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Prematurity Awareness Day

11/17/2018

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1 in 9 babies are born too early, too young, and need support and medical help to have the best chance at life.

Most of the time, doctors are unable to determine WHY a baby is born early, and there are many organizations dedicating their efforts to try and change that. The March of Dimes is at the forefront of that mission and raises awareness and dollars every year to dedicate to prematurity research. They are dedicated to their mission of finding a day when ALL babies are born healthy! 


For families that do have a baby that is born too early, too small or too ill, and do need medical help to survive.... they face the reality of having to leave their baby in the hospital in a Neonatal Intensive care unit. Often this is a place that is foreign to new parents and they have no idea what to expect within the walls of that hospital unit. 

I remember the first time I walked into the NICU and I was overwhelmed. I can't even imagine what it would be like for a parent. {read about my experience here}

Parents often feel scared, isolated and fearful during their NICU journey and despite us knowing that 1 in 9 babies are in the same situation..... parents often feel very alone.  THAT NEEDS TO STOP!

Today, on World Premature Awareness Day, we join the hundreds of other organization trying to spread the word of prematurity so parents know they are far from alone and that there are so many people, and organizations out here, to help them through their journey!

Here is just a SMALL list of the ones we endorse and support that you should check out:  (click on names to link to their site)
  • babyfirst
  • ​Connected Forever
  • Courageous Steps
  • Grahams Foundation
  • GLO Preemies
  • Hand to Hold
  • It's a Preemie Thing
  • Jacquis Preemie Pride
  • Keep Em Cookin
  • Miracle at 28
  • National Perinatal Association
  • NICU Healing
  • NICU Helping Hands
  • NICU Families NW
  • Peek-a-boo ICU
  • Preemie Parent Alliance
  • Preemie World
  • Preemies Today
  • Project Sweet Peas
  • Speaking for Moms and Babies
  • Tangerine Owl Project
  • Tiny Miracles Foundation
  • Wills Way Foundation
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Feeling Thankful

11/11/2018

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Each year as the holiday season falls upon us, I find myself being very intentional about listing out the many things I am thankful for. In fact, I make it an annual tradition in our house to spend time each day sharing our daily thanks during the month of November and we each write out something we are grateful for each day on a leaf, and put it up on our "thankful tree" to share with the entire family.
I have loved this tradition over the years to see how my children's perspectives have matured over the years. When they were really young we would hear them be grateful for footballs and candy but now they are grateful for family, food, health and friends. It warms my heart as a parent to see them grow and more importantly, it makes me so happy to spend time each day being so intentional finding things that we have to be thankful for; because even when days are tough....... we realize there are so many blessings surrounding us! 

This year however, I am going to start a new tradition. I am hoping you all might join me. Rather than spending time thinking about what WE are thankful for, what if we spent time thinking about how we could make OTHERS thankful? Create a blessing in their day? In their life? 

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What if we all spent a few moments each morning, being intentional about finding a way to create a thankful moment for someone else? To create a moment in time that would cause another person to go home and be thankful for you, or your generosity that night when they reflected back on their blessings that day?  What kind of things would you do? And would you feel you would need them to know it was you, or would you do something anonymously? 

As I sit here and ask myself the same question, I will share with you some of the ideas that come to my mind:
  • When I stop in at the hospital cafe (as I do all too often), pay for the visitors purchase behind me
  • If I see someone sitting alone in the waiting room, approach them and ask them if I can get them anything; a cup of coffee, water, snack, or a few minutes of company
  • Skip a few days of driving through my favorite coffee shop and spend my latte money and make a donation to one of my favorite non-profits
  • Bake cookies with my kids and take them to our local Ronald McDonald House for families staying at the house
  • Purposefully make eye contact with strangers as I walk through the halls/down the street and smile at those that I can and say hello
  • Offer a compliment to anyone I can, in each interaction where the opportunity presents itself
  • Write personal cards to the parents in our local NICU with premature babies, and deliver them on Nov 17th (World Prematurity Awareness Day) reminding them they are not alone

I hope that you will share with us what ideas you come up with if you chose to join in on this idea.  Share here on our blog, share on our social media, share on YOUR social media! Let's help one another find ways to BE the blessing for others this holiday season. 
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