Newborn smell...how I miss that

This video, more then any other, really breaks my heart. If you are a mother, you know the amazing bliss from smelling your newborn's head. The ecstasy you get from putting your nose in the soft, baby hair, from inhaling that sweet baby smell, from simply being that close to your newborn. 

I miss that. 

I watched the video over and over today and just cried. I cried because I miss my baby. I cried because I want that, I want him back. I want to be able to smell his hair, stroke his head, and tell him I love him. 

Sometimes it feels like he was never here. Sometimes I wonder if this all ever happened. Of course I know better, but still...sometimes...I have these thoughts. 

Just watch. There are no words for how this makes me feel. 




Click to save a life!

I meant to blog about this a while ago, it is such an easy way to make a difference!

From today through May 3, every time you share a relay post online, Johnson & Johnson and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match your action with a $5 donation to the Shot@Life campaign.

The Shot@Life campaign is a movement to protect children worldwide by providing vaccinations where they are needed most.  I wrote about it before, here
One child dies every 20 seconds from a preventable disease. PREVENTABLE. In all the work I do, the word preventable really gets me going. Preventable and unnecessary death in children is simply mind boggling. It should not be happening! 

So help me save a life by providing a vaccine; all you have to do is click!

And by the way, I cannot say how much I love this video!


Advocating for newborns: Why I do and why you should too

Newborn health. 

You've heard me talk about it before and I'm sure you know how big of an advocate I am for healthy babies. I knew nothing about newborn screening, pulse ox, or the importance of education until after Corbin was born. I can't imagine living in a place where it is customary to hold off naming your child for a couple months in case they pass away. But sadly this is the case in countries where many, many babies don't live past a couple months. After Corbin passed away, I delved deep into the world of newborn health and awareness to try and help. You can help too...

Did you know:
  • Nearly 3 million newborns die each year globally?
  • A newborn is 45 times more likely to die in the first month of life, when compared to age 1 month to 5 years?
  • The major causes of newborn death are prematurity, infection, and birth asphyxia- when a baby’s brain and other organs do not get enough oxygen before, during or right after birth are?
  • Complications of preterm birth are the second leading cause of death in children before their fifth birthday?
  • The majority of these newborn deaths can be prevented?

From April 15-18th, in Johannesburg, South Africa the Global Newborn Health Conference will be meeting to talk about newborn health and how we can all help to prevent newborn and infant death. 
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is holding an awareness campaign for newborn health by partnering with USAID’s Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP), Save the Children’s Saving Newborn Lives (SNL) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) by hosting a four-day conference.


You can get involved 

-by following Dr. Gary Darmstadt (Director of the Family Health Division of the Gates Foundation) on Twitter as he tweets about newborn health @gdarmsta

-follow hashtag #newborn2013 and don't forget to retweet!                                      

-follow along with the live feed of the conference here

-follow and interact in the conversation on Facebook

-access all information and graphics about the conference here



This is a post for Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health.

200th blog post and 4 years later

If you take the time to go back to the very first post on this blog, you will find a short post about how I watched "Julie and Julia" and was inspired to start blogging and sharing my story.
The posts vary, most are quite boring honestly, but they are very important to me because they hold memories in between the lines of each post. Those words take me back to a time when I was blissfully ignorant and was able to enjoy my pregnancy without a worry.

200 blog posts later, and almost 4 years..here we are. Together, you and I, have helped to change our little part of the world. Together, you and I, have created a legacy that I hope will continue on for a long, long time.

Thank you for being a part of this journey, for sharing your love and thoughts, and most of all for remembering Corbin.

Cheers to 200 posts and making a difference!