We're Saving Babies

It's been awhile since I've written and we have done so many fun things in the last two weeks that I'll have to catch up on. But I've also been spending most of my "free time" fundraising for the March of Dimes which is a charity that hits home for me. Our walk is in 8 days and I'm so close to my fundraising goal of $1,000.

My daughter was unexpectedly born 5 weeks early and we are one of 40% of preterm births with no known cause, no answer to the question, "Why did this happen?" Her story, her struggle, her battle was fought 6 1/2 years ago but each year we reflect and we share our story so that those going through the same bittersweet experience can feel some comfort in knowing that they are not alone and that someone gets it.

When my daughter was born 5 weeks too soon I was so angry, so sad, so embarrassed, and felt so guilty. I felt helpless for her. I also felt so alone like no one understood what were going through. Then the hands of The March of Dimes foundation touched my heart and gave me guidance. I found all the tools I needed to not only properly take care of my preemie and know what challenges to expect as she grows but I also found a network of families sharing their stories that were so similar to ours. It helped me heal. So I decided to put on my sneakers and to walk.

I created our Family Team for the March of Dimes March for Babies in 2006 because I felt I needed to do something after our NICU stay with my daughter. When we completed our first walk with Ava at 9 months old I still hadn't made sense of everything that had happened and she still hadn't made a 100% recovery yet. But walking that year and being with the other NICU families helped get my emotions in check.

We continue to walk each year to give thanks for the chance Ava was given and to give hope for all the babies to come. The March of Dimes also touches every family everywhere, even those whose babies were born healthy. And for that we give thanks. Every dollar we raise, every step we take, we are making progress.

 My daughter lost 5 weeks so we walk 5 miles in honor of the battle she fought to find health but we walk for all babies everywhere. Please support Team Ava Marie on our mission to save babies!

A 24-hour Refresher

It's been a while and we've been busy. My daughter has been on spring break this week so we've been on the move! I also never posted my Day 31 of the blog challenge. I kind of skipped that post on purpose. I hate endings. I try not to acknowledge them. So I didn't because I didn't want the challenge to come to an end!

One thing that has finally come to an end that I'm very happy about though has been this much too long winter. Winter came exactly one week after Hurricane Sandy hit us. We had our first winter snow and became gripped by winter's relentless cold fist during the first week of November and it hasn't let go until this weekend. We have had snow and grey for far too long this year it was hard not to feel affected by it. Lots of Vitamin D kept me as perky as I could be during the long winter.

A few hours ago I returned from a quick overnight trip out in Lancaster, PA. It's a favorite clear my head spot of mine as it's so rural with big open spaces and narrow winding roads. The simple Amish life dotting the landscape is very grounding as well. After a long few weeks at work I finally feel refreshed.

My daughter and I perused one of the local villages in Intercourse, PA this afternoon and stocked up on her favorite Jams and preserves at the local canning and jarring company. I'm excited to try their new Blueberry Pomegranate jam. Afterward we popped into a local Art Gallery where Ava fell in love with a few landscapes. She couldn't understand how someone could paint so well that it would look just like a picture. She's really enamored with modern art so the realist paintings were very new to her. But she appreciated them. One such painting she was in awe of was an original Andrew Wyeth.

It pleased me that she dragged me into the gallery and she led through it and started conversations with me about the art. Many trips to the art museums of New York have really had their impact on her which makes me smile. Their collection was mostly local but still much to appreciate.