tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951713620073989952024-03-05T02:45:02.746-08:00Peace of MindAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-10317783118712713142009-10-24T09:47:00.000-07:002009-10-24T09:50:41.417-07:00She is here!!!<div style="text-align: center;">Brooklyn made it!!!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJIde5R4UQoEn31wYaLjyYW47vuI92BxOfDl9YVH4ztsNLIICO9-ylF3KG_pAUy2xNnQ69GByykzVv744aluJvBslybyWaR7VxrYCLN_7BMR0LKKD8Mro0_j0Xl6NxiDGBxzJCBx9H3S4/s1600-h/IMG_0068.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJIde5R4UQoEn31wYaLjyYW47vuI92BxOfDl9YVH4ztsNLIICO9-ylF3KG_pAUy2xNnQ69GByykzVv744aluJvBslybyWaR7VxrYCLN_7BMR0LKKD8Mro0_j0Xl6NxiDGBxzJCBx9H3S4/s400/IMG_0068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396209480393258514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlFtCWITPpoZpwiK5ZXvm5NiIyUg7_mAk3NRDBMCmnbx0k4KER-sThkG89qRWCHZ990uzjUoJOf_AaZc0et7qomuo5tLlPxcebTejcTL8BOS30yKFYFFYnzvmDNQxL-CcL0hTziSV8QUK/s1600-h/IMG_0081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlFtCWITPpoZpwiK5ZXvm5NiIyUg7_mAk3NRDBMCmnbx0k4KER-sThkG89qRWCHZ990uzjUoJOf_AaZc0et7qomuo5tLlPxcebTejcTL8BOS30yKFYFFYnzvmDNQxL-CcL0hTziSV8QUK/s400/IMG_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396209483694686594" border="0" /></a>That is a look of pure joy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Natalie will post when she is feeling up to it but just wanted to share this with everyone, you have all been such a help to her through these months. What a miracle this is! I know she is so grateful to you all.<br /></div></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-61390130492299555612009-10-22T17:50:00.000-07:002009-10-22T17:53:49.518-07:00Really close!!Ok...just an update....Natalie didn't have the baby last week because her lungs were not ready...they were disappointed to say the least but have been great troopers and have a C-section appointment for TOMORROW!! (Friday Oct. 23) And how cool is it that one of our angel mommy friends is having her baby the exact same day via c-section in the exact same hospital as Natalie?! Her name is Sheila and we are so excited for both of them. Please keep them both in your prayers that all will go well and they will both have a LIVE, screaming baby by this time tomorrow!! :) Will post pictures as soon as I get them.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-33664247474268269852009-10-13T17:57:00.000-07:002009-10-13T17:58:58.180-07:00Baby BrooklynNope she isn't here yet but I thought I'd write a little update on Natalie and the baby. They will be doing an amnio tomorrow to make sure to the baby's lungs are developed enough and as long as the results are good they will do the C-section Thursday!!!!!!!!! I'm sure you can imagine how excited Natalie and Rob are. I know they would really appreciate your continued prayers that all will go well and they will be able to take sweet Brooklyn home. Will post pictures as soon as I get them!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-32521729197999610402009-08-19T14:05:00.000-07:002009-08-19T14:06:14.176-07:00Thanks to You!<div style="text-align: center;">Last week we had one of our dreams come true...I was able to visit Dr. Collins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg234c52j_N71sdNbUgaK6qhk2QNVLGXD2tuK1JrwifF5egvmDz11wVO2sn_Ot_VHjAndTrW5CkLHxRaLZgrgfs-4wzAIXrh24PXg_TH5MOCfrexojendTBLkpOEPh88rA74TqDzmMGZJs/s1600-h/IMG_3276.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg234c52j_N71sdNbUgaK6qhk2QNVLGXD2tuK1JrwifF5egvmDz11wVO2sn_Ot_VHjAndTrW5CkLHxRaLZgrgfs-4wzAIXrh24PXg_TH5MOCfrexojendTBLkpOEPh88rA74TqDzmMGZJs/s400/IMG_3276.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371782166790927282" border="0" /></a><br />Dr. Collins is an OB who has studied and researched infant fatality due to cord accidents. He now focuses all his time and energy on educating the medical profession about things that can be done during pregnancy to identify potential cord problems before they become fatal. He also monitors pregnant women who have previously lost a baby by cord accident starting in their 28th week of subsequent pregnancies. I'm lucky enough to be one of those women.<br /><br />Lucky...or should I say blessed? Because of the outpouring of love and support through generous donations that we received through the "Peace of Mind Fund" set up by a good friend we were able to afford the trip and visit with Dr. Collins.<br /><br />Since learning about him and the service he offers, I have wanted so badly to take part in it. Something I thought I'd only dream about, until a lot of incredible people made that dream come true.<br /><br />Last Thursday I flew to Baton Rouge Louisiana where Dr. Collins' office is located. I met up with him and his lovely wife Candace on Friday morning. He showed me around the office, read a lot of research to me, and showed off pictures of other girls and their healthy babies that he has monitored. Then he hooked me up to a heart monitor for a half an hour so he could get an idea of what Brooklyn's heart rate and pattern are like at this time. He said all of that looked great!