I'm Still Standing- Featured Blogger

Have you ever read someone's story that gave you the urge to pack up your things and go do for them... do their laundry, make their meals, do whatever you could to make life easier?

That is how I felt the first time I read a post from today's featured blogger, Amy from TransplantedX3, and how I have felt after every one of her posts since.

Amy is the mom to seven which alone should qualify her for some type of award.  The story of her family is an amazing one.  Amy's third son, Nathaniel passed away five days after his birth and was later found to have had Citrullinemia, a rare genetic disorder.  She continued on to have three more children who were all diagnosed with Citrullinemia and ultimately needed liver transplants in order to survive.

Her youngest son, David, is currently in pediatric intensive care, where Amy kept vigil for the past three months as he struggles to survive.  I could go on and on about Amy's strength but you just need to visit her because it shines through her words.  

Send her prayers or good thoughts or whatever you can muster.

David is not doing well.

She needs it right now.

Here are a few beautiful posts from Amy:

Is This Thing On?- the beginning of David's fight
5.3 Million... and I don't mean the Mega Millions- where things are right now
Wordless Wednesday- the most touching Wordless Wednesday picture ever

So Amy of TransplantedX3, mom of seven, survivor of loss and liver transplants and life in a Ronald McDonald house while her son struggles to defy the odds, is Still Standing and I wish there was something I could do, because she deserves to sit for a while.

I'm Still Standing- Featured Blogger

I was so happy when I received an email from an amazing friend, allowing me to feature her here and share her story.  I should not have been surprised though.  She knew that her story may help others, inspire them to keep going and give them a reason to get out of bed each day, and for that, she wanted to share.  To say that she is strong and has handled herself with grace through all that she has endured is an understatement.

Cathi was pregnant with triplets not long after I was and, as she began to experience serious complications, I hovered over my computer waiting for each and every update, hoping for good news.  Sadly Raiden, the first of her triplets, was stillborn at 22 weeks gestation.  Cathi and her surviving babies held on for four more weeks and at 26 weeks gestation, her daughter Gwyn and son Ryker were born.  I was devastated to follow Cathi's journey as she then lost Ryker when he was 10 days old and Gwyn when she was 18 days old.  Still reeling over the loss of my own daughter, I remember hearing of the passing of each of her children and thinking that losing three babies was unfathomable.  The more I grasped for the words to support Cathi, the more I became inspired by the strength with which she carried herself through one devastating loss after another.

Cathi and her husband had several frozen embryos left after their IVF cycle with the triplets so she gathered her courage and decided to try once again.  After a successful frozen embryo transfer and another very high risk pregnancy, Cathi now has a beautiful one year-old little girl, Megyn.  Honestly, I don't know where Cathi finds the strength and courage to face life with the brave face that she does but I know that all of us who have been touched by her story are better for what we have learned from her bravery.

I admire Cathi more than words can express and know that there are days that I am still standing because of the inspiration I get from women like her.

So meet Cathi, survivor of the infertility struggle, mom to four babies, three of whom she carries in her heart, and STILL STANDING.

Cathi's post about her family:  Years Fly By
(if you have a minute you have to look around her blog, the professional photographs she has of Megyn are breathtaking)

My favorite post from Cathi... so sad but her strength shines through:  2 Years

Read here about how you can get featured too.

I'm Still Standing- Featured Blogger

Christmas Eve is the perfect day to feature my next I'm Still Standing blogger because if there is one word to describe this amazing lady it would be "giving."  I was thrilled when she put her name in the hat to be featured because, since my first comment on her blog, she has become such a great friend.  I know first hand how supportive she is to people in her day to day life and to the people she meets out here in the blogosphere.  You would never know that she is a very busy momma herself, raising three children, one of whom has autism.

Oh and my favorite thing about this lady?  She gives me one more reason to want to visit Ireland which just so happens to be her place in the world.

If you don't already know her or haven't figured it out yet, today's featured blogger is Jen from The King and Eye.

