Would you like to help me?

I am participating in WalkAmerica because I believe in the March of Dimes mission to save babies. Please support my fundraising efforts by sponsoring me in WalkAmerica today. I have made so many wonderful mommy friends who had babies born prematurely – I’ve seen the effects of this first hand – not only on the baby but the whole family. My heart goes out to all these families and I am always amazed at the strength they have when faced with these situations!!! I am doing this walk for all the premature babies I know!!!

Contributing to my walk online is fast, easy and secure. You can donate directly from my personal webpage with a credit/debit card or PayPal. If you prefer, I can also accept cash or check. Just click the appropriate box on my webpage.

The money we raise helps save premature and sick babies. Premature birth is the #1 cause of newborn death and the biggest threat to babies’ health today, and through WalkAmerica, the March of Dimes is funding important research to find out why premature birth happens and what can be done to prevent it.

I’ve joined with millions of compassionate people across the country who support WalkAmerica each year. Won’t you please help me in this worthy cause? Visit my webpage and sponsor me in the walk that saves babies!

With your support, there’s hope.

You can view my personal web page for donations at:
http://www.walkamerica.org/Trevorsmommy2004

I am not asking for lots - maybe you have a dollar or two to spare - no amount is too small - and every single cent is appreciated and will help to make a difference!!

The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

Trevor will be accompanying me on the walk – I want him to learn early on about giving and doing for others and I think this is a great opportunity for that!!

Thank you all,
Love, Erin

Need some thoughts please...

I was talking to my mom the other day and she said that my dad no longer leaves the house....today when talking she said he's barely eaten anything at all the last two days....

My heart is telling me this isn't a good thing....

I just pray that everything will be ok till we leave to go visit on Feb 8th - we are going up for a few days to celebrate Trevor's birthday and see dad....

My heart is breaking....please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers....it means a great deal to me!!!

It's Official!!!

Ok, now I can announce it ......

I am on the store creative team at GOTTA PIXEL!!!

Woohoo!!!!!

I've wanted this for so long.....drooled over the thought....lol....and earlier this week I was asked if I was interested ...and of course I said "yes"!!!! I am so absolutely excited!!!

I already have the pleasure of working with two of the talented designers at Gotta Pixel on their own personal CT teams - Kathryn Mhire and Sarah Meyer - and now I get to do CT work for the whole site!!! That is just pretty amazing!!!

I also am on CT's at One of a Kind Scrapz, as well as Julie Kelley @ 3 Scrapateers, and do some guest/freelance CT work for Colleen Shibley, and Neverland Scraps. (Wendy, we need to sit down and talk...lol....you've got such great stuff out there I'd love to help show off for you! :-) )

I feel really blessed to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing array of talented designers!!!

Time to get caught up...

Hmmm....where to begin?

Ok, well first, I didn't get accepted to the scrapping store I applied at. While it would have been fun, I am totally ok with it. I've been asked to be on a CT team for another site, which I'll keep under wraps until things are completed, but I am super excited as this is something I wanted for a while now!!!

I am finally over being sick - I had about a week of a cold/flu like symptoms - not fun at all!!! I am so over this cold weather already!!!

And lastly, you can stop reading right here if you'd like but I need to rant and get some things off my chest! I was visiting a particular debating board recently - well I have been on and off for over a year, but had been there recently and decided it's just no productive. It's hard to have a battle of the wits with someone who isn't armed!!! I think the biggest mistake a parent can make is thinking they know it all before the child is even born!!! Let's face it, I am sure all of us, to a small degree, felt we knew it all before our child came, but I know I wasn't so confident about it that I would basically throw it in someones face, nor would I tell someone who already had a child how to parent! I find it laughable that someone would think that because they had done some babysitting, taken cpr class, and had some psych classes, etc, that they are ready to be a mom and are confident and know everything there is to know!!! Imagine if that was all it took to be a mom? I mean, we could send everyone who wanted to be a mom to these classes and we'd be guaranteed the world would have perfect moms!!! HA!!! Show me one person who after having their child, didn't change their mind on one thing...just one thing!!! It's a whole other ballgame once that child is in your arms and its your child!!! And when I told this person this, she said that I wasn't debating correctly by using that statement!!! Give me a break! She'll see when she actually gives birth! you can't possibly know what it's like to be a mom till you are a mom! I don't care if you babysit for 10,000 children, taken 200 psych courses, take first aid and cpr, etc - it isn't an indicator of instant success when you have your own child!!!