<br /><br />Next, he performed an extensive ultrasound focusing on the cord...it's position, what it looks like, if it was wrapped or twisted in any way...and as of right now it doesn't appear to be around Brooklyn, or compressed at all...which was great news!<br /><br />However, he did notice something that could potentially cause a problem...something I'm so glad we are aware of (one of the main purposes of the visit). The cord has what's called a "Funic Presentation", which means that is is attached towards the outside of the placenta instead of the center, and it comes down around the bottom of Brooklyn and puddles right on top of the cervix. This could potentially cause problems, as Brooklyn is head down right now and her head is sitting right above all that cord. As she continues to grow and completely fill the whole uterus, a couple of things could happen...she could either get wrapped in the cord, or her head could start to put enough pressure on the cord to cause compression. Both of which, would not be good.<br /><br />However, he said that in the next couple of weeks she could flip to a breach position as she would instinctively be able to tell that her head was causing the compression to take place, which would be ok considering I have to have C-section anyways. This would leave her feet near the cord which isn't as potentially dangerous. Or, she could cause the cord to move higher in the uterus as she moves. Both of these would be great outcomes.<br /><br />If nothing changes with the position of the baby or the cord in the next couple of weeks, I will need to be closely monitored...perhaps even hospitalized until the baby is born. Dr. Collins suggested that I start having weekly ultrasounds and to make sure I am doing my nightly monitoring. If I'm doing those two things we should be able to catch any problems that should arise before they become fatal.<br /><br />After the ultrasound was over we spent about two hours talking about fetal movement, contractions, and he taught me how to use the at home heart rate monitor. He taught me what to look for in the heart rate patterns, and at what point I would need to go directly to a hospital. I feel like I learned a lot of things that other doctors never take the time to explain.<br /><br />Then me, Dr. Collins, his wife, and one of his daughters went to lunch at a beautiful restaurant right on the Mississippi river. They were so nice and genuinely interested in our family. I really enjoyed getting to know them. They were extremely personable and I left them feeling like I am in really good hands.<br /><br />I returned home safely Saturday night. I started to do the at home monitoring that night and will continue each night until Brooklyn arrives safely. I strap the monitor on each night for about a half an hour, ideally between 10 and 10:30 because this is when I start to produce the sleep hormone that can cause the slowing of blood supply and oxygen to the baby. If there are any problems with the cord, this is the time that it would be most apparent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPlpuom3y0XvJ6EJ0Uj_zgJljJyDoni80LbOEMxmvzh8Sn5weH5vBiQUpYb2ws_xc3PwRu6GMmIVM01hB4mugOeXGoIcVGR7QTsEve8l-8XDX1QafJ0NPLTzhECsF0oVEZYpwruALTWY/s1600-h/IMG_3285.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPlpuom3y0XvJ6EJ0Uj_zgJljJyDoni80LbOEMxmvzh8Sn5weH5vBiQUpYb2ws_xc3PwRu6GMmIVM01hB4mugOeXGoIcVGR7QTsEve8l-8XDX1QafJ0NPLTzhECsF0oVEZYpwruALTWY/s400/IMG_3285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371782972630628210" border="0" /></a><br />For 30 minutes, it monitors Brooklyn's heartbeat and any contractions if I were to have any. Then I connect it to a modem and send it directly to Dr. Collins blackberry. It is also forwarded to my OB's email as well. It is then downloaded to a website where I can get on and look at the whole strip as well.<br /><br />It is a little scary to know that there is a potential problem, however, I would rather find out about it on this end and be able to take preventative measures instead of finding out on the other end when it's too late to do anything about it. I find a lot of comfort in knowing that every day two Doctors who are professionally trained look at the readings from the night before. Part of the money that I paid to Dr. Collins allows me to have 24 hour access to him if I have any questions or concerns. He also calls about every other day to check up on me to see how I'm feeling and how the monitoring is going. He will also calls if he notices any patterns in the heart rate that raise any red flags. I feel very blessed to have this amazing opportunity.<br /><br />Being able to strap the monitor anytime during the day or night to check on Brooklyn is truly priceless. I don't know that there is anything that could bring more peace of mind right now. Rob and I truly thank each and everyone of you who made this dream a reality...you have changed our lives and hopefully ensured that we get to keep Brooklyn here with us. There really are no words to express our gratitude and love for each one of you.