Today is a New Day

I'll admit it, I'm not a huge fan of the hoopla around New Year's. I know that the new year brings a new beginning, new opportunities, a new start. I have some great New Year's memories (most notably our trip to Times Square in New York City to watch the ball drop from 1999 into 2000, when Craig and I were standing as close to the ball as the police barricades would allow). But the whole idea of resolutions... I'm just not a fan. They seem so big, so intimidating, so impossible. I make them every year and I find myself disappointed about my ability to see them through. Sometimes, it's due to sheer lack of willpower on my part. Sometimes, it's because I choose such BIG things to tackle. Sometimes, well, I don't know... I'm just not a fan.

This year, I'm not going to make any resolutions. There are some things I would like to do better in 2009, some things I want to focus on more intentionally, some things I want to change in my day-to-day life. But this year, they will be just that. Nothing earth shattering, nothing to write home about... just some things to focus on more in my day-to-day life. Key here, my friends, is the "day-to-day" part.

I will aim to do my best each day. And to know that no matter how long the to-do list might be, my best is good enough.

I will aim to make the world the best possible place it can be for my children, both now and for their future.

I will aim to make a difference each day, no matter how small it may seem, to make the above two items happen.

How will I do this? I will take one day at a time. I will focus on what I can control, what I can do, and not what I can't. And I will look to my really cool friends to help me out.

I've blogged here before about my friends over at Cool People Care. Their motto is "Saving the World, 5 Minutes at a Time." After all, who can't find 5 minutes to make a difference each day?

The Cool People have just released their second awesome book, called Today is a New Day!. This book is filled with small things that make a big impact, things you can do in only 5 minutes each day, things to help make the world a better place for yourself, your family, and all the world around you. Between the two of them, their two books (the first one was New Day Revolution)contain more than 365 ways you can make a difference in 2009 and beyond, in only 5 minutes a day. How simple is that? As Sam said, "It's time to save the world. Every little bit of inspiration can help."

If you do decide to order something from the Cool People Care Online Store, don't forget to enter the code LADYBUG when you check out. You'll get a 5% discount on your entire purchase, and another 5% of your purchase price will be donated to one of Dancing with Ladybug's favorite causes, The USO.

What are your dreams for 2009? Your goals? Your hopes? Your challenges? I'd love to know what you're planning in the new year. Leave me a comment, let me know how you plan to make the world a better place in 2009.

Sometimes, making a big difference doesn't have to be intimidating and in 2009 and always, I'm thankful to have such really cool friends to help show me how.

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

Blessings,
Kat

Meet The Miracle Baby in Room C

It's been a while since I've posted but I've been waiting and praying for this very story for such a very long time... I'm so honored that my wonderful friend "CP" allowed me to share it with all of you. It's long, but I think it's the most important blog post I've ever written. Further proof that God knows what he's doing, that He'll never give you anything you can't handle, that prayers work and that miracles really do happen. I hope you enjoy this story's ending as much as I have.

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I "met" CP on a community message board on BabyZone.com. The group was set up for expectant mothers who were due in August 2003. I was pregnant with my first baby, CP with her fourth! As our pregnancies progressed, we shared the ups, the downs, the fears, the joys and everything in between. After the little ones were born, a group of us started our own virtual community and we've been together ever since, sharing more of the ups, the downs, the fears, the joys and the "everything in betweens" of mommy-hood. I feel like all the mommies in our group are sisters to me, we've shared so much and loved so much and cried so much and prayed so much and, well, you get the point....

I've had the privilege of meeting five of the mommies in person, CP is one of them.

Many of us have had more children. I had Baby #2. CP went on to have Baby #5. And then, to everyone's surprise, Baby #6.

CP's Baby #6, though, was different from all the rest. He made us pray harder than we've ever prayed, inspired us more than we ever knew possible. This little guy... he changed us. And today, I share his story with you.

From almost the minute CP became pregnant with #6, she felt the effects. Morning sickness, discomfort and unfortunately, problems. Too much amniotic fluid. Too many "off" test results. Too many needles, ultrasounds, worries, pain. All the things that could go wrong with a pregnancy seemed to be happening to CP. They wanted her on bed rest. Right, with five other kids at home. Test results came back. The baby might have Down Syndrome. They couldn't be sure. Then he didn't. Then he did. Then came the fluid around his lungs and other tiny little organs, pushing them to places they should not be. Could he hold on until 36 weeks, when it might be "safe" to deliver him? There was debate amongst the doctors... was he better off on the inside or out? Induction, c-section, natural labor? Were his lungs ready? Would he make it?

