Hey everyone, Lindsey here! As you may know by now, mom is in Georgia with Alicia. Alicia gave birth recently to her third child. Unfortunately there were complications with her pregnancy and baby Sebastian had to come early, so he is spending time in the NICU.
The good news is, he is doing really well! Alicia is pretty much a pro at dealing with babies in the NICU since her oldest son Adrian also was born early and had to spend time there. I wish I lived closer so I could help out with watching kids, transportation, cooking, cleaning etc. I started wondering, what can I do to help my sister while she is dealing with this stress while she is in Georgia and I am in Arizona? I figure I am probably not the first person who has a friend or family member with a NICU baby, and maybe you too were wondering, what can I do to help them? So I asked Alicia, what are the things that NICU parents need? These are her answers: IDEAS to help out nicu parents:
1. Food: At the top of her list was helping out with meals. Of course, most NICU parents are spending many hours in the hospital, and making some good homemade meals isn't easy! This can become exponentially harder when you have older kids who still need to eat, and/or if the hospital is kind of far away from where they live (which is the case with Alicia).
If you live nearby you could drop off meals at their home. Alicia said they set a cooler on their porch in case people dropped off meals while they weren't home. If you have a large cooler you could offer it up for meal storage. Or, if you know them well enough that they feel comfortable giving you a key, you could offer to drop by at certain times during the day to move meals from the cooler to the refrigerator or freezer indoors. For people like me, who live far away, it is so much easier in this day and age to digitally send gift cards to restaurants in the area, or even just a reloadable VISA type card that they can use anywhere. I have also ordered food from a family favorite and had it delivered. So easy to do out of state! You could also offer to pick up groceries for them, and again, you can do this from far away through things like Instacart, Amazon Pantry, or other grocery delivery services.
2. Babysitting: This one is obviously easier for those who live nearby, but if your NICU family has older kids, volunteering to babysit the older kids is a huge help! Even before my mom was able to fly out to help watch Alicia's older kids while they were with Sebastian in the hospital Alicia had people who lived nearby, like our cousin Tara, and some friends of theirs, who helped watch the kids and make sure they were taken care of so Alicia and Adrian could focus on the baby and Alicia's recovery while at the hospital.
3. Helping to clean: Another big help as your NICU parents are traveling back and forth to the hospital, especially since mom is recovering from giving birth, is help cleaning up their house! I remember when Emily was a baby one day one of my ministering sisters through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints texted me and said she was going to come over and clean while Emily and I slept. She came over and cleaned my kitchen and did some laundry and then left. We were sleeping. She didn't ask to hold the baby or try to have me sit up and chat with her. She just came, served, and went home. It really meant so much to me that she was willing to do that! Can you imagine how much more it would mean to someone who's baby is spending time in the NICU? To be able to come home to a clean house can really lift your spirits when everything else can feel so crazy.
For those who live far away, if it is in your budget, maybe you could hire someone to spend a few hours cleaning at your friend or family member's home, as long as they're comfortable with it.
4. Baby supplies: If the hospital will let you dress baby, it can be helpful and comforting to parents to be able to have clothes to dress their little one in, in order to feel some sense of normalcy while they're in the hospital. Plus, if baby came early enough, they might not have supplies yet, and it can help them feel like they're ready to bring baby home when the time comes.
This is one that people who live far away can do as well! Alicia had a gift registry on Amazon and I was able to send her some diapers for Sebastian from all the way in Arizona. I know I'm not the only one who did that for her. Since their second child is six, and they moved prior to the baby being born, they needed some supplies and Sebastian came just before Alicia's baby shower. So sending baby items is so helpful! Alicia also specifically mentioned getting mom a good breast pump. With a NICU baby mom's usually aren't able to nurse at first. If breastfeeding their baby is a goal mom has, you can support her in that buy getting her a good pump, or spare pump parts so she has everything she needs to pump! (Including a mini fridge to store the milk in!)
