children

Experience pain or be pain free

October 29, 2018October 29, 2018by Sheridan Johnson1 Comment

I really wanted to write this post on why I chose to experience pain and have two all natural deliveries (with no epidural) and what really led to that decision.

I wanted to write a little back story on how I came up to that decision. Brielle was my first full term baby and I knew I would most likely get an epidural with her. It was all because I literally didn’t want to be in ANY pain at all. I mean, I was 25 years old, and I knew that I couldn’t handle it (well, at least back then I thought I knew that) so I really never gave an all natural birth experience a second thought.

Brielle’s delivery that I documented here was so easy. It was exactly the way I wanted it to be (besides the major scare at the end) but overall I was laughing and enjoying the entire experience. What I didn’t like about having the epidural is the loss of control. I mean, I really never gave it a second thought that I wouldn’t be able to use to restroom (thank goodness I didn’t have to pee after I got it), or that I wouldn’t be able to shower after the delivery immediately (because y’all.. it’s just gross), or the fact that I wouldn’t be able to walk around and move during the process to get things moving a little (or a lot) faster.

So when we found out we were pregnant with Rochelle and that she was going to be a terminally ill baby, I wanted without a doubt, an all natural birth experience. Her story is here. Her birth was scary, and amazing at the same time. In just 2 1/2 hours my body did something that took HOURS with Brielle. I pushed her out and it was exhilarating, and I was SO extremely proud of myself for doing something that I was SO terrified to do.

Then comes Malachi. One major reason that I wanted to do another all natural, no epidural labor was because things went to crazy and chaotic with Rochelle’s birth, I wanted to do things differently. I didn’t know the gender of Malachi throughout the entire pregnancy and I wanted it to be a surprise to everyone. I also wanted the freedom to have my kids in the delivery room (up until birth) and to walk around on wireless monitors. I didn’t know that I would need a labor ball as well, but it was so beneficial and I am so glad I asked for one! I wanted to slow down the oxytocin (the medication used to induce labor) this go around as well (per doctors approval) and take it step by step. His birth story is here.

I think so much pressure is put on us women as we have to make a choice in the beginning and in the end as to what we are going to do during labor. If we are ok with a c-section (in case emergency happens), or if we want an epidural. Never do they offer a “pain free” delivery with modifications that fit your wants/desires. I think it’s amazing at the hospital I delivered at (DeTar North in Victoria, Tx) to listen to what I wanted and what was best for our baby on getting him out safely.

I think every single way that a child is able to survive and enter this world is a miracle, and I just applaud each and every woman who has birthed a baby via c-section, getting an epidural or going the all natural method. Each mom is amazing and I want to give you a virtual hug!
**Also note that I am also speaking to all the moms whether you are a mother by adoption, or you had a surrogate deliver your precious child.. I think the world of you women as well!**

I would LOVE to know which birth plan you chose and why! I love sharing our amazing stories and think we can definitely build this community up with encouraging positive information.

With love,

Sheridan

learning, Uncategorized

Education nation!

July 13, 2018by Sheridan JohnsonLeave a Comment

Summer time is the time for tons of play, vacation, and overall fun, BUT it’s also a time for learning!

During this one-on-one time with our children, we must dedicate time to reading, playing fun activities, and exposing our kids to all types and styles of learning!

So far this summer we have done science experiments, danced to math songs on YouTube, practiced our shapes and colors while driving, and have done a ton of workbooks!

One of the things that my school aged kids (ages 4-7) are loving right now are word searches!! They love to practice matching their letters, and identify words! Summer fun starts now with this word search! Be sure to check out Education.com for more learning resources.

If your kids don’t necessarily like word searches, they have tons of different worksheets to choose from such as:

Maze
Matching list of words with images
Crossword puzzle
Word scramble
Subtraction
Division
Multiplication

There is honestly something for everyone agres 3-11! The kids in my house range from 6 months old-7 years old and I love that there is something for them all!

So the next time your kids think they are bored, tell them let’s do something fun and head on over to education.com!

Hope you are all having a great summer!

**Sponsored Posts: This is a sponsored post by Education.com. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.

Adoption, Faith, Family, foster

In the trenches

May 4, 2018by Sheridan JohnsonLeave a Comment

I was listening to a podcast (you can find out more here) and they spoke about being in the trenches and watching God speak to you (and through you) during that time.

Since May is National #fostercareawarenessmonth I wanted to let you know how we have been deep in the trenches, and what all helped us during that time.

Fostercare is kind of like riding on a REALLY long rollercoaster, most of the time. Between court hearings (and there is usually between 3-5 within the first year), traveling to and from all of the required appointments, counseling, and visits with the parents, you sometimes find yourself in the trenches of it all.

I remember many times where I just broke down and asked God “can I really do this?” “am I made out for this” and many more similar questions. The overwhelming paperwork, the countless amount of people in your house all.month.long and the having to put your trust in such a broken system, can sometimes catch up to you. BUT you know what? You don’t stay in the trenches and yes you can do it! You see the milestones that your foster children are able to reach, you see the LOVE that is just poured out of them with happiness and joy, and you see that you are making a difference in the life of that particular child (regardless if they remember it) forever.

Every one of us has gone through something (or will go through something) that will test our faith, our friendships, our marriage, etc.. it’s what makes us human. It’s how we respond to that test that shows who we are as a person.