Another thing I am annoyed by is people who want to force their opinions onto everyone else....they want to put their beliefs onto the whole country but then the same person doesn't want to step on the toes of criminals like pedophiles! Give me a break!!! You want me to go along with your beliefs on such topics as abortion, taxes, war, child rearing, but then you don't want to infringe upon the rights of a pedophile! Sorry, but when the said creep put his or her hands on a child, they lost all rights!!! Having a three year old I think of this stuff quite a bit, and I can tell you I wouldn't for a minute stand for it and you can bet I'd want that low life piece of scum to rot and yes, yes, I think pedophiles should be registered even after probation is over!!!

It makes me sick that some people want to give these scumbags the same rights as those of us who abide the law and keep our children safe!!! What is this world coming to?!

Ok end rant...I could go on and on...really I could....but I'll stop for now....my blood is starting to boil once again just thinking about it!!!

I've done it....

I just applied at a digital scrapping site as a designer - I don't want to say where or anything like that - I want to keep that under wraps till I see what is going to happen. I am excited at the thought, but I also realize that whatever is meant to be will happen. And if it so happens that I am supposed to be selling, then it will all work out. If this isn't the right time or something, then it won't happen. Either way, I am completely at peace with whatever the outcome is!!!! :-)

We are getting some bad weather here - which is wierd considering how warm it's been. I was out this morning for work and on my way home, the car started to slide on the ice and instead of facing straight, I ended up sideways. I was so scared and praying so hard to just let me make home safe and sound. I was never so happy to get home and see Trevor's little face!!! I hate this kind of weather - I feel like I am living in the wrong state as far as weather goes - but I can't imagine moving to another state either!

Sentimental Time of Year -

This time of year I always am very sentimental....I start thinking back to January of 2004...anxiously awaiting Trevor's arrival....being so close to having him in my arms...I've said it before, and I am sure I'll say it again, but I can't believe he's going to be 3 in less than a month! It totally blows my mind! I sit here and say to myself, I am the mother of a 3 yr old - wow!!!

I was looking back at Trevor's website and my journal entires for January and this was the closest one to this date:

Saturday, January 10, 2004 1:05 PM
On Monday, January 5th, I went to the doctor to make sure all is well! Trevor has dropped into position!! I am having contractions, but for the moment they aren't doing anything. The doctor has advised me to call immediately if they start becoming more regular or frequent. He did say at this point it could be anytime, and wouldn't take much!! Everything else looked good, blood pressure, etc. I gained 6lbs. in the month since my last appointment! I go back to see him on January 22nd. Then on Wednesday, January 7th, Karl and I went to meet the pediatrician that came highly recommended to us. We are very pleased and ulimately decided this was the practice we are going to use for Trevor. I liked everything about the doctor, the practice, the staff, and was at ease there. I feel very confident in choosing this doctor. I know without a doubt Trevor will be in good hands! As for me, well I don't get much sleep these days!! At best I can get an hour or so at one time, and then I am up to use the bathroom, or eat! LOL!! I toss and turn all night long, and basically have to wake Karl to help me roll-over from side to side. I am finding that Trevor doesn't like it when I am laying on one side, so I have to move. It varies from night to night!! He's already wearing the pants in this family! LOL! :-) The heartburn these days is practically killing me....seems even water causes my stomach to be on fire! Ugh!! I have decided to start maternity leave as of February 1st, provided Trevor hasn't made his entrance before then!! Until then, I will be working alongside someone else just to be safe. Unfortunately, I can't keep up a full work load by myself anymore. My body is just worn out completely! 6 weeks left till my due date!! I have a feeling despite the fact I am having early labor that Trevor will decide to stay in longer than his due date, and be late!! Everyone else seems to think I'll deliver early!! Guess we shall wait and see!! That's about it for now!! Take care!!

Trevor has been waking up rather early this week, he's gone from getting up around 7:30am to getting up around 5:30am, although today it was 4:15am. I am not sure what is going on...a growth spurt perhaps?Can't say for sure, but this is the first day I've gotten him to nap all week. His little eyes were just so tired and droopy - poor guy!!! He was asleep in literally about 3 minutes!!! Suppose I'll take advantage of this and go do some housework - seems when I do it when he's awake he goes right behind me and makes a mess again! LOL!! It's so defeating! LOL!!

Ramblings of a tired mind....

