March of Dimes Walk

Last Sunday we participated in the March of Dimes Walk. We had a small team from work and raised a little over $1000. Currently the March of Dimes is working to prevent prematurity and prevent birth defects. It was such a festive atmosphere and there were many parents and babies there plus ways to honor those babies that are no longer with us.

It was exciting to see so many people supporting a cause.

This was our little team from work ~ next year it better be bigger!

We walked, and walkedand some people ate ~ actually she walked a good mile too...

After 5 short miles we were finally finished :)

Check out the March of Dimes web site to see what all of the excitement is about and support their efforts in attempting to create healthy, safe pregnancies and and prevent preterm births.

Track Meet

Our real reason to go to Santa Barbara this past weekend was because Biola's track team was participating in the GSAC track and field championships that were held at Westmont College. Erika is not running this season ~ she is 'red-shirting' due to an injury earlier this year. I miss watching her but we have also come to love so many of the kids on the team...so going and supporting them is a no-brainer. Biola's team had some great performances. The weather was beautiful, the races were exciting and I enjoyed catching up with some of the athletes. And yes - Katy, we saw Abendigo again :)

The best little cheerleader - GO BIOLA!

Erika's event - the steeplechase. Her friend Kelsey (the blond) won

Lily loved all of the jumping events

Connie

Michelle took all of the event photos. She likes photography and I think she is darn good photographer. She even got an official pass so that she could be out on the track.

Fun in the sun - can you tell how much Lily loves her Auntie Shel??

Models in the sun

Erika and Connie caught up in the spirit of the event

The whole team

Love that her team prays together. They support each other and are a great group of friends. It is a pleasure knowing all of them.

The best, red hat wearing, motherly cheer squad out there!!

Whirlwind

This past weekend was a whirlwind of activites...starting with a little girls trip up the coast to Santa Barbara. Michelle, Lily and I spent the weekend together ~ introducing Lily to a little

adventure. We were really going to a track meet at Westmont but had other fun too.

Michelle did all of the driving...which was quite nice I must admit! We went to the meet all day Friday and Saturday, drove home Saturday evening, got up early Sunday am for the March of Dimes walk then Buzz and I drove all the way out to Apple Valley to attend a friends delivery. It was crazy fun, and I was exhausted by the end of the weekend. But then again ~ I'd probably get bored if my plate weren't full.

Speaking of full plate...here is what dinner looked like Friday night...

yummy crab dinner on the end of the Santa Barbara pier...but someone wasn't quite sure that funny looking thing was really something one would eat. I on the other hand found it quite yummy.The view was so nice and Lily enjoyed seeing the dolphins and seals and she wanted to pet a pelican that was standing on the pier waiting for a handout. But, alas, I wouldn't let her get too close!

You can't go to Santa Barbara without visiting a really old Mission

Michelle and Lily on the steps of the mission

Wish I had caught the picture when she actually kissed this

statue...she wouldn't reenact it for me but she

did think that it was pretty.

Lily thought that staying in a hotel was so very fun

Then it was time to hit the hay.

I will blog on the rest of the weekend later. Just thought I'd get it started tonight. Now it is back

to real life and homework that needs to be done!! I think I prefer traveling, adventure and sleeping in a hotel!

March of Dimes Walk for Babies

This coming Sunday, my daughter Michelle and I are participating in the March of Dimes Walk for Babies. We want to raise awareness and financial resources for the care of preterm and ill infants.

Why? Why get up early on a Sunday morning to fight the crowds of people? Why walk 3 miles when we are out of shape? Why ask for donations? Why get involved at all?

Because:

1 in 9 babies in California is born premature each year.

Between 1996 & 2006, the rate of infants born premature in California increased by 8%.

739 babies are born with low birth rates each year (less than 2500 gms or 5 1/2 lbs).

Every 4 1/2 minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in the U.S.

In California~birth defects account for about 1 in 4 infant deaths.

Because we care.

We would love for you to join us on the walk. It starts at 8 am at Fashion Island in Newport Beach or you can donate to our cause here or here.

Because babies need us...

Pregnant with a child who may die

There are two books that I have been wanting to read...in the hopes that I might glean a better understanding of what it must be like to be carrying a child that you know is going to die.

