rite of passage and welcome!

Lots of people have asked about the walk and honestly, the first word that comes to mind is weird.

It's weird to go to another state to walk in a fundraiser to honor my baby who's dead. It's awkward to cry on the plane on the way there, listening to my sad music, missing my baby wanting nothing more than to hold him.

I did cry at the walk but not while I was walking and not the *whole* time. I started panicking at one point when I couldn't see Sammy's sign. I paid in advance to make sure I got a sign! It was the closest I've been to a panic attack in a few months (oh - I didn't mention that before? yup, I am now the unproud owner of depression and mild panic attacks, thank you 2010). When I went up to take this picture of the dude talking about his experience with String of Pearls I saw Sammy's sign and was able to relax.

*I liked that the speaker was not white. A little racial diversity, not that you can really tell from this photo.*

I had never done anything like this so that made it a little more uncomfortable for me too. I usually feel uncomfortable trying anything new. As we started walking it took a while to get into a conversation. I mean what do you talk about while you walk? *shrug* Mom, Isabel, and I caught up on life and commented on our surroundings...I guess overall not much was said about Sammy other than that his 1, too-short life will help about 19 other families have keepsakes of their babies.

A couple more donations have been made - so exciting. I talked with Laura Huene the director of String of Pearls and she said if anyone donates and makes note of it being in honor of Sammy they will in turn put little notes in the kits saying "In honor of Sammy" or something to that effect. Love it. If you want to donate, it's not too late! You can go to their website and donate there.

I felt like Sammy went through a rite of passage this weekend :-) He was mistaken for a girl. LOL Ya'll, even the small stuff makes him seem a little bit more real. Just sayin'.

I got to meet 2 new families and wish I had had time to talk to others. We were the only team that tried to wear green, there was a light blue team and a red team...purple...and dark blue. Sammy can have the market on green, we just gotta get on the ball for next years t-shirt.

I will totally raise funds for String of Pearls again next year and participate in the RUN. I have a whole year to get myself ready now. No excuses.

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Welcome anyone coming

this way via Kristin's blog!

It was the so fun to hang out with her and have the chance to chat with her in person. She is as amazing in real life as she seems on her blog. Her knowledge of a good tattoo/piercing parlor in the approximate neighborhood we lunched in was what inspired me to finally get it done. Can you even see it in this picture?

I blemish removed the zits and wrinkles, don't be shocked when/if you see me in person. And I worked about 10 hours today so...looking crazy.

And photographic evidence of the day would have been nice *except* it was hot as hades that day and I had to describe myself to Kristin as "the girl right inside the door with big hair who's sweating through her dress"...but that's a story for another day I guess.