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‘I leaned in, I’d never heard these words before.’: Autism mom shares loving moment with non-verbal son, ‘You learn to celebrate everything’
“He sat calmly at the table like it was no big deal. I think I cried the entire morning. I have not heard those words since.”
‘What will people think?’ I worried myself to sleep. That little pill held so much shame.’: Mom of 6 shares struggle with anxiety, ‘It’s made me stronger’
“I’d wake up, heart racing, and rush to the crib. Once I felt her breathing, I could settle back into sleep. I was angry all the time. Small things made me want to pull my hair out.”
‘How would you feel about having a baby?’ We caught the only flight out. Suddenly, all the heartache made sense.’: Couple adopts after 4 years of infertility, ‘Everything led us straight to her’
“We didn’t get to hear her heartbeat on an ultrasound. We didn’t get a gender reveal party or a baby shower. Nobody visited us at the hospital. And I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”
‘One of your babies is behaving beautifully!’ Wait, ONE? I knew it was too good to be true.’: Woman births miracle twins, ‘They survived against all odds’
“In came another doctor, who also scanned his head. Then another doctor and another doctor. ‘His brain is likely to grow out of his skull.’ I tried to hide my bump. I didn’t let myself get attached.”
‘This is the last one I have in me.’ My stomach painfully dotted with bruises, I noticed a voicemail. My breath caught.’: Couple finally chosen by birth mom, ‘My heart is so full’
“We put together a nursery for our ‘some-day’ baby. ‘Someday, it will be our turn.’ After 6 years of disappointments, it did not seem possible. Then the voicemail said, ‘Do this tonight.’ ‘Birth mom.’ ‘Chosen you.’ My breath caught.”
‘People stood to see what was wrong with the screaming kid in the back of the plane. ‘Call me Grandma Jackie.’: Mom praises flight attendant’s kindness, ‘She went above and beyond’
“We don’t speak Mandarin and Bella didn’t speak English. But Grandma Jackie speaks both. Her sweet voice won her over.”
‘You’re making it hard. Please leave.’ Tears filled my eyes. This was my doctor I’d known for years. ‘I’m not faking!’: After 23 years, woman finally diagnosed with 3 rare diseases
“I still remember the sound of saline gurgling at the base of my brain. Why does nobody believe me? ‘Finally,’ I thought, ‘We found the smoking gun.’”
‘I simply gave my husband a thumbs up. ‘This has to be a dream!’ We prayed for YEARS. There were no words.’: Couple conceives through IVF, ‘We never take a moment for granted’
“I was paranoid something would go wrong. It didn’t seem real! We both sat and looked at each other in shock.”
‘They found our kids!’ There was a clerical error. We felt them slipping away.’: Couple fight for sons during pregnancy, ‘They made our lives so full’
“My oldest announced, ‘I want a concert and a baby.’ I told him I could probably make one of those happen. I was puking every day. The mess grew and my belly grew.”
‘You can’t replace his family.’ I never wanted to. This family is now part of ours.’: Foster mom celebrates son’s reunification, ‘What a beautiful gift’
“I was threatened by strangers online. ‘You’re not a REAL mom.’ I was told I was trying to steal babies from families. No one warned me about the ache.”
