We are walking again for the March of Dimes!

Miracle LilyBee is walking for the 2nd year in a row. Come support us on April 29th, 2012 at Brookdale Park, Bloomfield NJ. 8am registration Walk is at 9am!


If you would like to donate click on the purple tab on the right!!


The Restaino's

                    The Wellins's 

Tiger Lily

My 2 1/2 year old Miracle.

It has been a while since I last posted so I thought I would give an update on my LilyBee. She is 2 1/2 years old right now and taking over the world!! LOL! She is at normal weight and height for her age group which thrills me beyond belief! She is very advanced for her age, which I always say was from her struggle to get into this world. She is extremely determined, smart, hilarious, full-of-life, loving, and independent. She always has to have her way, which at time drives me crazy but secretly is one of my favorite things about her. :) Everyone says she is just like me and I take great joy in that. However, my poor husband has double the trouble hehe!

I often think about the nickname my father gave Lily while she was in the NICU. Tiger Lily....strong, bold, bright, and stands out. Kind of sums her up to a tee. Her struggle trying to keep her in this world have made her one strong and very determined toddler. All I hear from her is "Lily do Mommy!" I have glimpses of the future all the time and I smile thinking of what she is capable of doing in her life. Everyone says she is just like me which gives me so much joy. I want her to stay a fighter and to know anything in life is possible. Especially since, she has shown me miracles do exist you just have to have faith and believe.

"The New Sheriff in Town"                   "The love of my life"

Silly Lily

 

Getting Bigger Every Day!

    

Lily is becoming such a big girl and I still can't believe she is 17 months old now. She is weighing in at a whopping 25lbs and feels like a sack of potatoes when you are holding her. I am so happy with how well she is growing and so are her doctors as well. She is growing better than they expected in the beginning and now she is almost the same size as babies her age. Even after all this time the "weigh in" at the doctors office always gets my stomach in knots.

I know everyone says this about their children but I think Lily is the smartest little girl. She amazes us with all she knows and how many new things she learns everyday. She is talking up a storm to anyone who will listen!! Since she was so premature we were advised never to compare her development to other children and for sanity sake throw out all books we had on it. So I never obsess what she is and isn't doing because the doctors say she is special and on her own plan. Either way, I know she is a clever little girl who amazes us everyday. Sometimes way too clever for her own good, haha.

Happy New Year!

 Lily and I in the hospital at 1 1/2 months old. My favorite picture of us together. Still makes me cry but a good cry. No matter what is going on in my life I can look at this picture and I can feel HOPE.  Life doesn't always happen the way we picture it but you have to roll with the punches and see light in every situation. I would sit everyday in the hospital and say "maybe today I can hold her". Then another day it would be "maybe today they can take off the oxygen tubes so I can see her face." Then another week it would be "maybe she can come out of the incubator for more than 5 minutes." I would sit and pray(yes pray even though I am not the praying kind typically) that today would be the day I could hold her to my skin and feel normal. Like a real mom and just be able to sit with my baby and not have to worry if her heart rate was going up, what wires might disconnect, or what her body temperature dropped to, or if  her oxygen levels were going down while nervously staring down monitors. Just to be able to hold her tiny hand and stare at her like so many other moms do everyday. This picture was that day and it makes me smile, cry, and reminds me always to have faith. I waited so long for that day and sometimes thought that it would never come. Things may not come easy and at times you feel like given up but then you would miss out on days like this. Ones that some people wait a lifetime for. Please keep the hope and faith going. Donate TODAY :)

Count Your Blessings

What a difference a year makes?

This time last year, Lily had been home from the hospital for a little over 2 months. We were so excited to finally have her home and get to share Christmas with our little miracle baby!! We couldn't wait to open presents or to take pictures of her by the tree. Of course she was too young to know what was going on at all but it still made us feel great! This was my favorite picture from Christmas. We were saying she was the best present ever and put the bow on her head. She was the cutest little present EVER!!! :) At this time of year especially, I make sure I always count my blessings and I am so blessed to have this beautiful little girl in my life!

Xmas 2009- It was so hard to find a outfit that was small enough for her. She was only about 8lbs here at 4 months old. 

Xmas 2010- I can't believe how much she has grown!! Weighing in at 21lbs!!

Miracle Lily Bee

Prematurity Campaign

• 543,000 babies, or 1 in 8, are born prematurely each year.
• Premature birth is the number 1 killer of newborns.
• Premature babies cost ten times more than healthy babies.                

Why is the problem of prematurity so important?

Prematurity is the leading killer of America's newborns. Those who survive often have lifelong health problems, including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, chronic lung disease, blindness and hearing loss.

What are the goals of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign?

The goals of the Prematurity Campaign are to reduce the rate of premature birth, and to raise public awareness about the seriousness of the problem.

How does the Campaign work            to achieve its goals?

The campaign funds research to find the causes of premature birth, and to identify and test promising interventions; educates health care providers and women about risk-reduction strategies; advocates to expand access to health care coverage to improve maternity care and infant health outcomes; provides information and emotional support to families affected by prematurity; and generates concern and action around the problem.

Help me reach my goal!Sponsor Me at March for Babies!