Hand To Hold

4/10/2014 - Update - I am just $100 away from 1st place with less then 24hr to go!!  Please push us into the lead!

#update with in an hour of posting you guys pushed me into the lead!!  Love you all, tears of joy!  Dont let that stop you from donating if you haven't, I still need to stay in the lead!

Wow, what a week/few months it has been in these parts of the world.  Probably one of the most trying weeks for all of us (I know me or sure).  With the twins super sick, unable to communicate their needs the amount of crying in these here parts has been out of control.  During this mornings scream fest I texted a dear friend a plea of help.  She always has the wisest advice and new ways to look at the situation.  In her return text she wrote back with a list of things that could be causing this cry feast and at the end wrote:

 "if that's the case, they are further proving the fact that they're little miracle babies who just don't sound very miraculous right now." 

If that statement wasn't the truth I don't know what is.  It made me laugh and cry all at the same time and think about where my boys started and how far they have come, maybe just maybe, today they need a few extra hugs because they have fought harder in their 2 years of life then some people will ever fight in their life time.  

Which of course always makes me think of our NICU and those faithful doctors, nurses, therapist, and cuddlers that cared for them as they would their own.  

Our charge nurse and 2 other nurses form the NICU holding the boys at our NICU reunion just 3 months after we were released.

I so badly want to give back to them what they have given our family..two healthy happy boys.  But nothing every seems right.  We take them cookies or little treats, stop by and just say Hi, but I would love to give them something more to help them, the way they helped our boys.

Enter the Hand to Hold NICU Giveaway.  

Hand to Hold is a non profit organization that helps get educational materials to NICUs, and support NICU families and bereaved families.  I found them when we were introduced to the NICU two years ago and I learned so much and loved their support.  I still visit their website pretty regularly to learn about new developments in the care of preterm babies and also to seek support in their section on "life after the NICU"

They are currently trying to raise money for their programs and have an awesome giveaway.  Basically the person who receives the most donation will be able to give a $5,000.00 grand prize to the NICU of their choice.  The prize includes things like new equipment for the NICU, education for the staff and more.  I would love nothing more then to give that grand prize to our local NICU.  This would be a dream come true.  I can't even express what that NICU and their staff means to our family.  

So if you are able I would love it if you could donate to Hand to Hold to help out our local NICU!  I am currently in the second place and would love it if you guys could push me over the top!!  Here is a direct link to my page which has more information about Us, Hand to Hold and the NICU Giveaway:

My donation page.

Here are few pictures of our beloved  NICU staffers with our boys!  

The #1 cuddler.  One of the first people to hold our boys, he spent almost every night our boys were in the NICU holding them and loving on them.

Our Primary Nurse.  Words can not express the spot she has in our heart.  So many tears shed the day we left the NICU with our boys, of joy and sadness.  She had loved my boys with all her heart and still does today.

Special Signs one nurse made for both our boys.  Taking into account their culture!! So much love.

Our boys final crib before coming home.  The nurses always made sure they had cute blankets and toys to look at.  LOVE!

Please if you could see it in your heart to give to a good cause, any dollar amount to earn our NICU the grand prize it would mean the world to our family.  It might be a little but as they say;

"Small things matter in the NICU."