Welcome to Tatum’s Tales. Tatum's Tales features children who have rare genetic diseases, syndromes, and other special kids. Parents submit a story about their child and in exchange for sharing their story on the blog I give the family a complimentary mini session. Please leave uplifting comments to show your support for these children and families. Even better, share this to your facebook and/or instagram page so more people can hear their amazing stories!


The Harbin Family and their sweet Tatum, in heaven, are the inspiration for Tatum’s Tales. Please be sure to read Part 1 first: https://sarahthompsonpricephotography.mypixieset.com/blog/tatums-tales-part-1/


And if you haven't read Part 2: https://sarahthompsonpricephotography.mypixieset.com/blog/tatums-tales-part-2/

Tatum's Tales: Part 3

Whew! What year is it?! Time is flying and the years are going by so fast that I can’t even keep up! Just when you believe that the picture you imagined of your family is complete, you get a tug in your gut that tells you something is missing. In 2014, when we buried our sweet princess, Tatum, we were so unsure of what parenthood would look like moving forward. In 2017 God gave us Hope, literally. She was a missing piece to our family that we didn’t even realize we needed.

In 2019 that tug I felt, was stronger than ever. There was still something missing. We loved our angel baby and the joy she brought us and continued to bring others. We loved Hope and wanted to give her the best life possible and watch her grow into a beautiful young lady. However, there was still a missing piece. I kept bringing it up in conversation or saying how much fun it would be. Then one day we scheduled an appointment to take another leap of faith and take one more shot at fertility.

The chances of Gary and I having another baby eMected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) was 25% too high for us to give it a go naturally. We were not sure if our hearts could take another tragic loss. We knew that there were risks and other complications to worry about with fertility, but something felt right about the timing and once the conversation got more serious, the appointment was made with Nashville Fertility Clinic. We met with doctors, talked about our options, and a couple of months later scheduled our second round of Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). The experience alone came with emotions that I was not quite ready for but, throw in some additional hormones and you could find me in a puddle on the floor most days. I worked with my husband at the time, so my schedule had become slightly more flexible to allow for the extra tiredness that I was not expecting and the nausea that made it diMicult to do simple tasks.

On July 8th, 2019, I was able to take my first test after insemination. We were at our lake house celebrating the holiday weekend after Independence Day. I woke up early before anyone was awake and took the pregnancy test. Likely, the longest three minutes of my entire life. I was so nervous and wanted this so badly! I wanted to have another baby and complete our family. It only felt right. DING! The timer went oM. It was negative. I threw it in the garbage can and went back to bed. I crawled next to Gary and Hope, who ended up in our bed every night, and cried. I was crushed. I hugged Hope tighter than I thought possible and prayed to God that I was making the right decision for myself and our family.

I called the following business day and scheduled a follow up appointment with the fertility clinic to talk about our next insemination. I wasn’t sure I was ready, but that tug in my gut wasn’t going away and something was telling me this would work out. I had moments of doubt, fear, and lots of worry. I questioned my decision more times than I want to admit. I wasn’t always 100% sure this was the right plan for me but again, it just felt right.

We had our final round of insemination, and I could take a test as early as the beginning of August. On August 4th and just 4 days before our angel baby’s birthday, I got to jump around my house and ugly cry! I was going to have a baby!!!!!

We were so excited. I couldn’t help but to tell all my close friends and family. I was going to wait and do a cute surprise for everyone around 12 weeks but decided my heart couldn’t take the secrecy. I needed to tell the whole world that I got to bring another miracle into this world and love them like crazy! Hope was over the moon and Gary was equally as excited.

Little did we know this was just the start of the fun. Hormone levels were good and where they needed to be, and supplements were only needed for the first trimester. That sounds easy right? Sure, it was. For most women. I was a diMerent type of pregnant this time. The nausea turned to all day vomiting (TMI, sorry) and a few hospital visits over the course of the first 3 months. To say I was miserable would have been an understatement. I was so sick. I lost so much weight and just felt miserable, but I needed this pregnancy to remain viable. I need a healthy baby!

October 2019, IT'S A GIRL!!!! When we found out we were having another baby girl, my family became complete. We were so excited and to Gary’s dismay, the planning and buying of new little baby girl items began!!! The remainder of my pregnancy was uneventful, aside from the all-day nausea. My last baby shower was one of my favorites as all my closest friends and family came to celebrate the arrival of this sweet baby girl! We were almost there... but then, COVID.

We were having a baby at the beginning of a pandemic! My biggest fear was that Gary would not be able to be there with me during delivery. Thankfully, on April 4th 2020 he was able to be there for delivery of our last little baby! It was strange in comparison to my delivery with Tatum. It was just Gary, me, and Mia. No visitors, no pretty balloons or flowers, no smiling faces. Just masks, one nurse, one pediatrician, and one night in the hospital. Because Mia was healthy and I was also doing well following delivery, I wanted out of there as fast as possible. I needed my family! We were discharged within 24 hours and home with our new baby. Let the snuggles begin!

Having the ability to physically bring a baby into this world is something so special and is truly a gift. God knew that my heart needed another baby. He knew that I needed another baby girl. He knew my heart and gave us the means to make this miracle happen. A healthy, beautiful baby girl is what completed our little family.

Our journey into parenthood is unlike most peoples but the part that makes this special is that Tatum was a part of each moment. Whether we send her balloons on

birthdays, see butterflies on a walk, or just simply talk about her as if she is right there with us, she remains a huge part of our story. It all started with having our miracle baby and getting to spend 6 amazing months with her while making as many memories as possible. Then, God said, hold on I have one more surprise and allowed us to emotionally, and literally find Hope through adoption. Finally, ending our story with a beautiful, sweet, loving little girl that has the prettiest smiles and gives the best hugs!

I had no idea at 21 years old what our journey would look like. I know now that God’s plan was always the right one. Even in those moments when I felt like I had failed, made the wrong choice, or was simply exhausted, his plan was still being brought to light. I know that I am so grateful for all my girls and the love and light that they bring to those around us.

Tatum, Hope, and Mia. My 3 miracles that define who I am as a mother and a woman. They are fierce, strong, and amazing little girls who will always be my WHY. Being a girl mom is one of my most favorite things and God knew I needed them even before I did!