Just to clarify, Reece was sober when we met. He talks about being in active addiction while he was with his x ..who had a son. Not me. Also Riley is his biological daughter, Micah is his "step" daughter. We will tell her when she is ready. We are not hiding anything from her and if she asked me today, I'd tell her. When the time is right we will all sit down and tell her everything we can (age appropriate) Also.. You guys can ask me ANYTHING. However, if its hateful, mean or nasty .. I will block you. Thank you all for understanding 💗 Xo
Sister Christina (I can't call you grandma because we are the exact same age, LOL!), don't act like your hubby is not the exact same way! You two are just as sweet as Jessica and Reese!!!
I have no “reason” to watch your videos- none of it “relates” to me or my life- and yet here I am in tears EVERY time you speak. You and Reece are so inspiring and I am so proud of y’all!
I have never seen a Mother so determined to have and love her child! Your daughter is so lucky and will be so proud of you some day. So many children do not have this love and commitment. Your partner is such a wonderful, kind and honest man. No wonder you two are together! Beautiful couple.
None of it is Reeves fault. He's missing the part that social support organizations does not want a Dad to be close to any daughter. Props to him for trying his best and pretending he needs to try harder. He seems to accept being told what to do and sitting quietly.
Wow...it’s so amazing to see TWO recovering addicts change their lives and do so good. Recovering addict here. Struggling on and off for 10 years and proud to say I have a year sober and this time is it. I made it. Love you Jess!
as a fatherless child, this video made my heart ache. I can only wish to find someone as willing, persistent and loving as reece seems, for my future children to have.
My mom started dating my stepdad when I was 21, but I call him dad. He's the best. He tries to make up for what I didn't have, which is impossible, but I have a dad now. I wish my mom met him when I was younger though...
i LOVE how Reece says in the beginning, “when WE got mika back”. sorry if i didn’t spell her name right. that made my heart smile just hearing that because my brother-in-law took in my nephew & adopted my nephew when he isn’t my nephew’s biological father. kudos to you Reece!! i love you guys so much & your channel
I LOVE how much respect y'all have for her foster parents! So many bad stories are heard about foster care but those people sound like what foster parents should be like in the perfect world. You & your daughter were obviously so incredibly lucky!!!
Having a photo album of a time line for Micah is a good idea and a way to open up and talk about all this. You could have one photo of her bio dad in their and photos of her when she was with her foster family and then photos of you and Reece dating and then all of you together. Thats what I had when I was adopted. It help me put it into a time line and ask questions at my own pace. Just a thought.
this is actually called mapping & can be used to teach kids a lot of things!! its a lot easier for them to grasp than simply telling them. 100% reccomend this ❤
the way she gently jumped in with the timeout and "he's a veteran". What a good moment. The empathy and understanding and kindness is just so nice to see you have.
when you asked him if Micah was his daughter and he said yes you smiled and I could feel the happiness and love radiating off of you and awww I'm so happy for you
I can see how much he loves your daughter, and I can see he fell for her right away- the way he remembered buying her birthday cake and corrected you on how old she was at the time. That girl had his heart from the start ♥️
Reece is as much Micah’s (I’m sorry if I spelled that wrong) daddy as Jessica is her mom. He loves her, he’s a constant in her life, and he will protect her in any situation. There are plenty of biological dads who don’t offer as much to their children as Reece does for his girls. His love for his family is so obvious. ❤️
I was put in foster care when I was little because my mother's boyfriend abused me. I wish my mother tried as hard as you did to get me back but she did not so I stayed in foster care for a few more years and then I was put back with my mother. Your daughter will grow up one day and truly realize the gift you gave her in fighting for her and you will never know how much that will mean to her! You say you did not know how to be a mother at first but you obviously were more of a mother in the first two years than some others are in their whole lifetime of being moms!!!
Reece is such an amazing guy. I wish I had a dad like Reece. Thank you guys for being open and honest with us, because this video is going to help SO many. Love you guys.
