In Honor of Amelia

Most of you who know me well know that I am not generally someone who speaks out in support of a particular cause but in honor of my daughter, I feel it is important to share with you a special upcoming date.  November is recognized as National Prematurity Awareness Month and more specifically, November 17th is Prematurity Awareness Day.

You all know our story.  We joked for months that Amelia would be born on the 4th but what we did not anticipate is that she would be born on the 4th of May instead of the 4th of July.  As I read more information, I find that our story is not as unique as we would like to think.  According to the March of Dimes, 1 in 8 babies is born prematurely making it the leading cause of death among infants.  As I think back over the past few years, I begin to realize that I can list more premature babies among family and friends than full term babies.

Although a premature birth can be very sudden, there are several people and organizations researching ways to prevent and assist babies that are born too soon.  The most well known is the March of Dimes (www.marchofdimes.com)  but there are several others as well.  One that is especially close to our hearts is Children's Hospital of Minneapolis (www.childrensmn.org) where Amelia received the most excellent care a parent could wish for. Award-winning neonatologists, parent support, and an amazing nursing staff are just the beginning of what has made our journey a successful one.  I would like to encourage you to take a moment to read about how some of these organizations are helping families like ours and their efforts to prevent prematurity.

If after reading, you are compelled to do more, there are several ways to get involved.  Aside from financial donations, you can also volunteer your time to educating others.  For those in the Twin Cities area, Woolley's Steakhouse, Cork's Irish Pub, and Chez Daniel are donating their proceeds from select desserts to Children's Hospitals.  Borders is also accepting new book donations to be used by patients at Children's.  (Amelia suggests Love You Forever because it is the first story she was read!) And starting today, 77kids by American Eagle will begin their Wish4Snow benefit which will allow you to create a virtual snowflake at www.77kids.com If 100,000 snowflakes are created, American Eagle will donate $25,000 to 8 Children's Hospitals around the country, including the one in Minneapolis.

If you have stuck with me this far, thank you.  Just by reading this you have helped to increase awareness about prematurity and become a part of the solution.

Best regards,
Becca

The Hero Beside Me

While very few of my coworkers noticed these past two days, my outfits have featured one of the most special accessories in my collection.  As much as I love jewelry, I rarely take the time in the morning to find the right pieces to compliment my outfit.  Yesterday and today there was little to no thinking required. 

After our first fight as a couple, my husband gave me a set of his dog tags as a symbol of his committment to me.  It wasn't something sparkly, no diamonds, no gold.  A simple set of military tags on a standard ball chain.  A few weeks later we went to a local street fair and found a simple necklace with a red, white, and blue crystal pendant.  It was being sold by Blue Star mothers and the money would go to their family support group.  It was the perfect way to give back and make my dog tags even more special.

To most, it is a silly necklace that really doesn't go with any outfit in my closet.  To me, it is a symbol of my husband's bond not only to the military or our country, but to me as well.  The Marines and Army made him the man I fell in love with.  It is where he found strength, courage, self-confidence, friendship, and trust.  To say I have had a similar impact is humbling to say the least.   

As I go to bed this Veteran's Day, I can't help but to think about all of the things he saw and experienced in his 12 years as a soldier.  The actions you and I may never know about that kept so many people safe.  The willingness to do more if needed. Soon he'll be home and lying in bed with his arms around me.  At that moment in time I know there is no safer place in the world than right here.