Julie Carr of Motherly Way
The Shower Diva recently chatted with Julie Carr, author of Countdown to a Miracle: The Making of Me, a pregancy calendar written from the baby's point of view. This entrepreneurial wife and mom held her newborn son in one arm while typing the draft of her inspiring calendar with the other. Talk about the mother of invention!
During our chat, Julie spoke at length about how her first pregnancy was the muse that inspired her unique baby calendar and some insider's info on new projects she's got cooking now.
Here then, in her own words, is the scoop on how Julie followed her intuition and went from contemplative to creative. Welcome to The Shower Diva, Julie!
How is it different from other pregnancy books?
The first thing you'll notice is the format. It's a desktop calendar that has a built-in easel and each day you turn one page. Once you start reading it, you realize that it is different from other pregnancy books in its tone. The entire calendar is written from the baby's point of view, and is sweet and endearing. There isn't a lot of medical jargon and there is no talk of what can go wrong during the pregnancy. Each day, your baby describes his daily changes as he grows from conception to birth. There is also room for you to write short notes and thoughts each day.
What inspired you to create this calendar?
While I was pregnant with my first child, I was talking to my mother on the phone. We were talking about some of my pregnancy symptoms, what the labor would be like, and then she asked me what was happening with the baby. I realized then I had been focusing on myself much more than on what was actually happening with the baby. I told her someone should write a book that focuses only on the baby. After my son arrived, I did just that.
Did you use it with your own children?
Researching medical facts and writing a book is time consuming – especially with a newborn. I remember holding my son in one arm and typing with the other on many occasions! By the time the book was written and printed, I was pregnant again with my second son. I became my first customer and used the calendar every day.
Give us an example of a day from the calendar.
On Day 36 of the pregnancy, it says, "Today is the first day my heart begins to beat and pump blood. Hurray! This is my first organ to function!" There is also room to write your own notes, and you can see that you have 244 more days until your due date.
Is this only for the Mom-to-Be?
No! This is a great way to involve the Dad-to-Be and any older siblings during your pregnancy. I have heard from many families (including my own) where the dad was responsible for turning the page each day and finding out the 'daily fact'. It helps them to feel as though they are part of the process. Young children can also follow the progress of their new baby without getting hung up on medical jargon. Often times, the grandparent-to-be will keep a copy at their house to follow their grandbaby's development. I was pregnant at the same time that my sister was pregnant, and my mother had 2 copies of my calendar on her desk at work to follow each baby separately.
What special features does it have?
As I mentioned, it is designed to stand up on a desk or table for easy viewing. It also comes with stickers so you can record the first time you feel the baby kick and hiccup, when you had the ultrasound, upcoming appointments, etc. It also comes packaged in a plastic gift box to store your keepsake after the baby is born.
Do you have any plans for any more books?
Lots of projects are in the planning stages. Two children's books are being considered by a publisher at the moment. I am also working on a similar calendar for the older siblings – one of their own that they can follow along with mom's that will include daily information, activities, and even more stickers. I have also begun to work on a countdown of the first year; and will hopefully be able to translate "Countdown to a Miracle" into Spanish.
Where can our readers find one?
"Countdown to a Miracle: the Making of Me" can be found on BabyBingo.com, on my own website at uniquepregnancygifts.com, on Amazon.com, and in select baby and maternity stores. All major bookstores are able to special order them for you as well.
Julie Carr is the author of Countdown to a Miracle: The Making of Me and the owner of uniquepregnancygifts.com. She has been published in numerous parenting publications and has appeared on Good Day Oregon. She is an avid windsurfer and lives in Oregon with her husband and their own two little miracles. She can be reached at julie@motherlyway.com
Interested in more guest contributors stories? Check out our July 2007 featured guest!