I have PTSD (not from war) so I know what you mean by it's hard to get close to people. Y'all are amazing! I'm so happy to see how far y'all have come together. 💗💕💗💕💗
Ptsd isnt just from war.I have ptsd from being in jail and being homeless. I have nightmares where I wake up with my heart racing or sweating or I can't breathe
Y’all take a good look, that’s a real man!! All you single mothers out there, learn from Jess. You don’t have to introduce your child to every boyfriend you have, take your time!! I’m so proud of y’all!! I’ve been through a very similar journey and I know how hard it is but y’all did it right and still are!! 💕
Jessica shows you that you can change your life around, you don't need to stay in the same place, people love and care about you. I don't know you, but I know that if you take everything day by day, you can get through everything, just remember to have HOPE! People do care!
I am truly so encouraged by this channel. I know people love it for all different reasons, and mine is seeing what kind of life can emerge when we're purely, painfully honest--with both others AND ourselves. Thank you for sharing the struggles you've faced and continue to face. It helps more than I can express.
You should do a video talking about Riley. I would love to hear more on her and what it was like to become a mother again and the difference it was between having Micah to having Riley Also I love your videos so much !!!
Jessica you really let your parter speak and be heard and he does the same for you, I don't see that very often when UA-camrs feature their significant other. Love that !
I have so much appreciation for how you, Reese, really looked into yourself and put thought into what you could provide for a child emotionally. I think many people meet a child and think "oh she's so cute and sweet" and they fall in love with that child and think that means they'll be able to be a parent but it's so much more responsible to actually think about what you want and can provide for a child. I think that alone shows that you are a good parent
And i cried on the calling Reese “Dad” thing. Good tears. My ex and I were never in jail or prison. You don’t automatically know how to be a parent. You learn on the job.
The look on Jessicas face when Reece is talking in the visual definition of love, respect and admiration. I'm so PROUD of you guys and I've never even met y'all.. Congratulations on winning at life.
Congratulations to you both on your sobriety! I also commend Reece for taking on the daddy role to Micah...my dad is technically my step dad, but he’s raised me since I was 3. I remember the day I started calling him dad ❤️ anyone can be a father, it takes a special man to be a daddy! I’ve been in the same situation as Micah, and in my honest opinion...give her the choice and don’t force it. For as far as she is concerned, she has a dad! I don’t have a relationship with my sperm donor...I have the dad I need even if he isn’t biological ❤️
This was so good!! I loved seeing Reece's point of view on bonding with Micha and his reservations towards knowing if it was a situation he'd be able to withstand. Very insightful for me! He's done amazing and is such a great man. Thank you so much for sharing; your family is beautiful ♥️♥️♥️
honestly you two are the perfect example of why people are not their circumstances. you both deserve a good, happy, healthy life and family and i am so glad you found the strength within yourselves and with each other to seek what you deserve. sending all my love to your adorable family jess. also reece was amazing in this video! i truly appreciate his honesty.
STANDING APPLAUSE 👏 FOR BOTH OF YOU‼️.....I totally respect the amount of honesty coming through here from both of you. As a guy, I really appreciate Reece being EXTREMELY honest about things....for example, when he said about smashing it! As always, thanks for being so brave to put this online. You two inspire many!
Watching this makes me sad that you both are struggling in different ways. Depression/breakups/splitting things can not only be brutal, but they can kick your mentality. Just know you got one more on your team both for you and the girls and for reece. Coming from a family where my mom ran a detox, I have seen both ends. Then experienced it through others. Day by day, this too shall pass my mom would say. I say keep your head above water, eat yummy food and sometimes just dance it out! Love you :)
You two are SO sweet, honest & real. I just have great admiration for the way you have built this life together! Love watching your videos! It's obvious you have deep love & respect for one another. It's always been just my daughters & I together against the world. I did remarry at one point and it was horrible for me & them. We survived it, worked through it. My girls are grown now with daughters of their own. I get to be Nana and it's beautiful! So thank you for sharing from your hearts!
It is so sweet how you look at Reece! You can clearly see how much love, respect, and appreciation you have for him! It is nice to know that there are a few good men out there! I went through a similar situation to yours, and I am happy to say that I have found a great guy as well! Love your videos and hearing your story! ❤️
I don't know how I came across you or your channel, none of it "relates" to my life in a literal way, but damn... I admire you in so many ways. You go, girl. You both are inspirations. Also warms my heart to know as flawed as the system can be you were able to keep your head down and do what you needed to get your daughter home where she belongs. You guys are incredible.
Oh Jess!! I cried with you when Reece was explaining how you guys became whole as a family with the addition of Riley. Y'all are amazing people and parents!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I would love to see you and Jessica get together and have a happy life together. With the little ones and just take it one day at a time and have the life you always wanted.
