Hello Ladies

You should be proud of yourself!

Re the crawling issue - Rowan would do the same thing, he kind of just pushed off with one leg and would drag himself around the floor like that, using his forearms. I started putting a hand under him whenever he did it, and lifting his torso off the floor and supporting him while he moved...he started officially crawling ater about 4 days of that!

yea it seems shes starting to get the hang of it now. unfortunately the better she gets, the less sleep shes letting me get at night. makes me wonder if its worth it.lol

your doing a great job and will be an excellent roll model for your little lady... you have done great with the resources you had.. dont let anyone tell you different... congrats on graduating!... anaya is precious!... shes doing wonderful... my 9 month old eats no baby food.. im glad to see im not the only one LOL... she had  a pancake and a 1/2 banana for breakfast LOL.. jaylyn did the same thing ( pulling up and all the other stuff..) then one day.. she just crawled .. i was sure he wasnt going to... and had givin up on any hope of her doing it.. anyway... your doing great!.. keep up the good work

thank you. yea baby food...were getting away from him. she will only tolerate the fruit variety now and usually only if its mixed in with like yogurt or oatmeal. not plain because i guess there is no consistency to it. she eats EVERYTHING. chicken, ham, cheese, bread (her favorite), cereal, mac and cheese, bananas, lasagne, potatoes...if it can be put in tiny finger food pieces (oh yea because she will not allow me to feed her beyond a few bites, she must do it herself lol) she will and wants to eat it. shes starting to get a better had at crawling now but i realize she puts more effort into it when her cousins are here..ages 2 and 4. so she prob just needs more encouragement from the younger crowd.

Simone -

YOU.ARE.AWESOME. 

Even though I've never met you...I am so proud of you and what you have accomplished.  Your parents must be beaming.   I know there are other young women like you out there - young single mothers who have accomplished amazing things...but we rarely hear about or 'meet' them.  I seriously hope that other young women in your situation meet you and are inspired by you - simply for their own sake and learn to appreciate their own self-worth.

When I look at your story, this is what I see:

At the age of about 19 - you had WLS and took control of your body and your life.

While doing this, you apparently have been going to school full time, and I have a feeling you've been working full time - or a lot of part time - while doing so.  You got pregnant (don't know if it was planned or not, and it's none of my business) and gave birth to a gorgeous little diva (takes after her mama), while continuing in that determined manner to complete your education. 

You faced the adversity of becoming a single mother when your little diva's father decided fatherhood wasn't for him; however, you did not let that get you down (too much)...you just kept on doing what you needed to do - for yourself and Miss Anaya. 

Now, at the tender age of 21...you are a college graduate, ready to take on the world...and have Anaya there to push you forward so you can do what you see best for her.   

I have no doubt - given the strength and determination you have shown in the last two years - that you will go FAR in life.  Whatever your degree is in...I can easily see you being a leader in your chosen field of work in a few short years.  I'd be surprised if an employer doesn't snap you up soon; if they don't, they're fools and you don't need to be working for fools.

You are a living role model for your daughter and will be able to show her what she can do with her life if she works hard enough. 

YOU.GO.GIRL!!!

Anaya may have missed out on having a reliable father, but God was watching out for her when He selected her mother. 

Regarding Anaya's father...it is totally his loss that he's not there to see Anaya grow.  She will only be the age she is right now...right now.  Looking back at photos, if he so chooses, will never be able to substitute for what he's missing.  If I were you, though, I would lay down the law for him.  He is either in her life...now and always, supporting her financially and emotionally, seeing her and spending time with her on a regular basis...or not at all.  A friend of mine had a 'part time father' for her oldest daughter - he came to see her about every 3-4 years.  That is so hard on a child, not understanding first off that this stranger is their dad, and then if he's their dad, why doesn't he want to be around them.  If he chooses not to be emotionally involved - and be there for her - that does not excuse him being financially responsible for helping support her.  He helped bring her into this world...and he owes it to her - willingly or not, regardless of if he's 'there' for her - to ensure she has every advantage in life possible.

Let us know what your degree is in, then maybe we can throw in two cents with suggestions on where to look for a job.

Holly, you always know how to brighten my day and make me feel better about things. and jeeze i cant believe its been 2 years already almost...holy cow. i really just try to do the best i can because i have no other choice. i am a mom now and that little one depends on me for everything. so if i have to do without thats what has to be done because she always comes first to me. her dad, ive already told him tjat its in or out not both because that will screw with her when she s older. she will resent him or will end up with trust/self esteem issues because of him as i have seen in some of my friends that had to deal with similar situatoons. in terms of finacial support, i told him short of signing over ALL rights and agreeing to never come around or show his face again (and even then i told him i wont guarntee it) is the only way i would ever think about stopping child support. i may only do it just for the sense of peace and getting rid of the drama associated with the whole situation.

as for my degree. its a bs in business administration marketing emphasis. but i went to a liberal arts university so i have a lot of training in other fieds like finance and communications. it would be nice if someone could find me a connection somewhere but i dont really expect it in this economy.

She's adorable!!!!