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	<title>WIRL Project &#187; Daughter</title>
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	<description>What It&#039;s Really Like.</description>
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		<title>What It&#8217;s Really Like to Meet and Marry a Single Parent</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-meet-and-marry-a-single-parent/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-meet-and-marry-a-single-parent/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2015 18:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Heather]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love/Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biological]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bloodline]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daughter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Father]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mother]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parenting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[single]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Single Parent]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6817</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was around 10 when I learned that when it comes to family, bloodlines don&#8217;t mean everything, and in some cases, it doesn&#8217;t mean ANYTHING. According to the dictionary, &#8220;Family&#8221; can be defined as: a. A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children. b. Two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place. Nowhere in these definitions does it state anything about blood or biology. In today&#8217;s society it is not uncommon for a child to grow up without knowing one (or both) of their parent&#8217;s. In fact, it&#8217;s almost becoming abnormal if you ARE raised by both parents. I was around 10 when I found out that my dad, who had been raising me, wasn&#8217;t my biological father. My biological father was out of the picture by the time I was two, around the same time my mom met my dad. I was definitely hurt and confused by everything when I found out. I remember asking myself, &#8220;What is so wrong with me that my own father doesn&#8217;t want to be part of my life?&#8221; It was difficult, especially at a time where you&#8217;re already confused about the changes going on in your life. Even at ten, I never questioned who my DAD was. A father is someone who helps give you life, a dad is someone who helps makes you who you are and is PART of your life. My dad is the one who taught me how to play softball. He almost never missed a softball, basketball, volleyball game, or a track meet. He woke my brother and I up every Christmas morning by yelling &#8220;Ho Ho Ho Merrrrrry Christmas&#8221; with my mom. He helped me move more times that I can count. He taught me what to look for in a guy by giving me the greatest example of what a man could be. Then he walked me down the aisle when I found that guy. I always remember asking myself, &#8220;How could someone just take me in and raise me like I was their own, without thinking twice?&#8221; and then came Dave and Devon. Devon was six when Dave and I met, and had just turned seven by the time that I met her. Dave and I wanted to make sure that we were serious before I met Devon and had the chance to get attached with her and for her to get attached to me. You see, Devon has a very similar situation as I do and her birth mother has never been in her life. Dave was a single father for six years. Most people don&#8217;t even know that Devon and I don&#8217;t share blood. She looks like me&#8230;. A LOT! (A sign that we were meant to be a family, if you ask me.) We hit it off from day one, and I can honestly say that I fell in love with her before I fell in love with Dave. We could not get along any better (even now that Devon is heading into her Freshman year of High School). There were definitely some things that we had to figure out and work through as a family. When Dave, Devon and I started spending time together it was very&#8230; tricky&#8230; trying to find my place in the family. I wanted to build a friendship with Devon, but I also needed her to see me a mother figure. I had to learn when and how to step in and be a parent without feeling like I was overstepping my boundaries. I needed to spend one-on-one time with Devon to get to know her and for her to get to know me. Dave and I both knew that if things did not work with Devon and I then they wouldn&#8217;t work with Dave and I. We didn&#8217;t want to form a family where all three of us would be miserable because Devon and I did not get along. I&#8217;m very lucky that I met Devon when she was seven. Knowing her strong personality, it would have been MUCH more difficult to become a family if we met now instead of 7 years ago. Do I wish that I had met Dave and Devon sooner? Absolutely! But I am thankful that I&#8217;ve already been in Devon&#8217;s life for more than half of her life. (Which she made note of on her 14th birthday &#8211; that she had officially had me for half of her life.) When people do find out that I&#8217;m not Devon&#8217;s birth mother they always comment on how lucky Devon is to have me in her life. What they don&#8217;t understand is that she has been just as good for me. Although Devon doesn&#8217;t share my blood, she is my heart. It is from loving her that I understand how and why my dad could accept me and love me as his own. There is no doubt in my mind that Devon was meant to be my daughter (like I said, the resemblance is almost freaky) and there is no doubt that my dad was meant to be my dad. Some of the best parents that I know are not biological parents. They are people who stepped in and loved children for no other reason but to simply LOVE them and not because they felt like they had to.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-meet-and-marry-a-single-parent/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>9 Going on 16&#8230;.What It&#8217;s REALLY Like!