B.G. and A.G. - December 26th

Becoming a Mom, Mother, Mommy and HeartMommy is something I nearly removed from my 'calling card story'. On December 26th, 2002 my beautiful, beautiful son, Garrett, was born. He was on his way on Christmas day, but the best gifts are those we wait for, sometimes for years.

His Mom, 1st Mom, Birthmom and TummyMommy, gave birth and after 4 days in the hospital, she handed me my son. So many emotions! Joy, Excitement, Fear, Saddness, WOAH!, and all the things new parents experience, plus the knowledge that we would be leaving with our son. She and his birthfather, both amazing and uber-smart college freshmen, would be leaving to go back to 'life' and move on...

B.G- Before Garrett-consisted of me, us, dogs, WORK, traveling, working 80+ hours a week to earn more to have more. B.G. also included the Infertility Experiments endured to create something that God had already planned.

A.G.- After Garrett- mind-blowing, heart bursting LOVE. Intense, no more experiments, more dogs, a lot more family and saddness too.

Saddness; how does a woman, who loves her unborn child, make the excruciating decision to surrender her child into the arms, home and heart of another mother? Profound Strength of courage, mindfulness, love and extreme understanding.

As this Christmas season is upon us, I always return to December 25th when I got the call, and the moment I saw him for the first time. Garrett, his own unique person from the start. His birthparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great grandparents, are all a part of his life; still today. For this I am eternally grateful. My saddness has turned to compassion for all who make this incredible decision and allow 'Us' to become parents.

B.G.- Before Grace

A.G- Attained Gratefulness

My little-big man, is all the best of Kim and Steve! He is all the best of me and his Dad, too.

His life is complex, interesting and he is the Heart of it; he knows nothing else.

When I recently asked him, "How does it feel to be adopted?"

He answered, "It feels like nothing, normal, I am Garrett."

Simple. He is GARRETT!

A.G.- Absolutely Genius

Just 5 Minutes...Good or Bad, Just 5 Minutes

Brilliant!

We can do anything for 5 minutes, (except hold our breath) and taking just 5 minutes to write is something I am doing.

Yesterday I met with Jill Sparks of the AB-Tech Business Incubator about HeartMommy. She is my business mentor and coach. She was my counselor and cheerleader yesterday. Coming back is hard. Writing is hard. Photography is hard. Work is hard. Life is hard.

But, if we break it down into smaller bits and times it seems less daunting and manageable. If we lose our "A" game because of things out of our control, then we must let the illusion of our "A" game change. We must adapt, if only for 5 minutes.

Recently on a walk with Garrett, we came across giant flowers plants with brilliant yellow flowers bursting forth, reaching higher to the sun. The color was electric and seemed unreal. How long did this flower take to come to the point of brilliance? How many months, weeks, days, was it a seed, a leaf, a bud, a small bloom? How many days were there no signs of it being able to bloom? I am certain any and all of these experiences lasted more than 5 minutes.

So, I write and I take photos. I work and I live. If only for 5 minutes at a time, I am living, reaching, waiting, growing, climbing, still, dancing, singing, loving, and being me. This is the thing of life.

Until next time, I am off to run. Run for at least 5 minutes at a time and then 5 more...

Healing, HeartMommy, Kaleidoscope- All things in Three

HeartMommy.com

As I write my first Blog post in many months,

I am excited to explain my absence

and all the new beginnings!

1. A life long dream of becoming a clinical massage therapist is coming true. I graduate in June 2012 and will be focusing on Mom and Baby massage, prenatal, post natal and infant massage.

2. Kaleidoscope Community Center will be opening in Hendersonville in May or June of 2012. This center will focus on creating community for our area. We will also offer educational classes, book readings, health, wellness and massage.

3. HeartMommy is now part of the AB Tech Business Incubator in Asheville, NC. An incubator keeps something safe and allows it time to grow and mature. Much like a baby incubator, a business incubator gives the vital nutrients, care and attention for a business to take it to a new level. We are OVERJOYED at this opportunity.

All things come in three! At least this is true for me and these are the three biggest things going. We are so fortunate to have amazing people and things coming into place to allow all of these things to work in unison. We want to help people, heal people and have fun too!

My son named the community center. Please say a pray, make a wish, send out good vibrations, send loving intentions, so that the location is procured and that all the necessary protocol is done with ease. Our community needs a center and thus will create more community for so many different people.

And away we go.....

We are an official word- TummyMommy

So, as strange as life would have it. I sent in three words for consideration as part of the english language; HeartMommy, HeartDaddy and TummyMommy.

