I'll see what I can do...

Once I get moved in, we can get all the bills from then on, even if takes her a minute to recover (a C is a possibility if he keeps growing like this!).

Hugs to everyone who read this.

Can't contribute as I'm running a campaign of my own, but I'll share it on Twitter and Google+

Thanks dearheart, and if I can find a way to help you I will...

feed, so hopefully someone will come forward for your friends.

They have gone through heck and back together, but have always loved each other and their children. I'm sure they'd actually have more if their financial circumstances permitted, but Eric finally got his boy (was always the joke, that he wanted to keep trying until he got a boy -- that changed after Ellie's second pregnancy. He just wanted a healthy baby.)

Hoping for a girl this time, but got another lovely boy. Not going to be any girls for us, got snipped after we had Sagan.

and I did what I could to help

I posted below about their reaction to the outpouring of generosity. It's totally floored them.

Good luck!

Just being able to say (before she went to bed, so she wouldn't stress more) that, because of all of you wonderful people, the goal is more than halfway met made the largely pregnant friend cry. Good tears, but she was speechless at the generosity from total strangers. Her husband is floored too.

You are all amazing people. Thank you so much, from her, me, and the rest of the family.

It's stressful enough imagining how something that big finds it way out (her oldest was only 7, her other daughter was premature) without also wondering if her own landlord is also going to attempt eviction.

I had to call them last night to tell them that so many people have helped and they were disbelieving, floored, and Ellie ended up crying from gratitude. It means so much to them....

"We have been so grateful it's been hard to find the words to express it. We have tried to make it without asking for help, and thought that even if we did ask, no one we knew was much better off. Crystal said she thought she might know people who were able to help, and we didn't believe it would work but were desperate enough to say sure, go ahead and try.

She called us the first night, and my wife (who right now can cry over a cantaloupe but these were definitely tears of gratitude) started bawling after learning that total strangers had already helped enough that the goal we set was half-met before being posted more than a few hours. And I was in total shock.

In only a little more than 24 hours, all but $105 of what we need to get rent for July, water, and most of our electric fully caught up has been donated to us by people we don't even know. Our landlord finally replaced the coil on our air conditioner so our electric bill will go down. Even if we have to make payment arrangements on it, this has taken such a weight off our shoulders.... I'm still having a hard time believing it, maybe because it just feels too good to be true and happened so fast.

You all have literally saved our lives, including my first and only son's, and I have no words. Except, thank you. From my heart.

-- Eric"

Even if we can't meet the goal set, every $5 helps!

... especially the conservative lurker who was kind enough to not care about the fact I'm liberal and they are conservative when it comes to the sake of families in real need. Eric's accident just totally screwed up their happy life plan... raise their daughter, her stay at home and save daycare, him work driving the handicapped and doing tech on the side... hard to build a computer when your left arm won't fully straighten still with years of PT.

But it's perfect for cuddling a baby!

Thank you all so much -- everyone who read, shared, and donated to help my friends -- because your compassion has helped tremendously... both financially and psychologically. Just knowing people cared enough to wish them well, let alone share out the story or donate their hard-earned money to help them through this rough patch has made a huge difference... not to mention the relief of having rent, gas, and water caught up fully (still working on electric but they are trying to get some help from LIHEAP). I have also went ahead and moved myself, if not yet all my things, in to help out.

This was perfect timing for those stresses to be reduced, because during Elinor's ultrasound yesterday they determined her "Braxton Hicks" aren't, though she's not dilated beyond normal for this far in pregnancy (just to 2), membranes and plug intact, and no effacing of the cervix. She has another appointment tomorrow and we're hoping that just bedrest will stop them without having to admit her.

So thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes. Now we can focus on making sure Nathan cooks long enough!

Love and light,

Crystal/Moriah

She's my lil sis and has been since I dated her older brother -- when he and I split, we adopted each other as sisters no matter what. She was 13 then. We're still sisters, always will be.

Everyone should have friends like DUers! Thank you guys so much, again, seriously.

Now I am just trying to encourage my very stubborn sister to actually stay IN bed, or sitting, and jump up before she does to take care of a problem, the chores she wants to do, etc. She was on bedrest with Dahlia and hated it. (Nathan came to be despite the Pill and condoms, Bella condoms, Dahlia the Pill.... so while they feel all three are here/on the way for a reason, they're both getting tied/snipped/burned so TWO doctors have to botch for a fourth pregnancy.)

Last night we almost made a trip to the hospital, but Ellie's mom had her and the rest of her siblings at home and is the one we credit for getting her HG under control back in the early stages by recommending various ways to get B vitamins to stay down (B6 is actually prescribed now for HG but she couldn't hold down pills). She suggested soaking in cold Epsom salt baths to absorb the magnesium sulfate through the skin without dehydrating her worse, and we got the contractions to abate a bit.

Her doctor today said if it helped it certainly wasn't going to do any harm because her membranes are still intact, and essentially we're trying to keep her calm, hydrated, and not jumping up to try to chase after her toddler. They're still real contractions but irregular and her cervix isn't ripe (yay for keeping Nathan in the oven until he's ready). I have to remind her that's why I'm here, to chase a toddler and otherwise be her legs, but I think nesting is also making her restless.

It looks like Entergy has a program that will help with $200 of the electric, leaving $85 left if their local LIHEAP coordinating agency is out of funds. So if this fundraiser can hit goal, they will be set for all of their July bills, and with me here we'll have all the bills between myself and Eric from August on.

Thank you all so much. Your support, love, thoughts, prayers, shares, and donations have helped more than I can really describe.

Crystal/Moriah