Thank you!!

Thank you to everyone who sponsored me in today's March for Babies, benefitting the March of Dimes. Thanks to you, I raised nearly $300 -- well over my goal of $250!! More importantly, we helped a very worthy organization fund their very worthy mission, to ensure that all babies are born healthy and on time.

At the last minute, I convinced Bobby and Maggie to walk with me, and we had a great time. The weather was gorgeous, the friendship and conversation was good, and it was neat seeing all the people pushing strollers -- it was a very kid-friendly walk. We walked in memory of my friend Kirstie's 25-weeker Toby, who lived for eight days and whose loss is still felt by Kirstie and her husband. We also walked in honor of Maggie, born at 36 weeks, and we were joined on our walk by playgroup friends Kate and Lydia, twins born at 32 weeks. Seeing how many people have been affected by prematurity -- and hearing the success stories -- made us appreciate even more the March of Dimes' work to give all babies a healthy start.

As many of you know, Maggie's 36-week gestation made her (technically speaking anyway) a preemie. We'd had an amnio at 35 weeks to check her lung maturity, and I had a planned induction right at 36 wks (for health reasons). Because of this early delivery date, we had to have NICU reps present in the delivery room, and she had to undergo more post-delivery tests than a full-term infant. This made things a little nerve-wracking for us at times, but we were so fortunate that Maggie was 100% healthy (and continues to be). So many babies aren't as lucky.

Thanks again, everyone! I really appreciate your contributions!