LJ Herman is a former editor at Love What Matters and lives in Colorado. LJ is a concert, ticket and technology enthusiast. He has seen the Dave Mathews Band over one hundred times and counting.
‘When I’m scared and hurting, and I’m reduced to a sobbing mess, there’s one person I want in the whole wide world. I love my husband. But it’s my mom.’
“I am 32 years old. But when things hit the fan, like when I was crying on the bathroom floor, 8 months pregnant with a stomach virus, have you ever surprised yourself by uttering the words ‘I want my mommy’ above the age of 18?”
We Adopted 8 Children From Foster Care In 5 Years
“I could never have imagined our lives like this when I was little.”
‘When Colton was 6 days old, I walked up to him when he was napping and found his top lip was blue and that he wasn’t responding.’
“Doctors were already prepping him for the incubator before I even could comprehend what was being said. We had to watch our son be hooked to a machine to get the oxygen his little body needed.”
I Gave My Son A Toy Spider, And Accidentally Induced Sheer Terror
“Maybe a little electronic spider that’s power source feeds off of screams of terror is not the best gift for your small child.”
Today My Daughter Ate A Magnet, And I Ended Up In The ER
“When I read horrific stories about children choking to death on bouncy balls, we became a bouncy-ball free home. When I heard of kids getting Shopkins stuck in their airways, we became a Shopkin-free home. 15 minutes into rest time, the twins came down the stairs yelling.”
‘He asks: ‘How was your day today, what did you do?’ You think: Well, I was woken at 7 a.m. while I was in blissful deep sleep by a loud bloodcurdling scream because the baby poo exploded.’
“To say there was crap everywhere was an understatement. The toddler was also angry because he could hear commotion and he wasn’t involved, so he started screaming too. Finally, ready to leave, woohoo! Victory! Except, I’m still in pajamas and I’m pretty sure I have poo on my top…”
‘Michael got news something had gone wrong. I was being put under anesthesia immediately. He wasn’t thinking he would have to worry about me too.’
“I was in disbelief. I thought he would be taken away from me like the girls were. I didn’t want to get attached. Even with a giant belly at 38 weeks, seeing him move wasn’t enough for me to believe. I wanted to protect myself and prepare for the worst.”
Today, For The First Time, My Son Refused To Hold My Hand
“I knew the day was coming. I forced a smile when it happened, but the honest truth is, my heart wanted to burst out into big, bubbling tears.”
‘Our 18-month-old grabbed a bottle of baby oil and drank a little. Minutes later, he was acting lethargic. When we picked him up, he was dead weight.’: Mom shares PSA after son poisoned by baby oil
“They did X-rays on his little lungs and told Case it’s the equivalent to you or I drinking gasoline.”
‘My dad was sick 2 years ago. Not like stomach flu sick. Not like pneumonia sick. Not like medicine-can-fix-it sick.’
“I don’t like how he hurt and how he suffered. I don’t like the pain his disease caused. But I do like what it taught me.”