<br /><br />You can check the <a href="http://peaceofmindfund.blogspot.com/">Peace of Mind blog</a> where I will post updates on the monitoring.<br /><br /></div>Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491520325848528221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-31708894743090604982009-08-13T22:47:00.000-07:002009-08-13T22:49:11.149-07:00Its Here!So as I type Natalie is probably asleep in her hotel in Louisiana! Her appointment with Dr. Collins is tomorrow. I want to thank everyone who contributed to make this possible. I know this means the world to Natalie and Rob. God bless you all! Natalie plans to take tons of pictures and to tell you all about it when she gets home. Thank you again!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-48544550013880654502009-08-02T22:54:00.000-07:002009-08-02T23:01:05.124-07:00Last Chance Plea!I know you all are probably getting really sick of me. But I just wanted to make a last chance plea for the Peace of Mind Fund! Some of you have already donated and I sooo appreciate it...more than you know! I really don't want anyone to feel pressured...but if you can spare that $5 or so it would really help add up to helping my friend Natalie get the peace of mind she so desperately needs. Take it from someone who knows what she is going through...it will be such a blessing to be able to monitor the baby.<br /><br />We haven't met our goal yet and we don't have a lot of time left! Here are the cute kids from the Little Rascals backing us up...lol...just substitute "We need to build a new clubhouse" with "We need to send Natalie to Louisiana!"<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=9438611b65c4772ee99457" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=9438611b65c4772ee99457&skin_id=1602&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="526" width="600"></embed><div style="margin: 0px; font-family: verdana,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 20px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 600px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=9438611b65c4772ee99457&skin_id=1602&source=emplay" target="_blank"><br /></a><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt3" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></a></div></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-45244089925464877962009-07-16T13:57:00.000-07:002009-07-16T13:58:43.746-07:00Lexi Lynne DesignsDue to financial difficulties Lexi Lynne Designs will no longer be able to donate their proceeds to the Peace of Mind Fund. All proceeds after the 10% to NILMDTS prior to July 16, 2009 will still be donated but all orders from the 16th on will not be. Thank you for understanding!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-26632796006686741712009-07-15T22:48:00.000-07:002009-07-16T13:59:43.909-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://s224.photobucket.com/albums/dd23/digiscrapper219/?action=view&current=mission.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd23/digiscrapper219/mission.png" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm going to take you on a little journey to explain what this cause is all about.<br /><br />Imagine you are in the shoes of my friend Natalie, it took you 5 years to become pregnant. 5 YEARS! But you finally got pregnant with a precious little boy. You are extremely excited and decorate his room beautifully with all the trimmings. You have a scheduled c-section because of a fibroid that is blocking the birth canal. The day before your scheduled c-section you go in for an appointment, the doppler could not find a heart beat.<br /><br />Imagine being told that your baby is not alive....<br /><br />then being sent home only to come back the next day to have the c-section. Having to spend over night knowing that your baby was not alive inside of you. THEN to find out that the cord was wrapped around his neck SIX TIMES! All of this would be heartbreaking to say the least.<br /><br />Time goes on and your heart begins to heal, it never goes away, that ache inside, but you learn to live with it.<br /><br />About 10 months after all this you find out that you are pregnant again. Hooray! It didn't take 5 years this time. What a relief! Now everything is okay right? WRONG! Every second, every minute that goes by you are deathly afraid you will lose this one too. If it happens to you once, it could happen again. You can't sleep because you are having nightmares of your baby dying. The next 9 months are going to be unbearable.<br /><br />But...imagine there is something that can help, something that would bring you the peace of mind you need so badly. Something that will make the next 9 months not a living hell. Its called home monitoring and its a service that a phenomenal doctor in Louisiana provides. Dr. Collins has done extensive research into cord accidents and is a huge advocate of raising awareness of cord accidents.