On the 2nd February 2013 my daughter aged 9 months fell asleep and did not wake up.

She died of SIDS. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

I did not know it was possible for an older baby to die in this way.

I thought the risk ended after 3 or 4 months.

I did not know until my own daughter died just how many people Sudden Infant Death affects and that it is not just tiny babies at risk, but perfectly healthy older babies and toddlers too!

My world has been ripped inside out and I am battling every day to make my way in the world with the support of my friends and family and the unquestioned love of my twins, Esther and William.

There is never a normal day anymore.

Nothing is easy.

But there is much to be done, to honour Baby Tilda’s memory and to raise awareness of SIDS and find a way to make it stop, in young children of all ages.

I would never wish any family to hurt like mine.

It is the worst pain you can imagine and more. It is devastating and every day brings a new blow of sadness and pain.

For the baby we lost and the child we will never see.

There is one main charity in UK that support families who have lost a baby to SIDS and who try to stop Sudden Infant Deaths occurring. This charity is The Lullaby Trust formerly FSID.

During the 6 months since Tilda died I have been working hard with family and friends to raise money for The Lullaby Trust, but not only money, also awareness. Awareness that SIDS does not only happen to tiny babies. SIDS can strike older babies and toddlers. SIDS strikes without any warning.

On 2nd November 2013 Matilda Mae will have been dead for 9 months. She was in the womb for 9 months, alive for 9 precious months and dead for 9 months. The 2nd of November falls on a Saturday the day of the week on which Tilda died. It is also the weekend of All Saints and All Souls when Christians honour and remember their dead.

I want to mark this special day and in doing so I want to raise money for The Lullaby Trust and enable people to come together with their families to celebrate life, and to honour and remember their dead in a positive way.

Will you don your wellies and join us?

We had originally planned to hold The Baby Tilda Barn Dance on this day but after much deliberation have decided to postpone this event until the Spring.

Instead Beale Park near Reading have agreed to host our Matilda Mae Welly Walk and Family Fun Day.

Beale Park is a venue we looked at months ago and fell in love with. Because of the beauty of the site I knew that it would be a wasted venue for a barn dance but for a family day in Tilda’s honour it is perfect. It has everything families could wish for and on this day, this Tilda Day, it will have a whole lot more.

We loved Beale Park when we visited. The animals, the statues, the wide open spaces, the amazing play areas, The Little Tikes Village, the closeness to water. It is perfect.

We are going to go there again very soon and I will post a full review on the blog so that you can see for yourself why we fell in love with it and knew we would use it one day for a Tilda Day.

And that day is Saturday 2nd November 2013.

The Matilda Mae Welly Walk and Family Fun Day.

In memory of Matilda Mae for The Lullaby Trust.

Here are some of my ideas for the day so far!

Nothing is confirmed but I would love to know what you think and if you would like to be a part of the day either as a guest or if you are able to help in anyway. Please leave a comment on this post or email jennie@edspire.co.uk

The Matilda Mae Welly Walk and Family Fun Day at Beale Park, Reading.

I would like the day to have a theme relevant to The Lullaby Trust and children so I think that Nursery Rhyme / Traditional Tales could work.

People will be free to be in park all day with events timetabled throughout the day around the park and in the private function room.

The cost will be £9.99 per person to include entry to the park, entertainment and refreshments.

There will be a Children’s Sponsored Welly Walk. The route will have a quiz or treasure hunt related to Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes.

There will be two Welly Wanging competitions one for children and one for adults and a toddler Welly Wanging Challenge.

For refreshment we hope to offer: Mulled wine, hot chocolate, Tea, coffee, donuts, hot dogs and burgers, popcorn and candy floss.

There will be a small market place or Brand Boulevard where brands we love can some and show their wares. We also hope that The Lullaby Trust will be there to talk to people about the work that they do.

We hope to offer a craft area with activities that will include painting and decorating stars.

I love the idea of a Three Little Pigs House Building Challenge.

I would like to include some traditional games such as Hook A Duck with prizes for children.

We hope to offer photo booths with a nursery rhyme and fairy tale props box.

Just before the welly walk I am hoping to find someone to run a Nursery Rhyme Music Time warm up session. The Fun Train session at our Mile in Memory was a great success so I am hoping Reading has something similar to offer.

After the walk I would like to find a fairy tale storyteller and a puppet show for the children to enjoy.

I am hoping that my beautiful friends at Classical Babies will entertain us all with a music ensemble with a lullaby an nursery rhyme / fairy tale theme.

I am imagining a mass of fairy lights and bunting for decorations.

To end the day I hope to use sparklers and bubbles as a final goodbye accompanied by In The Night Garden Music with Classical Babies. I hope that we can blow bubbles outside as it starts to get dark and those bubble kisses will fly up to Baby Tilda in the sky.

And as people leave I would like to have a Balloon Fall where we will release a net of balloons from the ceiling, each balloon attached to a wooden Matilda Mae star so the balloons will fall and everyone is able to take one home.

These are my ideas for the event so far. I would love to know what you think of my plan, whether you might like to come or if you would like to be involved in some way.

I am really quite excited and hope that we can create a day to do Baby Tilda proud.