Alligator wrestling and saving babies

It was a beautiful day to walk for babies, including mine. I made our tee-shirts, which of course included at least one (1) tee-shirt-making disaster; I was ironing the word "Captain" onto the back of Poops' shirt and forgot to protect the preemie picture I had just ironed on right below the words, and ironed over it, melting it completely onto the iron, ruining the iron and almost the shirt. That's neither here nor there.

However, to note, I am now a tee-shirt-making expert, having gone through all the trials and tribulations of tee-shirt design, from choosing wrong colors, to printing the picture on the wrong side of the iron-on and ironing the picture onto the shirt without having removed the paper backing. Also neither here nor there. This was my design.
Regardless, the clan was there, clad in my homemade tee-shirts, and here's where I get all sensitive and mushy. Story #1: On the route, there was a little boy around 7 years old or so who took a liking to Poops. They were "talking" in that way that kids who can't really communicate together do, somehow, and playing around. Then the little boy noticed Mini in the stroller next to him and ran over trying to peek in while we were walking. He had strayed a little bit from his mom, who eventually caught up and asked if there was a baby in the stroller. The little kid said, "Yes! He's tiny! Just like the babies we're saving!"

Tear!

I asked his mom if he was early and she said no, he was just really really excited to walk for babies, and even couldn't sleep the night before. That's just about the cutest thing I'd ever heard.

Story #2:
Sometimes life puts you in a place that's completely foreign to you and you feel disconnected and lost and like no one understands. I felt like that for a long time after Poops was born. If you read my other blog The Mis-Adventures of Captain Poopy, you'd have read a lot about my mourning Poops' pregnancy, from my pre-eclampsia to his early arrival. It had a tremendous impact on me and it took a long time for me to swallow that experience and use it for good. Well sometimes life also puts you in a place where you are surrounded by warmth and loveliness and compassion. It's like life decides to give you a big hug. Like today. I cannot describe the atmosphere except to say that after the walk, our little group was sitting down just to rest a bit, when a man came up, extended his hand to my dad, my husband, and I and said, "Thanks for walking." I had to choke back tears because I really oughtta be thanking him.

How fortunate I am that even though Poops came at 34 weeks, he was just fine. It took a little while for him to meet some of the major milestones, but as I watch him do little kid things like ever so proudly devour a lollipop - a process, mind you, that is both intriguing and grotesque (as drool drips down his sticky chin onto his shirt and he removes the pop for just a second just to smile wide and proud and yell, "Pop!" and shove it right back in his face) - I just cannot believe how beautiful and smart and creative and grown-up he turned out to be. He is all of a sudden a true little boy, who "flies" around the house in his cape and rides circles through the house for hours and hours on his motorcycle and knows his letters (though not in any order). Just amazing. I have no words.

Other non-sentimental walk tidbits: Dad alligator wrestling (again) -- it's turning into a time-honored tradition.

Last year. This year.

Mini and a happy face. 10 minutes later.

Keepin' it real.

I just want to say thanks again to everyone who sponsored us. It's very humbling to see the thousands of people who took the time to walk, raise money and donate. We are a blessed family and I am thankful beyond words.

Alligator wrestling and saving babies

https://babytealeaves.blogspot.com/2008/04/alligator-wrestling-and-saving-babies.html