Finally, an induction date was set. October 9... only 1 day before he was due. Baby #6, though, had other plans.

Below is CP's story, in her own words, of Baby #6. You might want to grab a tissue (or ten) before you read it.

Sunday, September 21 at 6:00am I woke up and rolled over to hear a pop and a huge gush. I woke up Al and told him my water just broke. We got dressed and headed to the hospital. On a normal day it would have taken us 35 minutes, but that day only took us 20. Al was nervous something was going to happen.

We got there and they put me in an exam room where they tested to see if it was really my water, and sure enough the test strip turned very blue. Because of how much the was flipping, they called the doc in to do an ultrasound to see if he was head down. Sure enough, he was. That was a big relief. The doc checked me and I was 2-3 cm dilated.

At that point I wasn’t having any pain or contractions so they said they would wait and see if I’d start to contract on my own. They moved me from the exam room into the labor room. Got me all hooked up to the monitor and had the hardest time getting his heart beat. Not that there was anything wrong, but because he was moving like crazy.

By 11:00am I still wasn’t having any contractions and I called the nurse to come in because something just wasn’t right. Not that I was worried, but because he was moving so much and his heart beat I couldn’t keep on the monitor. The nurse came in and tried to pick it up with no luck. She looked at me and said she thinks this little man has turned breech. She went to go find the doctor. He came in and said that it wasn’t likely that the baby had turned but he would check. First he checked to see if I had changed any. I was now 5-6 cm dilated (with no pain). They got the ultrasound machine back in the room and sure enough he was now breech. There was a huge pocket of fluid below him, along with my cord. He said that if my water gushed again that my cord would come out first and that wouldn’t be a good thing. Things got underway for a c-section.

Things were moving fast and lots of people were coming in and out with meds and paperwork. The doctor from the NICU came in to talk with us. This is where it gets very emotional for me. She sat down and told us that she wasn’t going to sugar-coat anything with us. Because the has Downs and has the fluid in his lungs, there was a 75% to 80% chance he wouldn’t make it. She wanted us to tell her how much time we wanted them to work on him before they called a time.

I just lost it at that point. I couldn’t even breath. Al stepped in and told her that we would like them to do the best they could for him and work on him until they felt there was no hope. We were shocked by what she was telling us and the stress level went sky-high along with my blood pressure. When she left, Al and I didn’t know what to do but cry. We talked and ended with talk about funeral arrangements.

About 10 minutes later they came and got me. Off to the OR I went. Within 20 minutes, the baby was on his way out. At 1:03pm, 5 seconds after he was out, he was screaming his head off. Both Al and I just lost it and cried when we heard that scream. The doctor looked over at Al and gave him 2 thumbs up. Everything was going perfectly. Al went over to cut the cord and they brought the baby to me for a fast peek and kiss. And off to the NICU he went.

The doc later told us that if he was born ten years ago, he wouldn’t have made it. He still isn’t out of the woods yet. There is still a chance the fluid will build back up, but things are looking to the positive side. He is a fighter and I know he will pull himself out of this. The nurses say he’s the “Miracle Baby in Room C.” He has them all wrapped around his finger.

This is his birth story. It was a long road with a lot of bumps in it, and I’m sure there will be many more as with every kid, but we are ready and so very blessed we have a strong fighter to love and care for. I’m a mother of 6 now and have more love inside of me because of my new baby boy.

Since writing this birth story, The Miracle Baby in Room C has continued to make great strides. He no longer requires the tubes in his mouth, he's able to drink from a bottle and is doing his best to learn how to nurse. He's even graduated to the next level in the NICU. CP is at home with her other 5 "babies," but makes daily trips to visit with her newest little guy. We're all continuing to pray that he gets stronger and healthier every day, and that he gets to come home very, very soon. If you could spare a prayer for him as well, I know the entire family would appreciate it.

It is with the greatest honor that I introduce the world to The Miracle Baby in Room C, the cutest, bravest little fighter, Austin:

Austin Fredrick

Born 09/21/09

7 pounds, 2 ounces

20.5 inches long

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~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

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Blessings,

Kat

Photo Friday: The Sender of the Ladybugs

I was brushing my teeth before bed last night when I remembered... August 28th... Seven years since Heaven welcomed Grandpa through it's gates. My first reaction was to be ashamed, that I hadn't remembered earlier in the day. My second reaction was that "ashamed" was the last reaction Grandpa would want me to have. He'd probably be thrilled that my life goes on, that my family goes on, that I go on. He knows how much I loved him, admired him, respected him, both then and for eternity. Nothing was unsaid between us, there are no regrets.