5. Care package for the NICU parents: Along with the breast pump and supplies you can send a care package of things mom (and also dad) will need to keep their energy up! I love this Honest company New Mama Care essential gift kit linked above! You could also get mom Gatorades (Gatorade was a HUGE help with my milk supply!) and snacks for while they're spending their day in the NICU. A care package could also include hand sanitizer, breast pads, nipple cream, maybe a neck pillow for dad if he falls asleep in the hospital while mom is pumping or something, a small night light for night time pumping, ice packs, and a small cooler for transporting milk.
6. I'll add my last thought that as you are trying to help, try not to be an additional burden on mom and dad. If you have more free time to say, I can come to your house on this day to set up the nursery for you, then that is great! But if all you can manage right now is to send a gift card, don't try to schedule for anything extra that might require them to meet you, or arrange their schedule around yours. Sometimes a simple note or text letting them know you're thinking of them and praying for them can go a long way to energize their spirits.
Having a little one in the NICU is obviously a stressful time in a parents life, so remember, in your goal to be helpful, don't add to their burden, you're just trying to lighten the load any way you can!
3 Comments
This post contains affiliates and I may be compensated if you buy from our links. Thank you for your support. Hey everyone! Can you believe it's already March? This year is already flying by, except it does feel like it's been winter for about a year. We are having another snow storm today!
But now that it's March it means that Pi day is coming up!!! We wanted to remind you about our wonderful For the Love of Pie book that you can buy from our Etsy shop to prepare for the festivities of the day! I decided to remind you with this slab pie recipe, which is new! So make this, and buy the pie book for more pie recipes! I made this last weekend while we were in California for Alicia's son's baptism. It was a hit! This recipe is so straightforward and easy, and it will feed a lot of people, so it's perfect for a big party (like you know, a Pi day party?) You'll need a half sheet baking pan to bake your blueberry slab pie. Then, you just use our classic pie crust recipe for the crust, and the blueberry pie filling recipe I shared with you here. Then, top it with the crumble recipe below and bake it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. One tip I'd give you is don't try to transport it immediately after it comes out of the oven. That part was stressful for me. I hope you all enjoy March 14, or Pi day, or PIE day with this great blueberry slab pie recipe. Then don't forget to click the link on our sidebar to visit our Etsy shop to buy our Pie recipe book, For the Love of Pie. You can also buy our hot cocoa bomb book because if March 14 turns out to be a cold and snowy pie day, you'll need some hot cocoa bombs to go with your pie! This post contains affiliated links. I will be compensated for purchases made at those links with no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support. Hello! It's Lindsey, back with a delicious pizza recipe. It's no secret that we love a good pizza here at 3 Winks Design. We love it so much that when Alicia was pregnant with her daughter she announced it with pizza here (look at that cute little boy who just turned eight!) A few weeks back I was craving spinach and artichoke dip. I had also promised my daughter we would have pizza and movie night, and from those two things came this delicious spinach and artichoke pizza! As with all things pizza, you need to have a good crust to get your pizza started off right. We have provided several great pizza crust recipes for you! In this pizza pot pie post we shared our simple go to pizza crust recipe which is great to use when you don't have a lot of time. In this three easy ways to improve pizza night post, Alicia shared her favorite pizza crust recipe, which can be found here. If you need a gluten free pizza crust option, I shared a great cauliflower pizza crust recipe in this post Once you have your pizza crust recipe picked, and your pizza crust prepped stretch it out over your pizza pan, or if you use a pizza stone, spread it on a piece of parchment paper while you heat your stone in the oven. Sprinkle the crust with a little salt and pepper, and some garlic. Place the spinach in a heated pan to wilt it. Then place it on a paper towel as you make the rest of the recipe.
