megblr

today, at my house.

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:10:23 -0800

today, at my house.

RED CUP!

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:07:00 -0800

RED CUP!

love this.

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:06:36 -0800

love this.

hmm… maybe as a SECOND tree…

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:05:55 -0800

hmm… maybe as a SECOND tree…

yesssss

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:28:32 -0800

yesssss

(via kaytee) cory looks confused.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:24:31 -0800

(via kaytee)

cory looks confused.

wow.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:07:52 -0800

wow.

Early Arrivals - #fight4preemies

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:25:36 -0800

redboxideashop:

I was pregnant and, even being the planner that I am, I knew I’d never be completely prepared for the adventure I was about to embark upon. Motherhood, afterall, changes your life forever, right? That’s what I had been told, and I believed it must be true. Little did I know exactly what I was in for…at a mere 29 weeks, labor came.

The amazing physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital did all they could to stop my contractions and, with a not-so-fun-for-Mommy-to-be course of IV drugs, we managed to slow them. That was enough to keep me focused on staying pregnant for a while. My goal was two weeks. My girl had other plans. After five and a half days, she was ready to meet the world…and the drama began again.

I had just enjoyed my first relatively stable day. I had an ultrasound showing my fluid levels were holding up and the baby was still breach. The contractions had stabilized enough that they transferred me down to the peri-natal floor to hopefully settle in for a bit. My parents had visited to relax me and talk baby names. And, I was basking in the joy of my first full meal since I had been admitted. Then, just after my husband had left to head home, feed the cats and prepare for a new day of worry and work, I suddenly started feeling back pain. Within minutes I had suffered a placental abruption, causing massive blood loss and putting my girl in danger. I was rushed into the OR for an emergency c-section.

I remember the unmistakable feeling that “this was it.” I remember the first look of real concern on the OB’s face and the feel of her hand on mine as she grabbed the stretcher and turned me quickly toward the OR. I remember the mad dash. I remember the door slamming open and the brightest lights I’ve ever seen. I remember the rush of what seemed like a team of 25 people surround me. I remember my very first flush of panic. I remember the mask over my nose and mouth, struggling to breathe, and the very quick darkness.

My next memory is pretty hazy. I partially came out of the anesthesia hours later. I remember the intense pain and pressure of the surgery, and since the sudden emergency didn’t allow time for any pain meds, I welcomed the morphine, which quickly started to render me unconscious again. I remember asking for my girl, but there was little information and I was out again.

I woke again with my husband at my side. He was clutching something. I asked, “How is she?,” desperate for an update, and knowing I’d missed that Hollywood newborn moment so many of us dream of. He said, “She’s beautiful and she’s strong.” And he handed me the first photo of my baby girl. She was tiny, but she was here…and I instantly knew my world would never be the same.

My girl was born at 8:35pm on a Tuesday evening at 2 pounds, 8 ounces, 15 inches. Even though babies at 29 weeks don’t typically have fully developed lungs, she benefitted greatly from the course of steroids I was able to receive during my hospitalization. And so, during her first hour, she chose to self-extubate—removing her own breathing tube—and thereby making her first bold statement to the world…she was here, she was a strong little girl and she planned to stay.

It wasn’t until 10:00am that I was given the green light to go see her. I couldn’t get in a wheelchair fast enough. They made me clutch a pillow to my abdomen to support my inscision, but I remember thinking there was something else I planned on holding. I anxiously prodded the nurse to the elevators and we were on our way down to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We had to wait to get in and I was never so impatient in my life. Didn’t they know my baby was in there without her mother? Her nurse met me at the door, attempted to prepare me quickly for what I was about to see and escorted me into the isolated room they reserve for their most delicate case. I saw her and fell instantly in love. I wasn’t afraid. I just wanted to touch her, hold her, feel her heartbeat, let her know Mama was there and everything was going to be OK. She was attached to so many devices, the cables outnumbered her fingers and toes. And you don’t just pick up a baby like this. It takes some coordination. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, she was mine. She laid against my naked chest, as skin-to-skin contact is ideal for a newborn preemie. I could hold her weight with one finger, but I cupped her little bottom in my right hand as I gently touched her back, kissed her head and we had our first embrace.

