March for Babies 2011 and other ramblings...

Today is January 13, 2011. 8 days ago, I started up our March for Babies team for 2011. This year, instead of being just Angel Kylie's Hope, we are Angel Kylie's Hope and Gavin's Miracle. This year, we walk for two beautiful babies: one earthly angel (Gavin) and one heavenly angel (Kylie). It is an honor to be working on this project with my best friend, who unfortunately had to walk the path of NICU and uncertainty, but it is still a special thing to be able to share with her. It gives us such an understanding of one another.

This year, we have so many fundraisers planned. We will be putting out collection bins at local businesses again, which will be great for a few hundred dollars! We also will have our Thirty-One party again. We will be adding new fundraisers: possibly a Pizza Inn night, a carnival, car washes, etc. I am really hopeful that things will work out to exceed our goal of $8,000 this year. =)

Along with another lady, I am co-head of Family teams for our city's walk, so that is a huge undertaking on its own. We are working on the Family team captain kick-off, and the Marriott will be working with us on that one. =) I am thrilled beyond words about this opportunity to reach out to family teams and to help them with their goals.

Today, 93 days left until the walk, we have 26 walkers and $580!!! I know we can pass our goal...

RTS was cancelled tonight, so I am desperate for my RTS buddies to talk to! I hate that we can't meet-- we haven't met since early December, and so much has happened since then.

Today, I did something I have been putting off for a year; I finally wrote the letter to my OB from when I was pregnant with Kylie. So many things that have gone unspoken to him came pouring out in my letter, which I feel is very mild and calm compared to how I would have written it a year ago. IT was very freeing to type the words on the screen and get those feelings out of my head and off my chest; it was something that I concentrated on so much that I did not cry or get upset. Amazingly, I made it just fine through the letter. Now, I need to print it and send it. I think it is important that I do this because I have been harboring blame and anger towards him for this entire 15 months, and it is not healthy for me to do that. It is not fair to me or to him, and if sending that letter ends up helping someone else receive better care in the future, then that is the whole point.

I am jumping back into coupons, and I am planning so much for the next few months to keep busy. It's so important to stay busy and to stay focused, and I wouldn't have my life any other way right now. Saturday, friends are coming over to work on memory boxes for the NICU, and next Saturday, I'm teaching a coupon class!

And in two days, I'll be celebrating Kylie's 15 month angelversary... it's so hard to believe that we are fastly approaching 1 1/2 years... and then before we know it, it will be 2 years since we held her for the first and last time. I'm not sure I'm ready for that...

Here is the link to our team page: http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/t1467769 .