{"id":3659,"date":"2013-11-13T07:40:39","date_gmt":"2013-11-13T15:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/?p=3659"},"modified":"2013-11-09T15:00:34","modified_gmt":"2013-11-09T23:00:34","slug":"nothing-quite-like-curling-up-under-a-warm-blanket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/nothing-quite-like-curling-up-under-a-warm-blanket\/","title":{"rendered":"Nothing Quite Like Curling Up Under a Warm Blanket"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NICU<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>There really is nothing like the comfort of curling up under a warm blanket on a cold winter\u2019s night. (Granted, I live in California, so those cold winter nights may still be somewhat of a novelty.)<\/p>\n

However, the tiny warriors in our local NICU are on the verge of experiencing a blanket shortage. I am asking for your help.<\/p>\n

Preemies enter this world too soon. Then, as an added insult to injury, they are thrust into the glaringly bright and beepy world of the NICU. This is the stark opposite of where a third trimester should be spent \u2013 curled up in the silent warmth of a mommy\u2019s dark womb.<\/p>\n

Instead, preemies are swaddled with wires and sensors, tucked into a plastic box and poked and prodded in the fight for their lives.<\/p>\n

They need blankets to cover their plastic boxes. (I\u2019m sure our medical team would much prefer I call them isolettes \u2013 Giraffe brand.) This creates a semblance of darkness to help alleviate the overwhelming stimulation already experienced by the trauma of merely being born.<\/p>\n

On day 2 of life, I met my muppets. Search\u2019s isolette was blue with surfer dudes. Destroy\u2019s was green\/tan with John Deere tractors. I did not see them as \u201cbrahs\u201d hangin\u2019 10 or country-boy farmers. (So GrammaJ made them learning quilts \u2013 start education young!)<\/a><\/p>\n

Please help.<\/p>\n

The latest class of future NICU-grads need more blankets. (Our NICU hasn’t had a donation from Project Linus in a long time.) Please let me know if you or anyone (or any group) would be willing to make and donate some blankets.<\/p>\n

You can email me at tricia@streamoftheconscious.com<\/a><\/p>\n

These blankets not only give the growing babes comfort, but they become a kind of status symbol for the families as well. Despite my initial distaste in blanket design, I am proud to send Search and Destroy off to preschool every day with those very same blankets to cover them at naptime.<\/p>\n

\"I<\/a>

I assure you there are 3-year-olds under these blankets.<\/p><\/div>\n

And at home, they snuggle up with similar blankets bestowed upon them by a former preemie who clearly understands their power \u2013 Cousin Nancy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

**********<\/p>\n

How to make a blanket for a baby in a box:<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s really easy. I promise. I got my pattern from Jo-Ann Fabrics<\/a>, but fancy tools not needed.<\/p>\n

Step 1:
\n<\/i>Locate some cute fleece fabric. For added fun, pick a fun pattern and matching solid color. (2 yrds each should do it \u2013 this will make a blanket approximately 4×5.)<\/p>\n

Step 2:
\n<\/i>Lay the blankets wrong side together and cut a 6-inch square from each corner.<\/p>\n

Step 3:
\n<\/i>Make a 6-inch incision every 1-inch all the way around.<\/p>\n

Step 4:
\n<\/i>Tie the fringes in knots \u2013 using one piece from each blanket.<\/p>\n

Step 5:
\n<\/i>Ta-da! You made a NICU baby blanket. Admire your handi-work and donate your blanket to the hospital.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0There really is nothing like the comfort of curling up under a warm blanket on a cold winter\u2019s night. (Granted, I live in California, so those cold winter nights may still be somewhat of a novelty.) However, the tiny warriors … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[21,25,270],"tags":[1445,1447,1448,1446,178,1444],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3Sbzi-X1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":479,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/lifestyles-of-the-small-and-premature\/","url_meta":{"origin":3659,"position":0},"title":"Lifestyles of the Small and Premature","date":"July 25, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"For those of you familiar with the MTV show \u201cCribs,\u201d please enjoy today\u2019s installment of \u201cCribs: NICU\u201d (ha ha). Please feel free to read the following with a Robin Leach English accent. While most babies are quickly bundled into their mother\u2019s arms and shuttled out of the hospital mere days\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Destroy"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/07\/caden_07-24-10.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":807,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/put-the-nicu-nurses-out-of-a-job\/","url_meta":{"origin":3659,"position":1},"title":"Put the NICU Nurses Out of a Job","date":"November 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"As part of a campaign to generate awareness about the crisis of premature birth in our country, the March of Dimes designated November as Prematurity Awareness Month. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death worldwide. And the rate of premature birth has risen by 30 percent since 1981.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Baby Photos"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/06\/img_0056.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1533,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/tiny-notoriety\/","url_meta":{"origin":3659,"position":2},"title":"Tiny Notoriety","date":"July 10, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s probably fair to say that every mother worries about her children. Are they meeting their developmental milestones? Am I doing everything I can for them? What more can I do to ensure they fully cultivate their little inner geniuses (because clearly my children are brilliant). Throw prematurity into that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hospital"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":856,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/fight-for-preemies\/","url_meta":{"origin":3659,"position":3},"title":"Fight for Preemies","date":"November 16, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Little lives are at stake. Today, Nov. 17, is the Fight For Preemies, 7th Annual Prematurity Awareness Day. The March of Dimes asked bloggers from around the world to post their story on the same day to draw attention to the crisis of premature birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Angels"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/streamdoubletrouble.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/11\/caden_birthday1_5-28-10.jpg?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2891,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/what-makes-a-superhero-so-heroically-super\/","url_meta":{"origin":3659,"position":4},"title":"What Makes a Superhero so Heroically Super","date":"November 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"November is Prematurity Awareness Month. But aren\u2019t the muppets almost two and a half? Haven\u2019t their medical records been stamped, signed, sealed and delivered with \u201cno lasting effects of prematurity?\u201d Why continue harping on this topic? Other than because this is my blog and I can do what I want,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Current Events"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.streamdoubletrouble.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Superhero-300x277.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1503,"url":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/when-talking-to-parents-of-tiny-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":3659,"position":5},"title":"When Talking to Parents of Tiny People","date":"June 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this month, I came across an article imploring people to think before they speak when talking to preemie parents. The author was mortified that someone close to her had called her two-month premature son a \u201cmonkey baby.\u201d As such, a community of preemie parents had banded together to create\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hospital"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3659"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3659\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/streamoftheconscious.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}