A Walk to Remember

This morning we headed over to OU Medical Center to attend "A Walk to Remember." It is an annual event for families and friends who have lost children. They have created a beautiful area with a gazebo and a duck pond to remember our babies. Elizabeth and I went along with my parents, my grandmother and my in-laws. It was very nice. The pastoral department organizes the whole thing and it is for anyone who has lost a child at any area hospital.

They had a very moving speaker--a woman who lost her son in 1991. I couldn't listen to most of what she said because I think I was the first person there that was crying. I started during the introduction by a chaplain. :( I would have been ok except this baby started moving and I was remembering Drew and it just got to me.

Everyone was wearing an oak leaf with the name of the loved one they had lost. After the speakers, we walked around the duck pond and were given polished pebbles to toss into the pond in memory of our children. Elizabeth tossed everyone's in for them and yelled out, "BABY DREW!!!" :)



The pond is near the helipad where they keep the helicopters and E. was in heaven. We even got to see one take off up close! She really liked that (heck, I did too!). They have a stone beside the pond that reads, "Every life makes a ripple, no matter how small. Remember our children, 2005."



They had the area set up very nicely with fruit, cookies and water for everyone. There were a lot of tears. Many families were wearing shirts that told of their loss. Our family all wore the Rainbow of Hope shirts and got some questions about them!

It was a beautiful day to remember our children in such a moving manner. I wish that Raymond could have attended but he had a prior commitment in Tulsa having to do with his career and it was planned before this walk so it's ok that he couldn't be there. I'm so glad that everyone else was able to go with me. It really meant so much to me.

I did find out that at OU Medical Center alone, over 150 children were lost last year. :( That number was like a punch in the gut. My first thought when we walked up was, "There are so many people here and it's so horrible that we're all here for the same reason." There were quite a few people there but not even close to how many there could have been.

This is an annual walk that will take place the second Saturday of October from now on. So mark your calenders if you'll be in the area because I know that I'll be going every year.

Here are a few more pictures from today:

E. walking with her Grammy:



Me and Elizabeth; my center of balance is a bit off at the moment and she was helping me fall over!



All of us walking for Drew: my dad, my mom, Raymond's dad, R.'s mom, my Grandma, E. and me:



During the walk, we were about halfway back:



The pond and gazebo area:



After we left OU, we went to the cemetery and looked at Drew's grave. All in all it was a good day but a hard one too.

I'm feeling ok. This afternoon I started to feel horrible but it didn't last very long. I definitely have a belly now though.

Wait until I post pictures of what my mom and grandma did in our playroom. It is so CUTE and E. looooooooves it! I've got to finish up a couple of things on it and then I'll put the pictures up. I want it to be my room now!

Raymond has his nose surgery on Monday. I hope that it won't be too painful; he's braver than I but I guess you need to breathe, huh? Keep him in your thoughts. I'll have an update on him and me on Monday. I see my OB that afternoon for a routine check-up. Start placing your bets on the sex of the baby because I'll probably have a level II U/S within the next month or so.

Also, thanks to my friends, I now know that the FO in the social security death index stands for "field office." That makes sense because that's where I reported his death.

With that, I'm tired and am going to go lay down.

I forgot to add that I updated Elizabeth's website with all new pictures. Here it is.