Do512 Family Featured Babymakers, Claire and Lauren from M.I.L.K. (Moms I’d Like to Know), recently interviewed local mother, Lani Ripple. Ripple’s daughter was born with a Congenital Heart Defect. This is her story.
_________________________________________________
In honor of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, (Feb. 7 – 14) we’re bringing you the story of our long time friend, Lani DeGuire Ripple. Her daughter was born four months ago with a CHD and, since then, Lani has done everything she can to educate herself on her little girl’s condition. She was kind enough to share her experience with us- the good, the bad and the ugly- in an effort to put the spotlight on CHDs.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS KNOWN YOU WANTED TO BE A MOM? I think I always kind of assumed that I’d be a mom someday, but I didn’t give it much thought in my younger years. Once we started trying (and trying and trying) to have a baby, the desire definitely grew stronger.
WAS CONCEIVING EASY FOR YOU? Oops, I gave my answer away in the previous question. I didn’t take fertility drugs or have any treatments or anything, but it did take a while to get pregnant- both times. I don’t tell many people about this (so why not start on the Internet?), but we actually lost a baby at 13 weeks during the summer of 2011. The baby had a very rare chromosomal abnormality, and the pregnancy simply wasn’t viable. It was devastating, and I remember thinking “this is the hardest thing I’ll probably ever go through.” Turns out I was wrong. Just so there’s no confusion, our first baby’s rare condition and Nina’s rare condition are completely unrelated. It seems lightning really does strike twice sometimes.
It’s that time again in Austin: Spring is coming, the weather is insane, and SXSW is upon us! Need a little live music to start your day? Check out the KUTX Live at The Four Seasons Unofficial SX 2014 Shows. Just head over to The Four Seasons Austin Ballroom every morning from Wednesday, March 12 to Saturday, March 15. KUTX 98.9, The Austin Music Experience, is partnering with the Four Seasons Hotel Austin to connect you to some of the most anticipated artists at the 2014.
This may be the longest post we have ever written… but it’s a good one! We have scoured and scoured the webs to round up as many family friendly events during SX 2014 we could find. You can also find these on our SX 2014 with Kids calendar. Stay tuned for more family SX updates!
>> Tuesday, Mar. 4 >
— SXSWedu Expo @ Austin Convention Center, 2 – 8 pm -> This FREE expo invites learners of all ages to explore their immediate and long-term education and career goals. Attendees can engage with local education initiatives through hands-on, interactive exhibits. Register online to attend.
>> Friday, Mar. 7 >
— LABRARY @ O. Henry Museum, 11 am – 7, Mar. 7 – 11 -> The LABRARY is an experimental pop-up library that engages students in designing and building future library machines. It will be a place to play with media, share ideas, discuss the future of the library and create and exhibit your own library machines. It’s all taking place on the lawn of the museum for free.
— SXSW Gaming Expo @ Palmer Events Center, Mar. 7 – 9 pm -> 1 – 9 pm, the gaming Expo is free and open to the public with Guest Pass wristbands, which can be found here. The expo combines well-loved elements of geek culture with the cross-console video game world.
— SXSW Create @ Long Center, 11 am – 6 pm, Mar. 7 – 9 -> From 3D printing to drones to biohacking and much more, this community event showcases the disruptive solutions that are shaping our future. Experience all the mind-expanding and hands-on fun, for FREE!
— Kiss the Clock @ UT Austin, 11:30 am -> The Give More Than You Take Foundation in association with Google+ wants to kiss away a moment that will always be a somber memory, the shootings of Aug. 1, 1966. Give the beautiful clock a big community hug and thousands of kisses by breaking the Guiness Book of World Records for the number of smooches at the same time.
>> Saturday, Mar. 8 >
— 4th Annual Go by GoLab Carnival @ GoLab Austin, 6 – 8:30 pm -> Music from Ephraim Owens and Anthropos Arts, live art from Tina Schweiger and gaming in the Plantronics Game Center. There will be treats from Live Soda Kombucha, Revolution Spirits, local beer and healthy finger foods. Bring a carnival mask and dancing shoes to this free, family friendly party!
— SXSW Community Workshop: Austin School of Film Youth M.A.F.I.A. @ TBA, 10 am -10 pm, Mar. 8 – 9 -> Texas high school students ages 14 – 19 come together to create short films in only 24 hours during the Annual youth M.A.F.I.A. Day Film Festival & Screening. Teams have 24 hours to write, shoot and edit a short film. Finished films will be screened for the public at an official SXSW Film Showcase during the festival (Wednesday, Mar. 12 at the Vimeo Theater at the Convention Center, 11 am). There is VERY limited space to this event, click here for more info and registration information, $10.
— GoBank #PuppyHour @ PetRelocation, 9 am – 5 pm, Mar. 8 – 9 -> Take a break from your SXSW schedule to play with puppies, enjoy refreshments and enter a raffle hosted by Austin Pets Alive! All puppies will be up for adoption, but if you aren’t ready to take the plunge and get a new pet, come play with the puppies anyway!
