march for babies

If you've been reading this blog since Ryann was born, you might know or remember that I was induced at 38 weeks because of pre-eclampsia.  Thankfully both Ryann and I came out of it all just fine.  And she was full term.

oh what a cute wee little baby she was :o)

But I easily could have developed pre-e earlier on in the pregnancy.  I began showing symptoms around 26 weeks.  I'm lucky that my body was able to support the pregnancy as long as it did.  Some women aren't so lucky, and every day thousands of babies are born premature.  I am going to participate in the March for Babies walk to try and do something to help.

I decided to participate in this walk for a two reasons.  The first:  taking care of a newborn is a daunting task, I can't even fathom all of the stress and anxiety that comes with a preemie, and especially one that has to spend a long time in the NICU.  March of Dimes raises money to bring comfort to those families with preemies in the NICU, as well as funding for research to prevent preterm babies.

My second reason is a bit more personal.  Even though my doctor told me it wasn't my fault that I had to be induced, I can't help but wonder if the situation would have been different had I cared a bit more about my health.  What if I had tried to do more light exercise throughout the pregnancy?  What if I had eaten healthier?  What if I had just taken better care of myself in general?  I know it may not have changed anything, but I decided the next time I am pregnant (which isn't now, just so you know) I don't want to have those questions.  And over the last seven weeks I have been working towards a healthier me.  So it seemed fitting for me to participate in this four mile walk (My team name is GetFit, I'm getting fit for babies!).  To help myself, and to help the babies who need it.  We may never personally deal with a premature birth, but I really feel supporting the cause is important.

My goal is for my team to raise $200.  That isn't a lot, but I've never really tried to raise money for something on my own, and let's face it.  Every dollar helps.  I went back and forth about even posting this, because I feel uncomfortable asking for help towards this goal, but this money doesn't support me, it is supporting the March of Dimes and all of those teeny tiny babies who need so much help.  If you would like to support the March of Dimes, and help my team meet our $200 goal, go here.  You will find a donate button on the right of the page.

There are 303 followers of this blog.  If every one of you donated $1, I would kick my goal's butt.  I'm just saying.  :o)  Oh, and did I mention the walk is on my birthday (April 29th)?  Helping me meet my goal would be a great birthday present right?

Ok, I'll try not to bug you anymore (well, too much) about it.  I don't like being pushy.

To round out my McFatty Monday post, I'll leave you with my numbers.  This week I only lost half a pound.  My total lost is now 12.8 pounds.  It was a tough week... I'm getting a little burnt out on running.  And for the first time I actually let myself indulge in a meal, or rather, Saturday we had friends over and I ate chips and guacamole and had a couple margaritas.  That was hard for me, knowing that it would most likely reflect on my weight loss this week (Friday I was at 14 pounds down).  But I would be an unhappy person if I never let myself enjoy the things I love once and a while.  Plus, I'm still losing right?  Not to mention I still met my goal of being down 10 pounds by April 16th.  I am still moving in the right direction.  Still taking better care of myself and my body.  That is what matters.     

Linking up with Heir to Blair!