know I love ya!!!

UPDATE 4: Nicole Anderson (Anderson Arts) has been kind enough to not only send a RAK card but also a new bottle of Prima Flowers to add to the blog candy.

Thank you Nicole for being so sweet! Visit her site HERE and send her some love...plus you might find a beautiful Christmas present as she is also a jewelry designer!

UPDATE 5: Mary Vogel (Life and Creating) was also compelled to add to my blog candy. She is including a Close to My Heart Stamp set: Heartthrob

Thank you Mary for being so thoughtful! Check out her blog HERE and share your appreciation too!

UPDATE 6: Jane Bosi (Jane's Addiction) was driven to help out as she looks upon her 5 children (how do you do it?). She is donating the following to the blog candy (she will be mailing it out herself):

SU! Punches Three Set (new and unmounted), 2 Clear Stamp sets from Autumn Leaves, Stampendous Hey There Cupcake (gently used), and Heidi Swap Clear Stamp: Forever

Jane, your thoughtfulness astounds me! Send Jane some love as well HERE.

UPDATE 7: Julie Crossley (Special Craft Mom of 4 and owner of Scrapbook Store at Your Door) has volunteered to add to the blog candy with a BoBunny Aloha Acrylic Stamp Set.

Thank you Julie for your wonderful addition...I cannot express my gratitude! Express your gratitude to Julie with some love HERE and by visiting her online store!

UPDATE 8: Joanne Basile (Stamped by Hand) is happy to contribute to the blog candy as well! She will mail the winner directly the following:

Pink Paislee “Vintage Pop” clear set of stamps, Making Memories “Funky Vintage Ruby Collection” 6x6 paper pack, and Sudio G Clear stamp Set

Thank you Joanne for being so generous with your contribution! Visit Joanne's blog and send her some cyber hugs for being so sweet!

UPDATE 9: A Stampin' Up! $50 Gift Certificate (redeemable through me) has been added. This was added due to an extremely generous donation by someone that would like to remain anonymous!

You know who you are, so thank you once again!

UPDATE 10: Debbie Stelton (Dolce Deb's Designs) had decided to include a brand-new Scor-Pal with a case to the blog candy! She will be mailing it directly to the winner.

Thank you Debbie for being ever so kind! Send Debbie some love HERE!

UPDATE 11: Katie Cotton (Paper Makeup) has been kind enough to now include the Close to My Heart Stamp set: From the Heart.

Thank you Katie for your wonderful Valetine's addition! Your kindess overwhelms me. Send Katie some cyber love (and maybe get some makeup tips) HERE!

UPDATE 12: Milissa Howes (Serendipity Kits) is showing her generous nature by donating a Papercraft Kit from her Online Kit Club, Serendipity Kits. Once I receive the kit I will post its contents as well.

Milissa, my gratitude for your kindness will probably never be expressed adequately. Thank you so much for your donation. Check out all of her kits HERE!

UPDATE 13: Ashley Bowen (Ashley's Creative Corner and owner of Treehouse Stamps) was kind enough to donate a $25 Gift Certificate for Treehouse Stamps!

Thank you Ashley for your wonderful donation! Check out the adorable stamps that she has HERE!

UPDATE 14: Denise Lynn (owner of Whimsy Stamps) is adding to the blog candy as well with a stamp set from Whimsy Stamps!

Denise, thank you for contacting me so sweetly and being so kind to donate! You must check out the adorable Whimsy animal stamps that she has to offer HERE...so cute!!

UPDATE 15: Monique Matthews (Heavenly Creations by Monique) was inspired to donate to the blog candy. She will be mailing directly to the winner a brand new JustRite Curlz Monogram Stamper Kit!

Monique, thank you for your generous donation! Please stop by Monique's blog HERE and leave her some love!

UPDATE 16: Cindy Walker of Breckenridge, MN surprised me with some blog candy additions when she sent me her card! So now, due to Cindy's generosity, a SU! stamp set Shapes and Shadows has been added to the loot!

Thank you Cindy for the wonderful surprise!

