It's her Strawberry

Brooke has two little hemangiomas that appeared a couple weeks after she was born. A hemangioma is a collection of blood vessels that make a raised, red birthmark. The one on her head looked like a little scratch at first, but now it has grown bigger. The other one is by her ribs, and that one hasn't seemed to grow too much. I have had friends whose kids had them, and theirs went away as they grew up. Now, I know that it's nothing more than a cosmetic issue for Brooke. Hers are not in places that can be dangerous for her hearing, sight, or growth of her skull. Still, I worry. Of course, people ask about it a lot as it is getting bigger. Almost every single kid that looks at her asks about it. Again, I should not be bothered by it at all. There are a million other things that could be way more serious, but I still hope that it goes away before it starts to bother her. They say most go away by the time they are 2, so it shouldn't be a big deal for her. I did read, though, that sometimes the scalp hemangiomas will kill all the hair follicles in that area and create a bald spot. That would be kinda sad to deal with. I know that kids can find something to tease every one about. I was picked on about my buck teeth, my ridiculously long, skinny fingers, and my hairy arms. I got passed it, and I know our kids will too! I remember coming home crying one day about some name that somebody called me, and my dad said, "Are they perfect?" When I said, "No." He said, "Well, just ignore them because nobody is perfect." After that, I did just ignore most of what people said about me. That's not to say that words aren't hurtful, but you need to believe in who you are and be proud of that no matter what people say about your appearance. Anyway, off my soapbox now...I just do not look forward to that day when Brooke or any of the girls come home and feel bad about themselves because of what a stupid boy said. I saw a Dove commercial the other day that said 6 out of 10 girls will quit doing what they love because they feel bad about the way they look. That broke my heart, and I hope to be able to instill a confidence in my girls to do whatever makes their hearts happy no matter what they look like!

Kacy just started to be bothered by Brooke's birthmarks. She said the other day, "I don't like that thing on Brooke." I told her that it's her strawberry, not a "thing", and she is super cute with her special little mark. She thought for a moment, then said, "Yeah, her cute always."