march of dimes...

so for the month of november, i've decided to donate a portion of the profits from my store to the march of dimes. the march of dimes does much to raise awareness and support research to help end death from premature births. after losing my son reece, i was fortunate to discover the cause... a rare autoimmune disorder that causes my blood to clot during pregnancy. without medical assistance, reece couldn't make it past the 26th week of pregnancy. with my second son, jack henry i was able to take blood thinners and use prenatal testing to help me have a healthier pregnancy and happy outcome. with my third child, sidney, unfortunately , my condition caused preeclampsia. as a result of this, sidney was born 7 weeks early. she spent several weeks in the hospital hooked up to machines and just learning how to live outside the womb. after finally coming home, she contracted rsv and had to go back into the hospital. this was a very difficult time but we are so lucky to have had wonderful hospitals and doctors to care for her. she is now a very healthy and strong (nearly!) 3 year old. all my children are such blessings... and after seeing so many parents going through the trauma of having a premature baby, some much less fortunate than us, i want to try to do something to give back. this is only a little step but that is how every great journey must start. i will let you know more details coming soon.

i just want to add, that i think pregnancy is a normal and beautiful part of life. i am a huge advocate for allowing pregnancy and childbirth to be as natural and intervention free as possible. although my intention when i had children was to have as natural a birth as possible, this wasn't an option for me. i was frustrated that everything had to become so medicalized- i longed to find some kind of healthy in between. i came the closest to what i wanted with jack henry's birth.. and i'm grateful that i could experience a more natural, and completely drug free birth. it was a beautiful experience. i am proud of all threee of my birth's, though, and learned from them that i have courage and strength i never knew was there.

i've also had to learn that in life we have to let go of our expectations many times, and work with what we have. i've really had to learn to adapt and do the best i can with what i am given because nothing ever turns out exactly like we expect it to! i'm so thankful for my children and i want to help others experience the joy i have been given.