Brackets for Babies 2015

Please join us for a "fun"draiser for Team Callie May and the March of Dimes!

Help fight prematurity with your NCAA Basketball Bracket Picks!

                  

                                 Enter for only $10

$5 goes to the March of Dimes and $5 goes into the final championship pot!

                                 Winner gets - 60%

                                 2nd Place - 30%

                                 3rd Place- 10%

Please sign up now by using the link:

http://calliemod.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?ttag=BPM15_em_cbsinv

Password: fighter

Any questions?  Email me at marcicostello@gmail.com

Your $10 payment can be made out to me, Marci Costello, by check or cash mailed to:

1307 Pennington Lane N

Annapolis, MD 21409

Why we continue to walk!

First, I want to start by thanking everyone who has supported Team Callie May throughout the years.  I know it is a lot to ask, year after year, and I often stop and ponder if I should keep asking...but that thought only lasts for a second.  I look at my daughter, at her friends, at the statistics, and I know that our work is just beginning.  We are so thankful for all of the research that has been done by the March of Dimes, because we know that it was instrumental in Callie's survival!

I am amazed by Callie every day.  As I did a few years ago, I decided to post a picture of Callie's first Easter (above-at over two months old) and below (age 5).  Even at two months old, she could still fit inside her Easter basket.  Now, she races around the house searching for eggs.  But we still see glimpses of prematurity.  She is still very clumsy.  We can attribute some of that to her eyesight and some to the brain damage she had at birth.  But it doesn't phase her, she keeps playing and laughing and trying!  Just this week at gymnastics, Callie was able to make it across the balance beam by herself for the first time-something her peers have been doing for years...but Callie wasn't stable and couldn't see well enough to do it without assistance.  Her amazing teacher, Ms. Meghan, suggested we put back on her glasses for the beam work (we had stopped having her wear them because of her falling and breaking them).  Ms. Meghan believed she was struggling with the depth perception and that is why she was struggling.  Ms. Meghan was right!  She put on her glasses and did it by herself.  Callie gave her teacher a big hug and then ran out to share with us that she was "big" and did it!  She went back in and kept practicing!  This has been a common theme throughout Callie's life.  Sometimes it takes her a little longer to reach a milestone or accomplishment...but she keeps fighting and when she gets it, you would never know that she struggled.

The March of Dimes has provided our family with so much support over the years.  From the surfactant she received at birth that helped her lungs, to the connections we continue to make with other amazing families!  I have had the gratifying opportunity to be a volunteer for the March of Dimes at Franklin Square Hospital right here in Baltimore.  I get to see on a monthly basis all of the support the March of Dimes provides families going throught the trauma that comes with having a baby in the NICU.  They provide classes, support groups, craft nights, and other resources so that Mommy's and Daddy's are more prepared to care for their preemies.  I volunteer on craft night, helping parents create picture frames, name tags and onesies for their little ones.  It is a nice opportunity for the parents to meet other parents and realize that they are not alone!  

There are many reasons why we continue to March for Babies.  We are so blessed that Callie beat the odds and is thriving today!  One of my best friends is currently 23 weeks pregnant.  She called and told me how she was reading about what would be happening to her little one growing inside of her over the next week.  She couldn't believe that Callie survived.  She said, there is just still so much that is supposed to happen to them safe inside of their Mommy.  It is true-we are beyond lucky!  More research needs to be done so that these babies stay safe inside their Mommy's until they are full term and ready to be born!  So please consider supporting Team Callie May this year and help fight for all Babies!

Donate at:  www.marchforbabies.org/calliemay

Brackets for Babies 2014

It is that time of year again to rasie money for the March of Dimes!  The March of Dimes has positively impacted our lives in so many ways!  We are so thankful for all of the care and support Callie received and a lot of that medicine was made possible by the March of Dimes.  This is our third year raising money with the March Madness brackets.  Please forward these brackets to anyone that you think would be interested!  We appreciate all of the support for Team Callie May and this great cause!

                     March Brackets for Babies

Please join us for a "fun"draiser for Team Callie May and the March of Dimes!

Help fight prematurity with your NCAA Basketball Bracket Picks!

                  

                                 Enter for only $10

$5 goes to the March of Dimes and $5 goes into the final championship pot!

                                 Winner gets - 60%

                                 2nd Place - 30%

                                 3rd Place- 10%

Please sign up now by using the link:

 http://calliemod.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?ttag=BPM14_paste_cbsinv

Password: fighter

Any questions?  Email me at marcicostello@gmail.com

Your $10 payment can be made out to me, Marci Costello, by check or cash mailed to:

711 Scottish Isle Dr

Abingdon, MD 21009

Another Surgery

Today, Callie had her 7th surgery and again was a trooper!!  She had ear tubes placed two years ago and one had fallen out over the summer.  We were hoping that she had outgrown the need for eartubes, but she is on her third ear infection of the year and is struggling to get over it, even after the second course of antibiotics.  So, her ENT, said that he also wanted to remove her adenoids since they are a major source of infection.  Callie had surgery this morning and everything went as planned.  The doctor was concerned because the infection was so bad and we have to call on Friday to get the results of the culture.

