In honour of Lauren’s 3rd Birthday

Well the BIG day is upon us – Lauren’s Birthday Party and fundraiser benefiting the MAB Mackay foundation and our family is today January 26th!

To commemorate the big event, Lauren’s auntie Marlena put together a really fun video that I would like to share. Thank you Marlena! 🙂

Click here to open the video on a mobile device

I’m up late tonight finishing off some of the last-minute details and because I’m too excited to sleep. I haven’t felt this much nervous excitement about an event since my wedding day! But I have some awesome helpers that are sure to make the day a success.

We have been working so hard along with our wonderful party planner Rania of Rouge Event Design to throw a birthday party to be remembered. Rania has taken a dream that I had and turned it into something amazing and I can’t wait to see it all play out.

If you are available you should come check us out at the Dollard-Des-Ormeaux Civic Centre Banquet hall from 11am-4pm. There will be tons of fun activities for the kids as well as some amazing raffle prizes for the adults. I really hope that you will consider joining us!

A Very Special Bear – UC Baby

When I was pregnant with Lauren I went to UC Baby in Pointe-Claire Montreal to have a 3D ultrasound done. It was a really really cool experience for us. At the time we had bought a package for two separate appointments, one at 27 weeks and another at 32 weeks. In our case the earlier appointment was a little more fun because Lauren was being shy on the second round and spent a good portion of the appointment itching her nose and covering her face. Funny enough she carried on this habit well after she was born!

The ultrasound appointment was done in comfortable and darkened room with classical music in the background.  There was a flat screen TV in front of us where we could watch everything and even more special our appointment was broadcast streaming over the internet so that our family could also get an early glimpse of Lauren.

For the first few moments I couldn’t see Lauren clearly, I felt a little let down…But then the technician was able to capture so many beautiful and clear shots of Lauren. Her hands were so clear, I watched her itch her nose, I watched her kick, I watched her.

A before and After Reveal. Lauren at 27 weeks of pregnancy and Lauren at about a week old 🙂

At the time I was asked if I wanted to purchase a special bear with Lauren’s heart beat inside. I had passed on it, thinking that I didn’t need the added expense. As time passed, I found myself really wishing that I had taken one of those special bears home with me.

Fast forward to Christmas of this year – I had been preparing for Lauren’s upcoming Birthday fundraiser and looking for raffle prizes when Doreen Haddad (who is amazing by the way!) of UC Baby contacted me to offer us an Ultrasound package including a DVD recording to raffle off. I was really excited because it’s such an amazing prize to any expectant family! In talking with her I asked about the heart beat bear and whether it was still possible to get one. She immediately asked me what colour bear I would like and we planned a time to meet.

What I thought at the time was that she would be able to look in my file or something to get the heart beat (mind you it had been over 3 years since I was last there!), what actually happened was way cooler. When we arrived a very nice Ultrasound technician, actually the same technician I had seen three years earlier handed me a form to fill out and directed us towards to Ultrasound room. I was so confused, and told her that I already had the baby and wasn’t there for an Ultrasound. Then Doreen came by and explained that we were going to take an ultrasound of Lauren’s heart and capture her heart beat that way. WAY COOL!

Lauren is getting ready for her ultrasound!

So we lay Lauren down right where mommy had waited anxiously to see her years ago and took the recording of her heart. Lauren was in a great mood and probably found the experience really fun too!

Somehow Doreen managed to make something special so much more than that. Doreen gifted us an amazing bear and a memory that will always warm my heart.

Lauren snuggling up to Doreen after her appointment

Did I mention that the 3D Ultrasound is one of our amazing raffle prizes for Lauren’s event on January 26th (I know I did)! If you can’t make it to the event but are interested in buying a raffle ticket from the Pre-sale, please click here.  (Note that the certificate is only valid at the Montreal location)

You can also check out UC Baby here for more information – www.ucbaby.ca or call 514-694-8085 to book your appointment. If you mention Lauren’s name you can also score a $10 discount off a complete 3D package with a DVD or USB key!