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Take a look, that's him on the right. (Cute, isn't he?!?) The ladybug story didn't start with him, but he gave it meaning. He's the reason I feel it, believe it, and try my best to live it. He, my friends, is the sender of the ladybugs. In my heart, I know he's always dancing in the rain, and no one in Heaven or on Earth has more ladybugs beside them.

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~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

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Blessings,

Kat

Meet Luanne

I "met" Luanne early last year, when I bumped into a blog she had started called Sixty-Six Days. This blog was her way of chronicling the 66 days leading up to her 50th birthday, and all the things she was hoping to accomplish during that time. I was immediately hooked and so it was a no-brainer that once she turned 50 and started her new blog, Luanne @ 50, I'd become a fan of that one, too. Yesterday, Luanne turned 51, so what better day to talk about all the ways that she inspires me.

Luanne has three great children and a wonderful husband. Her love of her family is apparent in her writing, and they share a strength, closeness and sense of fun that I very much admire. Luanne is a great friend, a great writer, and her thoughts and perspectives always make me stop and think.

Luanne is one of the kindest people I know. This spring, she gave my family a most wonderful gift. I tried to say thank you, though words and quilts could never express how much her generosity touched my family. Luanne is also a woman of principles, and I admire her ability to know when to say when. I think that's something you don't see enough of these days.

For her friendship, her generosity, her many talents, her love of family, her strong faith and her inspirational words, Luanne is my Inspirational Person of the Week. Go on over to her blog and wish her a Happy Birthday with me, will you?

Luanne, may your 51st year be full of all the wonderful blessings you deserve, and may your next 51 be just as special.

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

Blessings,
Kat

Meet Rachel

I have been blessed with two beautiful little girls. Rachel is the older of the two, and today she turns five. I mentioned in a post last week that I don't have many heroes, but Rachel is one of the few. She inspires me daily with her kindness, her wit, her bravery and her innocence. She makes me want (more than anything!) to be the best mommy I can be, the best me I can be. She puts my life, my work, my stress, my every single action into perspective, and she truly makes my heart smile.

Children are amazing. Life is so different through the eyes of a child, so much better than through my own, I think.

If you have children, take a special, intentional look at them today. Remember how amazing they are, how inspirational they are, and how blessed you are to have them.

To my sweet, beautiful, amazing little Rachel, may your next 95 years be as wonderful as the first five have been, for both of us. Happy, Happy Birthday! And most important of all:

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

Blessings,
Kat

Meet Sharon

Sharon Hinck is a novelist, the author of Stepping into Sunlight. In this book, Penny Sullivan is a woman healing from personal struggles, and she decides to help herself heal by doing random acts of kindness for others. Sharon has created a blog called Penny's Project, where she encourages other people to share their ideas and their own kind acts. In Sharon's words:

In the novel Stepping Into Sunlight, the character Penny Sullivan creates a plan in a little yellow notebook. She calls it "Penny's Project" and uses it to brainstorm ideas and also record small successes along the way.

As she struggles to heal from post-traumatic stress, she turns her gaze outward as much as she is able - and sets out to do a small act of kindness for a different person each day. Some of her steps of kindness are spontaneous... Other good deeds take planning... Some are common and familiar acts... Others are new ventures...

More than just a place to share, however, Sharon's blog offers up a big challenge, but a worthy challenge that should inspire all of us to think about doing something good. Though the challenge is technically for the month of September, I don't think any of us need to wait to begin on this one. Or, if you choose to participate in September, now you have plenty of time to plan! Here's the challenge, in Sharon's words:

During the 30 days of September, 2008, we're going to do small kind acts. You can set a goal for one per day (like Penny Sullivan in the novel Stepping Into Sunlight) or one per week, or just one per month. Sound fun? Sound scary? Sound impossible? This site will provide community support, loads of ideas, and a place to share your cool experiences.

I'm so excited about this idea, I've already started making a list of kind acts. Some are big, some are small, some I don't plan to plan, but just do as the opportunities present themselves. I hope you'll join Sharon, Penny and I in this venture!

Take a few minutes to visit Sharon's blog, Penny's Project. Even if you don't participate in the challenge, I think you'll be inspired by the kind acts of others, and Sharon's desire to spread a little bit of kindness to others.

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

Blessings,
Kat

Meet Alan

One of the best parts of my day job is that it affords me the opportunity to meet and get to know people from all over the world. The very best part of my job is when one of those people grows from "just" a co-worker to a real friend, a bespren, even. Alan is one of those people. Alan inspires me with his creativity, his smarts, his loyalty and most of all, his very big heart.