UPDATE 17: Anita Autore (Cards & Coffee) told me she was going to send some blog candy additions with her card and she definitely did! So thanks to Anita, a roll of Michaels Ribbon, Studio G Crystal Glitter Glue, and Studio G Green Glitter Glue has been added to the candy!

Thank you Anita! Send Anita some cyber hugs HERE!

UPDATE 18: Alexandra Hobson (California Stampin) contacted me yesterday because she too would like to add to the blog candy. So Alexandra has added SU! stamp set - World Over (retired) and SU! stamp set - Event Full (retired)!

Thank you Alexandra for your kindness! Tell Alexandra thank you for her donations HERE!

UPDATE 19: Stephanie Sheridan (do you have a blog Stephanie?) was kind enough to send along some more to add to the blog candy with her card. She added Inkadinkadoo Brenda Walton stamp set - Somerset Expressions, The Robin's Nest Dew Drops, Fired Brick Distress Ink, and Small photo album.

Thank you Stephanie for the wonderful surprise addition! You are too kind!

UPDATE 20: Mikki Madden (Mik Inks) decided to help me out with a wonderful card and even more additions to my blog candy. She has now included Darice Finishing Accents Rhinstone stickers, Blumenthal Lansing Company - Button Sensations, Inkadinkadoo Humingbird Stamp, SU! - 6x6 Pattern Paper Pack.

Thank you Mikki for you awesome blog candy additions! Tell Mikki thank you as well HERE!

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So I will enter you into my blog candy drawing once I receive your card in the mail and I will enter you a second time if you pass the word on (on your blog, SCS, or any other community site...just leave me a comment so I know). If you post your card on SCS, please include the keyword "bcfac08" so that we can see all of them at one time. I would like to receive all of the cards by Dec. 30 so that I can give them all to my friend at the beginning of the new year. I will select and post the winner on January 4, 2009 (note: I pushed this date out to give a chance for the overseas card to get to me)...someone will have a very good New Year!! Please mail all of the cards to me:

Blog Candy for a Cause II
Andrea Vernagus
2797 Warwick Dr.
Bloomfield, MI 48304

I know this is a very busy time of year, so I greatly appreciate you taking a moment to help me out with a prayer and/or a card!

The IKEA storage basket that is part of the blog candy is shown on the right side of each bar.

Cards Posted on SCS

Dunn Family Update and Blog Candy Winner

Hey everyone! Sorry for the absence from posting. I was busy getting ready for a workshop and processing all of the beautiful cards I have been getting for the Dunn Family. I have been completely overwhelmed by the amazing response for a family that you have only read about! The stamping community is truly amazing! As I continue to post all of the cards to SCS (I will post again once I have them all up so you can check them out!), I wanted to share with you a little bit about the response I have gotten. Around 80 people have sent cards, gifts, and prayers. The Dunn Family will be receiving cards and prayers from all over the United States, throughout Canada, England, and even Australia! The power of the Internet at its best! So thank you to all of you for taking the time to send me the cards...I am honored to box them all up and send them to Michael, Alissa, Isaiah, Isabella, and Madeline.

Speaking of the Dunn Family, I would love to share some good news with all of you. Michael and Alissa were able to bring Isabella and Madeline home!! Both girls were eating well enough that they got permission to take them home. The latest tests on the girls showed that the tumors have decreased in size...so the medicine is doing its job...more importantly, the Lord is laying his healing hand on these two baby girls! They are scheduled for their next round of chemotherapy for this coming weekend, I believe...in which they will be readmitted to the hospital while it is administered. So, thank the Lord for the blessing of having the family in one house together, but continue to pray for these two baby girls as they continue to fight the cancer inside of them. Continue to read their inspiring and heartfelt journal entries at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dunntwins.

Now for my Blog Candy for a Cause Winner! As everyone commented about posting about my RAK request on their own blogs, I added their names to a list in Excel. Then as I received the cards in the mail, I added the creator's name to my list. With a total of 163 entries, Random.org selected #110: Gabriella Arriaza (her blog is Confessions of a Stamper)!!! Gabriella, I will be contacting you to ensure I have your correct snail mail and you will be getting the great Blog Candy (which grew even more thanks to more donations...need to get a picture before I send it out). I hope that you like all of the goodies!

