Hi Friends!

“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do a job at hand.”– Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States of America.

Happy Independence Day! I hope today is spent celebrating with family and friends (and doing so safely). There are so many reasons to be grateful for today. As Americans, we are blessed with the opportunity to stand for liberty and fight for justice. We celebrate our freedoms and recognize the heros and she-roes who helped unite our great nation through war, famine, and times of hardship.

In the first part of the update, I want to thank you so much for sticking around even though I dialed it back a little bit. I appreciate your support in more ways than you may realize. When I started this blog, I wanted to tell you all about the journey Mark and I experienced from the very very beginning. As he continues to grow, learns, and reach milestones, our story continues.

One goal I had for this blog was to provide knowledge of what really happens behind the social media craze. I really wanted to share with you what was eating at me, mentally and emotionally. I wanted to show you the obstacles that Mark has faced and the social situations that have occurred. I also wanted to help others navigate those social situations or a new diagnosis, or just provide support where I could. I truly hope I am providing some insight as to what goes on behind the smiles and photos. I hope I’ve helped someone somewhere.

This year, I wanted to focus on me a little more. This sounds extremely selfish, but as time goes on and Mark grows up, I can’t be a stay at home mom forever. I thought it was time to make something of my own, to focus on my future, and to establish my own identity as someone other than a mom, or a wife, or a daughter. It’s time I became Brittany and this blog definitely brought that person out. So without further ado: The Updates.

In May, I made my first ever blog update article. If you haven’t read that yet, you can find it here. I announced there was a bunch of moving pieces and that I would share a little more information once things kind of settle down. Well… here it goes! Drum Roll Please….

Make Your Mark is in the process of becoming a Non-Profit Organization! This has been my dream for many many years and I am so excited to get the ball rolling. It will definitely take some time, but it will get there as there are a lot of bits and pieces left that I still need to work through. I also have so much to learn in order to keep it sustainable and successful. So please bear with me as I try to make my dream a reality.

This other update coincides with the previous mention: I got accepted into my dream school to earn my Master’s of Public Administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management. With so much to learn, I felt it was best to learn the ins and outs of Non-Profit Management from those who have created, established, and managed successful Non-profits in our community. I love to learn. I feel like school is a major form of structure in my life and it helps me feel like I am achieving something or taking a step in the right direction.

I hope to continue to expand Make Your Mark to become a home for families in the NICU and for parents of children with superpowers or special needs (I don’t like the word disability). I also want to continue Mark’s Mission as I believe it gives hope to families in the NICU and provides them with significant bonding experiences. I think in this day and age a little hope and family bonding is just what we need.

Another step in Mark’s Mission is the addition of us partnering with Boca Bebe! These teethers, toys, and accessories are made with natural products. Boca Bebe’s products are BPA-free and use food-grade silicone beads as well as natural maple and beech wood. The owner has been kind enough to donate a few of these incredible teethers (Mark’s personal favorites), to our NICU Graduate bags. Each bag will feature a onesie (size 0-3M) and a Boca Bebe teether or accessory as a graduation gift.

There are more things happening behind the scenes- things that I cannot wait to share with you. Unfortunately, its all still under wraps but the anticpation is eating at me.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you again for all of your continued support.