Alan lives in the Philippines, a nation made up of many small islands. Alan has had the opportunity to travel to many places most of us here in the U.S. have never heard of. When Alan noticed the poverty and the potential of a place called El Nido, he knew he had to do something to help. What a simple idea he came up with, and what a complex, long-lasting effect it had. Alan started a program this Spring called "Lapis, Please (A Pencil Revolution)." In Alan's own words:

I’ve been yearning to contribute the little that I have to make a world of difference to our less fortunate brothers in the provinces. I want to send a strong message that the youth is what this country really needs to treasure and nurture. It’s not about what school you come from or which social class you belong to; everyone has a substantial stake on the future of our beloved Philippines.

First off, why pencils? Well, my humble reply is, why NOT pencils? The pencil has always been the symbol of learning for kids and their first tool for expressing their own imaginations. Why just pencils? Well, let’s give a chance for them to get creative and find or improvise a sharpener or eraser. This program aims to be an enabler and not merely a dole-out.

This program will never claim to be the ultimate solution to our pressing problems in both education (or lack thereof) and the debilitating poverty. However, it is absolutely the BIG first step to reach that noble goal, a flicker of a light on an otherwise bleak(er) future. Realizing our own limitations, we turn to our dear friends (and friends of friends) who also believe in our advocacy. It is a simple idea but hey, it might be someone else’s ticket out of poverty and away from ignorance - perhaps even life-changing for some. Hopefully, in 10 years or more, someone will remember that this tiniest of ideas opened the biggest of opportunities for him. Talk about “paying it forward”.

You can read more about how the "Lapis Project" day went here, and see some pictures that Alan took. (He's a great photographer, by the way.) Who knows how these pencils will change the world in the future... one of those pencils might be used to sketch the world's next great masterpiece, write the next great novel, find the formula that cures cancer or perhaps, just bring a smile to a child's face. You never know. But sometimes, just bringing a smile to a child's face is more than enough, don't you think?

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

Blessings,
Kat
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Meet Melody

I have two young daughters, ages 2 and (almost) 5. They are wonderful, amazing, (fairly) well-behaved kids. Yet there are always those days where my husband and I find ourselves wondering who's silly idea it was to have so many children. You know, those days where you get into bed at night and just thank God you made it through the day, with everyone all still in one piece. We promise each other that the only way we'll have more children on purpose is if they come with more parents!

On the days I get frustrated, I always find inspiration and motivation and calm in thinking about Melody. Melody has four children. Yes, four! Not only four kids, but four boys! Can you imagine? One is grown but three of them are in their teen/tween years. Three tween boys?!?!? Yikes! Compared to that, my life is cake!

There's more to her story, though. The three youngest boys? All adopted. That's right, Melody and her husband made a conscious decision to open their hearts and their lives to three young boys, to bring them into their own family and love them as their own. Did I mention they're all close in age, and she currently has three tween boys?!?!?

The story still doesn't end there, though. Between them, these three boys live with autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, cerebral palsy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. And yes, Melody knew all that going in. Can you think of anyone with more purpose, more courage or a bigger heart than this woman? I most certainly can't!

Not only is Melody a mother, she's a photographer, a writer, and she has a great sense of humor. In her own words:

I love my life! My special purpose sons take me to places daily in mind and heart that I would have never known existed without them. In sharing photos and a few words from our daily life, I encourage you to look at your life with humor, hope and with the reality that you do what you can do when you can do it. And reminding you to snap photos...lots of photos.

Let me tell you, this woman is amazing. She is an inspiration. She is a daily reminder to stop taking yourself so seriously, to look at your life with a little bit of humor, a whole lot of hope, and to let yourself off the hook on the days you just can't get it all done.

Run, don't walk, over to her blog: Slurping Life. Bookmark it, visit it daily. Melody will make you laugh, she'll make you cry, she'll show you some amazing pictures. More than all that, though, she'll remind you that even on your toughest days, there are others out there going through the same things as you, and if you stop to smell the roses, enjoy the moments and laugh when you can, life will be a much more beautiful place.

Oh -- and if three tween boys?!?!? and one blog wasn't enough, Melody just launched a new blog called whatithink, which is full of blogging reviews, giveaways and contests. Trust me, this lady gets some COOL giveaway stuff, you'll want to check that one out, too!

~*~*~ May you always remember to dance in the rain, and may you have plenty of ladybugs beside you! ~*~*~

Blessings,
Kat