WalkAmerica

We participated in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica event this weekend. We had a great time and we couldn't have asked for nicer weather. Because I didn't get my act together soon enough to order team t-shirts, we ended up making our own with black shirts and iron-on ink jet transfer paper. They actually turned out pretty well, although I couldn't find any baby-sized t-shirts, so Molly had to make do with a bandanna.

On the way to the event, I was reminded why driving in Michigan can be a pain. In spite of the spiffy GPS in our car, we had a heck of a time getting to the walk site. The exit we needed to take was closed for construction and we had to drive five miles to the next exit, get off the expressway, get back on the expressway, and drive all the way back so we could use the exit on the other side of highway. Ugh! Of course, that meant that my carefully planned timetable was totally shot and we missed the start of the walk. In retrospect, that was probably a blessing because we had plenty of elbow room while we were walking.

Although I had planned to push Max in our stroller and carry Molly in my new BabyHawk mei tai sling (which I love), on Saturday I managed to score a very gently used Baby Trend Sit-n-Stand Stroller on craigslist. Although I had read some conflicting reviews on the stroller, I have to say that it is absolutely perfect for us. Molly can ride in "regular stroller" part in front, and there is a bench seat and a platform in the back so Max can either sit or stand. We took the stroller on its maiden voyage at the walk and both babies and Mom were happy as clams.

Max and Molly were perfect angels and Big Brother and Big Sister were a lot of fun. I was impressed by all the activities and fun stuff they had for the kids -- tons of giveaways, games, balloons, a mini petting zoo, a bounce house, cotton candy, popcorn, pizza, ice cream, etc. We took our time and stopped a few times to enjoy the park and the weather. Max still can't walk by himself, but he enjoyed the breaks so he could get off the stroller, hold our hands, and "wah" a little bit. Max was fascinated by the river and kept wanting to look at it. Molly enjoyed kicking her feet and blowing raspberries at passersby. ;)

When all was said and done, we raised $700 for the March of Dimes -- surpassing our $500 fundraising goal by a good margin! Thanks again for everyone who donated -- it really meant a lot to me that we were able to make a contribution to help fight prematurity.