“The tech printed off the ultrasound photos and joked, ‘Your baby looks bald.’ After getting measurements of her arms and legs a few times, she left me alone. As the minutes ticked by, it started to click—something was wrong. The doctor came in, sat down, and passed me a box of tissues. My mind was spinning.”
“They told us if we decided against taking in the baby, they would take the older two and find a home who was willing to take all three siblings, for the sake of keeping them together. Well, we were not about to let that happen. Three short months later, I was home with my three kids and a POSITIVE pregnancy test.”
“The mama who had ‘given up the chance at a good life to raise two young children.’ The one who had chosen ‘mama’ over ‘life.’ Full stop. I had to show them both how everyone else was wrong.”
“It didn’t happen the way we had imagined or planned, but she was always our Plan A. Every pain, every setback, every prayer was all worth it. She may not have my eyes, my hair, or my skin color, but she has my heart. I can’t imagine loving my little girl as anything less than a true daughter.”
“No one can make me as angry as my sister. However, no one can make me feel more loved. God gave me my best friend through biology.”
“I know it was a lot. It was loud and messy. You said things that were hurtful. It’s okay that today wasn’t perfect. No day will ever be.”
“Every morning he gets up, brushes his teeth, and asks, ‘Can I go by Ms. Susan’s house?’ When she goes out of town, he gets upset and says, ‘She’s been gone for too long!’ She is the perfect best friend and neighbor my little boy could ask for.”
“My whole life, I had wondered what she looked like. The social worker warned me. ‘It may not be what you thought or hoped for.’ This was really about to happen.”
“There have been some really hard days of tantrums, yelling, and crying. ‘Are we crazy? What are we doing?’ We wouldn’t be here without our village.”
“She came into this world only knowing our shared existence. At 4 months, she is learning her sun, moon, and stars…can just walk away. She only has one thing—a deep trust and faith I will come when she calls. As long as my arms, my chest, and my presence are where she finds peace and security, she shall have them.”
