Help us to say thanks

Little ones deserve the best.

We saw that firsthand in the NICU but also already knew it in our hearts. We are so grateful for all of the good medical care Jossie received at the hospital last year as a preemie born at 33 weeks. Jossie′s good health today is the perfect example of how far a preterm baby can go with proper care. Quite honestly, we have erased "preemie" from our everyday lexicon at this point, for which we're grateful.

Please join us in saying thanks by supporting the March of Dimes so that their advocacy, education and research can positively impact the lives of tomorrow′s children and their families.  On April 29, our family and friends will be participating in the Chicago March of Dimes walk. Here are two ways you can join us:

1. Walk with us. To sign up, visit our team page. There is no registration fee, and you can sign up your entire family with one log-in name. Set your goal, which will feed into our overall goal of raising $1,000. Bring your kids and let's show them what it's like to be a part of something bigger than us.

2. Support us. Click on the March of Dimes link on the right side of this page and donate to Jack and Jossie's fund. Their personal goal is $500 toward the overall goal of $1,000. As a fundraiser by profession, I know what sells. And cute kids sell.

Thank you for helping us give all babies a healthy start!

The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

My firstborn

Jack likes to sleep in our bed. If I'm among mixed crowds, I pretend like that it's actually part of our approach to parenting, and I throw around words like "family bed" and "co-sleeping." Working at a conservation organization helps with my street cred.

Jeremy and I will often wake up with Jack kicking one of us, Roscoe the cat sleeping soundly between my legs and Jossie tucked in the crook of my arm. If it's a Saturday or Sunday morning, I do enjoy having them all heaped atop of us. These days aren't going to last forever, and I'm relishing it.

But that said, I would really just like a good night's rest as a working mama. And that typically involves avoiding having bony little kids - who repeatedly kick - out of your bed.

So we started our campaign for Jack to sleep in his own bed this month. Every night he sticks to his own bed, we reward him in the morning with a sticker on the calendar. There was one day when he did come in sort-of early but he declared he was just popping in to "check on us" before headed back to bed, so we let it slide.

After accumulating the requisite number of stickers, Jack was awarded with a trip to the Lego store last week, that lucky boy. We picked out a new toy and he promptly put it together with our help that night. (If anyone has tips on what the heck we're actually supposed to do with these assembled Lego creations once they're built, please do let me know.)

And now we're starting to slide back into our old ways. The last two nights, I've woken up to Jack snuggling in beside me.

I talked with Jack about it this morning - we were all exhausted. Both kids had been up all night at differing intervals. Remember me waxing poetry about my friends' newborn yesterday? I love newborns - but not their nightlife. I told Jack I was taking drastic measures - if he got in our bed again, he'd get a black X on the calendar, rather than a sticker.

Jack can do your good, old-fashioned WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH freak-out when he doesn't like what he hears but he can also do the wet-eyes, sad puppy-dog look, which he did this morning after I made my declaration.

"No, Mommy. No X's," he said tearfully. "I want lots of check marks and stickers instead."

Is he a firstborn or what?

Happy Friday!

Smitten

Two of our dearest friends had their first child yesterday. And I took advantage of the lunch hour today to visit with them. Carrying a box of six cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery and a handmade "welcome to the world, baby" card from Jack, I entered their hospital room to meet our new friend, a beautiful baby boy with round cheeks. He was wrapped up tightly in his hospital blanket, a blue hat covering his head. I had the opportunity to hold him, and he was looking around, so alert and aware. His mama looked on proudly - she was glowing and calm - a lot better than I ever was post-birth!

The new father served some Perrier-Jouet in styrofoam cups, and we toasted to new life. A toast that has followed a long line of toasts in our friendship...weddings, new homes, new babies, New Year's Eve, and a warm Sunday with nothing to do besides sit on a patio chair and drink some Riesling, to name a few.

Life is so often about routine, lots of work and a long list of have-to's. Then you have a moment like this. It is such an honor and joy to have space to stop and marvel at the beauty of new life and relish the goodness of long friendships.

I had a lot of triggers being at the hospital - the same woman at the front desk in the lobby who was there last year when I was there with Jossie, a stack of "NICU mom" tags within view. Smells and sounds that put me in the place of last year. But overall, I was okay and that's nice to say.

It was a golden day outside - sunny and warm. My own children at home with Maria, having their lunches and settling down for afternoon naps.

Life is not perfect but we are all allowed some perfect life moments.