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"When I discovered the need, it became my passion. I began to research and design a line of preemie clothing that would genuinely address their unique requirements and sizing." ~Cressie Baerg, Preemie Store  As I sit and write this article for our guest blog post for Ali the founder of Me Two Books, I am struck with the realization that I have been making preemie clothing longer than some of the mother’s that might be reading this blog post have been alive! Some would feel it is time to retire, but when you are doing something you love, why quit?! The question then is asked, "How did you get started making preemie clothing?" "Did you have a preemie?” No, I didn’t have a preemie. Actually, someone I knew in the church I was attending, had a preemie baby, and nobody was able to find any suitable or affordable clothing for it. I told them, "I can make preemie clothes!" You see, I had sewn all my life, from my own clothes to clothing for my 3 children. When I discovered the need, it became my passion. I began to research and design a line of preemie clothing that would genuinely address their unique requirements and sizing. Of course, I don't personally sew everything we manufacture today! We've far outgrown what I can produce alone. We have a team of great people that manufacture our preemie clothes right here in the USA. We offer our Perfectly Preemie line in 3 sizes - starting at just 1-2.5 pounds. We make many of our items to be as NICU-Friendly as possible, with open shoulders, quick velcro closures providing easy dressing. We also offer fun dresses and playsuits plus we are hoping to add some great outerwear options this next winter, as well as some more fun ideas. Last fall we acquired the Preemie Store and now have combined our great Perfectly Preemie line to the over 36+ brands carried on the Preemie Store. We want parents to be able to find anything they might need for their little miracles in one place. Things have changed in so many ways over the 26+ years we have been working with preemie families. The biggest advance has been the internet and the ability to have an online store that is open to parents 24/7. This has been very nice for preemie parents who spend most of their time in the NICU not allowing them time shop at a physical store from 9-5. Most brick and mortar stores carry very little preemie clothing anyway, because preemies are still a small percentage of all live births. I also now have the privilege of working alongside my daughter, Melissa who was in elementary school when I started. She takes care of all the order fulfillment, customer service, and so much more. It is a real joy to know the stores are in such good hands with someone who has been with me along this beautiful journey as long as I have. She is planning to take over whenever I am ready to retire, the problem is I have no intent at this time! You see I just love what I do. Along with Melissa, my wonderful husband Kevin helps out with all the bookkeeping, and marketing strategy. We are a small business with a great big heart for preemie families. The best part is hearing back from parents and families with pictures and stories of how having such cute, and easy to use preemie clothing has made a difficult situation so much better! Check out all the great things offered at Preemie Store today, www.preemiestore.com. "Kangaroo Care means holding your baby skin-to-skin on your chest."  Chances are if you have never spent time in a NICU, you have no idea what Kangaroo Care means.
Chances are if you have spent time in a NICU, some of your favorite moments happened during Kangaroo Care. Kangaroo Care means holding your baby skin-to-skin on your chest. It is the way many NICU parents spend hours of their day. What is so amazing about this special therapy, is it not only promotes bonding, it actually helps regulate the baby’s body temperature and breathing. I found Kangaroo Care so rewarding because it was a way for my body, which had failed to keep my baby safe on the inside, to start to heal my baby on the outside. A true exercise in redemption. One of my favorite memories of the 65 long days that my preemies spent in the NICU happened during Kangaroo Care. About 2 weeks after my 28 weekers were born, I was finally able to hold them both together. A lovely reunion for two babies that missed snuggling each other. It was no easy feat to get two preemies comfortable on my chest with all of their leads and wires. A team of nurses placed one baby and then the next, situating them just so under a layer of blankets. And then, one twin’s tiny twig of an arm reached out in a healing hug, and they embraced each other. The monitors were quiet as we all snuggled together. We were going to stay that way for a while. Books are a wonderful way to introduce a variety of career options to young kids. Here's a collection of my favorites.  Little People, Big Dreams Series
Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. Clothesline Clues to the Jobs People Due Who wears what to work? The clues in each lively verse can be spotted hanging from the clotheslines. A mail carrier’s uniform, the artist’s brushes, and the chef’s apron all hang from the clothesline. Then turn the page to learn which professionals wear and use the special gear in the jobs they do. Clever illustrations show the workers helping one another, and in the end, everyone joins together for a celebration that is out of this world. A perfect choice for reading aloud and encouraging kids to join in the guessing and reveal. Who Will I Be? When Isabel’s teacher asks her students who they want to be when they grow up, Isabel doesn’t have an answer. Isabel knows it makes her happy to help her friends, neighbors, and family—but can a person really grow up to be a helper? It’s time for Isabel to open her eyes and her heart and see all the different jobs people do: the police officers, firefighters, soldiers, teachers, doctors, and clergy who dedicate their lives to helping people every day. The Career Explorer "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This is a common and favorite topic of discussion for kids. It's never to early to start talking about how and why people do the work they do. The Career Explorer is a book that introduces children to the basic principles of the career development process. With the help of Mae Morer, the career explorer, children learn that choosing a career is a life-long process that starts with looking inside themselves at their values, interests, personality, and skills. Colorful geometric illustrations and rhyming text highlight a selection of possible careers in STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). Jobs Around Town Searching for the perfect job, the Bear siblings learn to celebrate the many talents of others and begin to imagine where their own gifts will take them as they grow. When I Grow Up One night while getting ready for bed a little boy starts to wonder what will life be like when he grows up. He could be a painter, a musician, a mountain climber, a mayor. He tells his mother all about his big ideas…and all of the other things he wants to do. But when will he grow up? And why does it take so long? Astronaut Annie Annie's joyful exuberance and her family's whole-hearted support leave no doubt that her dream is within her grasp. This delightful story―with backmatter about women astronauts―encourages young readers to pursue their dreams and reach for the stars. Iggy Peck, Architect Some kids sculpt sand castles. Some make mud pies. Some construct great block towers. But none are better at building than Iggy Peck, who once erected a life-size replica of the Great Sphinx on his front lawn! It’s too bad that few people appreciate Iggy’s talent—certainly not his second-grade teacher, Miss Lila Greer. It looks as if Iggy will have to trade in his T square for a box of crayons . . . until a fateful field trip proves just how useful a mast builder can be. When I Grow Up It’s Show-and-Tell time in Mrs. Krupp’s class, and Billy just can’t wait for his turn! Today the class is discussing what they want to be when they grow up, and our exuberant eight-year-old hero is bursting to tell everyone about his future career plans. The Boy Who Loved Math Most people think of mathematicians as solitary, working away in isolation. And, it's true, many of them do. But Paul Erdos never followed the usual path. At the age of four, he could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive in his head. But he didn't learn to butter his own bread until he turned twenty. Instead, he traveled around the world, from one mathematician to the next, collaborating on an astonishing number of publications. With a simple, lyrical text and richly layered illustrations, this is a beautiful introduction to the world of math and a fascinating look at the unique character traits that made "Uncle Paul" a great man. ABC What Can She Be Each page introduces a letter of the alphabet and highlights a career that is fun, challenging, and makes a big impact in its own way. A boldly illustrated, fun family read, ABC What Can She Be? is a great way for parents to introduce their small children to the bright futures before them. Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you use the link to purchase the item.  Before I was a mother to preemie twins, and a children’s book author, I was a career counselor. During my 8+ years in the profession, I worked with hundreds of young adults struggling to select majors, choose careers, and plan their futures. Many of these students were experiencing significant distress over these decisions. Of course, this was understandable, because there is a perception that you must choose the perfect career. But career research tells us that this perception is false, and most people have several completely different careers throughout their professional life. One thing that always struck me was that after a few meetings, students began to relax. Once they were introduced to the career development process, the stress decreased and they were able to create a plan to find a career that was a good fit for them at this point in their life. If only they had been introduced to the career development process earlier. Perhaps they could have avoided a great deal of stress and unrealistic expectations.
The career development process is the same whether you are 5 or 50 years old. And it is never too early to discuss with children why and how people do the work that they do. In fact, around 3-4 years of age, is the ideal time to introduce the basic tenets of career exploration. This is the age where pretend play is developing, and many parents begin to notice an interest in careers and the future. Here are a few things that parents can do to foster a healthy sense of career development in young children. Learn About the Career Development Process The career development process begins with self-awareness. One must know their own values, interests, personality, and skills. Without this information, a career decision is incomplete. Often times people are making career decisions based on one or two of these factors (typically interests and skills). Parents can assist their children by helping them build self-awareness in all 4 areas. Encourage Exploration When children are young, exploration is key. Career decision is many years away, so the focus at this age is exposure to as much as possible. One simple way to do this, is by reading books about different careers. Encourage children to explore what they like, what they are good at, and even what they aren’t so good at. Interest and skills can take years to develop, so why not start now. Early exploration builds skills, career awareness, and a variety of interests. All of which will be beneficial down the road. Share Your Own Career Experiences A very easy way parents can help their children in the career development process is to share their own experiences. Make sure you are sharing what your work day was like, and what you enjoy about your job. Stay Positive Children go through many phases before a career idea ultimately sticks. Regardless of what your child is currently “in” to, it’s best to always talk about it in a positive way. I can’t tell you the number of college students that I have counseled that have found their passion, but it’s not accepted by their families. I advise parents to always come from a place of support. There are plenty of people and factors that will tell your child that they can’t do something. What they need from you is unconditional support. Career development is a life-long process. Its never too early to start helping young children understand the steps. If you want more information, I have many more resources to assist parents, including an Introduction to Career Development eCourse. Check out www.metwobooks.com for more. March is National Reading Month! In honor of this, I am sharing some of my favorite children's books for preemies.  There is no denying the joy of reading. Reading can be an important activity to aid in bonding with your hospitalized baby, and also provides some pretty amazing benefits for your child. Research suggests that story time promotes brain development, reduces stress, and starts building the skills needed to talk and eventually read.