</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/9-going-on-16-what-its-really-like/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/9-going-on-16-what-its-really-like/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2015 16:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Heather]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[9]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[9 going on 16]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Attitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daughter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Glitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sweet child]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teenager]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=5979</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; My sweet, sweet little girl….yea right!!! Her teachers and other moms always tell me what a sweet girl she is. I just laugh. I laugh, but want to cry. She isn’t like that with me!! What the hell? It is like she is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute, she is sweet and nice to me (usually when she wants something), then when she realizes she isn&#8217;t going to get what she wants, she starts whining and her voice gets high pitch and I have no idea what the hell she is saying. Whatever that sound she makes, it hurts my ears and I just wish she would just go away. Disappear until she returns back to normal. I wish I had some magic powder to sprinkle on her to make her act normal and not so dramatic all the time. &#8220;But WHYYYY can&#8217;t  I go, mom?? WHYYYY?  I just HAAVE to go!&#8221; All of her words have to be drawn out and SO dramatic. The arguing, fighting, screaming, whining, and snotty attitude is draining!! I know you moms out there with girls feel the same way. I did it to my mom (payback is a bitch) and I am sure my daughter’s daughter will do it to her. It is like she has something against me. I know! It is because I am her MOM. I don’t have to do anything, except talk or breathe and she thinks I am wrong.  I am the one who carried you for 9 damn months and went through labor! I am the one that was up with you all those long nights when you were teething. Who do you come to when you are sick or hurt? YOUR MOM. I love how I try and give her advice about friendships or about anything and she continues to tell me how I don’t know what I am talking about. Really, girl?? I don’t know what I am talking about?? You are 9!! You have no idea, NO idea!! But, hey! If I want to know the truth about how I really look, she won’t hold back. She has NO problem telling me when I look fat, old, pale, or when my hair needs to be done. Let’s talk about mornings…. Trying to get her ready for school every single morning, is a struggle. I just LOVE starting my day off by arguing with my 9 year old over what she wants to eat for breakfast or what shoes she wants to wear that day. I just LOVE it…..NOT!! I think she secretly loves to make my life hard. I really think she loves to push my buttons. I have to say, she is brave, really brave, doing that before my coffee in the morning. I don&#8217;t dare take her around that Justice store anymore! I get a headache in that damn place. Glitter, glitter, sparkles, short shorts, crop tops. Sorry, my 9 year old shouldn&#8217;t blind people with her clothes. Plus, the quality of those clothes are horrible. And EVERYTHING is MY fault. Anything bad that happens to her &#8212; is MY fault. She blames ME for when SHE trips on her own shoes in the hallway. “Why didn’t you tell me to pick these up? It is your fault I tripped over them” “Why didn’t you get me up earlier to get ready for school? It is YOUR fault I am late.” MY fault, MY fault…It is ALL my freaking fault! Little BRAT &#8212; I tell ya! I think a demon lives inside her. But, it ONLY comes out when she is really tired or really hungry. Her voice gets really low and her eyes get this evil look. Right away, I know to grab food and make her eat it right away! “Calm the demon, calm the demon!” Basically, I am just screwed. Anything I say or do won’t ever be good enough for my daughter. She will always compare me to other moms and always argue with me. I just have to accept it and wait. Wait until the day she experiences her own life and after she has her own kids. Then, she will realize what I had to go through. And, payback is a bitch! &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>PPD Forces Changes</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/ppd-forces-changes/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/ppd-forces-changes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Becky Babo]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Antidepressants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Body]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daughter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Emotional]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motherhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new mom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[postpartum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Postpartum Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PPD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnancy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=5401</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; My beautiful baby girl just turned one in March, and motherhood has forced it&#8217;s fair share of changes on me, the least of which being my pants size. The elephant in the room is Postpartum Depression. I was diagnosed with Postpartum Depression (PPD) four weeks after I had my bundle of joy. I wanted to be happy, but I couldn&#8217;t stop crying. The bottom line is that postpartum depression has changed me. I&#8217;ve always been an emotional person, but generally I&#8217;ve been able to see the good in situations, not just the bad. Now, I feel like I&#8217;m not the person I was before I became a mom. I&#8217;m not the perky, bubbly person who was so sure of herself anymore. I&#8217;ve become someone else