Once again...Thank you, Thank you for supporting my RAK request! I could not be more grateful!

Reminder to get your RAK cards in the mail & a Scrapbook page

Hey all! Just a quick reminder that I need you to get your Dunn Family RAK cards in the mail on Monday!!! I am hoping to have them all by 10/22 so that I can draw for the winner of the blog candy. So if you haven't sent it yet, go out and put it in the mailbox!! Thank you all again for your wonderful support.

Now for another one of my scrapbook pages I did a couple of weekends ago. I really do like how this one turned out. I got the idea for the hand drawn spiders from somewhere in the blog world...sorry I didn't bookmark it, so I don't know where I saw the idea.

Did you notice the pumpkins on the left...they are in stages of getting carved! Probably a small detail that no one but me will notice. Oh well!

I did the scalloped edge below the pictures using the corner rounder with the guard removed.

The saying is coming from a book that my son had gotten (well Grandma got it) from the library..."This is not a Pumpkin". I thought it was cute. And yes, Eli was attempting to eat the raw pumpkin seeds in the bowl! Silly boy!

The Engineering Details: Stamps - Carved & Candlelit, Itty Bitty Boos, Quirky Alphabet Upper & Lower, Alphabet from Wal-Mart; Paper - Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black; Ink - Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Versamark, Pumpkin Pie Marker, Summer Sun Marker; Accessories - Only Orange Eyelets, Dimensionals, Halloween Ribbon from Jo-Ann's; Supplies - Corner Rounder, Crop-A-Dile, Black embossing powder, heat gun

My Dunn Family RAK

Well I am completely humbled by the amazing response I have gotten from so many people. The RAK (Random Act of Kindness) cards that I have been getting have been beautiful and I seriously cannot wait to give Michael and Alissa all of these cards! To give you an idea, today my mailbox was full of 18 cards! I think what actually gets me more, are all of the notes and comments saying what an angel I am for doing this. Honestly, YOU all are the angels. You are all sending cards to me to give to a family you have never even met! Words simply cannot even describe my gratitude!

I had a busy scrapbooking weekend...Friday night and all day Saturday...I will post the pages I made later. One actually won best single page layout...that is always exciting! Anyway, I was finally able to make my RAK card for the Dunn family. I decided to go with pink for the girls and a flower for each of them. I stamped the tops of the flowers in versamark and dusted Pretty in Pink pastels over top to make them somewhat soft. Then I stamped the outline image over top with Rose Red. I reverse masked the image (in other words, I masked around the image instead of the image itself) and sponged Creamy Caramel over the image. I doodled around the image with Old Olive Marker, layered it, and add some Diamond Stickles to the flowers. The rest of it is pretty self-explanatory.

Be sure to check out the updates to the Blog Candy for a Cause post. Some more "candy" was added and a couple others are offering candy at their blogs too! I put the updates in different colors so that they are easily spotted. Keep those RAK cards coming! Thank you to all that have already sent them. I plan to take some time this weekend to post any that are not already there to SCS. I just want everyone to see the beautiful cards that have been made in honor of two sweet baby girls! I think you will find the response amazing...I know that I have!

Blog Candy for a Cause

Well I am new to the blogging world (since July…is that still new?) and I have seen lots of Blog candy out there, so I hope this wets the appetite a little in comparison to the others out there. Instead of just having everyone leave comments to get an entry for the blog candy, I have decided to ask you for something in return…a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) card for some special people.

