blanket update

It has been a busy Summer for us, and we feel like we have had just little bits of time here and there to work on these blankets. We want to get them done as soon as possible so that we can start delivering them to different hospitals. Now that Summer is winding down, we have been finding a little more time, along with our family and friends, to cut and sew some more blankets.

We finally have all of our fabric that we need to make these 300+ sets of blankets. We have fabric in just about every room of our house I feel like!

Thank you to our friend Alison, both of our moms, and my grandma for helping us cut and sew fabric so far. We are slowly, but surely making progress!

Thank you to everyone who has been helping us and offering to help. We definitely could not do this alone!

Fabric Shopping

I was finally able to find a time to go and look for some fabric for our project. We have been overwhelmed at the donations and help we have received from both people we know and some that we don't. We have figured that with the money we have received, we will be able to make over 300 blanket sets! We are so excited to get going so that we can go and deliver these to the hospital.

My mom and Chace's mom both came with me to look for fabric. We had been waiting until there was a sale, and we also received a coupon. We want to be able to get as much fabric as we can. We were able to get a cute print ordered for boy and girl baby blankets. And we also bought some gender neutral fabric as well.

When Chace spoke with IMC about how many blankets they could use, he also asked which prints and fabrics were the most popular. She said that the softer, less busy patterns were always chosen because they help to heal. I had never thought of that before. We were able to find some simple and soft patterns and I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Chace found a warehouse where we ordered the fleece fabric for the big blankets. He found a great deal, and we now have over 450 POUNDS of fleece being delivered to our house next week.

A blanket for Aubrey and her family

Chace and I received this email from a recipient of one of our blanket sets. Jamie's family used to be in Chace's home ward. Although we hate to hear that someone has had to use one of our blankets, we like to hear that it gives families just a little bit of comfort in a difficult time. We want to share how your help and donation really does make a difference in peoples' lives.

"I think I was the last Mom to receive one of your blankets. I actually saw the one I was given in your picture with your campaign. It makes me happy to know that there is a connection to who gave that to me. I have had it with me at night since I received it, and it has given me comfort. It actually has made me feel closer to my daughter. My husband and I actually live in Las Vegas, I had been here to be with my family for my Dad's funeral, and then we lost our little girl a few days before I was meant to go home. I am so grateful for the support that I was given at the hospital. It helped us to validate our daughter's life and bond with her in a special way. I hope it helps to see how much your little's boy's life has affected at least one family with the same heartache. I miss my daughter so badly already, and I will cherish anything I have to hold onto her. Thank you to you and your family for what you gave us."

Thank you for sharing with us the story of your sweet baby Aubrey. We hope that the blankets continue to give comfort to your family, and that they will always be a reminder of your precious girl.

Making Blankets Round 1

In December 2013, my grandma and grandpa gave each household in the family $100.00. They said that instead of giving us Christmas presents, they wanted us to go out and use this money to help somebody else. Chace and I got the idea to use the money to buy fabric to make blankets for stillborn babies and their families. We told my parents and they decided they wanted to use their money for the same thing. Chace's parents also wanted to be a part of the project, so they gave some money as well. I went to the fabric store with both of our moms.

We set aside a night to sew the blankets with all of our family who could be there. We had 3 sewing machines, a serger, and lots of hard workers. We made 18 blanket sets in about an hour and a half. It was so much fun to have both of our families together and to be able to share in this service project with them.

The next day, I put each set together with a ribbon so that Chace and I could go and deliver them. The hospitals were so grateful and excited. We learned at one of the hospitals, that the previous December alone, they had 9 stillborn babies. We knew that sadly, our little contribution to them wouldn't last long.

Thank you to our families who helped us with our first blanket project. We could not have done it without all of you!

Our Story...

Chace and I met in April 2010, got engaged on August 20, 2010, and were married November 18, 2010. In April of 2012, we decided that it was time to start our family together. We tried to have a baby on our own for about 10 months with no success. My OB recommended that we go to a fertility clinic for some more advanced help. We started to see the new fertility doctor in April of 2013, and were pregnant that May. We were ecstatic.

On September 17, 2013, I woke up in the morning and noticed that I was leaking fluid. We went to the hospital and found out that my amniotic fluid was infected, and I had gone into labor because that was my body's way of getting rid of the infection.

It was a long day at the hospital with a lot of waiting. Luckily our family was able to be there for Chace and I. Around 1:00 am on September 18, 2013, Jack Taylor Cannon was born. We were not prepared for this, so we did not have any clothes or anything for him. Thanks to some kind people who made and donated them to the hospital, we got a few little outfits and a blanket to wrap him up in. We were so grateful for these people who made it possible for us to take care of our baby. There were many other things given to us by the hospital that we still have and will always keep to remember Jack by. They are treasures to us, and we wanted to be able to give the same kind of remembrance to other families.

On our last night in the hospital, all of our family came one last time. My sister Marisa brought us a blanket. Earlier in the week, she was at the fabric store. She saw this cute blue and green fabric and decided she wanted to make a quilt. She didn't know what she would do with it, but she just liked the fabric. When we told our families we were in the hospital, she knew the blanket was meant for us and Jack. I sleep with this blanket almost every night and it is a great reminder of nights in the hospital when I shared the blanket with Jack. Chace's mom, Diane, also made us something very special. She had made a little blanket to wrap Jack in when he was buried. It was a white blanket with his name stitched on it. She makes little blankets for all of the grandkids and it meant so much to us that Jack was able to have one too.

Jack's blanket from his Gigi

The blanket made by Marisa

As Chace and I continue to struggle to get pregnant again, it feels like we spend a good portion of our time and energy thinking and talking about it. As we have recently listened to conference and talked with family, we have decided that we need to be more positive. We want to focus our energy on happy things, like serving others. We had felt so happy when we made blankets back in December and delivered them to the hospital. We heard from two families-through mutual friends-who received our blanket sets. It was amazing to hear their stories and how the blankets helped each of them cope with this hard time. Chace and I both had the impression that we needed to make more blankets. And so, Wrapped in Love was born.

Thank you so much for taking time to read our story and be a part of Wrapped in Love. We could not do it without everyone's help.