You guys are definitely a team! I'm so glad u made this video! Jess, it allowed u to open up even more about your past and I absolutely, 100%, know u guys are going to be okay. Like my favorite saying goes..."The light at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion, the tunnel is." Keep your chin up girl, u are both AWESOME!
The way Reece explains he thought and how he took so much into consideration, you can tell he really cares and that beautiful! I am so happy for all of you 💙💙🌻☮️💙🎶
This is such a beautiful story. You guys are such a nice family. It’s so nice to see how you both were able to turn your lives around and give your children a great life. I can’t even take how sweet it is how Reese transitioned into being a dad and how loving and caring he is. The end of this video made me tear up when you started to cry and told him what a good dad he is and that you love him. Such a sweet story. Thank you so much for sharing.
Raised 4 kiddos. You 2 are doing a great job. Let him be a pushover. Good cop, bad cop really works. Gives kids the ability to have 2 different kinds of parents to approach. In the end they understand as grown up. We laugh about it now. Enjoy parenthood. ❤️❤️
It’s soooo amazing to hear how desperately a mommy tried to never let go of her baby, against all odds. Alone, the two of you were broken. Together, with two (or 3) little pieces in the middle, you create a family unit. I truly pray you guys NEVER forget to celebrate each day together like it’s a new beginning.🦋 👣 👣 👣 👣 👣
Love how honest he is !! My kids have an amazing step father and my daughter was 5 when we got together, he was on drug court and I was coming out of a crazy addiction and marriage at the time , some how we helped each other , and one day she started calling him daddy J , yes she knew her real dad but he was in prison which we would take her to see him , but the dads at school were diff then what she had , so she seen jake being the working constant person... love this I cried with u !!
You two are so inspiring! My fiance and I used before we meet each other, used together, got clean together, have stayed clean for four years and have a one year old.honeatly, we thought we were the only ones that had a 180 degree turn around. I have been searching for years to find a voice that I related too! I'm so fucking grateful I found your channel!!!!!!! Thank you so much for all you guys do!!!!!!!!!!
I love that y’all shared this! My story isn’t exactly the same but similar in ways. I was away from my daughter from age 10 months to 22 months while in recovery. I went to rehab and sober living about 900 miles away from home and my mom took care of my baby. About a year after returning I met my now fiancé. My daughter’s bio-dad is not in the picture. It took her about 2 years but she has started calling him dad. When you said that you realized the word dad was missing from her vocabulary and she needed it.... girl I cried! My Londyn was exactly the same! She started saying dad and daddy so often. We are fortunate to have wonderful men in our lives and in our babies lives! Thank y’all for sharing this! So much love to you!
Aw. I'm rewatching alot of these videos, as my insomnia kicks my ass tonight. I love the honesty with you both. It's crazy cause you and reece story is so much like mine and my husbands story. I never made it to prison but VERY CLOSE. I graduated a treatment court program 7 years ago that I was in for 2years. thank god cause that was my last stop before prison. I admire you Jessica.
I so enjoyed watching you two together. Reece did such a great job. He was so honest and genuine, which is hard to do with a camera in your face! Girl, loved this video and all your other videos too! Recovering addict here, and it’s so inspiring to see other recovering addicts who genuinely speak their Truth and are doing so well In their recovery. Thanks girl for helping to inspire me. P.s I love your ending sign off. “Stay safe, stay sober”. Love ya girl!
Jessica, I have found your channel recently and watched many of your videos. You are incredible and I love that you and your family are on this journey together. It’s absolutely beautiful and your hard work and gratitude shines through in every video. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. 💗
I know this is an older video, but I just want to say how impressive you two are. So many others who don’t get clean and/or sober when they have kids. Jessica, your story of being pregnant in prison, and your delivery.....that just about killed me. When you told your baby “I’ll come back for you”....that was SO powerful. You are an incredible woman, and if you were my daughter I would be dang proud of you. God bless you & your husband and children.
This is awesome. Everyone says people don't change - people do change. They just cannot be made to change. Y'all have an amazing story and, from what you show, have been absolutely amazing in your new lives.
