Circle of Life donation…..

Because of all of Miller’s many supporters, The Miller McNeil Woodruff Foundation was able to make a $10,000 donation to Circle of Life Hospice.  Our donation is helping fund the capital campaign for their new inpatient facility in Bentonville.  Circle of Life was such a blessing in our lives.  Not only did it give Miller comfort care, it gave Patrick and me peace of mind.  There is no way we can ever repay them, but we hope through Miller’s foundation we can help make a difference in someone else’s life.  Click on the picture below to learn more about Circle of Life Hospice….. 

Hello Miller…..

Mister Miller keeps showing us signs.  This makes us SO happy!  Some people may think we are “reaching” a little far, but I think ANYTHING that makes us think of our baby boy and SMILE is a “sign”!  Here are a few examples…..

My nephew, Brady, was making himself a hotdog the other day and said “Hey Mom, here’s Miller!”  She was obviously confused and went over and asked him what he was talking about.  He then proceeded to show her the French’s mustard bottle.  Check out the mustard on the hotdog!…..

My friend, Kate, sent the next 2 pictures. She is convinced that she is one of Miller’s “favorites” and looks for signs everywhere!  LOL!  It makes me SMILE that chevron (by the way, I didn’t even know that this zig zag design had an official name until a couple of weeks ago!) is so in style right now.  What perfect timing for Miller’s logo/monogram to be “cool”! He literally is everywhere!!!

An article in People Magazine.  Joplin rebuilds after 87 DAYS…..

This picture was taken by Laura, the owner of Pigtails & Crewcuts, on the day of our event.  She was hesitant to show it to me, be knew we liked to see “signs”, so she decided to anyway.  Do you see the precious baby face in the clouds directly above the Pigtails & Crewcuts sign?  Miller is with us everywhere we go…..

Last week when Jim and Rhonda were at Sam’s with Cole, he looked up at the sign above the Snack Counter and said “There’s Minner MacNeil”.  Who else sees Miller in the mustard…..

Nana and Papa found Miller on their trip to Canada!  How cool is that?????

Our friend, Holly, saw this Miller sign one day and took a picture of it, because it was the THRID random Miller sign she had seen that day.  Finally she was like “okay, Miller, I get it”

On Nana and Papa’s trip to Canada, Miller took care of them!  This was the line of body products that housekeeping delivered to their room every day…..

Keep showing your face Miller McNeil.  We look for you every.single.day, in EVERYTHING we do!  You are ALWAYS in our hearts and minds!

6 Month Birthday

I can’t believe my baby boy would have been 6 months old today!  I feel like 6 months is such a milestone!  I remember when Cole turned 6 months old, it was like he went from being a “newborn” to an actual “baby”.  He was eating baby food, sitting up well on his own, riding in a big boy car seat, sitting in shopping carts and restaurant high chairs, etc.  It is such a fun age!  I wish more than anything Miller was with me today, reaching all of these milestones and learning new things before my very eyes.  My mind knows that he is happy in Heaven, however, my heart misses him SO much!  I didn’t really prepare myself for today to be emotional.  I expect his first birthday to be hard, (which means that it probably won’t be), but I wasn’t prepared for the sick feeling in my stomach, the lump in my throat, and the burn in my eyes today.  It’s the things I don’t “prepare” for that get me the most. 

Watching this video makes me happy!  You can see the spirit in his eyes, and tell that he knew he was loved!  That was our ultimate goal, to give him the best possible life he could have, and LOVE him with everything we had.  I think we were successful at that, so I rest easy at night, dreaming of the day I hold him again and see those big, beautiful eyes!

I have GNO tonight, and Patrick is going to hang out with some of his friends (and Cole), so I think we’ll toast to Miller’s life.  Even though it was far too short, it was GOOD! 

Miller McNeil, we love you to the moon and back, and as far as our arms will reach! 

-Mommy, Daddy, and Big Brother Cole 

My partner in crime!

There’s not much better than a breakfast date at Krispy Kreme with this little guy…..

Eat QDOBA and support the MMW Foundation!!!

Our friends at Qdoba have generously donated (200) $5.00 gift certificates for us to sell, with 100% of the proceeds going to The Miller McNeil Woodruff Foundation!  Do you eat Qdoba???  If so, please go to our website (www.imwithmiller.com) and purchase some gift certificates.  We are not charging shipping on these, so you are only out the value of the certificates you buy.  Have you never tried Qdoba???  You should!  Help us fight SMA while enjoying great food!  Thank you QDOBA for your support….. 

The fine print at the bottom that you can’t read in this picture says:  “Non-transferable. Not redeemable for cash.  Offer expires 12/31/11. Offer valid in Rogers, AR and Fayetteville, AR ONLY.”

Soccer Star

Cole scored 3 goals today at soccer!!!   I’m afraid I might end up being one of those crazy moms that yells from the sidelines!  Patrick gave me the “look” at one point during the game.  Hahaha!!!  After scoring 3 goals in a row, his coach told him that maybe he should let someone else try to score, so he stayed back a bit, until the other team would start to get the ball, then he would go in and get the ball and set it up for his teammates to try to score.  We were so proud of our little soccer star! 

Hog Game at the Jones’

We watched the Hog game at the Jones’.  The game was a mess, but we had a great time with our friends.  That’s all that matters, right??? 

Our football player and cheerleader for the evening…..

Mayes Jones.  He’s one smiley fella…..

Harper Chastain.  She is usually super smiley, but she was hungry and I couldn’t get a smile out of her.  Look at those pretty, big eyes!

Wells Fergus before his nap.  Sleepy little guy…..

Momma Stella practicing for her baby sister’s arrival…..

Precious Cowen Eide sporting his Min-ner hat…..