Did it hurt when we had to say goodbye to Gracelynn and watch her go back to people that we knew wasn’t the best for her? Yes! Did it hurt watching the boys have to suffer for SO long watching their biological parents string them along the entire way, just to disappoint them in the end? Yes! But it’s those trenches that God called us so fully depend on him and trust that everything would work out the way He intended on them to!

I am so glad that I have been through the good times and the not so good times with foster care because I wouldn’t be able to write this post with three beautiful adopted children that I get to call mine each and every day.

So friends, remember that when you are the trenches, it’s only temporary and that you can and will get through it (through faith, prayer, and action)!

Let me know if there is anything that you have questions on that I could help you with! I thank you all for continuing to follow along in our journey and know that I love and appreciate every single one of you!

Adoption, foster

Why foster?

May 2, 2018May 2, 2018by Sheridan JohnsonLeave a Comment

Our+Why

I just wanted to write a post (since May is National fostercare awareness month) and answer a couple of the common questions that we would have wanted to know when we decided to dive into this journey!

After our daughter Rochelle passed away, Shane and I knew that God was calling us to love other children the way we would have loved Rochelle. We knew that we had love to give, and knew that this was our calling that God was leading us to. We did not know one married couple (at the time) who had ever fostered a child (or even adopted) so we definitely had some fears going into this process!

I remember that we googled “foster care in Texas” and what showed up was the state agency in San Antonio, Texas and we knew we had to at least go to the class and find out more information!

The teacher scared us so much and it made us ask ourselves “do we really want to do this” or “can we handle this situation”? There were so many unanswered questions and I truly feel like God just gave us to the answer to say “yes”. Saying yes didn’t mean that we were able to handle all the trauma or have an answer to how Brielle would be affected by accepting a child with trauma into our home.. saying yes meant that we knew we could love another child unconditionally even though we knew that they would most likely have to leave our home. Saying yes meant that we could teach each child about God (even if they were only with us a short amount of time). Saying yes meant that we would pray over the parents that did wrong or made harsh mistakes that had their kid(s) taken away from them. It meant that we were solely depending on God to bring us through it all.

The training classes that we initially took in San Antonio were brutal (and broke us so hard hearing all of the sad stories) but so so worth it! Since the state agency was in no rush to get us to become a licensed home, we switched to another agency (Family Link–in Gonzales, Tx) and were licensed within a month of transferring over!

One common question is how often does reunification actually occur? For us, one child (of the 8 that we fostered) actually were reunified with mom and dad once leaving our house, but have now been removed from them once again. Parents actually don’t have a lot to get done during the time that their child(ren) are in care, so it should sound easy for them to return to them but the average time for the parents to get all their classes done and show proof that they have stayed drug-free is usually 6 months-1 year. What we have seen is that addiction is HARD and we pray for the biological parents all during the process (and even now) that they understand the beauty of what God had given them and that they let that addiction go and be able to love and provide for their child(ren) the way that they should. The main goal in fostercare is to reunify with mom and dad, but so often you see SO much time go by during the case before that is even possible.

Another question is how much do you get paid? Of course money is not why you should be called to do this, but it is part of the process, and does help provide financial aide to you. For basic level of care children (most children are) I believe that each child gets around $650 per month and for moderate level of care I believe it’s between $650-$1,000 a month. I am sure that different agencies follow different guidelines and the amount that foster parents get reimbursed (not sure if it’s the same rate throughout the state)but the money does not go unused. Each child brought to us had very minimal clothing so you have to think that buying them an entire wardrobe is a must, buying diaper/formula, food, and driving to therapy appts, counseling, doctors, and monthly visits with parents and siblings. It is definitely helpful to have during the process.

One of the most important questions regarding Brielle is how does she adjust to “letting go” of the children? Our answer to that is, she has to. We don’t sugarcoat anything with Brielle and we would give her advance warning (if it was given to us) that the child would be leaving our home and returning back to a family member or the parents. Brielle understands that we were there to take care of the child(ren) and to love on them and show them what it feel likes to have your needs met, be clean, and just be given unconditional love. Did it break our hearts when they left? Yes, but Shane and I both feel like Brielle grew up so much the past two years with 8 foster children coming in and out of our of house. The good thing is that three of them stayed and were able to be adopted and become Brielle’s forever sister and brothers.

Just know that even if God doesn’t call you to become a foster parent, there are ways to support other children/families that are in care.

-Meals (cook for the foster families without them having to ask you).

– Training (take some training so that you can babysit the children and let the foster parents have a night off or a weekend off).

-Just schedule a play date with the child(ren) that are in care.

-Just provide an ear (for both the foster parents and the kids and just listen to their struggles and see if their is a way that you are able to help them out).

-There are also ways to help out the agency (by donating gently used clothes or new toys, and more).

-Also if you would like an amazing podcast to listen to, head on over to Risen Motherhood and it will leave you inspired (especially the episode 99 on Foster care and the gospel).

Just remember, when God calls you to it, He will bring you through it.

I hope I was able to give you a little insight into why we chose to go this route and as always, feel free to reach out to me at any of my social media accounts or via email and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Instagram- @sheridanjohnson
Facebook- Journey with the Johnsons
Twitter- @09srl
E-mail- sheridan.johnson12@gmail.com