I recently found your channel and have been binge watching your videos. I am loving hearing everyone's stories. I, myself, have never been an addict but have had lots of people in my life who have been/are addicts. My best friend is currently a few months out of rehab and I have always always stuck by his side and always will. I just love hearing it from the perspective of others that have been in this situation and it just opens my eyes up to a lot more for sure. Thanks for being so open and honest about everything and having others on your channel that do the same, it's really appreciated! :)
This story sounds so much like mine. I was five months pregnant with my son when I started dating my now husband. I had a five year injunction from the bio father and after that, he hasn’t actively sought to see his son. Although neither my husband or I ever talk bad about the bio dad, I’m fine with this and I feel like my son is better off. My son has known since he could understand (about 4 or 5) that he had two dads. It’s something we didn’t want to spring on him one day. He has a younger sister and brother now and is an awesome kid. Im proud of you Jessica for how you’ve turned your life around and made a great life for your family. I’m glad you have Reece. He seems like a good guy and an awesome dad.
I’ve recently found your UA-cam and can I just say I love you and your family!! I love the honesty. You guys own the mistakes you’ve made and make choices everyday to keep doing better!! Recovery does happen and it’s so worth it!!
This speaks volumes to me and I absolutely love & appreciate your channel. I think y'all are amazing! My husband and I lost custody to our now 5 year old son (to my dad) when he was 3 1/2 due to herion addiction. We have been clean for almost a year and a half, have our own place, great jobs, vehicles and most importantly our son back full time & GOD! Again, I really appreciate your channel and I relate on so many levels. God bkess yall & we do recover!!!
I know I am one year late, but I just found your channel. I just wanted to tell Reese thank you for his service to our country & thank you for stepping up to care for a child that wasn't yours, with much thought, too-! You guys rock! (My grandson's name is Riley, too!)
I love this video!! It’s so so soo sweet!❤️❤️❤️ Jessica, girl, I love you SO MUCH but this video gave me some serious feels and this comment is for Reese. I was in foster care and eventually adopted. I understand my situation is a bit different but hear me out! I have never referred to my biological father as “Dad.” That right is reserved for the man who raised me. There’s a different bond there, and even though it took some time, he was willing and filled so much emptiness in my heart. I didn’t feel like an outsider, or that I wasn’t 100% his kid in every single way. Biological relations weren’t of more importance, and it was extremely obvious to me. That was just something I knew and eventually never thought twice about. I cried to him. I laughed with him. We got into trouble. (Silly trouble, like ice cream before dinner.) He gave me sound advice. Taught me how to ride a bike, change a flat tire and say the word no, as I was very timid myself. Most importantly, through all of this he made me strong. I know a lot of kids who were in the system and being a young adult now and knowing how my life would’ve easily ended up I am forever grateful to my Dad for being so determined to love me like his own, no matter what crap I tried to pull. (And boy, did I try. 😂). I guess I’m really just trying to tell you to keep it up, and more importantly, thank you. You have absolutely no idea what a profound difference you are making in her life just by showing up for the small things. LOVE YOU GUYS!!!❤️
Ok.... my heart you guys!!! When he says, “when we got her back”. 😭😭😭. I grew up with a step dad from age 5-18 and he would have never said that. I just love you both!
It is beyond crazy how many similarities there are in your life and mine. Literally all the way from addiction, jail, meeting my fiance while actively fighting for my 2 children, his past compared with your husband's. It's literally like watching and listening to mine and my fiances life together over the past 8 and a half years. I honestly want to thank you for being brave enough to share your whole story. That is something I have struggled with for a long time. Not that I dont talk about my past, I do and I am beyond proud of all of my accomplishments, but I have been going back and forth on writing a book about my life and all of my struggles and accomplishments. But watching your videos has instilled this want in me as well as no fear anymore. Thanks so much, and congrats on all of your accomplishments, both of you! Oh also we literally went through the whole thing you are going through with your first daughter, with my daughter as well. She thought someone else was her dad, until she was 12 and we sat her down and told her because she was asking wierd questions. It's hard but you are doing the right thing, believe me.
I love you guys together, your honesty and how supportive he's been with everything because you deserve it! ❤️ it's amazing to see someone do a complete 360 with their life.
