Must-Read Blogs

When I miscarried, I began reading the blogs of women who had miscarried and I learned how they made their way through such a sad time in their lives. 

Then a bit later, my biggest source of support during my pregnancy were the women whom I met online through their blogs. I read their blogs and learned so much from them, including how to live through losing your baby and having a stillborn. I remember laying in my hospital room and reading story after story, preparing my heart for what was to happen.

It is not often that I find someone who is willing to openly discuss the emotional pain of a miscarriage. It is somewhat of a taboo to say the "M" word, so you can imagine how good it felt to read that other women had the same emotions that I did. Also, I only know of one person in real life who birthed a baby who had died (and this girl is extremely special and reads my blog), so you can imagine how therapeutic it was for me to read about how other women handled this inexplicable, heart-breaking loss.

My heart has for the most part healed from my miscarriage. I never thought that I would say that...but it has. I still enjoy reading the blogs of some of the women I met while in that place in my life, but I don't feel that need to frequent miscarriage blogs like I used to. My baby didn't die when she was born, and although I still read some of the blogs of the women who experienced this horror, I don't need to prepare myself for that anymore. I mostly still read the blogs of these women with whom I have developed a relationship.

I spent Sweet B's first year reading some blogs in my downtime. I spent hours upon hours in the glider trying to feed her, and then I would have to hold her while she digested her food. This amounted to lots and lots of time reading things on my iPhone. I really felt like I needed to be reading the stories of moms who have children with special needs, whatever they may be. I read preemie blogs and I read two cancer blogs and I read a few other ones. I am an avid reader, and while I have always enjoyed reading books like crazy, I have a short attention span now and therefore can't concentrate on a book, and when in the world do I have the time or the energy to read a book?! It took me six months to read my last book, and so my reading time is much better spent reading the blogs of women who are navigating a different path of motherhood. Plus, reading a blog is easy on an iPhone, especially when I am holding Sweet B with my other hand. Commenting on these blogs however, is a completely different story!

Now my blog reading time is spent on my iPhone while rocking Sweet B to sleep three times a day. 

I'm going to share a few of these blogs with you and hopefully I can share more as I continue to blog.

Before I share, I must openly admit that I am not comparing myself with these women, as some of them are living in a daily battle with things that are much more difficult than what I am experiencing. I read these blogs because these women give me strength. They show me that even in the midst of a very difficult situation, you can still go on with life and have faith in God.

I found Charlotte Amalie online when she was first born. She was born at twenty-three weeks. That's right...TWENTY-THREE WEEKS. I was still pregnant when I found her, and prayed that Sweet B would be healthy enough to get to have a long NICU stay like Charlotte. Her mom, Amanda, has gone through so much with that little girl, and still manages to look at things humorously. Her writing makes me laugh out loud. When I found out that they were moving close to us, I was over the moon! I would finally be able to meet my hero Charlotte in person! We haven't met yet because Charlotte has been in the hospital to get her medical care worked out and she is very busy with appointments, like we are. This girl came to California on a private plane with a doctor! That is how special she is! You'll also notice that Charlotte and Sweet B look very similar. I can't wait to put them next to each other to see if the resemblance is there in person. I also can't wait to see this mother and daughter and tell them in person, just how much they have inspired me. You'll find Charlotte's blog button on the right-hand side of my blog.

I found Kate's blog/Caring Bridge journal through my friend, Deni, who is one of my miscarriage friends as well as Sweet B's long distance feeding therapist. I read Kate's entire Caring Bridge blog during Sweet B's week-long hospital stay in March. Her mom has inspired me to be a pillar of strength for my daughter, and to never give up. Kate has brain cancer. She fought it and now has a reoccurance. Please visit her journal and please pray for this sweet girl and her entire family. They have gone through heartache, but still manage to praise God and trust in Him. They also make it a priority to enjoy their lives and have swum with the dolphins in Hawaii and visited Disneyworld through the Make a Wish Foundation. I remember reading Kate's journal while laying on that uncomfortable hospital couch every day for a week. Knowing that Kate and her mom spend months at the hospital at a time and still manage to love God and life, allowed me to see that I can do the same.

I don't remember how I found Lucy's family blog, but it was probably through a link like this one, which asked anyone reading to pray for her. She also has brain cancer. Once again, her mom is a rock and has devoted her life to not only living for Lucy, but also to making sure that her other two children have attention, love, and a good life, in the midst of adversity. Please pray for Lucy, as she is going through chemotherapy, which we all know is more difficult than we can imagine. Her mom has the sweetest spirit. Lucy's blog button is also located on the right of my blog.

Kelle Hampton's blog is a beautiful work of art. I first found her blog when I was told to go and read this post about the birth of her daughter Nella, who has Down Syndrome. I even considered naming Sweet B Nella, and there is a good chance that if I have another one and she is a girl, that will be her name. That first post that I read had me in tears. Seriously, I was bawling. You have got to read that post. Promise me, okay? It will change your life. Her blog chronicles her life with her two beautiful daughters, and does this through her clever writing and stunning photography. Kelle is going to be big someday-you just watch. Her spirit is beautiful, and Nella couldn't have a better mom. Her blog has become very popular and she doesn't indulge everything about herself. I think that's why I like the blog so much. She chooses to write about the good in life, which helps me to notice the good in life.

Jen's blog is very different from the others that I described, in that it is freaking hilarious, although the subject matter is anything but funny. She lost one of her twins to prematurity, and the other one is alive and still in the NICU. She is facing so much adversity, yet she manages to go to work and live her life and see the humor in everything. I love how she takes difficult things and makes jokes out of it. This women is strong as steel and also an incredibly loving mother with a gift for writing, who really ought to write a book someday. 

There are other blogs worth writing about and that have touched my life immensily, but I'll end it here for now, so that you can go and check these out. You will not be disappointed. And please, pray for these women and their children, that they would continue to be strong as a rock for their daughters.