And We Marched

On Saturday, we got up at 5 am. We loaded into the car and headed into San Fr.ancisco over the bridge we would soon be walking to. We parked at Ft. Ma.son and waited with hundreds of people to begin, and we listened to their heartbreaking stories and admired their courage. As 9am grew nearer, we became more and more inspired, moved, and motivated to make a difference.

Saturday was the SF March for Babies, and Isaac and I were on team Marching for Monkeybutts in honor of D's preemie twins, Drew and Drey. It was a gorgeous, gorgeous morning and the weather was perfect. We got there pretty early so we had breakfast with some other walkers. Isaac was excited. And so was I. We wore our Monkeybutt shirts with pride, and I wore a purple headband for Maddie.

The walk was about 6.5 miles from Ft. Ma.son to the Gold.en Gate Bridge and back. It was beautiful. It took a bit of time, walking with 3 kids under 2 who wanted to walk by themselves and didn't understand the limitations. But we did the whole thing, from start to finish.

We did the whole thing to help prevent premature births and to help families with children born prematurely. We did the whole thing in memory of those babies who became angels too quickly, and to show support for their families. We did the whole thing in celebration for those babies who struggled in the early weeks but are now thriving.

Drew and Drey were born 9 weeks premature and spent 5 weeks in the NICU. My Isaac was born 3 weeks early, but we were blessed that he was born without any complications. It is heartbreaking to hear the stories from families who lost their babies, and I cried about 3 times before the March began.

I look at my beautiful son and feel so blessed. He is my heart and soul, and I would do anything to protect him. I will do this March every year to make sure every other mother can do the same.

The day was moving. I did more physical activity before noon than I usually do in a week. I love spending time with D and her boys. She inspires me in more ways than one, and more than she will ever know. We are blessed to have her presence in our lives. Isaac enjoyed the scenery and got his first real look at the towering bridge.

Our team raised over $3200 for March of Dimes. It's a beautiful cause and so many people supported us. A huge thank you and hug goes out to every single person who donated to our team! :)