Here is a post that Jen felt will help you get to know her best:

10 Things HRH Wants You to Know- a great post written by her little guy... very wise for his 2.5 years

Here is my favorite post because it is the most ingenious idea:

Blog Gems- Air Your Archives- Once a month Jen hosts Blog Gems.  She gives bloggers a chance to dig out an old post with a common theme and link to it on her blog.  I joined in for the first time last month and met all kinds of great new people and couldn't wait to do it again this month.  There is still time to join for December and link your first blog post ever... strange to go back and see where I was when my blogging addiction began.

Jen is parenting her children and bringing comfort and support to many other families while dealing with autism and Still Standing.

Hope you enjoy visiting Jen today, send her lots of warm, holiday wishes, she deserves them ten-fold.

To learn how you can get featured click the "Get Featured" tab along the top of my blog.


Merry Christmas,

I'm Still Standing- First Feature!

I was SO worried it would flop, but the moment I hit publish on my call out for bloggers who would like to offer support to other bloggers in their shoes, my inbox started filling up.  I'm not sure how I will wait until next Friday rolls around to feature the next blogger in my brain but hopefully the week will go by quickly!

So here comes the first I'm Still Standing blogger...

Jen is an amazing lady who, after winning the infertility battle, found herself as the mommy of a beautiful little girl with Down's Syndrome.  She writes with honesty, of her journey through disbelief, acceptance and ultimately, the embracing of all things wonderful in her little girl.  The moment I clicked on her blog I knew I could not wait another week to share her story.

Here are a few posts that sum up the struggles, triumphs and life of Jen at Loving Peanut... facing infertility and life as a special needs Mommy and still standing.

Jen's picks:

  T21 Blessings- piles of honesty
  Pumpkins and Ghosts and Singing, Oh My!- a play group tale and tribute to Down's Syndrome Awareness month.
  Hope for the Future- a run in with the "r" word


My pick (or my "I know this one is brutally honest but can I PLEASE share it" post):

  Welcome to Holland... Gerber Style- if you have read Welcome to Holland then just go right down to Jenny's tale of her short trip from Italy to Holland.  For me, this sums up Jen in all her kick-butt Mommy glory.


Hope you enjoyed visiting with the first of many amazing bloggers to come.  If you would like to be featured read here for all the details.

My Grand Plan

I have been tossing around random thoughts lately that have ultimately formed into my Grand Plan.

After we lost Hadley I felt like I was the only mom on the planet to lose a baby, let alone a 2 day-old preemie who was one of triplets.  Never in a million years did I think I would connect with other moms and bloggers in the same position who would inspire me to put one foot in front of the other each day and give me a shred of hope that I could get through this.

Over the past few months I have connected with lots of autism moms.  Never have I connected with so many people who get it.  Who knew there was a whole world of autism bloggers I had yet to discover?  Apparently, a lot of people did and I have been living under a rock.

So on to my idea...

Every Friday I am going to feature a blogger who may have struggled a little, or a lot, but keeps on trucking.  If you have experienced any type of trial whether it be loss or infertility or illness or have made it through divorce or a high risk pregnancy or are raising a special needs child or if you have done something crazy like trained for a marathon while taking care of 10 kids or had a baby when everyone said you were too young or too old I want to hear about it.  I have no formal list of what qualifies so if you feel like you made it or you are still making it let me know.  

My goal is to connect bloggers to other bloggers who might see a glimpse of themselves and know that they will be all right.  Plus there is nothing like new followers who walk the same walk and a new button too.

Here's the rules:

-Send me a blog post that screams YOU.  The post does not have to tell the story of your struggles, in fact, I would rather it not.  Just share something that you are proud of or that gives readers a feel for your blog.

-Email a direct link to the post you would like featured and include a description of your struggle/feat,/obstacle/magical powers in the body of the email.  Send it to fourplusanangel@gmail.com and I will feature someone new each Friday.

Oh and I know what you are thinking, if you are wrestling with that uncomfortable feeling of patting yourself on the back, look at it like you are sharing your I-made-it-through-so-you-can-too story with someone who just might need to hear it or if you feel like you are not quite comfortable calling yourself an expert yet, that is okay too.  I guarantee there is someone out there feeling like they are ten steps behind where you are right now.

Hope to hear from you!