on the road again...

This friday while fireworks are exploding all over the skies of the united states I will be making my way down to Nicaragua once again.  I am filled with excitement knowing that I will be once again sitting on the porch of my friend Dona Gibbson's home discussing birth, spending my evenings swaying to soca music, eating seafood like a glutton, and launching my first international project!  many of you read my previous email that outlined the project that i will be working on at the casa materna this summer.  at the time of that email I had asked for your support in gathering donations of craft and medical goodies.  As of today I have an immensely large bag...honestly the largest that I have ever traveled with...filled completely with your donations.  i am thoroughly astounded by the generosity of all of you.  so to pay homage to my benefactors,  i thought i would compose a brief summary of what is packed inside of my oversized baggage:

-1 bulb syringe

-a cagilion pairs of sterile gloves + boxes of clean gloves

-a thermometer + sterile thermometer covers

-25 rulers to measure uterine fundal height

-a fetal heart monitor (thanks mor-mor...that's grandma in norwegian!)

-5 liters of ultrasound lubricant + one nifty bottle to pour it into

-3 battery chargers + rechargeable AA batteries to power the fetal dopplers and reduce waste

-a mother load of knitting and crochet needles!

-over 150 bundles of embroidery floss

-scissors and fabric markers

-yarn, yarn, yarn

-needlepoint kits + embroidery hoops

-felt for creating a felt board to be used as a teaching aid

Thank you so much to each and every one of you that decided that this project was worth supporting...for muddling through your craft bags and giving to women that will be soooo excited to use the tools that you are passing on to them.  And special thanks to Eddie who has generously supported the women at the Casa Materna by ensuring that they will be able to purchase the supplies necessary for starting their small business.

Please continue to look for my posts related to the Casa Materna and my future adventures!  I hope that the women and situations that have inspired me in Nicaragua will equally inspire all of you!