Melt the butter in a sauce pan and whisk in the cornstarch and onion powder. Then pour in the milk and stir until thick. Once thickened remove from heat and add in the spinach. Spread the sauce over your crust and then add the chopped artichokes and the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Pop your pizza in the oven (don't forget if using a pizza stone to slide your crust onto the stone off the parchment paper and then into the oven) until golden brown, about 16-20 minutes. I seriously chowed down on this pizza and sometimes I still think about it. So I'll probably be making it again soon! You can make it now!
This Post contains affiliate links. We will be compensated for anything you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support!
I posted this Valentine's day post a few years back, right after giving birth to my oldest daughter, who just turned 5 in December! I can't believe it is already 2023! Yesterday we celebrated our sweet son Henry's birthday.
For some reason, Valentine's Day has been on my mind already, I want to make it extra special this year. Valentine's Day is generally not my thing, but this year I don't want to focus on romantic love (although I am married and Valentine's Day is also my husband's birthday, so there will be some romance) but just the importance of loving others in general. Food is definitely a love language. In this post I listed seven great recipes for you to try out on Valentine's day (or maybe the lead up to it) including some great cocoa bomb ideas! By the way, have you purchased our Hot Cocoa Bomb book from our Etsy shop yet? We actually have two, our original book, and our fall flavor book! Don't get the store bought trash, learn how to make the original and best cocoa bombs around, our Original Hot Cocoa Bombs! Maybe I can convince my mom and sisters to put together a Valentine Cocoa Bomb recipe book in time to have all your favorite Valentine flavors this February! Make sure you check out our video at the link below for how to make some tasty Strawberry Hot Cocoa Bombs. What a delicious, warm pink drink in time for Valentine's Day!
Valentine's day is coming up and you might still be wondering what you should be cooking that night. Whether you're planning on a romantic dinner for two, or something fast and easy for the whole family, we are here to help.
This blog is full of recipes and I've lined up a few of my favorites here for you to choose from. Remember, you can also go to our Etsy shop and buy our bloggilicious baking pages to create your own hard copy cookbook with our recipes! Our valentine's day will be different this year. It is PH's birthday, so of course we'll be celebrating that! But now we have a little one, and family will be in town to celebrate her because on the 18th she will be blessed at our church. (I guess a blessing is sort of like a christening, but there is no water. Is there water at a christening? I think so. a blessing is when the father, or another worthy priesthood holder, holds the baby and gives her a name and then blesses her with whatever Heavenly Father tells him to bless her with. In a nutshell.) Alicia will be here and her son's birthday is the 13th and he'll be turning 3! Our nephew Hunter is also here and he'll be 3 on the 20th! So with all this busy family time, we'll probably want to be using some of these great recipes ourselves! Happy Valentine's Day!
Valentine Recipes:
1. Strawberry Hot Cocoa Bombs: my mom came up with this flavor last year and we made this cute video to show you how they work! Here in AZ its already 80 degrees, but in those parts of the country where it is still freezing you can warm up with that special someone with these tasty bombs! 2. Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa Bombs: my mom also showed you another fun flavor and decorated them for Valentine's day! Check out how cute they are! 3. Shrimp Pesto with Zoodles: don't forget, last year I gave you the perfect Valentine's day meal. It's what PH and I had, and we enjoyed it quite a bit! I think I might go buy zucchini and make it again! 4. German Rinderrouladen and Potato Dumplings: Go international with this tasty meal from Alicia's journey into German foods! 5. Valentine's Day appetizers: if you're throwing any kind of party (like we are) these Valentine appetizers are sure to be a hit! 6. Swiss Cake Roll: what Valentine's Meal is complete without dessert? Check out our tasty Swiss Cake roll for yours! 7. Butterscotch Not so Squares: Of course Valentine's Day involves candies and chocolate. Give a heartfelt gift by making these tasty chocolates that your significant other will love!
Well, there you have it. Seven recipes sure to make your Valentine's day a success, no matter whom you're celebrating it with!
|
Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs! (copyrighted)
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! Archives
July 2024
|