Ramblings

Both boys got their blood reports back yesterday and they are "stable." Braden went down from 10.3 to 9.0; and Brock went from 9.3 to 9.6. I am not really sure what this means. I was hoping both would be around 11 or 12. Hopefully we are not going back down. I guess this is why we have them checked weekly. Thank you God for modern day medicine.

You would not BELIEVE the amount of mail we receive EVERYDAY from these doctor/hospital visits! We have a stack of papers about two inches thick explaining our benefits, or bills from each "encounter." You would think these guys were ninety and had been suffering from a slow, debilitating illness for years instead of just nine weeks old and something relatively minor. I truly think a small forest will die before this is all over. We have received paperwork for our paperwork. Why can't insurance companies and doctors' offices just use email? I opened the mailbox one day to find a large manila envelope from our insurance company with a thick stack of EOBs in it. I thought, "Finally! They figured out how to send them all together!" But, alas, no. The mail yesterday had two separate envelopes from them. Again. Good grief.

Poor Brock and Braden. They have had their blood checked so many times they barely even cry anymore when they get stuck. They have had it done more times in the last nine weeks than Sydney has in over three years. She has been stuck around six or seven times in her life, not counting shots. The poor little brothers passed that number when they were in the NICU. Since then they have both had blood drawn around ten more times, with multiple sticks at some of the draws. These poor little boys! And the end is still not in sight for them! This has just made me realize what the poor little kids that get cancer must go through. Why do children have to suffer, God? This world is not my home...

Team Brothers

In the past, we have participated in the March for Babies. Friends of ours had a little girl, Amberly, who was born premature and lived for three weeks and they created a team that we have raised money for and walked for every April. 

This year, we are forming our own team, Team Brothers, for our precious little miracle babies. I would like to invite anyone who reads this blog to participate in the walk with us this April. We will be raising money for the March of Dimes and if you would like to donate money, I will try to figure out a way to link you with their website through my blog. This is an organization that has been near and dear to me for many years as an observer; I simply never thought I would be a recipient of their good works. I did not know very much about the past of the March of Dimes until recently. 

This organization started in 1939 to find a vaccine for polio. And since then, they are responsible for almost everything related to prenatal and newborn care. 

They are the ones that developed the PKU test that every baby has to prevent some forms of mental retardation. 

They are the ones whose research led to discovering that alcohol consumption during pregnancy leads to birth defects. 

They are the ones that led the campaign for the creation of Neonatal Intensive Care Units. And I thank God every day that they did. 

They are the ones that launched a campaign in 1994 urging women to take folic acid during pregnancy to prevent birth defects. 

They helped secure passage for the CHIP program which provides healthcare for underprivileged children. 

They help provide prenatal care for women in third world countries. 

And they have provided funding for so many, many others working to eradicate premature births, genetic birth defects, mental retardation and so much more. This organization has touched everyone who reads this blog in some way. Some a lot deeper than others. If you want to know more about these amazing people who are helping babies, please check out their website

http://www.marchofdimes.com/home.asp

The March for Babies in Amarillo takes place on Saturday, April 25 in Thompson Park at 10 am. I would love for everyone that has been touched by The Brothers' story to join us if they are able. I will have t-shirts made up for Team Brothers and if you let me know your size, I will make one for you. If you live out of town and still want to help, let me know and I will figure out a way for you to help. I am planning on making this an annual event for our family and would love to have you and your family join us.