I have been involved with the perinatal bereavement program at St Joseph's for many years as a 'grief specialist' and also have been involved with our perinatal hospice program since it's inception 5 years ago. Last year~I started working with the program on the outpatient side ~ going in to homes and helping families get ready for the special birth. Yet, I often feel so inadequate. I have a heart for these families, but do I really understand what they are going through?

That is why I wanted to read these two books.

The first is a book titled, "Waiting with Gabriel" by Amy Kuebelbeck. I finished this book yesterday. Amy and her husband found out that their little boy, Gabriel had a severe heart defect called, hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Basically, the left side of the heart does not develop and the heart cannot pump blood to the body after the baby is born. Technology in health care is such that there are surgeries out there...but they are not a sure fix and the child is always a sick child. They chose to provide comfort care and not to put their child through painful procedures they may not work anyways. She does a good job explaining this in her book.

Instead~they chose comfort care and allowed their son to be born and live surrounded by love prior to his natural passing.

In an effort to help other parents and to honor their son she went on to start a web site on perinatal hospices. Our program can be found on this site and it is a clearinghouse of sorts for information for parents as well as health care workers.

The second book that I am wanting to start just arrived this week in the mail. It comes out officially May 1st, but I had pre-ordered mine on amazon. It is called, "I will Carry You" by Angie Smith. I have read her blog for sometime now and have been looking forward to her book. She and her husband were told that their little girl, Audrey Caroline, had a problem I believe, called Multicystic Kidney Disease. This is a problem where the kidneys do not make urine (which is the bag of waters) and then the lungs do not develop for they need the bag of waters to develop. When the lungs don't develop the baby cannot breathe once it is born. Along with her husband, Todd Smith (lead singer for the Christian group Selah) they went on to carry and love their little girl as she lived for 2 1/2 hours.

I am anxious to see what she has to say, especially since many of our parents have babies with this same diagnosis. You can hear the song that Selah released playing on my playlist too~what a wonderful way to honor and remember a little girl whose life was too short.

Angie is currently expecting another baby. You can read all about that on her blog.

Hoping that I will become a better nurse through reading about both of these women's experiences...

Wordless Wednesday

What's New?

How often we are asked, "What's new with you?" and the most common reply is...'nothing, same ole, same ole"....well, I have something new...they are my new contacts....because my 40+ eyes no longer see like they used to.

It started about 2 years ago, when I found I couldn't read the newspaper anymore...then I needed reading glasses to read a book (and I love to read~so that was important to me).

Then about a year ago I noticed that I was unable to read the patient's ID band anymore...but it was all good~just slip on a pair of cute glasses and all problems were solved.

Well, within the last few months it has gotten to the point that I can't read much at all...so the glasses go on for things like checking a baby ID band, or writing out a delivery time, or seeing the fetal heart rate on the computer screen. Sounds like an easy fix....just keep the glasses handy in our pocket, Right??

No - not so easy. I find that I put them on to fill out a baby band, but then look up to take care of my patient or get something for a doctor in a C/Section and I can't see across the room or I get a little dizzy. My long distance vision is good. So the glasses go on/off, on/off, on/off and it drives me crazy!!!

So this past week I got my first pair of contacts. I need a bit of a modification in them...but it is better and I'll a least be able to do a delivery without going insane :)

For Alice

I had a conversation recently with a good friend...it went something like this...

"I keep clicking on your blog....only to find that you haven't posted since June"~Alice

"I know, I sort of quit blogging"~Me

"But why? I always like reading what you have to say and miss it"~Alice

"Well, someone got offended by what I said. I try to be honest and transparent in my blog and talk about what I feel or what I want to blog about but apparently some people didn't like that"~Me

"I like your blog...and if someone gets offended, they don't need to read it"~Alice

"Yeah you are probably right...I'll think about it"~Me

So Alice...I'm going to attempt to get back in to the blogging world....just for YOU!!

You, Alice are a true friend and I am so blessed to know you. I have learned so much from watching how you live your life and raise your children. I am lucky to know you.

I promise to try and post more frequently ~ just for you Alice....in between working two jobs, loving 3 children and a granddaughter, attempting to keep my home in order, and striving for straight A's in school.

And for those of you who don't like what I have to say...guess you don't have to read my blog...