“John is not her second dad. John is HER John. Friend, dad, protector. Stepdad and stepdaughter were never in our vocabulary.”
‘She let an ‘I love you’ slip in the middle of a tickle fight. Her shell broke, and she fell completely head over heels for him.’: Mom shares sweet ode to daughter and her bonus dad
‘Are single people allowed to foster?’ Something in me clicked. I was so nervous my hands were shaking.’: Foster mom says ‘my heart will be broken, but in the best way’
“I had so much extra love in my heart. As I picked her up, I just knew. My life would never be the same.”
‘Am I having a stroke? My kids aren’t old enough to call for help. God, don’t let me die!’ Something was really wrong.’: Mom diagnosed with MS says ‘my life is still everything I dreamed of’
“I could no longer push my daughter in her stroller. ‘Let’s drive the two blocks to the park.’ I was falling apart. I couldn’t imagine life without legs that didn’t work.”
‘We can bring your Leprechaun trap a day late, okay?’ I see the disappointment in his face, pull over, and ugly cry as the mom guilt sets in.’: Mom shares important reminder ‘we’re doing the best we can’
“I feel bad I worked so much this weekend. I feel bad I work so much all the time. I stay up late cleaning up the day’s mess, and washing too many clothes. When it’s all over, I’m tired. If asked, I could have easily provided a mile long list of what I thought was going to be my final straw. Nowhere on the list would have been a leprechaun trap.”
‘He’s so cold.’ She ripped off the blankets, just watched him breathe. I could see she was scared to tell me.’: Mom shares son’s Angelman Syndrome journey, ‘He constantly defies the odds’
“He was so yellow he looked like an old-school baby doll. He was labeled ‘Failure to Thrive.’ Those three words were a punch in the gut. I felt like I failed my newborn.”
Hug Your Grandparents (While You Still Can)
“These hands belonged to the feistiest woman I knew. They comforted me in my hardest times, wrapped around me in times of celebration. They rocked me…and my first born. And even when she forgot who I was, they interlaced mine. Today, I pray you all live like Nana.”
‘I begged, ‘Please cut my leg off!’ I was drowning in pain while doctors fought over my body like a science experiment.’: Mom becomes amputee after 10-year battle, ‘Love is everything’
“Being in pain for 10 years, I felt like I was going crazy. The pain was as if someone had lit my whole leg on fire while also stabbing it.”
‘It’s not going to work out.’ We read over her file, and KNEW it would be a YES.’: Couple share emotional adoption journey, ‘We’re learning how to be parents’
“She looked tiny. Her facial expression looked like ME as a child. Everyone in the room could see it. We didn’t have a way to let her know how badly we longed to meet her.”
‘I lost control of my legs. ‘Call an ambulance!’ My tongue started to go down my throat. The pain was excruciating.’: Chronic illness warrior shares journey with fibromyalgia, POTS
“’Will you be able to drive? Work full time? Have children?’ I struggled to accept my fate. Secretly, I hoped I’d recover.”
‘I gave my new daughter her first little pink toothbrush. ‘It’s time to brush, sweetie!’ She asked, ‘What’s that?’ Surely she was joking.’: Mom says ‘adoption isn’t for the faint of heart’
“She studied the contents of her plate. ‘Why are you feeding me GRASS?’ I screamed in my mind. How could she not know what salad looks like?”