that I don&#8217;t quite recognize. I&#8217;m trying to beat this &#8211; trying to overcome what I&#8217;m feeling and what my body has decided to do. My doctor has me on antidepressants, my third different brand, and the fact of the matter is, I&#8217;m scared. What if I always feel like this? What if they don&#8217;t help? What if being on them is going to make me a bad mom? Research tells me that PPD is a chemical imbalance, and that it&#8217;s a lot more common then most women know. Why? What makes it so hard for women to talk about? Maybe it&#8217;s the constant feeling that you&#8217;re just not good enough. Or the sadness that comes around when you really should be happy. This is not an easy road for me to walk. This is not what I expected. And yet, I know that this is not my fault. I don&#8217;t understand why &#8211; but this is happening to me for a reason, and God is truly in control. If He put this in my path, then I have to walk around it. I have to overcome this obstacle. And if it brings me closer to Him, and turns me into a more sympathetic and better mother, then it&#8217;s worth it. Until then, I will keep trying. For her.]]></description>
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		<title>What it is REALLY Like to Have a Child with Down Syndrome</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-it-is-really-like-to-have-a-child-with-down-syndrome/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-it-is-really-like-to-have-a-child-with-down-syndrome/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2015 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Misty Hovis]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daughter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Down Syndrome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sunshine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=5214</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; It&#8217;s hard to believe that 4 years ago I knew pretty much nothing about Down Syndrome and the thought of having a child with Down Syndrome never even crossed my mind. That is until our 12 week sonogram with our 4th child. At this appointment it was determined that we had a 1 in 10 chance of our little girl having Down Syndrome (DS). Saying I was scared is a complete understatement! I cried, I bawled&#8230; I felt like I couldn&#8217;t breathe! WHY Lord&#8230; Why my baby, how could this be? They wanted us to do advanced testing, but we declined and decided we would find out for sure when she was born. Deep down inside I knew she would have it though and throughout my pregnancy, I truly feel God presented different signs for us to know. For example&#8230; at every sonogram Katelyn would stick out her tongue. Sounds silly but a lot of babies with DS do this. Another thing that still brings tears to my eyes was the time Matt and I were walking through a homeschooling conference, I was about 20 weeks pregnant and a little girl with Down Syndrome, who was about 2 years old, grabbed the bag Matt was holding. She smiled, what I like to call a million dollar smile, and at that moment Matt and I both looked at each other and at the SAME time said&#8230; &#8220;That would be completely OK!&#8221; I prayed for our little girl during the rest of my pregnancy and asked for a peace that could only come from the Lord. My prayers weren&#8217;t, &#8220;Please don&#8217;t let my baby have DS&#8221;, but rather&#8230; &#8220;Please keep her healthy, continue to have her develop the way you want her to be and let her be able to breastfeed.&#8221; At 37 weeks along we welcomed our baby girl into the world. Katelyn came out sucking her thumb, determined to amaze the world, and had a purpose for being here. After having Katelyn I remember people asking us, &#8220;So how much Down Syndrome does she have or how bad is it?&#8221; There is so much misconception and misunderstanding about DS. Honestly most of the information you will find about it just explains some of the health problems and struggles that can be related to DS. Few articles actually share the benefits and blessing of being a parent of a child with Downs. That is one reason why over 90% of these babies are aborted each year. This breaks my heart because I know first hand what it&#8217;s like to have a child with DS and I am here to tell you the positive aspects of it. First of all&#8230; Katelyn is JUST like any other child. She is stubborn, loves to push her mama&#8217;s buttons and thinks things always have to go her way. She also enjoys learning, dancing, singing, playing and as I&#8217;m typing this she is sitting on my lap giving me kisses and trying to take over the computer. LOL There is never a dull moment with Katelyn. Sometimes it takes her a little longer to master a new skill and other times she catches on before her peers. So, to put it simple having a child with Down Syndrome is the same as having a so called &#8220;normal&#8221; child. No matter what, each child will learn things at a different rate and pace weather they have DS or not. The only difference I have noticed raising Katelyn, compared to her brothers, is that she does have more doctor appointments. This is because of the statistics with different conditions that can go along with DS so we do monitor her more closely. Thankfully though Katelyn is overall very healthy. She was born with 2 small holes in her heart, which I am happy to say one of which has already closed on it&#8217;s own and most likely the second one will do the same over time. Before finding out we were expecting Katelyn, Matt and I prayed that God would bless us with another child if it was His will. We didn&#8217;t ask for a &#8220;perfect child&#8221; or a blond hair/blue eyed girl or boy, we simply just asked for a child. The perfect child for us and that is what He gave us in Katelyn. So if you asked me what I think of having a child with Down Syndrome, to put it plainly&#8230; I wouldn&#8217;t trade it for anything. She is my &#8220;Pure Joy&#8221; and my sweet little sunshine.]]></description>
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