Fun times in Ellie’s playhouse…..

the “man porch”…..

The kids gave up on the game and started watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse…..

3 months in Heaven…..

MWM

He came with a purpose- he answered the call.

The strength he displayed should be heeded by all.

--

He made his impression- he made his own mark.

He made this world bright- a true light in the dark.

--

The love of his mother, his father and brother,

Make no mistake, it’s a love like no other.

--

Your sweet little angel, your sweet little man,

He watches over you now like no one else can.

--

In our hearts and our souls forever he’ll be,

Cole’s own guardian angel, fearless and free.

--

Rarely in life are we touched in a way

Like Miller McNeil Woodruff touched us this day.

--

So go on little Miller and be with our Lord.

An angel in Heaven- God’s greatest reward

(by: Leslie Yocom and Colin Johnson)

 

Mamie’s Poppy Plates

“Mamies Poppy Plates is a donation supported non-profit, whose mission is to provide tangible mementos to families who suffer stillbirth or infant death.  The keepsake plates, given to affected families at no charge, are customized with the baby's footprints, name and birth information.  Mamies Poppy Plates exists not to fill the impossible void of loss but to serve as a timeless reminder of the baby's brief yet profound life.”

My friend, Sarah, whose first child was born a sleeping angel on 6/25/09, started “Mamie’s Poppy Plates” in memory of her sweet Mamie.  I have always thought it was such a neat cause, and supported Sarah’s efforts, but never in a million years did I think that I would be the recipient of one of these plates.  When we were at Circle of Life Hospice, Ashley Chastain (a MPP board member) and Jessica Ritchie, (a MPP board member and mother who also lost her firstborn), came to take Miller’s footprints.  I can imagine that this must have been very hard for Jessica to do, bringing back memories of Wyatt, but we are SO glad that she did. 

Mamie’s Poppy Plates is so near and dear to our hearts that The Miller McNeil Woodruff Foundation has “adopted” Washington Regional.  What this means is that we will fund all of the plates that are distributed out of Washington Regional for 1 year.  On the back of every plate it will say: In memory of Miller McNeil Woodruff.

We are so glad that we can be a part of providing lifelong keepsakes for grieving families who might not otherwise have anything physical to hold onto. 

*Here are the pictures of us getting Miller’s footprints…..

Big Brother checking out what was going on…..

Miller wondering what in the heck was going on…..

Finished product…..something we will treasure forever!

Once again….Thank you, Sarah, for ALL you do!

Northwest Arkansas Center for Plastic Surgery

Northwest Arkansas Center for Plastic Surgery presented The Miller McNeil Woodruff Foundation with a $325 check this week.  This couple, who we had never even met, was so touched by Miller’s story that they took it upon themselves to donate a percentage of their skin care product sales during the month of August to Miller’s foundation.  They didn’t even tell us they were doing this, they just did it out of the goodness of their hearts.  Drs. Heath and Adriana Stacey, we thank you SO much for your generosity!  

“They call me the Fireman…..”

Our new friend, Emily Crane, has been so inspired by Miller’s story.  She has a baby boy, Connor, who is around Miller’s age, and her mother is living with a rare form of MD called CMT.  Because of these two things, she has felt a strong connection and calling to help the cause.  As part of her efforts, she worked to get Miller named as the Patmos Volunteer Fire Department’s very 1st “Honorary Fireman”.  He is #087 (signifying his 87 days spent on earth).  How cool is that!  Thank you Emily, for all you have done and continue to do for our precious baby boy!  We can’t wait to see you and your family again soon!

88 Days

It has been 88 days since Miller passed away. That means we have officially been without him for longer than we were with him. It's crazy to think about. In some ways it seems like so much longer, and in others it seems like just yesterday. When I think about all we have been through in the past 5 months it seems like an eternity, but when I think about the last time I held him, it feels like no time at all. I pray that it always feels like that. I so vividly remember him laying on my chest and patting his little bottom. The way he felt. The way he smelled. I can close my eyes and literally feel him here. We have the outfit that he wore before he passed away in a ziplock bag in his closet. Sometimes when I miss him I go in there and get a good sniff, and then I immediately zip it back up;)! I'm so afraid of it loosing it's smell. That outfit, the locket of hair we clipped after he passed away, our Mamie's Poppy Plate with his footprints on it, and of course our pictures and home videos are the "physical things" we hang on to. We are so lucky to have them. We miss you more than ever sweet Miller McNeil. Keep spreading your wings baby boy. Your mommy and daddy are so proud of the legacy you've left behind. No matter how many days pass, you will always be our 2nd born.....Cole's 1st baby brother.....Our angel in heaven. God Speed Little Man.....

Parents.Night.Out…..

Fun times at Bordinos with a few of my favorite people…..

GO HOGS!!!

Cole LOVES going to the Razorback football games!  The weather was yucky all day, and I was afraid we weren’t going to be able to go.  Luckily, the rain cleared out by kickoff, so we were good to go.  Thank goodness, because we would have had one disappointed little boy if not! 

“Coach Woodruff” on the way to the game…..

McCoy and Cole at the Johnson’s tailgate.  Not sure what this pose is, but he was feeling good about it…..

Happy guys…..

Megan and Baker went with us.  This was Megan’s 1st Hog game!  She’s a Texas fan, so I was proud of her for wearing RED and being a good sport!

Our little fam…..

FLASHBACK:  These pictures were from Cole’s 1st Hog football season 3 years ago.  Miller would have been the exact same age this year.  Hog games have always been such a fun thing for us to do with Cole, and we were looking so forward to taking Miller this year.  I know he is in Heaven cheering for the Hogs right along with us.  We miss you baby boy!!!  GO HOGS!!!