<br /><br />He has found that if you have cord issues once there is a higher chance of having cord problems again, whether the outcome is the same they don't know but are you willing to take that risk without doing everything you can to prevent it?!........No.<br /><br />You would do all you could to make sure it doesn't happen again.<br /><br />Dr. Collins has you come to his office in Louisiana and he does an extensive ultrasound that analyzes the cord specifically, where it is and whether its wrapped or knotted. The reason you have to go all the way out there is because there are few doctors that know how to look for the cord and have the necessary experience. After the ultrasound Dr. Collins sends you home with a home monitoring system that looks something like this:</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHarW_L6JBis94K-0wj6e2V08QfjC9i-FKjzMUIezg2nusFDTtthTmxs_ZHPb8u3vMDimSSEx9-gf_1aMZHH-2FtKP3PZ4aUOiboo0RuCe9ZW8dF1bxL-omQXHUdCIOjKGcfXgceREmsw9/s1600-h/monitoring+machine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHarW_L6JBis94K-0wj6e2V08QfjC9i-FKjzMUIezg2nusFDTtthTmxs_ZHPb8u3vMDimSSEx9-gf_1aMZHH-2FtKP3PZ4aUOiboo0RuCe9ZW8dF1bxL-omQXHUdCIOjKGcfXgceREmsw9/s320/monitoring+machine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343914643086011906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Every night you strap this on and it measures the baby's heartbeat and any contractions you may be having. You monitor for half an hour and then the machine sends the information to Dr. Collins where he receives it on his PDA, the results can also be sent to your local doctor. You and your baby are constantly being monitored and if there is ANY indication that there is a problem you go straight to the hospital at the first sign of trouble. Not later when you haven't felt the baby move for a while and its too late. If there is a significant drop in heart rate you will know right away and go to the hospital. And if you have any worries or fears you can just strap that baby on and be reassured that your baby is doing fine. Can you even begin to imagine the relief this would bring to you? The SANITY that it would bring to both you and your poor husband who has to live with you?<br /><br />This service is legit. If you don't believe me...let the news and the moms who have gone through it tell you...<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zYi2_XdUhHc&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zYi2_XdUhHc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-2W0W38WcfU&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-2W0W38WcfU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />End of story.<br /><br />What I've just told you about isn't a fictional story, it is unfortunately a very real reality for my friend Natalie. She lost her sweet Branson last June and she needs our help.<br /><br />You see, this service described above isn't cheap. While it would be nice if it could be offered free, the equipment and time of the doctor does cost money.<br /><br />Its $2,000.<br /><br />$2,000 that most people at this young age don't just have lying around. Especially not after your husband just graduated, leaving lots of student loans to pay off, and you just made a major move like Natalie and Rob.<br /><br />So...what can we do to help?<br /><br />We can donate to the Peace of Mind Fund. Even if its just $5, it all adds up if we can get the word out. Please consider donating and sharing the word with anyone you know. Feel free to post about this on your blog, website, facebook page, wherever! The more that know the better. If you would be willing to post the button you see on the right on your blog that would be wonderful too.<br /><br />Also, many of you know that I (Amy...Alexis' mommy) sell hairbows and clips and headbands in honor of Alexis and to benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Well, after the 10% that goes to NILMDTS, the rest of my proceeds will go to the Peace of Mind fund until we've raised enough. Now, you have to go to Louisiana for the ultrasound between 28-30 weeks. Natalie is 18 weeks right now...so we have about 10 weeks to get enough money!!!! I have seen the power the blogging world has, how the word can be spread, and how people rally around eachother. Well here is our chance. Let the donations begin! :)</span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-78190108239394725632009-07-03T16:32:00.001-07:002009-07-03T16:33:05.701-07:00Another UpdateWe've extended the giveaways! Go <a href="http://www.peaceofmindgiveaway.blogspot.com">here</a> for more details.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-18590863722777958152009-06-28T19:29:00.001-07:002009-06-28T19:30:58.084-07:00Update on GiveawaysWe've changed how we are doing the giveaway. We haven't had any response so we decided to change the rules to try and get more to participate. Also if you have already donated or posted about our cause you are eligible to be entered! Check it out <a href="http://peaceofmindgiveaway.blogspot.com/">here</a>:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://peaceofmindgiveaway.