This is so beautiful🖤 I love how REAL and raw you both are, you're not trying to impress anyone, just tell your story w/ the bad things BUT also show all the hard work you both put into changing your life around, and that has won me over😍🤗 I see a lot of myself in both of you and it's nice to see people I can relate too, thank you🖤
You guys are literally amazing. You have both turned your lives around and made something wonderful. I don't know either of you, but I am PROUD of you. Good for you.
What a beautiful & inspiring story. I love you two together..Thank You for sharing your story. You are definitely blessed together. Those kiddos are incredibly fortunate. 💜🙏🏻
Coming from another drug addicted accidental parent..i totally understand how hard it can be and how hard we are on ourselves. I was 21 when i had my son and i was active in my addiction when I got pregnant. It has been a hard journey to get to where we are now. Im 29 now and Im finally stable..about to move into our own place. It feels good. But I dont think there will ever be a time that im not questioning if I'm doing things right. I think if you are trying your best then you are an amazing parent. As long as you're trying and researching and always improving then youre great! My son has a daddy that was there since he was 1 and recently in the last few years his bio father has been seeing him at least once a month. Its hard but im hopeful that one day we will all be able to coparent and be on the same page. Good luck you guys.
Reece doesn’t give himself enough credit. You can tell he’s a good man just by how humble he is even though he’s accomplished all that he has. You’ve got a winner Jess! Love watching your videos. Love what you guys stand for. I’m 4 years clean and have a 1 year old son. I too lived that fast life since I was 13. 25 now and have a good job, our own house. Sobriety is good
Oh my gosh when Reese said that having Riley completed y’all’s family & filled the void that y’all had been searching to fill your entire lives I started bawling.
This is so beautiful, I grew up with a dad who wasn't my biological father and although he had his own issues with addiction, it takes a really big man to step up and raise and love a kid that isn't biologically his own, Reece is 100% a great (and funny) guy and him and Micah both are so lucky. Keep doing you, guys! you're both such great role models to us who have struggled.
So excited to watch this. My heart is so happy for you that you got your girl back. The state bullied my adopted daughter out of her first son and had him severed and adopted by four months. They used her Irish twin pregnancy as a weapon against her and told her they would take her second son too if she didn't sign off on her first. She came to me as a teen in the system and they played that for all it was worth. Since I wasn't legally her Mama they said she couldn't live with me and the day she moved out they took her first son. He was adopted by a case worker. Watching you talk about Micah brings me so much joy for you and your girl. I am so proud of you. Your Reese is adorable too. Thank you so much for sharing.
Just to clarify, Reece was sober when we met. He talks about being in active addiction while he was with his x ..who had a son. Not me. Also Riley is his biological daughter, Micah is his "step" daughter. We will tell her when she is ready. We are not hiding anything from her and if she asked me today, I'd tell her. When the time is right we will all sit down and tell her everything we can (age appropriate) Also.. You guys can ask me ANYTHING. However, if its hateful, mean or nasty .. I will block you. Thank you all for understanding 💗 Xo
❤❤
Micah is his bonus kid! I hate the word step lol.
Micah is his bonus daughter! You guys are amazing parents. Micah and Riley are so lucky to have you both. 💖
@@christyinthecarolinas Bonus kid!!!. Omg i love it 🤗💗
Jessica Kent You didn’t need to explain. I was able to follow Reece’s timeline. I love what your channel brings to UA-cam.
Awww I love how open and honest Reece is ❤️
I AGREE Grandma Christina!! 💖💖
Me too
Grandma Christina, I love you 💖
Christina Randall I unequivocally agree.💜👍🏻
Sister Christina (I can't call you grandma because we are the exact same age, LOL!), don't act like your hubby is not the exact same way! You two are just as sweet as Jessica and Reese!!!
I have no “reason” to watch your videos- none of it “relates” to me or my life- and yet here I am in tears EVERY time you speak. You and Reece are so inspiring and I am so proud of y’all!
You should seek medical help. Psychiatrist preferably...
Same in my case, I am hooked because they are so adorable, inspiring, I love them!❤️
I have never seen a Mother so determined to have and love her child! Your daughter is so lucky and will be so proud of you some day. So many children do not have this love and commitment. Your partner is such a wonderful, kind and honest man. No wonder you two are together! Beautiful couple.
Amen!
None of it is Reeves fault. He's missing the part that social support organizations does not want a Dad to be close to any daughter. Props to him for trying his best and pretending he needs to try harder. He seems to accept being told what to do and sitting quietly.
