“My little boy was knocked off his feet by a bigger kid during a soccer game. My hands were clinched on the sidelines as I watched him limp toward the goal. I watched and I watched, and I waited. And he never even looked for me. He fell hard. And he didn’t even look for me.”
‘He never even looked for me. Not when he fell. Not when he stood back up. It stunned me, to be honest.’: 6-year-old doesn’t need mom after falling hard, ‘I watched and I watched, and I waited’
‘Are you kidding?’ I opened the front door. The babysitter was asleep. 8 kids were in the living room, awake.’: Mom says no to in-home daycare, ‘there are things going on behind closed doors’
“I signed my 1-year-old daughter up for a local early children center. My coworker shook her head in disbelief. ‘Your husband must make a lot of money, because I send my kids to an in-home daycare. It’s like, two-thirds of the price!’ My husband and I are teachers, so clearly we’re not in it for the fat paychecks. As the $700 monthly bills continued to roll in, I was tempted.”
‘Rebecca’s at the hospital in labor!’ Please don’t think it’s okay to announce my baby before I do.’: Mom urges us to ‘respect boundaries,’ refrain from ‘breaking baby announcement protocol’
“Why in the world would someone I barely know think it’s appropriate to announce the birth of my child? So much for privacy! The sting of not being the one to announce a pregnancy, gender reveal, or birth sticks with us. Postpartum hormones are strong and unpredictable! Something like this can really set them off. Bottom line: If it’s not your baby, don’t say a word. There are absolutely no exceptions. None. Ever.”
‘Don’t worry, little man. I’ve got you,’ I whispered. His amazing brown eyes locked onto mine.’: Foster dad’s ‘knees hit the pavement, sobbing’ after son returned home, ‘I could still hear him screaming’
“‘Would you be interested in a 15-month-old boy with medical issues?’ I stammered out, ‘H-h-hang on, lemme call Emily!’ A tall man turned around, holding a beautiful, dark-skinned little boy. The toddler was completely passed out, wearing a too-small onesies. I took him into my arms. The moment his skin touched mine felt like electricity flowing through my entire body. I didn’t care that he smelled like cigarettes. In a split second, this 15-month-old stranger became part of me.”
‘Her stomach looks too bloated.’ Her pediatrician agreed. ‘It does feel hard.’ I got scared.’: Mom witnesses ‘miracle’ after newborn’s cancerous tumor shrinks, says fighting neuroblastoma teaches you ‘you’re never guaranteed another day’
“I noticed her stomach seemed very bloated, especially on one side. I asked family members to take a look – no one was concerned. The oncologist asked lots of questions, but one stopped us in our tracks. ‘Has anyone in your families had cancer?’ I looked at my husband, and he looked at me. In that moment, we both knew what she was about to say. ‘I’m so sorry.’ She had tears in her eyes.”
‘Having a baby won’t ‘fix’ your relationship. Oh, no. It will test you.’: Woman urges importance of being in a ‘solid relationship’ before having kids, ‘parenthood can break you’
“Your eyeballs are hanging out of your head at 3:00 a.m. while you’re looking at your partner’s worthless nipples. You’re on the couch, barely speaking to each other, thinking every noise is the baby waking. Scrolling through phones to fall asleep, you forget to say goodnight. Conversations were once everything. Now, they’re kept to the point because there’s just no time.”
‘I was diagnosed with cancer, 6 months pregnant, married, with a 10-month-old daughter. I was under attack.’: Mom refuses to abort child despite doctor’s advice, ‘It was up to me to make an impossible decision’
“After my first round of chemo, my husband left me. His family told me he ‘couldn’t stand by and watch the girl he loves, die.’ I filed for a divorce. After 2 more rounds of chemo with my daughter, she was born 6 weeks early. ‘I am leaving this hospital with or without your permission so I can spend Christmas at home with my two daughters.’”
‘My son, this chubby baby, is currently on chemo. He has cancer. He can’t be in this waiting room.’: Mom has ‘immense guilt’ for every mother experiencing loss, childhood cancer treatments now that son is healthier
“‘Enjoy it,’ a man said, looking at my happy son. ‘I’m enjoying this more than you know.’ Just 6 months ago, I walked into that waiting room with my son closely held to my chest. His bright blue eyes peeked up at me – almost completely covered by a paper face mask. I’ll never forget placing Jameson on the table. ‘Does his belly look too big?’ I asked, concerned. Our perfect, happy, healthy baby boy had a belly full of tumors. Cancerous tumors.”
‘Why, my baby, why!’ Our boy was suffering. I never thought I’d have to make a decision like this.’: Mom urges life can ‘change drastically in minutes’ after infant son dies from heart attack, SIDS, bronchial pneumonia
“After 12 long hours, we decided to let him go. We got him Baptized and got his finger and hand prints before the doctor came in and said it was time. She put him in a little quilt and put him into my mom’s arms. Yes, my mom’s. I couldn’t hold him at that point, I was a coward.”
‘Are you kidding me, mom?! Help me!’ It’s an explosion of epic proportions. Do we salvage this outfit? Heck. NO!’: Mom hilariously recounts every mother’s worst nightmare, the diaper blowout
“It’s so goopy. It’s E V E R Y W H E R E! In crevasses you didn’t know existed. It’s up the back, and down the legs. More creeps onto your hand with every wipe. You’re gagging. You pick baby up and hold him Lion King style, praying that none splatters onto the floor as you shuffle towards the sink. ‘This isn’t that bad… this isn’t… that… bad…’ You’re trying not to be dramatic. But you’re totally being dramatic.”