A week later, I learned my physicians had told my mother just how fortunate we were. If I hadn’t been at that hospital when I abrupted, both the baby and I would have been lost. Those words pierced through me, but they didn’t scare me. They simply made me more grateful for the new gift in my life, and more determined to help my girl get home.

And that she did, 94 days later. Her NICU adventures are enough to fill a book, and I won’t go on about them here. She had some challenges, but always remained strong. She came home at a mighty 5 pounds and has never looked back. Today, four surgeries later, she is a perfectly healthy and happy 3-year-old. And yes, my life is still forever changed.

My girl’s story is dramatic, but it’s not uncommon. Unfortunately, approximately 12.9 million babies are born too early every year…and many of their stories don’t have such a happy ending. According to the March of Dimes, an estimated 28 percent of the 4 million annual neonatal deaths are due to preterm birth. Find out ways you can join in the Fight for Preemies and join me on Twitter by sharing information and creating awareness using the hashtag #fight4preemies.

March of Dimes – Fight for Preemies
March of Dimes – White Paper on Preterm Birth
WEGO Health – Fight for Preemies Community

Please help my boyfriend continue to look...

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:55:46 -0800

Please help my boyfriend continue to look creepy.

gradontripp:

Have hoodie will Mo. Movember, Day 4.

I’m growing a mustache to help fight prostate cancer. And to beat Team Austin. Want to help? Donate as much - or as little as you can: us.movember.com/mospace/21180

That's not what I ordered...

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:05:31 -0800

drew:

…So I sent it back.

I get emotional every time I think about those words.   I’ve waited to type them for months.

May 20th I sat in front of my Dr. while he told me that my life was about to take a detour. I knew from the phone call that it wasn’t good.

Today, November 2nd, I sat there while he told me I was done.

This was my last treatment. 12 of 12.

12 visits every 2 weeks where I knew walking in that I was about to get my ass kicked. I’d go home and vomit, hate the smell of food. Not wanting people to even touch me or hug me.

But I made it. With your help.

You can call me crazy, or call me stupid…but this whole blaming thing worked. The power of positive energy, the power of distraction, the power of community, the power of support, the power of love. It worked. It made my cancer go away for good.

Treatment alone wasn’t enough, I firmly believe that. There were moments where I could literally feel myself being pulled into depression. Moments that I didn’t want to do this shit anymore.   Moments that I was ready to pack it in, never talk to anyone again and be pathetic.

But you wouldn’t let me.

14,077 People Have Blamed my cancer for 34,123 Things.

Fourteen THOUSAND. How many of those people do I actually know? Maybe a few hundred. How amazing is that? 34,123 times, the word cancer was spoken out loud and in a very public place on Twitter.

Cancer can’t hide anymore, we’ve made sure of that.   We’ve got to keep the good work going.

I need a vacation badly, just some time to unwind and heal.   But our organization Blame Cancer is entering the phases of reality. All of you are helping us form it and shape it.

I just got home from chemo but I wanted to write this and say thank you from the bottom of my heart. For everything.

Cancer has no idea how in trouble it is. Ya see, in 2 weeks, I don’t have to get chemo…so that means my body and brain will be healed that much more. And I’ll recover from the chemo brain and the aches and pains.   And I’ll get closer to 100%. We kicked cancers ass while I was about 40%, imagine what we’ll do now.

It’s good to be alive, and it’s good to have all of you as friends.

I love you.

<3<3<3

PS. In the coming days/weeks I’ll be personally thanking all of you. It’s time for me to rest up a bit.

it’s TIME!

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:47:06 -0800

it’s TIME!

it’s all in the eyebrows, guys.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:45:41 -0800

it’s all in the eyebrows, guys.

I'm in love with this cat.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:41:59 -0800

I'm in love with this cat. :

(via frangry)

soupsoup: bohemea: Jon Stewart & his daughter Maggie...

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:39:04 -0800

soupsoup:

bohemea:

Jon Stewart & his daughter Maggie trick-or-treating

soupsoup: skysignal: Hold Esquire’s December issue in front of...