Reading to my preemies was one of the things that I enjoyed most while my twins were in the NICU. It made me feel like a “normal” parent and I could block out all the noise and imagine that I sitting in my children’s nursery reading to them instead of a hospital. It helped me forget about the stress, if at least temporarily. While there are certainly many lovely children’s books available, reading a book about a preemie, to a preemie is a special experience. Here are a few of my favorites to begin building a library for your littlest bundle of joy. Lily’s Hope- by Jennifer Driscoll and Lily Driscoll This children's book follows the experiences of Lilian Hope and her little brother, Aidan Patrick, both born prematurely. "Hope means wishing for good things to happen," Lily says, as she realizes hope has followed her since the day she was born. Lily and Aidan share hope in their non-profit organization, Lily's Hope Foundation, that supports families with premature babies. Once Upon a Preemie- by Jenné Johns This short inspirational book is written for parents whose children were born prematurely, and had a NICU stay. The book is a bedside companion to support any parent who faces the roller coaster ride of nurturing a preemie baby in the hospital until they go home. Once Upon A Preemie offers encouraging messages of hope, faith, and love. Peanut- by Lindsay Nolan "Little baby, I understand that life never goes exactly as planned, and that something so little can be something so grand." This is a story for small but mighty preemie babies. It's a story about love. Go Preemies- by AP Male Go Preemies! was written for preemies of all ages as a fun, inspirational and educational guide that highlights the world-changing accomplishments that preemies have achieved, and can achieve, despite the challenges of their preterm birth. Written and illustrated by two adult preemies. Soon- by Jessica Watson "Soon" takes the reader on a hopeful journey, honoring the fighting spirit of a preemie along the way. Beautiful, realistic illustrations give a glimpse into the NICU world without overwhelming young children with too many tubes and wires. Families will treasure time spent turning the pages of "Soon" together and smiling with pride at how far they have come. I Was a Preemie Just Like You- by Ali Dunn I Was a Preemie Just Like You is a sweet children's book that shows preemies what they went through, and that they are not alone. Colorful geometric illustrations and rhyming text reimagine the NICU experience as an amazing adventure. This book is perfect for preemies of any age but was developed specifically for toddlers as an introduction to their own premature start. Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you use the link to purchase the item. We are a month into a new year and everyone is talking about resolutions and goals for the next 365 days. What if simply flipping the calendar isn’t enough to erase the discouragement of the past? What if everyone’s new found motivation is making you feel resentful that you aren’t in the same place? Over the course of any career (regardless of the type of work that you do), it’s normal to have times of great accomplishment and success and periods of disappointment. While discontent is uncomfortable, it often can be an amazing catalyst to propel you forward to something even greater in the long term. Until that day though, here are some strategies that can help you to embrace where you are.