Well, it is true, TummyMommy, was indeed chosen as an official word!

Can you stand it!?!

My whole life I have been an inventor of sorts. An artist, writer, photographer, designer, Mom and now the official originator of the word, TummyMommy.

Now, mind you, it is not me who came up with the word or its meaning. So, for us- Kim and her Mom and me and all the TummyMommys in the world, CHEERS!

I am so excited! A word, in the english language...and so it goes...

Buddha Belly Flotation Device

Could there be anything more adorable than to look at photos of your now 7 yr old son and remember him when he was this little, squishy, drooling, Buddha belly baby; I think not.
When G came to us through adoption in December of 2002, I was still mourning the loss of my baby. This little baby did not live to be born. He or She was due in late March, 2003, but could not come to me and I was so very, very sad. I lost the baby in July of 2002 and was devastated. It was me, the host, that failed the baby. I thought, I had hurt the baby because my body was not able to bring them full-term. I cried a lot. My family cried a lot. My Mom, especially because she knew how much effort it took to even become pregnant, only to lose the baby. I kept my first maternity shirt, still with tags, on the hanger until November, 2006. It was then that I had a complete hysterectomy and I truly surrendered the notion that I would be able to have a brother or sister for G. through a normal pregnancy.

Could I imagine not being G's Mom; not on your life! This precious little boy, brought to me by the grace of his mother, Kim. There are no words of joy that can fill this page adequately to explain my love of G and Kim and Steve and being a Mom. My sweetest baby G; so grown up now. All of 7 yrs old and time has flown by...it is true. Time warp happens when you have someone else to take care of and your focus shifts to them.

My saddnes for my lost child has never ended. It does not fill my mind with thoughts of what could have been. It was this angel baby that went and picked Kim to carry G in her tummy. It was this angel baby who whispered in Kim's ear at nearly 8 months into her pregnancy and gave her the strength to place G with me to be his HeartMommy.

I adore my son! He was the cutest baby and is the most handsome boy!

As Mother's Day fast approaches, thank your HeartMommy for all her love. I will thank my Mom/HeartMommy. I will thank my little angel baby for the whisper in Kim's ear and heart. I will thank Kim for listening and bringing me such joy through G.

HeartMommy Scarf on National Magazine

WOW!

HeartMommy has made a national magazine with a pull-though scarf we offer.

These silk and wool scarves are made for the HeartMommy collection.

Please visit us on facebook- Nancy McCullough- to see the complete collection.

We have hardly had a chance to advertise and by word of mouth, the scarves are being scooped up.

Contact me at nancy@heartmommy.com to place your order today.

Great Mother's Day gift! Get one for yourself and give a friend one; they will love you for their forever scarf. Available for children, adults, women, men, and unisex.

Once you put one on, you will never want to take it off! Just like a pair of comfy socks, your scarf will keep you warm and cozy.

These will be available for purchase at http://www.heartmommy.com/ soon.

HeartMommy is VERY happy!

100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces For 2009

In 2002, when I became a Mom through adoption, having a company that was adoption friendly made the experience less stressful in several ways. I worked for Accenture, LL.P., a large IT Consulting firm. As an employee, I was treated just as any new parent. One of the ways that Accenture assisted me was through an adoption program giving adoptive parents up to $4,500 towards adoption expenses.


Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's Hamburgers, was adopted at six months old and is remembered not only for his restaurants but for his commitment to adoption.


The 3rd annual Dave Thomas Foundation - 100 Best Adoption Friendly Workplaces was released and below are the top 10 companies.

1 Wendy's International, Inc.
2 Citizen's Financial Group, Inc. / RBS Americas
*3 way tie*
3 Liquidnet
3 LSI Corporation
3 United Business Media LLC (UBM)
**********
6 Subaru of America, Inc.
7. Bowen Engineering Corporation
8. Timberland
9. Barilla America
10. Time Inc.

You can read more about it at:
http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/Our-Work/Adoption-Friendly-Workplace/Best-Adoption-Friendly-Workplaces-List-(1

It is hard to believe that adoption is so costly. However, the hard truth is that a private/agency domestic adoption costs in the range of $15,000 to $40,000 depending on the agency and the circumstances of the adoption. There is no simple formula used and as a person who wants to be a parent; having tried all the other options, adoption is often the only and best choice, regardless of the costs.

Becoming a parent is so amazing and when you have become one through adopton, the costs pale in comparison to the joy you feel with your child in your arms. The costs nearly dissapear from your mind and yet, as a new parent, the costs of having a child change everything.

