“I was supposed to be the short-term shelter in the storm. I had no intentions of permanency. Dead-set on only taking one kiddo at a time, I got a second call. ‘Can you take in his newborn baby brother? He was born premature.’ Suddenly, all my ‘rules’ went out the window.”
“My mind raced. ‘Am I not doing enough for her? Am I limiting her desires too much?’ Her words made me realize something: I needed to put more effort into teaching my daughters about gratitude.”
“There I was, standing face-to-face with the guy I had awkwardly stared at for two hours, whom I thought had a girlfriend, and clearly never even SAW me. ‘Do you want my number?’ I was sure I’d never see him again.”
“I used to watch ‘The Price is Right’ every morning. It was my jam. Today, I absolutely laugh at the idea. I barely have enough time to drink my espresso, much less sip on a mug of coffee for an hour.”
“I saw how her life would look: a single mom constantly working, wishing to provide nicer things, and a little girl wondering why her father didn’t want to be around. Then, the veil lifted. Both myself and the birth parents could complete her life’s ‘puzzle.’”
“When the doctors saw I was on several medications, I was sent home and told, ‘Get a hobby.’ Even shampoo and cologne sent me into pain. I felt like I was drowning.”
“Our son’s birth mom chose our family. He was handed to me and I was instantly in love. ‘Amanda, you’re pregnant.’ Our lives were changed forever.”
“This is the world I brought this miracle into. This should not be his first core memories. This should not be my 2-year-old’s life. He should be waving at strangers in the aisle, hugging other children in the toy section. And yet, this photo makes me extremely proud. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“‘It’s terminal. No cure. He has 6 months left.’ He grabbed me by the hand and asked if he could have one last dance with me. We slow danced in the middle of his hospital room as the monitors beeped in the background. He was withering away. Don’t wait to take the trip, don’t wait to say I’m sorry. Each day is a gift.”
“The pediatrician was super blunt. ‘No, you are mistaken. You’ve confused us with a different baby.’ Nobody noticed it on the million ultrasounds throughout the pregnancy. I watched my husband and 1-day-old baby taken away from me in an ambulance and all I could do was stare.”
