Weekend Update

I've been pretty remiss in updating my blog lately -- I've lost the cord that connects my camera to my computer and I can't get my photos into iPhoto. So I've been waiting to get the photos uploaded before I update my blog.

But I realized tonight that if I wait until I find the cord or buy a new one, we might all be six feet under by the time it happens.

So you'll just have to suffer through a non-visual presentation of the last few weeks.

Last weekend, Devin played his first-ever soccer game. I use the term "soccer game" lightly here, in that it's really more like eight kids (four from each team) running up and down a field that's only 25% the size of a regulation field with "four- to six-minute" quarters (what does that mean, anyway?), no goalie and no score keeping. So it's soccer in the sense that they use a soccer ball and aren't allowed to use their hands, but in every other way, it's really just a game of "chase the ball."

All joking aside, though, I was very proud of my munchkin. I thought for sure that it would be all about just puttering the ball around and that he would have no interest in listening to his coach. But he did listen and was really into moving the ball toward the goal and even passing it to his teammates. He even scored three goals! Of course, one of those goals was for the other team, but we'll ignore that for now.

I have a bunch of pictures of the kiddo in action, but...well, you know.

That same week, we had Kindergarten Round-up here at our local elementary school. That's where incoming Kindergarteners get to go check out their new edifices of education while the parents get all of the "dos and don'ts" of being parents of elementary school kids.

Devin did great and I walked away thinking, "How did it happen that I have a kid old enough to go to elementary school?" Wasn't he born like three weeks ago? Ugh...

But the most exciting news is about the contest that we won on Methodist Hospital's Web site. We won $1,000 to give to our favorite charity. It's all coming back, huh?

So we're all set up for a photo op on Tuesday. We'll present the check (I hope it's one of those big, novelty-style checks...I've always wanted to take a photo with one of those!) and smile pretty for the camera. We'll get to meet some of the women who sew the tiny clothes and blankets for Threads of Love and introduce them to two of the babies they helped in the NICU.

We're very excited and assumed that it would end here. Why wouldn't it? The contest was to win and present $1,000 to your favorite charity and it's an honor to do so.

Turns out that Methodist Hospital's PR firm really liked the story (not necessarily my writing, but the whole tale about the girls' harrowing trip into this world) and asked for my permission to send out a press release to local media -- the four TV stations, the major newspaper and a few other local outlets. I said, "Yes," of course, without really thinking that anyone would pick the story up.

But in another dramatic twist of Erin-style fate, the story did get picked up, by the local ABC affiliate, KSAT 12. So on Thursday, we'll have a bit on the morning news about Faith and Grace, their story and Methodist Hospital giving the contest money to Threads of Love.

I'm super excited about it! With the March for Babies coming up, it's great timing for raising awareness of prematurity. I'm humbled that this nearly catastrophic pregnancy has turned into something that was able to earn money for a local charity, as well as raise awareness of a problem that could potentially touch every parent on earth.

As soon as I rescue the photos being held captive in my camera, I'll post them here, as well as any video or photos I can get my hands on from our "media tour" this week.