Being provided the adoption benefit with Accenture deferred some of the costs and thus the stress associated with the that process. Many companies offer adoption benefits. If you are in the process or considering adoption, investigate these options. Ask your Human Resources department about what benefits are offered and understand the laws regarding your rights as a new parent.

It is imperative that you be proactive in the search for adoption related benefits, whether through the company you work for or through other sources. Dependant on your personal circumstances, there are many ways to defer costs, have a leave of absence and other options specific to your employer.

For more information on adoption, the laws and benefits of adoption, please visit The National Center for Adoption Law and Policy at http://www.law.capital.edu/adoption/.

Now, six years later, my son is a vibrant, loving child who changed my world forever. He is part of me. There is no other option than knowing he is my son. All that was before him is of little consequence. He is my child and I am so grateful for my joy in him.

HeartDaddy- the Answer in 2009

The Sky knows no limits.

As HeartMommy gets a bit of exposure, I am asked on a regular basis about the idea of HeartDaddy. And here is the answer...

In May of 2008 my son came to me and said, we must have "HeartDaddy" too for all the Dads in the world. Of course, we must, I agreed.

On that day Garrett and I sat down for our first business meeting. Across our makeshift desk we shared; Garrett exlpained the finer points of his idea, business plan, and drew the HeartDaddy logo for me. It is lovely indeed.

After the meeting ajorned I purchased the domain name- www.heartdaddy.com and put all the important documentation in the newly labeled file for HeartDaddy.

Isn't fun to know that my son loves HeartMommy handing out my business cards more than I do, and that he has the smarts to come up with the idea, the branding, and all the details for HeartDaddy too.

My ideas are small in comparison to his imagination and fearlessness. Garrett knows only what is possible.

And with that, I give you, HeartDaddy. Created in May 2008 by Garrett Cushman for all the Dads of the world.

All the great ideas I get from Garrett, friends, family, customers, Dads and Moms are noted, reviewed, and are 'in development' for the next phase of business.

With HeartMommy just out of the incubator, HeartDaddy is being carefully cared for as we grow.

In 2009 we are expecting amazing growth and expansion of HeartMommy and the launch of HeartDaddy!

Please send me any and all thoughts, ideas, wishlist items and I will add them to the executive meeting agenda for next week. Garrett and I hold our meetings at our now makeshift desk in the kitchen, where most great ideas and stories are shared.

I am sending an email to my web designer to add a new link on HeartMommy.

Look often and spread the word about HeartMommy and HeartDaddy so we will continue to grow as 2009 becomes our banner year!

Thank you to all the amazing people who have and continue to support us.
We are the Little Engine That Could and Will!

Nancy
HeartMommy on behalf of HeartDaddy 2009

Spell Check

Well, Well...the lesson of the day is SPELL CHECK!


Along with my love of flip flops is my equal non-love for misspelled words.


As a former teacher and professional corporate trainer, I was forever surprised by spelling errors I encountered in both written and typed information.


There was nothing like receiving a wonderful paper from a student only to have to translate the actual content, after correcting the spelling, and then re-reading it for comprehension. As well, when I would review and deliver training to clients, I would cringe at the sight of the one misspelled word in the midst of hundreds of pages of content.


My handwriting is atrocious, so I cannot claim any beauty contest winnings on my penmanship; I like to blame it on being left-handed. However, with the advent of typewriters (yes, I did learn to type on one of these dinosaurs) and computers, there is no reason to have misspelled words.


To my dismay, I wrote my Flip Flop post, posted it and then read it!


I was not LOL but was OMG about the whole thing and as a reminder to myself, I am leaving the word in the post. It will make me think twice or three times before posting prior to reading and using the amazing tools available for me.

Just in case you have not seen this tool, it often appears as an ABC with a check underneath it. As a fail-safe there is the other option called "Preview". Each of these created by someone like me, who not only want to read the written word but want to truly understand it.

For those of you who have no idea what LOL and OMG are, they do not appear in spell check. These are new words...or something.

My VLOG on www.newbaby.com

It has begun, the official VLOG on www.newbaby.com.
My personal site is www.newbaby.com/heartmommy
On there are three of my first videos; one which includes the Jewels That Dance Diamond event for National Adoption Month.
Jewels That Dance is my manufacturer for HeartMommy jewelry and have been here in Asheville for 25 years. They are a fabulous team and I am proud to have them create my work based on my HeartMommy designs.
Have a look at the VLOG and give me some feedback and ideas.

