Change Bandit!

Gillian's school is raising money for the VT Children's Hospital which is something that hits home for us. That is where Gillian was as a preemie and all her follow up care for the first 4 years of her life was done there. So I spread the word that we had a bandit and she collected change from everyone...$110 worth! I was so proud to have to drive Gillian to school so that she could hand in her change (she insisted she could take it on the bus but she struggled to hold the one jar in the picture).

Fundraiser

Anyone reading my blog saw last month that I had the lucky lotto number listed each day. That was for a fundraiser for the March for Babies that Team Gillian was doing for the upcoming walk in April. The team was able to sell 314 tickets which was good (had me a little nervous because 320 broke even) but the chances of a winner everyday weren't that great so my fingers were crossed that this worked in Team Gillian's favor. It did and we were able to raise $1,170 for the walk. Woohoo! This is the first year that it is February and I'm calm. Normally right up until all the money is handed in I'm stressing about how much we have raised. I never think enough is enough but this year my views are different.

I was recently told that by taking my daughters birth that had horrible circumstances around it and although she ended up okay by forming Team Gillian and giving back to the organization that helped us is taking a bad thing and making it good. I see that now. I felt that I owed the the March of Dimes for all their research that saved my daughters life. When you owe someone something, you put an extremely high expectation on paying them back. If you don't then you should. I don't owe them but I do realize they need my help. By spreading Gillian's story, I help them. I bring awareness to the research they have done and a complete success story that I'm lucky to witness everyday. I wish that all preemie parents had a story similar to ours and hopefully one day because of the March of Dimes that will be the case. But it will take Gillian's story and all the other stories out there to get there.

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 037

More congrats

So the blog that I follow that I mentioned on January 21, 2010 had their second daughter on January 22, 2010. See their beautiful baby here! Congrats to Heather and Mike!

Lucky lotto number for all the players out there - 986

Growing up

My little girl is becoming a little lady. This morning she informed Craig that he could delete Toot & Puddle and Oswald from the DVR because those were for little girls. That she needed more Scooby Doo and big girl shows. Because she is an only child she speaks like a little adult. It's rare that someone can't understand her (mainly during meltdowns) and having a conversation is like having one with anyone. It fascinates me how she has developed. It was like over night that she started talking and now I can't remember not being able to hear her talking.

Tonight I was getting her a yogurt drink, I asked her red or purple, she said purple. I warned her that it was the last purple and she pointed out to me that there was another box of yogurt drinks behind the open ones in the fridge. I explained that there was another box but it was red and green not purple. Her response, "I can deal with that." Serioulsy? She is almost 4 but still. I don't know any other children that talk like her.

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 605

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 795

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 214

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 634

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 658

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 255

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 982

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 518

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 812

Lucky lotto number for the players out there - 768

Team Gillian's Teams

Gillian was born in March which is prime March of Dimes time as their walks are held in April and May. Prior to Gillian being born I didn't really know anything about the March of Dimes...I had heard of it and donated money to them but never really looked at what they do or why they do it. I learned a lot while I was pregnant. Their site is where I found out the pregnancy I had only happens to 10% of pregnancies (how did I end up in that 10%?) Their site is where I went to to get information after Gillian was born, it is also where I went to find stories when I needed a pick me up and needed to know that everything would work out...The research that they do does change lives...it has changed my family's life. It gave us a child that had better chance of survival because of the work and research they have done.

So I did not walk in April 2006...it was just too overwhelming. So in 2007 I formed Team Gillian in honor of Gillian and to share Gillian's story and hoped to raise some money for the cause. The first year consisted of me, my parents, Craig's parents and Craig's sister...and of course baby Gillian. My hope was to raise $500 for the whole team....we did $1840 that year.






In 2008, we took it a step further and recruited a school club to help, more people came out, people that didn't have the money the year before donated that year. That year consisted of....me, Craig, my parents, Craig's parents, Craig's sister, my friend E, my friend D and her Mom, toddler Gillian and my neice E. Not pictured was the school club. My goal for the team was to raise what we had raised the year before...we did $3160.



In 2009, we took again a step further and added some new members. The team consisted of, me, Craig, my parents, Craig's parents, Craig's sister, Craig's sister's friend L, my friend D, my friend T and her daughter E, Craig's Mom's friend S and her son J and still toddler Gillian. My goal for the team was to raise what had been raised in 2007 due to an economic nightmare going on...we raised $3163.45.

I have already started fundraising for 2010 and have another amazing team forming. Currently we have...me, Craig, my parents, Craig's parents, Craig's sister, my older brother T and her wife E, my younger brother S and his GF A, my friend D and her husband B, Craig's brother-in-law, my friend L, my friend T, her daughter E and her parents and we aren't even into 2010 yet:) I am so thankful for the people that have been here through the years. So thankful that for the people that donate. Team Gillian wouldn't be a team without everyone who can't forget what we have been through for our little girl.

My goal again this year is to raise $1840...people probably will wonder why I would aim for an amount less than the last 2 years. My reasoning is first the economy is still terrible and second this amount would bring us above the $10,000 mark for what Team Gillian has raised since being started. It means a lot to me to get to that mark.

2010 is a big year for Team Gillian. We are sharing our story this year with all the walkers. As terrified as I am of speaking publically I feel that it is going to be an incredible experience. My daughter is the center of my world and sharing her amazing journey I think will help. She is proof that the March of Dimes/March for Babies is doing incredibile work.

Imagine

November 17 is dedicated to raising awareness of the crisis of premature birth. Here is my blog today in honor of being a preemie Mom....

Imagine being taken out of work 19 days after finding out you are pregnant because the doctors can't get your blood pressure under control.

Imagine finishing your first trimester and being told by your doctor that you will have a preemie just not sure how early.

Imagine finding out the sex of your baby and being thankful because you have read statistically preemie girls develop faster than boys.

Imagine being told by your doctor that getting to 34 weeks is great, 32 weeks is good, 30 weeks is okay and anything before you need to pray.

Imagine being told that your baby has an 85% of survival.

Imagine being told your baby won't cry when born.

Imagine hearing that baby cry and believing everything you have been told was wrong.

Imagine being scared to ask to hold your baby because mentally you can't handle the possibility of a no so you wait patiently 7 days for a nurse to offer the opportunity.

Imagine watching a machine help your baby survive everyday for 33 days because she can't breathe on her own.

Imagine every time your phone rang, your heart drops and you get choked up because it could be life or death.

Imagine having a baby but going home without one.

Imagine having to go back to work before your baby even gets out of the hospital.

Imagine having to plea with your baby that if she can hold on you will make all her dreams come true.

Imagine wanting to show off your proudest accomplishment and not being able to because her immune system could not handle it.

Imagine waiting till you reached your car for the tears to fall because your baby needs you to keep it together for them.

Imagine thinking that life will be normal once your baby is home to find out this was just the beginning of the journey.

Imagine having a micro preemie.

Can you imagine?

March for Babies

We have started our fundraising for the March of Dimes March for Babies. I normally wait until January 1st but then I’m going out of my mind from January until the last weekend in April. So this year I decided to fundraise November and December so that I can focus on the speech (I’m the local ambassador Mom) and enjoy the walk. I stress myself out. Craig tells me I shouldn’t be stressed about it because I’m doing everything possible but of course I have high expectations for myself. How much money is enough money to thank an organization for saving your child? I truly don’t believe she would be here without the care she received as a result of the research of the March of Dimes. I’m trying to be relaxed but who am I kidding…lol. This year we are doing a lottery. I figured this would be fun for everyone and raise a decent amount of money for the cause…my fingers are crossed that this works.