Bloom: finding beauty in the unexpected

We all know that life doesn't always go as planned, especially when it comes to parenthood, but a true parent loves and finds beauty in the unexpected.  Kelle Hampton writes of her journey on an unexpected path of parenthood in her memoir, Bloom: finding beauty in the unexpected (William Morrow, 2012).

Here is the synopsis of Bloom: finding beauty in the unexpected from the jacket cover:

Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me. 

That was the most defining moment of my life.  That was the beginning of my story. 

From the outside looking in, Kelle Hampton had the perfect life: a beautiful two-year-old daughter, a loving husband, a thriving photography career, and great friends. When she learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic. Her pregnancy went smoothly and the ultrasounds showed a beautiful, healthy, high-kicking baby girl. 

But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister, Lainey, had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome—a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle's fear and pain were vanquished by joy, as she embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift. 

Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella's first year of life—a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes. It is a story about embracing life and really living it, of being fearless and accepting difference, of going beyond constricting definitions of beauty, and of the awesome power of perspective. As Kelle writes, "There is us. Our Family. We will embrace this beauty and make something of it. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky."

Bloom: finding beauty in the unexpected is a beautiful memoir that will tug at your heartstrings. I could totally relate to this story, for our family experienced a similar (not the same) unexpected journey, that even though it can be bumpy at times, it really is perfect and beautiful and I certainly wouldn't trade my little man for that child we dreamed of before his arrival, life is different than I expected but it is as it should be and that is the realization the author came to on her journey through life. I thought the author did a great job writing this book in a way the could really reach people, her journey was not always pretty, most of us have some ugly patches along the way if we look at our lives honestly, but her journey is real and Nella is loved and cared for, as it should be. I really enjoyed this book.

 Thank you to Harper Collins for my sample used in this review, opinions are honest.  Review by Michelle.

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