What is a Micropreemie?
A micropreemie or micro preemie is a baby that weighs less than 1000 grams, usually between 700-800 grams (1 3/4 pounds) and is born before 26 weeks of gestation. An average pregnancy is 40 weeks, with a weight of somewhere between 6 and 9 pounds.
Emily weighed 14.7 oz at birth or 417 grams. Pretty amazing, right? Help us help other micropreemies by donating to:

http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=1558524&ct=4&w=6355864&u=Meliwil

UPDATE

WOW! So happy & grateful to announce that I've raised $455.00 towards my $600.00 goal for the March of Dimes-March for Babies walk. Our "team" has raised $1965.00 so far THIS year! WOW!  We are really blessed to have such terrific friends & family who support our efforts for the March of Dimes. Thanks to everyone who donated.   We believe that if a lot of people can just give a little we'd reach our goal in no time! SO keep those $5 donations coming! As a "personal" incentive to our donors... everyone who donates to Team Emily CR213 will be entered into a drawing for a copy of Brian's book, A Life Begun-we'll pick 1 name from a hat & give that lucky person, an autographed copy of the book my husband wrote about Emily's first 6 months signed by both Brian & Emily! :)  Sounds pretty good, huh?  You get to donate to a "TERRIFIC" charity & get a chance to WIN a great BOOK! WIN WIN!

Here's the Link: http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=1558524&ct=4&w=6355864&u=Meliwil

The reason for, "A Life Begun"

When Brian decided to share our NICU experiences through a website he created when Emily was still in the hospital- It was basically to share Emily updates w/ our family/friends.... because it was easier than updating everyone independently. We had no idea at that time ---it would become a book called, A Life Begun.  As we were experiencing our "NICU" journey it became theraputic for both of us to share Emily's story. So Brian would write his journal/website almost every day.  It was how when it came time to write the actual book, he (we) could remember so much of what happened during that time.  We realized, after months of Emily being home & perhaps even before that, just how incredible it would be to share her story with others.  We had desperately searched for a hopeful story of a baby being born as small as Emily while we were at CHOP, & while we found some stories of #Micropreemies, we couldn't find one of a baby that weighed less than a pound (at that time) So we decided to share her story in a book, called, "A Life Begun"  in the hopes that if another parent searched they could find a story of a baby as small as theirs surviving & perhaps it would give them hope.    But its more than Emily's story we share... it's my mom's story as well.  Their lives are FOREVER connected because they were both fighting for their lives at the same time.  My mom Margaret had lived a fairly quiet life,  BUT to me & my siblings she meant everything.  A single mom (no dads in the picture helping) who worked tirelessly to provide for her 3 children & it was important that her story be shared as well.   To me having just lost her, almost just as important to share.  She only lived 51 years & it wasn't fair.  It was really important to me that people "know" who she was, to get to understand a small part of the person she was... & I'm so grateful to Brian for writing the book.  He wrote it for his own reasons as well, but I know that he knew how important it was to me.    I think Brian did a fantastic job,  I love the way he writes, (i know I'm biased) but he writes so honest & fearlessly....as I was just telling someone the other day... completely truthfully, The good, the bad & the ugly.   I couldn't be more proud of the finished book.   I just thought I'd let you all know why it was written & what we hoped from it.  It won't (probably) ever become a "best-seller" & that's ok.  We didn't write it to get rich*although it be nice if we could just break even w/ the cost of self publishing it! ;) I just wanted to share why Brian wrote it & why it's so important to us. Also, we will use any money (if we make any) from the sales of the book to help Emily with her college expenses, I think my mom would like that. She would like to, that we are using it to help us raise money for the March of Dimes:)  SO if you want to try & win a copy remember to DONATE to TEAM EMILY CR 213! Thanks Everyone!

My March for babies progress....

SO far I've raise $60 out of my $600.00 GOAL! Please help by supporting my family's March for babies team by donating to my page. THANK YOU!!

http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=1558524&ct=4&w=6355864&u=Meliwil&bt=15

Got my first donation (from me but... so what? it's still a start..lol)

Let's get this ball rolling.... Just made my own donation to the March of Dimes!  Would really appreciate your help to make my goal of $600.00 for March for babies. NO donation is too small! $5 from 20 people is BOOM $100.00~ Come on... the cost of a cup of coffee (or two) could really help :) Thank YOU!!!!!  Here's the link:


http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=1558524&ct=4&w=6355864&u=Meliwil&bt=20

& the winner is... Rob Lowe, the Oscar awards & not me!

So I've been slacking a bit on this blog so thought I would take a moment to share some of what's been going on in my life. First off,  I had a temp job at Bed, Bath & Beyond. It was only to get their new store stocked & lasted only two weeks.  I don't think I'll ever do that again, meaning a temporary job.   It was really physically hard work (which I actually like) BUT I wouldn't do it again because while they hired like 100 temporary workers,  they only needed like 5 permanent positions so needless to say I wasn't one... I tried my best, but with odds like that you can't really expect too much.  I think the biggest suck ups got the job.  I'm not a suck up... so while they were "sucking up" I was actually working!!  (No.... I'm not bitter...  ;)  lol)  Oh well.... Their loss.   It was kind of funny... cause every day I worked, there was a little less of us each day--- it took me a few days to realize they were kicking people to the curb.  At least I made it to the last day before getting the heave ho.  But boy did they have the system down... you worked as hard as you could but the harder you worked the less they needed all of us. What a great system.... for them anyway.  What else???  Well I'm still reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austin, it's not a bad book but it was written in 1803 & my god is the language so annoying.  I've been reading it for I think over a month & I'm only on page 80.... lol. They use so many words to say very little... I told Brian that if they would just spit it out already that book could have been a short story or an essay.  LOL! Thank goodness Jane Austin isn't around nowadays, cause twitter & it's 140 characters would eat her alive.  The book is just fine like I said.. but it's not really very excited of a story------ so ofcourse impatient me... started reading Rob Lowe's book, "Stories I only tell my friends" which I'm enjoying much more & with only just having started reading a few days ago, am already on page 200.  What can I say I'm more a mac & cheese kind of girl than a lobster one.  It's more fun!  What else? Emily is doing great---- she was really excited yesterday because Carson Kressley (she's a super fan of his, ever since he was on DWTS--- she thinks he's awesome!) replied to a tweet of hers.  She is becoming quite as she calls herself a "social media guru" & has taken to tweeting during shows, last night was ofcourse the Oscars & she was all over that- tweeting the winner of each category, etc.  Luckily for her, her school was closed due to snow (again) & she was able to stay up to watch... BUT unfortunately for her, the show ran long & she just could not stay up for it all... so she missed the last three BIG awards.  It was ofcourse the first thing she asked me... so who won best actor, best actress & best picture?  :)  Anyway... I thought it was a great Oscar show & it was fun watching it with Emily. (it's not really Brian's thing)  I had actually only seen I think two of the movies that were up for awards.  Those being "Frozen" & "Gravity" both of which I liked a lot so I was rooting for them. Frozen won for best animated movie & Gravity won just about everything else except for BEST picture, which went to 12 years a slave.  Which I definitely want to check out.  I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting but I can't think of anything else to write so I'll end here, hope you have a great night! xo Missy