Even after 7 trips to the OR, it really doesn't get easier.  Our poor girl has been through so much, but we are so proud of her.  It always amazes me to see peoples reactions to her history...even today, it happened again with her nurses....it make me sad and overwhelmingly proud!  I will try and update soon about some of the fun activities Callie has been involved with!

Thanks

This is Callie's fall school picture from Goddard School.  Can you believe our little miracle will be in Kindergarten next year?!?!?!  She is growing up so fast!  We truly have so much to be thankful for!  This week Callie told me all about the Pilgrams.  She knew about the Mayflower, the Atlantic Ocean, and the American Indians.  She completely blew me away!  We can't thank the Goddard School teachers enough....they all have been amazing and have supported and taught our little girl so much.  

Long Overdue!!!

Well, I guess to say that a post is long over due is an understatement!!!  I promise I have tried to log on numerous times, but something would happen to my computer and it would freeze me out and I would just move on to the next thing!  I decided to try it on my iPad tonight, so fingers crossed that this works!!

The biggest update for Callie has been her glasses!  This one was tough for Mommy, with guilt anyways.  Becuase of her ROP when she was a baby and then her following surgery for Strabismus, she had been being closely followed by an amazing Pediatric Opthomologist at Johns Hopkins.  Well, now that Callie is 4 and knows all of her letters, she officially took her first eye test.  They covered her left eye and she did amazingly well with her vision...switch sides, and she barely knew the E.  Poor girl! Here we thought she was just clutsy and her writing was messy, and in reality, she needed glasses!  I felt so guilty that I hadn't recognized this earlier, but at least she has what she needs now!

We have noticed quite a difference with her glasses.  Her writing has improved, her balance is much better, and her first comment to me when she put them on was "Mommy, everything is so big!!"  And our Callie is all about being a BIG GIRL!  Little miss independent she is for sure! She is certainly learning to test her boundries and has a strong will to say the least!  I have called my Mother so many times to share a funny story that just reminds me so much of me.  Such as "mommy I don't need to listen to you" or the strong willed "NO!!!".   Don't get me wrong, Callie is a sweet and loving girl most of the time.  We are always so proud at Parent/Teacher conferences because they always point out what a good friend Callie is and how they can always count on her to play with a friend when they are sad and down.  Actually, we are so proud of her all of the time.  It never ceases to amaze me what a miracle she is.  She has come so far and we just feel so privaledge to share in her journey!

Fall has been a lot of fun with all of the festivities and visits from family members.  If this post works, I promise to update more frequently.  People still comment to me from time to time that this blog has helped them or a family member wade through the trenches of prematurity and that makes me feel good that I can share her story with the world.  I guess when things stabalized, I didn't know if everyone still wanted the updates and frankly, we got busy!!  But at one of the latest family gatherings to celebrate the wedding of my beautiful cousin, Jessica, more than one person requested updates, so I promise to be better!!!

Here is a picture of our beautiful purple butterfly!  She was 100% certain of what she wanted to be this year and she had an amazing time!  It is crazy what a difference a year makes!  This year, she wanted to go up to the doors by herself with her friend Ashley, while Mommy, Daddy and Grammi watched from the sidewalk.  She does her best to keep up, but after about half of the block she asked to be carried a little between the houses, because she "isn't as fast as her friend."  I don't know if this is just because she is smaller or not as steady, but a little reminder that things still aren't easy for her.  But as always, our little fighter fights, and does her best to keep up.  We are so proud of you Callie May!

Brackets for Babies

It is that time of year again to raise money for the March of Dimes! We are so thankful for all of the care Callie received and a lot of that medicine was made possible by research funded by the March of Dimes. We had a lot of fun last year with the brackets and we raised a lot of money for a great cause!! Please forward our brackets to anyone you think would interested! Thank you!

March Brackets for Babies

Please join us for a “fun”draiser for Team Callie May and the March of Dimes!

Help Fight Prematurity with your NCAA Basketball Bracket Picks!

Enter for $10

$5 goes to March of Dimes and $5 goes into the final championship pot.

Winner gets 60% of the pot

2nd Place – 30%

3rd Place – 10%

Please sign up now by using the link http://calliemod.mayhem.cbssports.com/e

(you will need to create a cbssports login)

Password: fighter

Please forward this on to anyone that you think will be interested!

Any questions? Email me at marcicostello@gmail.com

Your $10 payment can be made to me by check or cash mailed to:

Marci Costello - 711 Scottish Isle Dr., Abingdon, MD 21009