Below are the details for Lauren’s fundraiser happening on January 26th, at the D.D.O. Civic Center Banquet Hall from 11-4pm

Raffle Ticket pre-sale

Lauren’s birthday fundraiser is this Sunday and leading up to the event we are pre-selling raffle tickets! There are so many great prizes in addition to the ones listed in the poster above.

If you are in the Montreal area or visit often (most prizes are local) and aren’t able to make it to the event but would still like to buy a raffle ticket you can do so by clicking this link – Buy Raffle Tickets – NOTE THAT THE CUT OFF TIME AND DATE IS JAN 26th at 3PM EASTERN

Just make sure that the amount entered is the correct value for the number of tickets that you would like. 1 for $5.00 and 3 for $10.00 and please include your telephone number in the Special Instructions. If you miss it don’t worry, we can notify by email if you win.

Winners will be announced at the event on January 26th, but you do not need to be present to win.

Proceeds from this fundraiser will go to benefit the MAB Mackay Foundation and our family.

Thank you for your support.

Hoping to see you this Sunday at the Carnival!

Hoping that you and your family will be able to join us this Sunday January 26th 2014 for Lauren’s fundraiser! The event will take place from 11:00am-4pm at the Dollard-Des-Ormeaux Civic Centre Banquet Hall. There are a ton of fun raffle prizes up for grabs and really fun activities for the kids to participate in.

We are still looking for sponsors and loot bag donors, if you or someone you know would like to help out please contact our good friend from Rouge Event Design, Rania at Rania@rougeeventdesign.ca

Thank you!

Lauren’s 3rd Birthday Party – Save the date – Sunday Jan 26th!

Dear Friends,

I wanted to invite you to an event that we are having for our daughter’s third birthday! As you already know, our daughter Lauren has a terminal disease known as Krabbe disease. The average age that children who have this disease reach is about 13 months, Lauren is turning 3! To celebrate this amazing milestone there will be a fundraiser/birthday party happening on Sunday January 26th with proceeds going to the MAB Mackay Foundation and our family.

There will be tons of fun family events, bouncy castles, face painting, princess tea party, a reptile show and lots more.

Please consider joining us for this fun event.

At this time we are also seeking event sponsors (details in the photo I posted), raffle prizes and Loot bag item donations. If you or anyone you know may be interested in helping please let me know.

Thank you for your continued support and kind thoughts over the past few years, it means so much to our family.

xox

To be a sponsor or donor please contact – Rania at Rania@rougeeventdesign.ca

Lauren’s website: www.lifewithlol.com
Face book page: https://www.facebook.com/Lifewithlol

Click on the image to enlarge

A Special Visit from Santa

Lauren had a very special visitor this past Friday, Santa Claus!

Lauren has been sick with the flu and colds since November and missed out on her regular visit to Santa at the shopping mall this year. We were a little sad but had come to terms with the idea that we may miss out on a family picture with Santa this year. Lauren was just too exhausted and sick to take out into an overcrowded mall.

As luck may have it, my good friend Ara had some very special connections with the jolly man himself and was able to arrange an exclusive visit for Lauren with Santa just after the holidays (as we all know Christmas is a pretty busy time for Santa).

Lauren shared her wishes with him, and was very pleased to be one of the first kids in 2014 to get to sit in Santa’s Lap. It was a perfect moment, Lauren was calm, happy and alert.

A shopping mall Santa visit couldn’t even come close to how special this moment was, a memory that our family will hold tight.

A Family picture with Santa, it was Buddy’s first time meeting him 🙂

Happy 3rd Birthday to our Princess

I am ecstatic, Lauren is three years old today! We feel so fortunate to have been given the gift of time with our daughter, two years ago I didn’t know that we would get to share so many birthday’s with our cutie pie.

Thank you for following our daughter’s journey and for the love and support that you have given our family over the past few years through your thoughts, prayers and help.

I’m excited to announce that we will be throwing Lauren a BIG birthday party/fundraiser on January 26th (mark your calendars!). More details are to come, but I can tell you that it will be a fun family event in the West Island of Montreal. Lauren will be there, along with tons of fun activities for kids! We will be posting details very soon and would love to have you join us!

I’ll leave you with a picture of our princess in her birthday dress