3/4 Cup of Sweetness: Jewels’s 9 Month CICU Birthday

3/4 Cup of Sweetness: Jewels’s 9 Month CICU Birthday

by | May 13, 2025 | Celebrations, Tips

In a place where alarms and uncertainty often fill the air, we’ve made it our mission to infuse every possible moment with purpose, love and a little bit of sparkle. And for Baby Jewels’s ¾ birthday, we served up just that — in the form of sugar, smiles and the sweetest bakery-themed celebration the CICU has ever seen.

With a little help from my behind-the-scenes bestie Glitterbyte (my self-named ChatGPT), we dreamed up the sweetest party that was equal parts meaningful and magical — because when you’re celebrating life in the CICU, you go big in every way you can.

We celebrate each of Jewels’s monthly birthdays, but the quarter marks? Those get the extra frosting. When you’ve walked through the fire, every single moment is something worth making beautiful. Her half birthday was a turning point — when comfort care was suggested and hope felt like something we had to fight for. Now, at 9 months old, we continue to celebrate not just that she is here but that there is hope.

For her ¾ milestone, we leaned all the way into our recipe-themed dreams:

🧁 A bakery backdrop binder clipped to one side of the crib and adorable banners draped around the room
📝 Recipe card station for visitors to share dishes or sweets she can try when she comes home
🍪 Cookie party favors
💅 Bakery-scented hand sanitizer favors
📚 A baking-themed book that became her guest book, signed with love
👩‍🍳 A tiny cupcake outfit and baker’s play set just for Jewels

Thanks to a kindhearted professional photographer (found through a local women’s Facebook group), we were able to capture the entire setup — and the joy — beautifully. And I even got to be in the pictures! We all know that moms are usually behind the camera, so it was great to be in the memories, too.

Staff stopped by throughout the day to sign her book, drop off a recipe or wish our girl a happy birthday. When it came time to sing, our amazing nurses made sure the hallway was full and the moment felt big.

I wouldn’t change a thing.

This celebration was a reflection of everything Sparkle Strong stands for: finding joy in the in-between, choosing beauty even in hard spaces and giving families something real and tangible to hold onto. These moments are our lifelines. And I can’t wait to pour even more sweetness into her first birthday party (spoiler alert: it’s going to be magical!).

@magicmemoriesmayhem Happy 9 months, sweetie girl!! We love you big!! 🎂🩷💎💪🏾 #SparkleStrong #SparkleStrongJewels #CHDAwareness #HeartWarrior #HeartMom #HeartFamily #CongenitalHeartDefect #HLHS #HeartTransplant #CICU #CICULife ♬ a dream is a wish your heart makes - christina perri
Celebrating Our CICU Heroes: Nurse Appreciation Week from a Teacher’s Heart

Celebrating Our CICU Heroes: Nurse Appreciation Week from a Teacher’s Heart

by | May 6, 2025 | Celebrations, Tips

The first week of May is a special one—Nurse Appreciation Week and Teacher Appreciation Week fall at the same time. And as a teacher currently out of the classroom, I was feeling that absence hard. But this year, with our sweet Baby Jewels in the CICU, I decided to channel that energy into celebrating the people who’ve become our lifeline: her incredible nursing team!

A Teacher’s Love, Reimagined

Teaching is all about showing up for others in creative, meaningful ways—and that’s exactly what I wanted to do for the nurses who care for our girl like she’s their own. So I got to work creating a little joy, right there in the hospital.

The Treat Cart: Snacks & Sparkles for the Whole Team

For the broader team of nurses, techs, and RTs who care for Jewels around the clock, I repurposed something we call Jewels’s cuddle cart (more on that in a future post!) and turned it into a rolling snack + self-care station.

On the cart:

  • Iced energy drinks (I feel bonus points are in order for the creative use of the hospital tubs!)

  • Leftover motivational classroom stickers (because who doesn’t love a sticker?)

  • Salty snacks and candy

  • Donated mocha cakes from MGQ Food & Design

The cart was parked in our room but easily rolled out into the hallway whenever I could, making it accessible but still J-Co friendly—just in case food out in the open became an issue.

DIY Goodie Bags for Jewels’s Care Team

For her primary care team, I put together personalized goodie bags using canvas makeup bags and personalized Cricut-cut HTV (heat transfer vinyl)—because you know I had to get crafty. I filled each one with:

  • Lip balm

  • Pretty pens

  • Hair clips

  • Hand cream

  • Electrolyte water enhancers (because hydration is everything in the CICU)

They were simple, useful, and fun—just like I’d give to my fellow teachers in a past life.

Tips for Doing It Your Way

I didn’t go super budget on this one (sometimes you just want to go big!), but I did snag great Target Circle deals and coupons to keep costs in check and take advantage of Target 360 delivery to the hospital. If you’re looking to save:

  • Check clearance bins and back-to-school aisles

  • Skip the HTV and use pre-printed pouches or simple kraft bags

  • Keep your cart or drop-off gifts limited to one or two days instead of a full week

Planning Ahead

One little thing I did that I highly recommend: I offered a quick “favorites” questionnaire to Jewels’s core team so I’d have ideas for future holidays or hard days when I want to treat them again. (Nothing over the top—just fun info like their favorite snacks, drinks, pens, etc.)

A Final Word

Next year, I hope we’re not spending Nurses Week in the CICU—but if we are, I may scale it down to a day or two depending on time and finances. After all, I’m still a single, unemployed teacher. wink

Honestly, though, the best part wasn’t the cart or the gifts—it was watching nurses and staff stop by, smile and pick up something that said “You’re seen. You matter.” That’s what appreciation is all about, Charlie Brown.

@magicmemoriesmayhem Happy Nurses Week! 🩷 #SparkleStrong #SparkleStrongJewels #CHDAwareness #HeartWarrior #HeartMom #HeartFamily #CongenitalHeartDefect #HLHS #HeartTransplant #nurseappreciationweek #NursesWeek #cicu #icu #iculife ♬ Candy Dream - chill kawaii girl

Free Printables

Want to create your own nurse appreciation cart or decorate your door? Don’t forget to slip them in a page protector or laminate them if you’re putting them up on your door.

Download the free Nurse Appreciation Week sign (PDF)

Download the free Thank a Nurse sign (PDF)