“Her skin was pulled so tightly that her eyelids had flipped inside out. We were informed her limbs could suddenly detach on their own. Every day, we faced a new challenge.”
‘I rushed to the hospital. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this,’ the surgeon said. Our pregnancy checkup had gone well. There was never a reason to believe something was wrong. Our excitement turned to disbelief.’
‘He let out a wail. They received a report of suspicious bruising. Who is going to believe me? I took the boys out to do what we’d always done, now it’s going to cost us.’
“It was midweek when I received a voicemail from the Office of Child Protective Services, obligated to investigate possible abuse. What’s going to happen when a judge has to decide on custody in the divorce?”
‘So how many do you think?,’ I asked him. He thought there was only going to be 1. There were 4. ‘ARE YOU SERIOUS?!’
“I promised my husband I wouldn’t joke when I called him. As I laid on the table, the doctor looked at me and said, ‘Well Britt, we didn’t plan for this. THERE’S FOUR!’ We were going to be parents to quadruplets!!! Now came the fun part – I had to call Ryan.”
‘When our daughter was six months old, two black women approached us. One said, ‘Your baby’s hair is dry.’ I was taken aback, offended and embarrassed.’: Woman’s comment in Target helps mom provide for mixed-race children
“Around that same time, my husband and I sought a mentor for our daughters, realizing we, as white people, were not qualified to help our kids navigate certain situations.”
‘She lost her daddy to suicide a year ago. She watches TV, and then asks why movie characters can die and then be OK again. ‘Can daddy be OK again?’
“She tells anyone who she meets that her daddy died and is a star now. Even strangers. They look afraid to respond; sad for not knowing how to ease this little girl’s pain, and embarrassed how forthcoming she is with such delicate information.”
‘My son was told, ‘You can’t read. Don’t even try.’ Waves of emotion rolled through me. I walked out of the parent-teacher conference in tears.’
“His teacher handed me a big stack of unfinished classwork. ‘He is not working and he daydreams all day.’ After two days of observing our son, the doctor gave us the news.”
‘It was midnight and everyone was asleep. I texted my friend, ‘Come quick! I need you. Lots of blood.’ I prayed she’d wake to the sound of her phone.’
“On a whim, I decided to download a dating app. I came across a man who was in the Army. I knew he was ‘the one’ the moment I saw his photo. At first sight, I was in love. Something I had never felt before.”
‘You’re going to have to get off Facebook, the sadness is overwhelming and it’s time for you to take a break.’ My heart broke every day. It was way too close to home.’
“‘Bridgette is going to need more than a lemonade stand, we need to do something to make her smile and raise money.’ She pointed to one of the dresses and said ‘Mom these dresses are beautiful, maybe the lady who makes these can make mine?’ I looked up the designers and with a hopeful heart we reached out.”
‘Take your pants off.’ I took a deep breath and headed back. As I lay on the medical table, half naked, all I could hear was my heartbeat.’: LGBT couple embark on IUI journey, ‘our little one came into the world fast and furious’
“Around 11:30 a.m. I awoke with an immediate urge to poop. ‘Wait! I am 29 years old. I won’t poop my pants. That’s ridiculous.’ I started moaning. I could feel it in my bones — I knew I was close. And still no midwife. She asked me if I wanted to push. ‘YES!’ I cried out.”
‘I was scouring for baby clothes, 8 months pregnant. That’s when I saw him. At 6’2, he’s hard to miss. His features were different, but it was him.’: Woman’s realization after running into ex who ‘walked out on her’ in store, ‘you will love again’
“He and his girlfriend were doing the same as me. She was about to pop, due any day. I often thought about what would happen in that moment. The moment I saw him in his new life. He had walked out on me 8 years prior.”