Wow...it’s so amazing to see TWO recovering addicts change their lives and do so good. Recovering addict here. Struggling on and off for 10 years and proud to say I have a year sober and this time is it. I made it. Love you Jess!
Congratulations on one year! That’s awesome 👏😊💖
Rebecca Hilliard congratulations on your one year!!!
I am SO proud of you! keep it up! we're all rooting for you!
Rebecca Hilliard SO proud of you. You’re amazing
That’s amazing, congrats!!!
How can anyone dislike this video! Ugh! Haters are up early this am! 🤣❤️
Yay haters 🤗 I have officially arrived 😂🎉🙏
Haters gonna hate (and need a lot of love, Lord help em)
Christina Randall I ask the same thing, why would someone watch something they didn’t like! People got nothing better to do
Haters don’t sleep. Too busy hating on amazing people!
I was thinking the same thing!!! People are jerks!!
as a fatherless child, this video made my heart ache. I can only wish to find someone as willing, persistent and loving as reece seems, for my future children to have.
My mom started dating my stepdad when I was 21, but I call him dad. He's the best. He tries to make up for what I didn't have, which is impossible, but I have a dad now. I wish my mom met him when I was younger though...
griffin shields you will😘😇💙
We wanna hear the Reece’s story of addiction and recovery
i LOVE how Reece says in the beginning, “when WE got mika back”. sorry if i didn’t spell her name right. that made my heart smile just hearing that because my brother-in-law took in my nephew & adopted my nephew when he isn’t my nephew’s biological father. kudos to you Reece!! i love you guys so much & your channel
YES... I thought that was super sweet too!!! 💖
It's Micah
I LOVE how much respect y'all have for her foster parents! So many bad stories are heard about foster care but those people sound like what foster parents should be like in the perfect world. You & your daughter were obviously so incredibly lucky!!!
Having a photo album of a time line for Micah is a good idea and a way to open up and talk about all this. You could have one photo of her bio dad in their and photos of her when she was with her foster family and then photos of you and Reece dating and then all of you together.
Thats what I had when I was adopted. It help me put it into a time line and ask questions at my own pace. Just a thought.
This is a great idea.
this is actually called mapping & can be used to teach kids a lot of things!! its a lot easier for them to grasp than simply telling them. 100% reccomend this ❤
the way she gently jumped in with the timeout and "he's a veteran". What a good moment. The empathy and understanding and kindness is just so nice to see you have.
I thought that too! And the way he immediately stopped talking ... their communication is SO great, it really is not that easy!
when you asked him if Micah was his daughter and he said yes you smiled and I could feel the happiness and love radiating off of you and awww I'm so happy for you
Emily Lerman omg I saw that in her eyes too!
I can see how much he loves your daughter, and I can see he fell for her right away- the way he remembered buying her birthday cake and corrected you on how old she was at the time. That girl had his heart from the start ♥️
Reece is as much Micah’s (I’m sorry if I spelled that wrong) daddy as Jessica is her mom. He loves her, he’s a constant in her life, and he will protect her in any situation. There are plenty of biological dads who don’t offer as much to their children as Reece does for his girls. His love for his family is so obvious. ❤️
“I definitely knew I wanted to smash” 🤣 I am dead.
He's ridiculous 😂
😆😆😆😆
I was put in foster care when I was little because my mother's boyfriend abused me. I wish my mother tried as hard as you did to get me back but she did not so I stayed in foster care for a few more years and then I was put back with my mother. Your daughter will grow up one day and truly realize the gift you gave her in fighting for her and you will never know how much that will mean to her! You say you did not know how to be a mother at first but you obviously were more of a mother in the first two years than some others are in their whole lifetime of being moms!!!
Here for the tea 🍵 🐸💙
💗☕
My two favorite people ❤️
💜💜🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
OMFG grandma Christina!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi auntie Christina 💜💜💜
When Jess said 'I love you' and Reece thanked her, made my heart melt ❤️
reece is so well-spoken! i can see he rly thinks about what he wants to express and say it’s just really genuine
Thank you for your service, Reece!
Mad respect to men who parent another man’s child. 👏
Reece is such an amazing guy. I wish I had a dad like Reece. Thank you guys for being open and honest with us, because this video is going to help SO many. Love you guys.
