“I used to think I would allow myself to get pregnant once I had lost all this weight. I blackmailed myself against the one thing I truly wanted in life. All my life, I’ve written off happiness because I wasn’t the ‘correct’ size.”
‘I don’t look like your stereotypical pregnant woman. I won’t have that little bump. This isn’t the body I envisioned myself carrying in, but it so worthy.’: Expecting mom ‘thankful’ for unplanned pregnancy, ‘My weight stopped me from happiness’
‘I’m scared he’s going to die.’ The receptionist cheerily asked me to choose some photos of our son. I couldn’t.’: Mom gives birth to baby born sleeping, ‘He’s a part of our family’
“I was preparing myself to hear the words, ‘I’m sorry but there’s no heartbeat.’ Rather, I was met with, ‘There’s your baby.’ There was so much joy in the room. Everything changed in a matter of minutes.”
‘I wanted her approval. Ever since we met, she’s been amazing. We’re not a group of friends. We’re two sets of parents, killing the co-parenting game.’: Step-mom says co-parenting says is a ‘blessing’
“‘They are basically our family, so we might as well embrace it!’ Five days in to their visit, and it has been better than I expected, and so good for the soul. It has just felt so easy integrating our families. I look forward to making many more memories!”
‘I gasped in the CVS parking lot. The file read, ‘Child Reserved.’ My hands shook as I waited for my husband. I tried not to peek. Then, we saw the face that took our breath away.’: Couple adopt special needs child, ‘She has forever changed our hearts!’
“I called our agency and said, ‘YES! Tell us all you can.’ We were told she might not ever walk. The lower portion of her body had not properly formed in the womb. She was missing her sacrum and bottom 3 vertebrae. Her little intestines were blocked. ‘Can you be in India in four days?’ Something in us knew this precious girl was ours.”
‘We received a call. ‘Do you want to adopt all 5 siblings?’ It was an instant, ‘YES!’ We told our babies they were finally safe, that we would never harm them.’: Mom of 4 adopts 5 siblings from foster care after miscarriage, twin loss, ‘They have healed my heart’
“We were pregnant with twins! The nurse said, ‘Slowly, his organs will stop working.’ His heart was last. He was so swollen, he couldn’t open his beautiful eyes. ‘I’m so proud of you, Eli. You’ve been such a fighter. You can let go.’ I looked around at all the nurses crying. ‘Oh God, it hurts so bad!’ His tiny foot jerked. I couldn’t see through my tears.”
‘Stop stressing about the uncertainties. Worry about that little heartbeat in that litte chest. It’s beating because we fought and overcame.’: Mom reassures ‘things will all work out in the end’
“Walk past the dirty dishes, the stack of bills, the toys scattered across the floors. Go straight to your child’s room and put your hand on their chest, feel their heart. In and out, in and out. Those little breaths and that little heart are your purpose. It’s beating because you overcame.”
‘I was burnt and forced to sleep on a toilet because I wet the bed. ‘Artreese, there’s someone here to meet you.’: Adoptee shares ‘emotional rollercoaster’ of growing up
“I was born with drugs and alcohol in my system and severely underweight. It just felt like I belonged to them. It was something in my eyes; I was made to be their daughter. ‘You’re so lucky you don’t have to deal with what we had to deal with.’ But I always felt like something was missing.”
‘Is 9 a.m. too early for Tequila? I’m slowly losing my mind. Maybe not so slowly, really.’: Mom speaks to difficulty of parenting during pandemic, says ‘maybe we’ve got to lose it a bit’
“Stuff is hitting the fan, and I’m out of wipes, candles, and Febreze; the mop is missing; and the vacuum isn’t working — at least that’s how it feels. Like I was/am totally and completely ill-prepared for the day-to-day. A day-to-day and hour-to-hour I cannot predict or plan for.”
‘We walked through the door. His first word was, ‘DADDY!’ He lived his whole life in foster care. Weeks later, we found out we were pregnant!’: Bereaved mom adopts boy from foster care, births 3 sons
“The social worker asked, ‘What ethnicities are you open to?’ We sent Jonah a video of us, a stuffed animal, and a security blanket with our scent so it would be familiar. Every night, he slept with the stuffed animal and blanket. He watched our video, over and over and over again. We just ‘knew’ he was meant to be ours!”
‘We held hands all the way to the courtroom and tearfully told the judge we wanted a divorce.’: Mom finds new strength in co-parenting and blended family
“Things between the seven of us, however, have followed more the natural progression of your average blended family. Meaning we have been to hell and back. Thrice.”