NAMI Walk 2009

I can't believe it's almost time for the NAMI walk again - NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, NAMI’s signature walkathon event that is being held in Portland, OR at Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade Festival Area on Sunday, May 17, 2009. Check-in is at 12noon and the walk starts at 1pm.

I have created a team in support of my brother Brent who suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia.

How can you help? Two ways:

1) Head over to http://www.nami.org/namiwalks09/NOR/brentsbuddies right now and click on "Join the Team!" to join as a walk and raise your own support money. Please do this if you plan on joining us at the walk on May 17th.

OR

2) Head over to http://www.nami.org/namiwalks09/NOR/brentsbuddies right now and click on "Slowik, Chris" under the walker section and then click on "sponsor me now!". Please do this if you won't be able to walk with us on May 17th.

Last year we were able to raise an amazing $1,080 that went towards fighting the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A+" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars. NAMI has also been given 4 out of 4 stars by The Charity Navigator for short-term spending practices and long-term sustainability.

-Chris

Ruby and the Bear + Weekly Baby Update!

This morning while we were getting ready, we were interrupted by Ruby standing outside our bathroom door. Anyone who knows Ruby knows she will only come to you when she wants something, in this case she came in the need of help. Our dear fried Myrna had given us a present for Bambina Slowik - a stuffed bear. We still had the bear in the gift bag and apparently Ruby figured the only way to get to the bear would be to walk her way through the bag's handles so when she got to us she had the bag's handle around her.
Here are a few pics of the whole ordeal :)

Ruby with the handle around her ribs....the side with the bow!!!

The intended victim

Ruby looks so ashamed!

AND.......Baby Girl Update!

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo, (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

Ultrasound Pics!

It's a.......

Girl! Team Pink for us! We will post US pics soon. :)))))

13 weeks!

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy.

Sorry for the lack of exciting updates and pictures......been super busy! I started my preceptorship in post partum this week and will start my labor rotation in a few weeks. It's going really well! I remember more than I thought from when I had my first maternity rotation during the fall.

We also may have some big news come the end of the week, we are getting an early ultrasound at a specialty place to see if we can find out if we are having a boy or a girl! We will update as soon as we know :)

A Plum!

As you move into the second trimester (!), baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

We also had our first appointment on Tuesday the 7th! Our midwife is lovely, I work with her at the hospital already so I felt like I got to make a very informed decision. She said everything looks wonderful so far and we got to see our little Bambino for the first time! She/he was waving and wiggling away which was so amazing to see! We are both looking forward to the second trimester! More energy and less nausea, along with the continued development of our precious little one is a wonderful thing!

We also hope everyone had a blessed and wonderful Easter! We are so blessed to serve the risen Lord! Surely He bore our grief, carried our sorrow though we'd gone astray, but it's by His stripes and wounds we were healed on that GLORIOUS day!

Our little lime has a heartbeat!!!

I'm posting this a little early, I usually do updates on Sundays but I'm working tomorrow so here ya go!



Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through. But, fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future.

Yes we heard the heartbeat today!!!! I ordered a medical grade fetal doppler and the heart rate was between 156 and 171!!!! We are so excited. We have our first appointment with my midwife on Tuesday. I will post US pics and more info then!

Shout Out!!

Thank you so much to Aunties Judy, Linda, Marilyn and Tammy for donating to Team Tim! I am not sure by how much because the website is SUPER slow but I am sure I have surpassed my goal of raising $500! HOORAY!!! That is a first for me! Thank you again to everyone that walked and to everyone that donated. You all are wonderful!

Shout Out!

Great big thank you to Ryan Thomas and Myrna Jagger for donating to Team Tim!!! I have almost reached my goal of raising $500!!!!!

Too funny and totally me!

Sorry about the 30 second commercial, it's worth it though......

Shout Out!

Thank you so much to my friend Lori Graber (a classmate!) for donating to Team Tim! You are much appreciated!

Shout Out!

Thank you to Patty and Andrea for joining Team Tim! MS walk is this Saturday!

It's not too late to join or donate!

http://tinyurl.com/cp2g29