Tonight Trevor and I are in the car and we had the following conversation....

T: What ya doin' mom?
Me: Going to pick up daddy from work.
T: No mom, you driving!
Me: Umm, yes I am!
T: So mom, what ya doin'?
Me: Uhhh...driving?!
T: Yes, that's right mom - that's better!

LOL! LOL!!! I am telling ya, this child is so funny!!!

So as of yesterday, I've lost 7.5lbs since Jan 1st! Can I get a big ole' woohoo?!!! :-) This is just the beginning of the new me!!!! Look out world!!!

:-)

I understand...

I just wanted to clarify that I understand that some people had a hard time downloading it and had to try numerous times. But what is not acceptable is that ever AFTER I had removed the link and put a password on it to protect it, it was still being downloaded ALONG with previous freebies I had given away in weeks past. The links to freebies I provided, were only posted in one place, here, so once I removed the link, that should have been the end of it. However, when reseraching the Valentine's Day kit, that is when I saw that old freebies of mine, were still being downloaded as recent as Sunday. There would have been no way for this to be possible without someone taking the link and posting elsewhere. I also then password protected those files as well, and they too, were being downloaded the other morning right along with the protected Valentine's Day one.

So while I do understand some folks encountered issues downloading, it doens't negate the fact that someone hacked my server and was continuing to download something I had made no longer available.

Erin

New Pics of Trey & One other noteworthy item!

Some recent pics of Trey:






I did a layout last week with Trevor and my dad - for those of you who have read my blog or know me, you know my dad is dying so this layout means so much to me. I cherish the pictures I was able to get with Dad and Trevor over Thanksgiving. So anyways, I did this layout with Trevor and my dad, and it won Layout of the Day for January 1st at Gottapixel.com. I was so thrilled with the honor!!! If you want to see the layout - go here -

January 1st Layout of the Day

Erin

Things I've Learned From Trevor

Things I've Learned from Trevor, my almost 3 yr old:

1. Dimes can NOT be put in the garbage disposal! How do I know that you ask? Well, you see a couple weeks ago my garbage disposal suddenly stops working...I am in a panic as we rent and I didn't want to have to call the management company to have it repaired...so I stuck my hands down there and felt around and I could feel something stuck....but I just couldn't grasp it. It seemed like forever and a day, trying so desperately to get whatever was wedged - could barely see down there...no flashlights in the house that actually worked....finally drug out a halogen light and I could make out the tiniest bit of dime! Ah Ha! Funny, as I know I didn't put a dime down the disposal, and Karl swore it wasn't him...so that leaves one person...........Trevor!!!!!!!!!!

After much sweating, mubling under my breath, etc, I finally worked that bugger free and my disposal has been working great since!!! Phew!!!

2. That when you are almost 3 it's pretty easy to manipulate mommy. For example, this afternoon I had put him down for a nap, but after listening to him cry big ole' tears, and having him say over and over between those tears, "I so sad mommy" and "I sorry", I caved and let him get up. He knows exactly how to play on my heartstrings! It was so sad and pathetic - I so sorry mommy....might as well have punched me in the gut as to hear those words from this little person standing at his doorway with big tears dripping off his cheeks..his eyes red...his nose runny....it's just more than this mom can handle!

3. That at his age he can have privacy but I can't! You see, he's now at the stage where he wants the bathroom door closed, and yet the irony is, I haven't gone to the bathroom alone in FOREVER!!! LOL!! What's up with that?! Sure, I can go alone at work, but when I am home, I have two of the prettiest blue eyes watching my every move and announcing exactly what I am doing, play by play! Makes it interesting when company is over! LOL!


On another note, he's been binky free for almost two weeks - it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, but it still tore at me to see him cry for his comfort item. And now seeing him without it, well it's made me realize he's one step closer to being a big boy. ACK!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As for me....well, let's see....despite having the surgery at the end of October, I am still in a terrible amount of pain. I actually had to go last Thursday for another ultrasound just to see what's going on - but alas, everything looks wonderful....so the doctor feels this is my Endometriosis and really there is nothing I can do for it other than continue to take pain meds. I suppose I could go back on birth control, but that does a number on me not only physically but also mentally and that is not something I want to deal with again. Why go from one problem to another? And then there is the option that I could probably just tell the doctor I want a hysterectomy, but truth is, I am going to be 31 yrs old, which is still quite young, and I can't bring myself to say that I am totally done having children. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't have those thoughts of how I'd love to be pregnant again and to have another baby in the house. I just don't know if now would be the right time, but like I said, I am not ready by any means to make such a final decision about my reproduction status right now. There is something comforting knowing the option and possibility is there is I so choose.