I wish i could find a guy like Reece! 😉
LOL had to like when he said “knew I wanted to smash” 😂😂😂 ah romance
Isnt he ridiculous 😂
LMAO
Bev Matthews I laughed so hard
I instantly liked him at that point! The honestly! I love it.
@@jeffjavens1215 right!!
I have PTSD (not from war) so I know what you mean by it's hard to get close to people. Y'all are amazing! I'm so happy to see how far y'all have come together. 💗💕💗💕💗
Ptsd isnt just from war.I have ptsd from being in jail and being homeless. I have nightmares where I wake up with my heart racing or sweating or I can't breathe
Y’all take a good look, that’s a real man!!
All you single mothers out there, learn from Jess. You don’t have to introduce your child to every boyfriend you have, take your time!! I’m so proud of y’all!! I’ve been through a very similar journey and I know how hard it is but y’all did it right and still are!! 💕
How do you know whether or NOT she actually did introduced Micah to any man except for Reece?
My heart breaks for his first wife. Imagine rewatching this and hearing that he never loved you. And you MARRIED this person…
I cry almost every time you speak. I love listing to your stories which gives me such hope and supports. My life at the moment is in shambles.
Jessica shows you that you can change your life around, you don't need to stay in the same place, people love and care about you. I don't know you, but I know that if you take everything day by day, you can get through everything, just remember to have HOPE! People do care!
My life is in shambles too...I'm here looking for...hard to say it out loud.
You should have wayyyy more than subscribers than you do, this channel is underrated....
I am truly so encouraged by this channel. I know people love it for all different reasons, and mine is seeing what kind of life can emerge when we're purely, painfully honest--with both others AND ourselves. Thank you for sharing the struggles you've faced and continue to face. It helps more than I can express.
Reece honesty is so refreshing, a rare find in a man. You two mesh so well together ❤🖤💙💜
I 👏🏼 can 👏🏼 not 👏🏼 handle 👏🏼 what a sweet couple y’all are.
You should do a video talking about Riley. I would love to hear more on her and what it was like to become a mother again and the difference it was between having Micah to having Riley
Also I love your videos so much !!!
Jenni Kay yes I would love to see a video on that! Having a baby in prison verse being taken care of the way she should have been.
@@Sebadoh1994 shes done a prison versus real life pregnancy video
Jessica you really let your parter speak and be heard and he does the same for you, I don't see that very often when UA-camrs feature their significant other. Love that !
"pretty sure I wanted to smash."
"REECE!!!"
Jessicas face ☺😅👍
Not me not my type.
That was so funny omg
Reece is a protective papa bear over Micah!
It comes though so strong that he loves her.
It comes out when he talks about her bio dad getting out.
You guys are so sweet together!
Have you ever talked about Reece "officially" adopting Micah?
I have so much appreciation for how you, Reese, really looked into yourself and put thought into what you could provide for a child emotionally. I think many people meet a child and think "oh she's so cute and sweet" and they fall in love with that child and think that means they'll be able to be a parent but it's so much more responsible to actually think about what you want and can provide for a child. I think that alone shows that you are a good parent
And i cried on the calling Reese “Dad” thing. Good tears. My ex and I were never in jail or prison. You don’t automatically know how to be a parent. You learn on the job.
The look on Jessicas face when Reece is talking in the visual definition of love, respect and admiration. I'm so PROUD of you guys and I've never even met y'all.. Congratulations on winning at life.
Congratulations to you both on your sobriety! I also commend Reece for taking on the daddy role to Micah...my dad is technically my step dad, but he’s raised me since I was 3. I remember the day I started calling him dad ❤️ anyone can be a father, it takes a special man to be a daddy!
I’ve been in the same situation as Micah, and in my honest opinion...give her the choice and don’t force it. For as far as she is concerned, she has a dad! I don’t have a relationship with my sperm donor...I have the dad I need even if he isn’t biological ❤️
If the two of you can be this open and honest for a UA-cam video, your relationship will last through anything 💖
This was so good!! I loved seeing Reece's point of view on bonding with Micha and his reservations towards knowing if it was a situation he'd be able to withstand. Very insightful for me! He's done amazing and is such a great man. Thank you so much for sharing; your family is beautiful ♥️♥️♥️
This brought tears to my eyes of happiness that you two have found each other and fond your little family :)
Same LOL ❤😍
honestly you two are the perfect example of why people are not their circumstances. you both deserve a good, happy, healthy life and family and i am so glad you found the strength within yourselves and with each other to seek what you deserve. sending all my love to your adorable family jess. also reece was amazing in this video! i truly appreciate his honesty.
