“I’m both eager for him to be able to hold his head up on his own and asking time to stand still so I can keep him this size in my arms forever. No book, YouTube video, or class could have prepared me for motherhood.”
‘There are moments I think, ‘Can I give the baby back? I’m not cut out for this.’ And yet, there is nothing and no one else in the world who matters more.’: Mom shares candid reality of first month of motherhood
‘His belly looks distended.’ Suddenly, he wasn’t fine. They had to run tests, but I just knew. I prayed a million prayers.’: Preemie saved by NICU nurse, ‘His personality shines’
“Things didn’t go as planned. Usually, when they call, they start by saying everything is fine. They did not say that. We had to learn how to touch him without causing him pain.”
Dear Society: Having Kids Doesn’t Entitle You To A Handicap Parking Spot
“I know your hands are full. I know it doesn’t feel like a big deal. I know other people are doing it. I know it’s a small store and there aren’t many patrons. I know it’s only for a few minutes. I know. I know. I know. AND I DON’T CARE.”
‘I can do it all!’ I was on the verge of tears at any given moment. And then COVID-19 hit.’: Pandemic reminds teacher ‘to savor and enjoy moments without thinking about the next thing’
“I went from being a youth pastor’s wife, youth leader, and teacher, to all of those things PLUS a mom of a pre-teen and teenager. My body screamed, ‘YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT,’ but my mind responded, ‘I don’t know how.’ Then, we were forced to stay home in our pajamas.”
‘Once this pile almost reached the ceiling. Now, it’s my turn to make a pile. Up in the closet on the high shelf, for future you.’: Mom has realization her son is growing up too fast
“‘You can’t get rid of this one. This is Tony the pony! Remember? You named him when you were four, and we all laughed and laughed because it was so cute.’ If I’m honest, half of that pile wouldn’t still be there if it weren’t for me begging to let them stay. It hit me, this pile won’t even be here in another year or two.”
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Having A Baby
“Bassinet? Skip. Formula? Bound to happen.”
‘Oh my god, I’m pregnant,’ I whispered. The first time it occurred to me I was a mom, he was two weeks old.’: Single mom struggles to connect with baby born during Covid, ‘I wasn’t just me anymore’
“Dispatch was on speakerphone yelling unnecessary instructions. Firemen were wandering through my house. ‘My baby is here.’ He didn’t have a name for several hours. This little human was a stranger to me.”
‘To the mom who sits alone because the world is moving on without her, and no one realizes the truth of her reality…’: Woman asks other struggling moms, ‘Can we sit alone together?’
“You watch ball games from vehicle windows, listen to distant conversations and laughter from inside, and send your family off on outdoor adventures with a smile, but one that aches. You view the world from hospital rooms, and the walls of your home become barriers that detain you from the life you once lived.”
‘I rushed over to apologize. ‘He’s fine,’ she said in a quiet voice. I swallowed my tears. She showed me my son is not a nuisance, but a gift.’: Special needs mom shares stranger’s act of kindness
“Normally, I get chastised or sorrowful looks for the behavior of my boy with autism who ‘looks normal.’ I expected an annoyed stranger. Not today, though. Today was full of kindness. I held back tears.”
‘Cancer didn’t stop him from being the best dad. If anything, it magnified who he was and what was important.’: Young widow shares husband’s selflessness, despite battling cancer
“We didn’t have two pennies to rub together, so our ‘treat’ was Arby’s. It was so cold, and the employees were trying to kick a homeless man out of the restaurant. Matt walked to the register, bought him a meal, sat it down in front of him, and told him to eat real slow and stay as long as he wanted. There was no one who was immune to the goodness of Matt’s heart.”