I've made a rather big new years resolution - it is....no more resolutions. I mean really, how many people do you know that actually stick to their resolutions?! Why not just strive every day to be a better person, to eat healthy, to work on finances, etc, etc. Why choose New Years day to make this big announcement?! If there are changes you want to make, just do it, don't sit around waiting for New Years to get started! It's never to late!

That said, now that the holidays are officially behind us, and I am not baking every other day anymore, I am back to concentrating on eating healthier - notice I didn't say "diet".....to me diet implies that after some weight loss or something, that you can go back to eating all sorts of crap, when we all know the reality is, you can't. So hence the reason I said eating healthier. Part of my problem just comes from not eating a normal meal throughout the day and just kind of picking here and there. I also want to get more sleep - I've got to stop staying up so late scrapping and reading BZ. I get too worked up over there debating the hot issues of the day. LOL!! Anyways, I think in a couple weeks, I am going to go get a recumbant bike over at BJ's - I really wanted the Treadmill, but the bike is about $300 less, so I guess I'll have to settle for that.

Ok - must run - Prince Trevor is calling....

Thank you!

I'd like to thank those of you who left me comments yesterday - it really meant a lot to me. It's funny but I did consider the possibility that perhaps people had problems downloading the files and that would explain some of the 6500 downloads...but what really got me was that after password protecting ALL my files, they were still being downloaded, included past freebies. I still get mad when I think of someone taking the link to my work and redistrbuting it and hacking my server. It makes my blood boil!

I have not decided if I will go back to selling or not - I really enjoyed doing it this way as it was on my terms with no deadlines, etc. I am not sure if I want to sign on again and then be tied down to having to do so much by a certain time, etc.

I'll keep everyone posted if I decide to sell or not again.

Sad news....

I am sad to say that I will no longer be offering freebies on my blog at this time. Before I went to bed last night I looked and saw that I had over 900 downloads on that latest freebie, the Valentine's Kit, and got up this morning and it was well over 6500...yes, 6500 downloads. My husband has been telling me for a while now I need to go back to selling as it's obvious my work is liked, if that many people are downloading it, he felt I could be making some money again. Well, I didn't want to sell and just wanted to be able to give away my work as I felt like it. However, when I saw my kit had been downloaded over 6500 times this morning, I went and removed the link from the entry in my blog. Imagine my surprise when I saw that despite taking the link out of my blog and having not posted it anywhere else, it was STILL being downloaded. That says to me that someone has taken my link and distributed it elsewhere for it to still be downloaded. The kicker was I placed a password on the kit and it was STILL being downloaded, which further says someone has hacked into my work and people were still downloading it. That is when I decided I would no longer be making and giving away freebies. While the kit was free, it did not give a stranger the right to take that link and widely distribute it nor does it give someone the right to hack a password and continue to download my work. I have to wonder if my work is being pirated and if someone else is claiming it as their own as well. If I find this is the case, I will work on having charges brought against the person(s). Just because something is free, it does not give another person the right to redistribute said work or claim it as their own. I am highly disappointed this morning in the actions of some people within the scrapping community. I feel very violated to think that someone has hacked my server and was still downloading my work and was even still downloading my prior freebies which were no longer available. This really makes me sad and a part of me has lost my faith in humanity and thinking that most people know right from wrong.

I thank you to those that have come here and legitimately downloaded my work, enjoyed my work, and given me the credit for it. For those that felt the need to steal my freebies, I feel sorry for you that you have such little respect for your fellow scrappers.

Erin

Back to Blogging!!!

I've been remiss with my blogging due to the holidays, but I am back now and have a FREEBIE to give you as a late Christmas/New Years gift.

This kit isn't your traditional Valentine's Day kit - this kit is a bit more edgy with grunge and rust and tribal stamps, etc. I hope you like it!!!

So here you go:

Be Mine or Not by ErinShannon Designs


**No Longer Available for Download!!!! **


Some of the items in the kit include fabric, rusted nail and nail head, frame, glass hearts, stamps, tags, etc.

Enjoy! Leave me some feedback and let me know what you think!!! I really love this kit!!!

I'll update this weekend! :-)

Erin