Awesome thread, Chloe!
I'm also a single parent. I was fine throughout the pregnancy, but the moment I held her for the first time and realized I was responsible for this precious life , I had my first parenting "oh crap" moment.
The "oh crap" moments haven't stopped since
She's a pistol, but she has a good heart.
I'm not really big into the dating thing. I'll date, but they have to understand that her needs come first. That's been hard to find, but I love my life so if I find someone to share it with, great. If not, no big deal.
My daughter Shelby is 12 and a typical tween (attitude and all)-that can be difficult to deal with. Once the hormones kicked in, it's been a lot of "fun" keeping myself sane enough to remember that I was there years ago myself and try to help her cope with the changes the way I wish my parents would've responded.
The animals (and we have many of them) have always been a great way to keep our bond fairly strong.
The first picture attached was taken a few years ago at my parents house. They only live 10 minutes from us. Far enough to keep their interference minimal, but close enough so we can see them fairly often.
The second picture is last Halloween.