— Ron Campbell Drawing Live @ Wild About Music, 1 – 9 pm, Mar. 8 – 15 -> Join Wild About Music each day during SXSW for this rare artist appearance and show of Beatles Cartoon Art. Campbell is the artist responsible for the Beatles Yellow Submarine, as well as cartoons like Scooby Doo, Winnie the Pooh, The Jetsons, The Flintstones, Rugrats and dozens more. Visitors can chat with the artist and watch him paint original works each day. His art will be for sale and there will be an extensive array of collectibles and apparel to commemorate the Beatles.
— Austin School of Film Youth 3D Workshop @ Carver Museum and Cultural Center, 10:30 am – 3:30 pm -> This free workshop, open to ages 11 – 18, invites participants to use their imagination to create miniature 3D worlds using handmade animation techniques with award-winning animator, Jeanne Stern. Finished creations will screen at 2014 SXSW Official Film at the Vimeo Theater on Mar. 12 at 11 am. This is open to only 15 people, first come, first serve.
— Priceless Pennies @ Mount Bonnell, 9 am -> Art is in the value of the CENTiment behind it, so grab a penny, paint it, etch it, form it. Let your imaginations run wild. Then meet at the foothill of Mt. Bonnell at 10 am to race up the stairs and await further instructions from the Give More than you Take Foundation.
Eco Light Garden 2013
— SXSW Eco Light Garden @ Republic Square Park, evenings, Mar. 8 – 15 -> Swing by the park to see new installations that play with light, sound and geometry. The Light Garden is free and open to the public.
— The Spotify Studio Unofficial SX 2014 @ Spotify House, 11 am – 2 pm -> Ages 13 – 18 are invited to mix, write, and master the music industry at this special event with free workshops in DJing, songwriting and music marketing. Girls Rock Camp, Anthropos Arts and ReRoute Music have come together to host this exciting day where teenagers will spark their creativity and become inspired through music. Free with RSVP.
There is a lot to do this weekend – from kites, to music, to plays and everything in between. So much in fact, it won’t all fit in to our top 10 list! Here are come other notable events happening this weekend:
Explore UT, the “Biggest Open House in Texas”, is Saturday, Mar. 1, from 11 am – 5 pm at the University of Texas at Austin. It’s completely FREE and you don’t have to register for anything.
Cat in the Hat premiered at ZACH Theatre over the weekend and Do512 Family editor had a chance to take her 8-year-old son and his friend. Here are her thoughts…
With spring break and summer right around the corner, I thought it might be a good time to talk about some travel tips that I have acquired over the course of my parenting career. Some tips have come to me by learning the hard way while others have been much researched. We travel as often as we can with our kids to enhance their worldview and offer a change of scenery. While “vacation” is just a technical term that I use (because no parent of a small child who is traveling with that small child will ever admit to a vacation being relaxing unless there is a full-time nanny along), it is a term that at least implies that a little bit of fun is to be had while traveling. To ensure that it’s not all stressful, my first tip would be: BE PREPARED FOR ANY TYPE OF DISASTER.
Arriving in London in the middle of the night after 13 hours of travel with an exhausted child. A good stroller makes all the difference! And a comfy pillow helps, too.
That means you should pack with the expectation that your child will get sick on your trip. Your child will have to go potty on the plane right at take off resulting in an accident. Did I mention that it can be fun? Let’s talk about packing for disasters.
*Tip: Carry-on suitcase
Smaller carry-ons were made perfectly to suit the little ones in our lives. Since their clothes are smaller, I’ve found that I can easily accommodate clothing for both my toddler and my school-aged child in addition to stuffing it with diapers and wipes. The reason I like to pack the kids’ clothing in a carry-on is so that I have a change of clothes handy for any uh-oh accidents. Carrying the spare clothes in the suitcase that is stowed overhead frees up space in your handbag/ diaperbag for other essentials that will be covered below.
∗ Tip: For diapers, bring enough to get you through the first 2-3 days of your trip and then buy a pack at your destination.
Same goes for wipes. I typically pack one large container of wipes in the child’s suitcase with a smaller case in my handbag for use while in the airport/ airplane.
∗ Tip: Pack one change of clothing for yourself and your travel partner in the child’s suitcase.
There’s a double benefit to doing this: you have an extra set of clothing should your suitcase get lost AND you have a spare change of clothing should any uh-oh accidents happen while the child is sitting on your lap. Spilled milk, vomit (yes, not pleasant while traveling or really, any time, but it can happen), pee, poop….. not nice to wear while on a long flight. Now that we have the clothing taken care of, let’s talk about entertaining your child(ren) on the plane and in the airport.
Cirque du Soleil: Varekai will be in Austin for one week and performing at the Cedar Park Center. Varekai, the latest show by the internationally celebrated performance group, is set at the summit of a volcano and deep within a forest that is inhabited by whimsical and enchanted creatures.
Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, February 26 at 10 am for Itty Bitty Playtime at Millie & Mox Children’s Botique. This hour long event is for babies and toddlers up to 18 months and offers new and fun ways to connect with your baby. The event is free and includes complimentary juice and coffee.
