Way to Parent

(June 26) -- A Florida mother is being investigated after she posted a photo on Facebook showing her infant son apparently smoking a bong.


The photo shows the 11-month-old baby in a diaper, sitting on a carpet with his face leaning over the glass smoking pipe.

The baby's 19-year-old mother claims the pipe didn't have tobacco or drugs in it at the time, and that the boy didn't inhale any smoke. She says she posted the photo online as a joke to show one of her friends.

This disturbing photograph showing a baby apparently smoking a bong has sparked a fury. The 11-month-old boy's teenage mother from Florida snapped the photo to show a friend and posted it online.

The picture was widely distributed around the Internet, and eventually landed on the desks of Florida child protection officers, who didn't think it was so funny. The state Department of Children and Families has launched an investigation into the woman's parenting skills, and says she could face charges if it's revealed that the child was exposed to drugs.
"We are alarmed that any parent would take pictures of their child next to what is obviously drug paraphernalia," department spokesman John Harrell said in comments carried by several news outlets.
The Florida TV station WJXT used Facebook messaging to contact the woman, who lives in Keystone Heights, northwest of Gainsville, and questioned her about the photo.
"If u look at the picture u can see that there is no bowl in the TABACCO pipe," she responded, with grammatical and spelling errors. "And i took a pic to show one (expletive) person and it was a mistake. I would never ever ever let him get high."
The mother is undergoing drug tests as part of the investigation, and her son is being examined by state doctors, she said. In her interview with the TV station, the unnamed woman accused the media of getting her into trouble.
"Do you realise how serious this is? i can go to jail and he can be taken away from me. WHY would you do something so (expletive) stupid?" she asked. "i know what i did was stupid but i would NEVER put by baby in harm. im so nice to everyone idk (I don't know) why you would do this to me."
 
I say she got what she deserved...
 

What's Next?

The Mr. and I are now in a find money any way we can mode. We are collecting cans, bottles, newspaper, and cardboard to recycle. We are going through our possessions, asking others for donations of items they no longer want or need and then trying to sell them to make some cash. We are saving any money we get for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas.

Even with all of this work and effort it will take a long time to get to our goal but every dollar is a step towards that goal. It is sometimes hard to think that after all of this an IVF treatment can still end in a BFN. I pray we are one of the lucky ones, those couples who go through one IVF and get the child they have been dreaming of.

When will it get easier?

Writing this post is difficult. I hope that no one is hurt or offended because that is not what I want. I just really need to work through my emotions.

 A baby is a blessing. But these feelings just keep bubbling up. It feels like I am having panic attacks.

Everyday I feel bombarded with "I'm pregnant" announcements, sonogram photos, baby bump photos... and it makes my heart sink. I should just be able to suck it up and be able to congratulate everyone. I should be able to walk past the baby section with out feeling like the breath has been knocked out of me. I should be able to go to baby showers without wanting to lock myself in the bathroom till its over. I should be able to hold a new baby, instead I am terrified someone will hand one to me.

I LOVE my friends!
I LOVE that the large majority of my friends are able to have children with little to no trouble!

BUT

I HATE that I cannot be in the same boat as them. It hurts.