Enjoy!
Nancy

And it is Official-I am Exhausted

Today is technically Saturday, December 13th, but since I have not gone to bed I am calling it Friday night.
This past week plus has been one of the most exhausting of my life. Seriously draining, mind blowing, tough, bad, hard, no fun and on and on. So, why do I say this now in the middle of the night? I am exhausted but cannot sleep. I am too tired to sleep. Is it possible? I am the poster child for insomnia.
As well, this week has been one of the most exciting too. Does this add to the insomnia? Where is my sand-man?
I have heard that if I write it all down, then my brain will relax and I can then leave it for another time, thus sleep will come. So, I write....
My mom is better, not 100%, but better.
My son is still sick, on terrible medicine and trying his hardest to be well for our vacation to Florida.
Me, I am hopeful as the new year approaches and aprehensive in the same breath. My health is great, better than in many years past. I feel better, look better, have an overall sense of myself and what I want. I am grateful for all that I have.
The new year, shedding of the old and rebirth of the old/new/good things.
More writing, more photography, business success, new ventures, new friends, rekindled friendships, forgiveness, love, laughter, happiness.
See, now I am rambling, a true sign of exhaustion.
Too sleep....please!

Happy Holidays from HeartMommy

As you may have experienced, 'The Holidays', seem to sneak up and then they are all over and it is only 23 days until Christmas.

I write this blog as a precurser to the much anticipated VLOG and give only the excuse that I was on vacation in Florida, soaking as much warmth and sun in, until my return yesterday to snow and cold in North Carolina.

Prior to leaving, I had the great pleasure of attending the Jewels That Dance National Adoption Month event, I used my FLIP video camera to do and interview and I made it all into a movie...it was so much fun!

Now having said that, I have not posted it yet, because, well...I am trying.

Tonight, when my son nods off in dreams of dinosaurs and space exploration, I will post it.

Being a mom, business owner, writer, photographer and trying to have a few days of decompression seem to cause REcompression on the return. But, I am so grateful for the days I had in Florida, spending time with my family, swimming in the Atlantic, and laying by the pool in WARMTH.

Okay, now I am rambling.... more to come tonight. :)

Happy Tuesday,

NM- HeartMommy

Isn't It Funny

Isn't It Funny?

Today, as I watched my son play dinosaurs in our yard, I thought how much he had changed.

And to see his intense concentration in Kindergarten Chess. Yes, Chess...he really gets it too. The sponge of the child's mind is a delight.

He is taller, his face is more mature, and now he sings songs while playing. Tonight as we chatted before bedtime, he started giggling and could not stop, his little face crinkled up with silliness. And yet, as I look over the website and the photo site with his pictures, there is so little change.

On the far left of the photo site is Garrett so small, days old if that, with a small smile. On the far right is Garrett now. He has the same smile, the same eyes and the same nose.

Tonight, as I browse these familiar photos I think, isn't it funny, no matter what is happening in the world today, what is happening in our lives, things are as they are meant to be.

http://heartmommy.shutterfly.com/

(Top left 2002 and Top right 2008)

In the middle are Kim and Steve at our first meeting after Garrett was born.

Garrett is a beautiful soul. He will always be.



HeartMommy

HeartMommy Asheville Onsie Revealed

Here it is!

The newest item in the HeartMommy product line; the Asheville Onsie!

The idea for this series came after a late evening session with my 'team'...Denise and Katharina; they rock!

The pattern reminded us of looking into a kaleidoscope and we added orange stitching to make it pop. The HeartMommy logo is in the center of the Onsie...I love it!

There are hearts everywhere in the pattern...All you need is love, baby!



HeartMommy

New Photo-Colleen Walsh Photography

Good Saturday!

Today, I spent time reviewing all my photos and organizing, naming and posting them. The new profile photo of Garrett and me is from photographer Colleen Walsh.

Colleen and I worked together in the corporate world and we are friends. After Garrett arrived we did our one and only professional photo shoot.

Colleen draped our living room with a white backdrop, set up a photo studio in our house. We had a wonderful time and have wonderful photos of Garrett before his first birthday.

He was so small we had to roll up his pants. Little did we know that he would grow so tall that we keep buying 'slim-tall' and he cotinues to grow out of them each month.

Adorable, pre-first haircut hair...

Visit Colleen Walsh Photography at www.colleenwalsh.com to see her fabulous photos.

Nancy

We are Live and in Living Color!

Today I am 42 years old! It is my birthday!

HeartMommy.com just went live moments ago; what a great birthday present!!

Please visit http://www.heartmommy.com/ and take a look around.

Welcome!
Nancy- HeartMommy to Garrett