Create a “good for you” file I was given some advice in my very first professional job, from an amazing woman and mentor. She said to take every thank you note and every positive email, and save it in a “good for you” file. When you are feeling discouraged, get out all of these kudos and reflect on all you have already accomplished. Conduct a community audit Comparison to others robs you of joy. If the people you are spending time with, or the way that you are spending your time is not making you feel good about yourself...get rid of it. This not only applies to people you know in real life, but to your social media feeds as well. Surround yourself with people and endeavors that make you feel worthy and energized. Set intentions instead of resolutions Resolutions can have a negative connotation. They are firm and rigid, and if you stumble just once you can feel like you have blown it for the whole year. I challenge you to reframe how you think about goal setting, and set intentions instead. Intentions are flexible, and allow for grace. Intentions enable you to improve and change while still being gentle with yourself. Discouragement is mostly a temporary state of being, but that doesn’t mean you must grin and bare it. Allow yourself a little time to wallow, and then try to move yourself and your work back to a place of contentment and fulfillment.  Your first inclination when you find out that you are expecting twins might be to buy multiples of everything. However, just like with a singleton, not every baby product is a necessity. If you are short on space or want to stick to a moderate baby gear budget, consider only buying the essentials. Babies, even two of them, don’t really need a lot of stuff. Here are the seven items* I think are essential to thrive with multiples. Double Stroller- Let's be honest...you probably aren't going to get out much at first. But when you do, having a narrow stroller that is compatible with your infant car seat is a must. This stroller fits down the crowded store aisles and fits through any door without assistance. Shown here: Graco Ready2Grow Click Connect Double Stroller Video Baby Monitor- A video monitor is a must with twins. You will want to be able to see which twin is crying and which is sleeping without actually going into their nursery. Look for a model that is compatible with multiple cameras and allows you to toggle back and forth between camera views. Shown here: Motorola 5” Video Baby Monitor Twin Carrier- When your babies outnumber you, a carrier made for twins is essential. As much as you will want to carry your sweet babies around all day, there will be times when you will need to tend to other things. Carriers can be expensive, and not all mamas and babies enjoy them. But with such a wide variety of carriers available, you will surely find one you like. It’s a good idea to borrow one from a friend or a local baby wearing group until you find the right fit for you. Shown here: Twingaroo Carrier Feeding Pillow- If you are breastfeeding, you might want a double pillow that allows for simultaneous nursing. But for bottle feeding, I prefer two separate pillows. These are also another great place to put a baby down, useful for tummy time, and can serve to support a baby learning to sit up. Shown here: Boppy Notebook Print Bouncer- As a pump and bottle feed momma, I wouldn't have been able to feed my twins alone without these. Once they were able, I sat each baby in a bouncer on the floor facing me. I was then able to hold a bottle in each hand and feed both babies simultaneously. Talk about a game changer! When it's not feeding time, these chairs are a great place to put one baby down while you tend to the other one. Shown here: Fisher-Price Geo Meadow Big Diaper Bag- When you finally work up the courage to leave the house with your babies, you are going to need to take along some stuff. A big bag to contain it all is so helpful. You will need double the clothes, diapers, and bottles (if bottle-feeding). Also look for a bag with lots of pockets to help you stay organized and find what you need quickly. Shown here: Skip Hop Forma Bassinet on Wheels - If you would like your baby to bunk in your room at first, these are a great option. They allow you to easily move babies around without waking them. I used to push these beds all around my house so my babies could rest while I did all the other things I needed to do. Shown here: Simmons Kids Twins come with twice the love, but not necessarily twice the stuff. Consider your lifestyle, budget and this list, and you will have everything you need for your twins and nothing you don’t. Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you use the link to purchase the item. *This is not an endorsement of a specific product, just sharing the things that worked for me.  Most parents agree that they don't want their house overrun with toys. This is especially true with parents of multiples who want to avoid the "you need two of everything" trap. In my house, a good twin toy has to be sturdy and well made. It seems that my twins are able to work together to destroy many toys, that a singleton can't. The toys must also be able to accommodate two or more kids playing together to help avoid tantrums that arise from taking turns. These 6 toys meet those criteria and are toys that actually get played with in my home.*
1. Activity Cubes This activity cube is made of wood and very durable. It also grows well with children from infancy to toddlerhood. The cube has multiple sides allowing children to play simultaneously. (pictured here: B Toys Zany Zoo Activity Cube) 2. Books I will always believe that books make a great gift. I especially like to gift my twins with books about being a twin! (pictured here: One of Two) 3. Play Kitchen Play kitchens are so wonderful because they encourage imaginative play. This particular model is wide enough to accommodate two chefs, and has plenty of storage for all your play kitchen needs. (pictured here: KidKraft Vintage Play Kitchen) 4. Easel This two sided easel is perfect for your budding artists. In addition to building creativity, there are many developmental benefit to working on a vertical surface like an easel. (pictured here: KidKraft Deluxe Wooden Easel) 5. Musical Instruments Kids love to make noise, at least mine do! With this toy, there is a chance that the noise can become music. (pictured here: Melissa and Doug Band in a Box) 6. Mini Trampoline While this toy needs to be used one at a time, it is useful and entertaining. When the weather doesn't cooperate, burn some energy inside. (pictured here: Little Tikes Trampoline) Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you use the link to purchase the item. *Not an endorsement, just what has worked for us! |
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