Surprise!
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‘How did I end up here?!’ I awoke in jail to the sound of a cell door slamming, no idea what happened the night before.’: Man beats life-long addiction, says ‘as long as you’re still breathing’ there’s hope for recovery
“I lost everything. I stepped out of jail with a few one-dollar bills and 3 cigarettes. I was missing a shoe, had blood on my shirt, and one of my fingernails was completely ripped off. I had taser burns on my arm and chest, and zero memory of my arrest. I faced the biggest decision of my life. I had to fight.”
âMaâam thereâs been reports of gunshots.â The cops open the closet, we all stop. I see his legs.’: Woman finds true love after abuse, miscarries, welcomes rainbow baby with man who ârocked her worldâ
“I come home terrified, not knowing what to expect. I walk into each room looking for him, nowhere to be found. There are cops at the door. My heart sinks in panic. The cops pull him out, still alive. He stated he was ‘cleaning his gun,’ and he wanted to ‘hide in the closet.’ WHAT?! âMaâam, you need to get away from him. This is not safe.â Then I met Michael. I forgot what laughter felt like until that moment.”
‘Never in a billion years would I have imagined myself a stay-at-home mom with 3 foster kids.’: Foster mom starts movement to help others understand ‘the effects of childhood trauma on foster and adoptive youth’
“I was working as a marketing consultant. ‘What are you REALLY passionate about?’ I got on a soapbox about trauma and foster youth. She just looked at me and said, ‘Thatâs your passion girl. Thatâs your THING. Until you’re all in that, youâre not gonna get where you want to be!’ I quit my job. She was right.”
âYou should start a Kitten BnB.â I was living in a tiny NYC apartment, working long hours. âWhat an amazing idea!’: Woman quits job at âbig bank,â becomes âprofessional kitten cuddlerâ
“I wasnât really aware how big the need for kitten foster homes was when I started. I missed having a pet, but with working long hours, having a tiny apartment, and my love of travel, I figured that adoption was out of the question. I requested kittens from the shelter and itâs been a revolving door ever since.”
âThis is crazy! We donât have any pink hats left. This has NEVER happened before.â: Mom realizes signs from her dad in heaven were âloudâ throughout pregnancy with son
âEach patient gets a blue and a pink hat. She pulled out a blue one to hand to me. âItâs strange. There werenât any pink ones in there. I donât know if you believe in signs, but thereâs no way the baby youâre carrying is a girl. Absolutely no way!â Iâve only carried 4 girls. To me, there was no way this baby could be a boy. I wanted nothing more than to give my little brother we adopted a brother.â
‘I was 253 pounds. My stomach rested in rolls on my hips like a pile of dough. I was disgusted with myself.’: Man loses nearly 100 pounds, claims ‘potential is limitless’ if you overcome ‘fear and excuses’
“The doctor walked in and bluntly said, ‘Welp, you have a broken back.’ My promising college baseball career was over. My girlfriend broke up with me. The crutches in my life that helped me ignore how unhappy I was with my body were GONE. My moment of clarity didnât come from a diet fad. It came in a ‘toilet moment’. I was simply disgusted with myself.”
âWhat’s wrong with her fingers?,â my husband asked. âThey look strange, but they’re perfect.â Then he saw her toes.â: Parents surprised by daughterâs Apert Syndrome diagnosis, âshe just wants to be lovedâ
âThe doctor yelled to get the NICU team as soon as possible. They came in so fast we could hardly get a picture. I don’t remember anything afterwards except that my husband googled her syndrome based on her appearance, and I was left alone in the delivery room. No husband. No baby. I asked for a Diet Coke. They only had Diet Pepsi.â
âMama, please!,â my daughter cried. She got in the tub, held me in silence, patting my back, giving me kisses.â: Daughterâs intuition picks up on mommy’s âdebilitating anxietyâ
“My husband swiftly removed her multiple times, as I said, âMommy will be done in a minute baby, I am right here.â I need someone to look me in the eyes and say, âI know youâre not okay.â My daughter did just this for me. I try to hold it together for my child, but she knows. We sat like this for an hour. It was one of the most beautiful gifts anyone could give me.”
‘You’re done, RIGHT?’ I had 4 babies in 4 years. Truthfully? I never had that feeling. I never felt DONE.’: Mom of 5 says it’s ‘okay’ to want more children
“The second we took my firstborn home, I looked at my husband. ‘I can’t wait to do this again!’ I was exhausted, nervous, and overwhelmed with first-time motherhood, but I knew. I couldnât handle or even afford 10 babies, but that need was alive and well in my heart. I’m now 40, with 5 kids and a full-time job. But feeling done? I don’t have that feeling. I don’t know why. And I don’t know if I ever will.”
âAre you competing with the Duggars?â Our agreed upon 1 child led us to having 9 kids.â: Mom of 9 jokes she and husband would have ârun from each otherâ if they knew what future would hold
“Our son begged for âjust one brother.â Then we met Debbie. She was advocating for a boy with Down syndrome, to find him a forever home. I listened politely, thinking the entire time, âNope, we’re full.â Soon, we had 7 kids. I had my first-ever surprise pregnancy. I could hear the judgmental comments. âDo you know what causes this?â âBoy, arenât your hands full already?â”