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:24:19 -0700

soupsoup:

skysignal:

Hold Esquire’s December issue in front of a webcam, and an on-screen image of the magazine pops to life, letters flying off the cover. Shift and tilt the magazine, and the animation on the screen moves accordingly.

Robert Downey Jr. emerges out of the on-screen page in 3-D, offering half-improvised shtick on Esquire’s latest high-tech experiment for keeping print magazines relevant amid the digital onslaught.

Esquire’s top editors are clearly enthused about the new technology, called “augmented reality.”

[Read more.]

flexibility is everything.

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:11:36 -0700

flexibility is everything.

this one goes out to @gradontripp. yeeeeeeeeah.

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:31:44 -0700

this one goes out to @gradontripp. yeeeeeeeeah.

24 Hours Left To Get Your SocialChangeCamp Tickets!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:03:53 -0700

socialchangecampnyc:

That’s right — they’re only on sale for one more day!

SocialChangeCampNYC is happening this Saturday, September 26, 2009. We’ve got a great crowd coming — in fact, not too many tickets are left before we hit maximum capacity.

That’s why, as of Friday, September 25th, 9 am EST, we’re closing ticket sales on our Eventbrite page — so get your hands on your ticket now.

Remember, for only $10, you get a full day of amazing discussion and collaboration, a fantastic t-shirt from HUGE and Storenvy, a $25 Donors Choose card… and the chance to meet the some of the most fantastic people working in New York’s tech and nonprofit communities.

Click here to get your ticket now

We look forward to seeing you there!

(And we’d love it if you’d reblog this… thanks!)

SocialChangeCamp NYC: Tickets are going fast!

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:55:55 -0700

socialchangecampnyc:

If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet for the inaugural SocialChangeCamp on September 26, 2009, today’s the day to take action!

We’ve got a fantastic crowd coming from across the tech AND nonprofit spectrum, and we’d love to have you there to be a part of the conversation.

This is a fantastic opportunity for organizations to make a connection with some of the finest tech/social media/marketing/PR minds in New York, and a great way to give back to the community for those working in the tech industry.

Tickets are only $10, and are available here: http://bit.ly/scc09sm

Remember, we are a BarCamp - which means that the speakers in these slots are made up on the morning of the event (read What to Expect at a BarCamp). Everyone in attendance is encouraged to present and be a part of as many sessions as they can.

Also, if you’re interested in volunteering to help us out for the day, please contact us at event AT socialchangecamp DOT com.

Everyone is welcome — get your ticket today!

SocialChangeCamp comes NYU's Woolworth Center on Sept 26

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:15:28 -0700

neighborhoodr-fidi:

Inspired by the increased influence of socially conscious programs and events comes the first SocialChangeCamp, an all-day BarCamp style event scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2009 at NYU’s Woolworth Building campus at 15 Barclay Street near Broadway.

Modeled after user-generated conferences like BarCamp, SocialChangeCamp NYC will act as a resource for forward-thinking public interest organizations seeking new ways to leverage technology.

Through a series of sessions and discussions, NYC’s best and brightest social media and technology professionals will show non-profits, charities, museums, schools, corporate social responsibility teams, NGOs and other socially conscious organizations how to reach out to their communities in inspired and meaningful ways. The day’s agenda includes sessions addressing volunteer recruitment, online community building, grassroots organizing, donor cultivation and fundraising and facilitating effective advocacy.

At the event, attendees will be encouraged to be presenters and there’s no set schedule of speakers, allowing for maximum flexibility in deciding topics and conversations that will be presented.

SocialChangeCamp is a partnership between Social Media for Social Change (SM4SC), Grassroots.org and the Grassroots Web Meetup. The event is made possible by the generous donation of space by New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and by donations from Bite Communications, DonorsChoose.org, Eventbrite, HUGE and PolyPrint Design.

Tickets are available online at http://socialchangecamp.eventbrite.com and are just $10. Student tickets are available for $7 with valid, current ID. A limited number of tickets are available free to the NYU community by emailing scps.marketing.pr@nyu.edu.

For more information, visit http://ny.socialchangecamp.com.