You wouldn't know it to look at them now, but my two children were both born prematurely and thus began their lives with a need for neonatal care. Kimberly (who turns 3 this year) was born around seven weeks ahead of schedule, weighing in at less than 4lbs, whereas Liam (nearly 1) was about six weeks early and weighed a wee bit over 5lbs. Another five or so children and we might just make a whole one...

I'm playing down the challenges of both births, a) as parenthood comes with the wonderful ability to forget about the bad times and focus only on the good, and b) because the support and care received by the excellent staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary's neo-natal unit made those difficult weeks surprisingly slick and stress-free.

Words can't convey how thankful my wife and I are for the people who supported both Kimberly and Liam until they were big and strong enough for the outside world, but in an effort to show our appreciation I'm fundraising this year for the charity behind the unit, namely Friends Of The Special Nursery. 

In May I'll be jumping from a 100ft crane for money. For those who'd pay endless amounts of money to see that, I must warn you I'll be attached to a cord and will (hopefully) land safely on the ground so please adjust your donations accordingly. More info here - 

https://www.facebook.com/FOTSN/videos/2157121120972009/

In August/September, to mark the kids' birthdays I'll be doing something a bit more drawn-out and publicised, not to mention humiliating. 

I'll circulate further details nearer the time, please feel free to check back for updates though and by all means get donating in the meantime.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.