Time to March!

Ok Friends and Family - here's your mission should you choose to accept it:

March for Babies!!!

Everyone has always been so generous to donate to this cause. And yes, at the end of the day, raising funds is the goal of this event.

But.....

This walk means so much more to me. There is something so amazing about being there surrounded by all these people that were either touched by prematurity or just want to support those that have. You look around and see the other family teams and the stats on the back of their shirts and you feel a connection that you know what they've been through.

Gavin and Sam are great. They are happy, and healthy, and smart and active. There are no obvious effects of prematurity. But I don't ever want to forget how this all started.

I want to remember how hard we fought.

I want to remember:
3 surgeries (2 for me, 1 for Gavin)
5 weeks of bed rest at home
21 days of hospital bed rest
99 days in the NICU

I want to remember the day I was in the bathroom of our NICU room sobbing to my mom that I thought Gavin might not make it while nurses and Dr's and respiratory therapists worked on him.

I want to remember how good it felt just to hold my tiny baby and feel his little chest rising and falling against mine. There are so many tough memories in the NICU, but there are many moments that are so amazing as well. Changing diapers and finally feeling like a "mom", seeing reductions in the number of IV's and medications over time, babies waking up hungry in time for a feed, the first full bottle that Sam sucked down. All the little things that people would never think of, that are incredible victories in the NICU.

I don't ever want to take what we have for granted. I want to celebrate their lives and that the work of the March of Dimes has played such a huge role in where they are today.

Please join us for the walk on Saturday, May 7th! This year it is taking place at the Aviva headquarters in West Des Moines. The walk is ~ 2.5 miles and starts at 9:30. After the walk there is food and fun activities for the kids.

And now for the bribes.....if you walk, I will have a custom shirt made just for you!

Click here to go to the team dashboard and join the team.
Click here if you are unable to walk, but would like to donate.