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd23/digiscrapper219/giveawaybutton-1.jpg" /></a></center>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-20522688390301324132009-06-24T15:06:00.000-07:002009-06-24T16:11:58.919-07:00We Stand in Awe<div style="text-align: center;">Having so many people...family, friends, and people we've never even met...reach out to our family in such a selfless way has been truly amazing. We stand in awe at the goodness of others, and we are truly humbled by the outpouring of love and support we have received. There are no words to express the love and gratitude we feel toward each one of you.<br /><br />Being able to visit Dr. Collins in August would be a dream come true. A dream that would stay just that, a dream without all of you. Having the peace of mind that will come from knowing a specialist is monitoring the health and well-being of our baby girl will be truly priceless. We look forward to sharing this journey with each of you, through this blog, as we make the trip to Louisianna to visit Dr. Collins, and venture home with the monitoring system. We'll be sure to post lots of pictures and updates on our progress as we go along, as we now feel that each of you deserve to be part of that special journey.<br /><br />We want you to know that every night we pray that God's choicest blessings will be yours...we plead that each of you, in a personal...specific way, will be blessed for your generous contribution. We also pray that we'll be blessed with opportunities now...and in the future that will allow us to pay your kindness forward to others.<br /><br />All our Love- Rob and Natalie Call<br /></div>Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16491520325848528221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-33640275811427189532009-06-22T14:44:00.000-07:002009-06-22T14:50:35.370-07:00Peace of Mind GiveawayWe are really excited to be doing a giveaway for our Peace of Mind Fund in an attempt to reach our goal. We have some fabulous products and services to offer from wonderful companies that have graciously donated their products for the giveaways. Click the image below to read more and enter to WIN!! :)<br /><br /><center><a href="http://peaceofmindgiveaway.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd23/digiscrapper219/giveawaybutton-1.jpg"/></a></center>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-36297342918454072972009-06-11T21:33:00.000-07:002009-06-11T21:41:27.115-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;">UPDATE: I want to comment here briefly on the "April Rose scandal"...if you have no idea what I'm talking about then you can stop reading here and jump down to the original post below...if you do know what I'm talking about then read on. I'm purposely not linking to anywhere because its not something that more people need to know about. However, if you do already know about it I want to express honestly my feelings. I'm very sad that something like this would happen. And I'm concerned that because of this scandal that others will not donate to this very real and important cause we are doing here.<br /><br />As I've thought about all of this a quote came to my mind that goes something like this, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing." I feel like if people don't donate for my friend Natalie solely because of this "April Rose" thing then evil will have won in this. Please don't let that happen, don't give power or purpose to a very wrong decision someone else made. If you have any reservations AT ALL about our legitimacy please don't hesitate to email me... amy.chinagal@gmail.com and if email isn't enough I will call you. If those that know me or Natalie personally would leave a comment to this post affirming our character maybe that would help those that are wary. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns.<br /><br />Once we raise enough money and Natalie goes to see this doctor we will post pictures and Natalie will write her own thoughts and updates so you can see for yourself what a wonderful blessing you have been in someone's life. I'll probably have Natalie write something really soon anyway just for fun. Please...we need your help. <br /></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595171362007398995.post-81685761799466366632008-06-15T16:00:00.000-07:002009-06-22T14:44:44.077-07:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">UPDATE (6/15/09) </span>- We realized that in addition to the cost of the monitoring service we also need to raise money for Natalie and Rob's flights out to Louisiana since that also costs a good chunk of change. So our new goal is $2,800...we are ALMOST half way there! We are having A LOT of traffic to the site but not every visitor is donating. Right now my meter tells me that 817 people have visited the site (my meter is set to detect unique visitors, so thats 817 different people, not just 817 visits to the site), if all 817 had donated only $5 we would have over $4,000 now! We can all scrounge up at least $5 can't we?! Lets do this people! :)<br /></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858413787033500761noreply@blogger.com