Becoming a mother at 18 was one of the scariest moment, as theirs NO play book to parenthood. My parenthood started off scary in rocky as my daughter was born January 17th 2006 premature at 4 pounds 12 ounces. I didn't get to see or hold my baby when she first was born because my blood pressure skyrocket. I wasn't able to see my baby girl until 6am the next morning, she was so small and beautiful, I wasn't able to hold her because my blood pressure was quite manageable enough for me to care for her. All my mother could do is lay my baby girl on my chest, she just was sleeping away in heaven. 2 days pass and I'm better only to hear bad news, my baby girl wasn't eating. They tried giving her the bottle but she wasn't drinking it, I tried breastfeeding she didn't want that, so now I'm worried, what happen. Come to find out I ate a full sub the day that I was in labor so she was still eating off of that meal. I've never heard of that but I was like okay, so by day 6 They put a feeding tube down her nose. Baby girl didn't like the feeling of that in her nose she pull it out, they put it back in, she pull it back out, They had to put her fingers in socks to keep her from pulling it out. So two days pass by in the feeding tube is still in her so she begins to vomit. Come to find out they was over feeding her, I was pissed about it so they removed the feeding tube. It took me additional 2 weeks before she actually was eating what the doctor set her goal. All this time I was back and forth to the hospital, couldn't go back to school, because I have an ill baby. So I made an arrangement with my teachers to give my class work and homework to my brother and I'll complete it at home and send it back through. I took my doctor's note to the school to inform them why I'm not present in his class. 2 weeks later I receive a letter in the mail stating that they withdrew me and they will see me next year. OMG!!! WHY did that do that, my mother went crazy, she went past the principal straight to the board of education. We (school principal, my mother, myself and the board of education) had a meeting, I provided them with the same doctor note I gave the school and show them all my grade assignments I had completed from my teachers. Thank God I had kept a copy of my doctor's note plus still had all my assignments, I told once my baby is out of the hospital and we'll to return back to school. I was happy but as mad at the same time, because they drop the ball at the school. I was supposed to be at the hospital with my sick child making sure everything is going well but instead I have a meeting with the school because they would drew me from school because someone didn't handle my paperwork correctly. Now it's February 12th my baby is released from the hospital a day before her due date. Oh I was so happy full of joy but being that her heart rate was so high doing her time at the hospital they had scheduled her a doctor's appointment, 3 day later. I make it to that appointment and the doctor check her heart to make sure everything was normal. It comes back that her heart rate was still at a higher beat so I had to go home with a heart monitor. They explained everything to my and how it goes and what to do if it goes out and how loud it would is, she scheduled a 2 week follow up. I was one scared out of my mind person, I have never seek anything like this. I couldn't bathe her only thing I can do is wash her up because the heart monitor had to be on her all day. On day three of me having them monitor around 2am the monitor went off. Before I could get to the refrigerator of my parents house wish wasn't far from my room, my parents room was farther, my mother was already their she snatch my baby out of my arms and begin checking to see if she breathing. She was breathing well, so we called the 800 number to let them know that the monitor went off and my baby is breathing. That morning bright and early we went back to the doctor, come to find out it was a glitch with in the monitor/device. So they look at the paperwork that was within the monitor to see how her heart rate test went. After viewing her test results come to find out that the steroids that they was giving her was causing her heart rate to spike. So she was able to come off the monitor completely. And that was a huge blessing to me. So I was able to return back to school toward the ending of March 2006, I attended my senior prom and I walk across the stage and received my diploma. That was a bittersweet moment for me, because I had been through a lot within those last two months and still make it across the stage to receive my diploma. My mother cared for my daughter while I was at school, with that help that gave me the opportunity to finish school strong, and I couldn't have been more thankful of my mother and proud of myself because everyone thought I wouldn't graduated. So when I walk across the stage, I wasn't walking across the stage from me, I was walking across the stage from my daughter, my mother and all of my haters that thought I wouldn't graduate. I didn't stop here because 1 year later, at 20 years old I ask to run a car wash detailing business. I never really wash a car like that, but I said YES, so everything was turn over into my name. So I'm learning along the way, and the guys are teaching me how to wash a car and the in and out the basic things. After a month or two, my guys say now show us what you learn, I slam dunk and pull the rim down a success. With me getting to know my working on a personal level I was able to build I great crew of people, everybody respect everyone looked out for each other and make money, I will buy them food here and there to show that I appreciate everything that they did and what they're doing. Thank my customers in ran different deals to show that I appreciate them. Then my daughter felt ill again, so being that her dad did care about anyone be his self, I had a decision to make so I chose to walk away from my business to care for my child. In the midst of me caring for my child I discovered some things that was happen within my relationship, that I was missing because of me running my business taking care of my child alone with cooking and cleaning and everything else. So in 2008 me and my partner had a huge issue and I walked away, also in 2008 I decided to go to college in medical field. Something quick and fast so I decided a trade school, so I graduated in 2009 in the medical field. In 2010 I've had enough of the BS in the relationship I tried to repair, I said I'm truly done so I walked away from the relationship. It's been a struggle for over the years. Trying to be the best mother I can be making the best decision that I think is best for my daughter, the medical field didn't work out for me. But it's nothing that my daughter has ask for that she didn't get, she may have not got it right then when she wanted it but she got it. So now I'm trying to find my way back to own multiple business once again and soon. Now I see the same qualities in my daughter that's now 15 teen, she's a loving person, outgoing, smart, driven, respectful and soon be the next entrepreneur. And ask her mother is my job to make sure she get to the next level or be the next millionaire and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get her their. Theirs no way I can tell my daughter that she can't do anything because anything is possible as long as she put her mind to it, and knowledge is power something that can't never be take away from you. No matter what happens my daughter is my lifeline.

Happy Mother's Day!!!
© LaToya A Mickel