Recently, my family’s lives have been touched by the plight of some friends of friends (but I am claiming them as our friends now too!). Michael and Alissa Dunn and their son Isaiah were blessed with beautiful twin baby girls on July 4, 2007. The pregnancy went fantastic and the twins were full term without any issues. Madeline Ora and Isabella Grace were wonderful additions to the family. Around the end of August, Michael and Alissa noticed that Maddie’s abdomen was a little swollen and firm, but she was acting completely normal. A few days later at the girl’s 2 month check-up, the pediatrician took one look at Maddie’s abdomen and sent them to the hospital for x-rays. A CAT scan shortly after revealed that Maddie had a large cancerous tumor called neuroblastoma Stage 4S. To give you an idea, this tumor has grown to about the size of a softball in her tiny body.

Once checked-in at Children’s Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, the doctors quickly decided to take a look at identical twin Bella. Unfortunately, Bella was also diagnosed with neuroblastoma. According to their doctors, this is only the 9th reported case of twins have neuroblastoma at the same time. Both girls have undergone one round of chemotherapy and are beginning their second. You can see pictures and read their story from their own words at their website: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dunntwins.

So as I hold my son a littler tighter and we pray together for the Lord to lay his healing hand on the ouchies in Maddie’s and Bella’s bellies, I thought it might be nice to let them know that prayers are being said all over the country and maybe the world for these two little girls and their family. As I read the journal entries on their website, I am amazed by the strength and faith that Michael, Alissa, and their families have shown.

So I put together a special blog candy in which to get an entry, you need to mail me a RAK card for Maddie & Bella and/or for the family, that I will then place in a shoebox (hopefully I fill it!) and mail to them. So if you have the time, please make a card, sign it with your best wishes, post a picture of it to SCS (if you are able) with keyword bcfac07 so all can see it, and mail it to me. You can get an extra 2 entries if you advertise this Blog Candy for a Cause on your own blog…just make sure to leave me a comment so I can come visit the blog.

Update: In addition to the blog candy that I have put together, Anita from Praierie Papier Ponderer is offering to now include the Ronald McDonald House Charity stamp set from Stampin' Up! With the purchase of every one of these sets, Stampin' Up! donates $2 to the RMHC. This is actually quite fitting, since Michael and Alissa are staying at a Ronald McDonald House by the hospital! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Anita for being so generous!!!! And be sure to check out Anita's blog!!

Update: Once you have sent the card to me, stop by Inkerdoodles and Ink-A-Design and leave Lisa and Carolynn a comment telling them you sent it (and link to a picture of it if possible). They are going to draw for some extra blog candy in addition to what I am offering! Triple candy for a good deed...can't get much better than that!

Update: Well the generosity continues! Mary Elliott of Everyday Elliott is throwing in a set of blender pens (3) and an unopened Cranberry Crisp Classic Ink Pad to my blog candy! So now the candy just got a little sweeter. Thanks Mary!

I would like all cards to be in the mail to me by October 15! It doesn't have to actually be at my house by the 15th...sorry if I caused some confusion. So get Crafty!!

Thank you all for helping me pray and hopefully lift the spirits of the Dunn Family!

Note: If you don’t normally take pictures of your cards or don’t post them to SCS, let me know and I will take a picture of the card when I receive it and post it to SCS.


Mail cards to:
Andrea Vernagus
Blog Candy for a Cause
2797 Warwick Dr.
Bloomfield, MI 48304

Cards posted on SCS

Customer Blog Candy Winner!!

I have to apologize to my customers on the delay of this! I meant to do this a few weeks ago, but preparations for the Stamp Camp got in the way.

Anyway, I offered up to my customers through my email newsletter an incentive to come and check out my blog. If they left me a comment, they got an entry into my Customer Blog Candy and if they subscribed to my blog, they got a 2nd entry!

So the winner is Janine B.!!! The winner was picked by random.org after I assigned all of the entries a number. Janine, I will be sending you what you see in the picture: 6x6 sheets of Wintergreen Designer Series Paper, a variety of ribbon pieces, sampling of silver wire, and Only Orange & Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Markers. I hope you like it and get creative with it!

Thanks to all for commenting on my blog and subscribing...it is good to know that I may not be talking just to myself!!

By the way, I am about to announce a Blog Candy opportunity for all! Just figuring the last details out, so I hope everyone comes back to participate!!