March for Babies

I know that I have sort of let my wife take over this site, but we had a pretty meaningful day here at home which I thought I should post about.

Erika, as you have read, is on the West Coast soaking up the sun in California. So, unfortunately, she was unable to walk with us in in our annual March for Babies.

Every year our family takes part in this wonderful cause for the March of Dimes, which is an organization that helps with premature births and birth defects. We have been taking part now for about five years - mostly due to the fact that my cousin, Ashleigh, and Erika's cousin, Kaitlyn, were both born extremely early - and both are living amazingly healthy lives as we speak. March of Dimes deserves a lot of the credit for this with the help that they have been able to provide to families, as well as research to doctors to help raise the percentage of life after premature birth.

In 2006, we welcomed our first child, Kasey, into the world - and he came a little over two months early. He stayed in the NICU at Fletcher Allen in Burlington for a few weeks until he was able to move to CVPH for the remainder of his month's stay in the hospital for his transition stage so that he could come home. Two and a half years later we have a healthy and very active toddler running around our house - and we are truly blessed by the help and support the March of Dimes and all of the doctors and nurses were able to give our family, especially Kasey, during his time in the NICU.

So, despite already walking for this amazing organization, we have yet another reason to walk - our amazing son.

We raised a good amount of money again this year, and I want to thank everyone who donated you are great people, but I think we came a little short as to our overall goal - but in the end every cent you can raise is able to help out a family in need - and hopefully wipe out premature birth and birth defects in the very near future forever.

I got up to the OVAL in Plattsburgh very early on Sunday by my wife's orders and collected our t-shirts and tote bag which we were given thanks to our donations. Kasey and Nana (Erika's mother) met us there a little bit later, and Mark, Danielle and Jack also came out to walk with us and keep us company.

Saturday was an absolutley gorgeous day that appeared to almost reach the 90s, so it was only fitting that the walk the very next day would be about 40 degrees with a bit of a wind. Oh well! Once we started walking we began to warm up, and the walk was very nice. It was also nice to get to spend some time with the Brown family - we have all been living some pretty hectic lives as of late and have sort of been absent from each other. But, I hope that changes and we get to see them a little bit more often soon.

Despite the cold weather, the day was spectacular and it appears our small North Country group raised a ton of money for the March of Dimes - which is the main reason we were there. I am hoping and praying that our next child is born on or very near his/her due date, but it is always great to know that if something unexpected happens the March of Dimes will always be there to support us in any way we need them.

Thanks everyone.