STANDING APPLAUSE 👏 FOR BOTH OF YOU‼️.....I totally respect the amount of honesty coming through here from both of you. As a guy, I really appreciate Reece being EXTREMELY honest about things....for example, when he said about smashing it! As always, thanks for being so brave to put this online. You two inspire many!
Watching this makes me sad that you both are struggling in different ways. Depression/breakups/splitting things can not only be brutal, but they can kick your mentality. Just know you got one more on your team both for you and the girls and for reece. Coming from a family where my mom ran a detox, I have seen both ends. Then experienced it through others. Day by day, this too shall pass my mom would say. I say keep your head above water, eat yummy food and sometimes just dance it out! Love you :)
You two are SO sweet, honest & real. I just have great admiration for the way you have built this life together! Love watching your videos! It's obvious you have deep love & respect for one another.
It's always been just my daughters & I together against the world. I did remarry at one point and it was horrible for me & them. We survived it, worked through it. My girls are grown now with daughters of their own. I get to be Nana and it's beautiful! So thank you for sharing from your hearts!
“What’s up kid, want some pasta?” 😂😂😂😂💛
Lol I was about to comment that quote 😂
Your authenticity is respected/valued-- you both are such bright lights🧡🙏🏽
Reece is a hunk !!! You go girl 🤪😂😍
It is so sweet how you look at Reece! You can clearly see how much love, respect, and appreciation you have for him! It is nice to know that there are a few good men out there! I went through a similar situation to yours, and I am happy to say that I have found a great guy as well! Love your videos and hearing your story! ❤️
I don't know how I came across you or your channel, none of it "relates" to my life in a literal way, but damn... I admire you in so many ways. You go, girl. You both are inspirations. Also warms my heart to know as flawed as the system can be you were able to keep your head down and do what you needed to get your daughter home where she belongs. You guys are incredible.
Oh Jess!! I cried with you when Reece was explaining how you guys became whole as a family with the addition of Riley. Y'all are amazing people and parents!!! ❤️❤️❤️
You’re such a sweet human being. I’m so glad you have him as emotional support 💕
I would love to see you and Jessica get together and have a happy life together. With the little ones and just take it one day at a time and have the life you always wanted.
You guys are definitely a team! I'm so glad u made this video! Jess, it allowed u to open up even more about your past and I absolutely, 100%, know u guys are going to be okay. Like my favorite saying goes..."The light at the end of the tunnel is not an illusion, the tunnel is." Keep your chin up girl, u are both AWESOME!
I love Reece! What you see is what you get and he's so honest and you can tell he loves you and those girls to the moon and back 💕
The way Reece explains he thought and how he took so much into consideration, you can tell he really cares and that beautiful! I am so happy for all of you 💙💙🌻☮️💙🎶
This is such a beautiful story. You guys are such a nice family. It’s so nice to see how you both were able to turn your lives around and give your children a great life. I can’t even take how sweet it is how Reese transitioned into being a dad and how loving and caring he is. The end of this video made me tear up when you started to cry and told him what a good dad he is and that you love him. Such a sweet story. Thank you so much for sharing.
Raised 4 kiddos. You 2 are doing a great job. Let him be a pushover. Good cop, bad cop really works. Gives kids the ability to have 2 different kinds of parents to approach. In the end they understand as grown up. We laugh about it now. Enjoy parenthood. ❤️❤️
It’s soooo amazing to hear how desperately a mommy tried to never let go of her baby, against all odds. Alone, the two of you were broken. Together, with two (or 3) little pieces in the middle, you create a family unit. I truly pray you guys NEVER forget to celebrate each day together like it’s a new beginning.🦋
👣 👣 👣 👣 👣
The smash comment made me laugh so hard. 😆😆
Reece seems so incredibly sweet. Such a good dad and clearly a good husband. I love your candor.
Love how honest he is !! My kids have an amazing step father and my daughter was 5 when we got together, he was on drug court and I was coming out of a crazy addiction and marriage at the time , some how we helped each other , and one day she started calling him daddy J , yes she knew her real dad but he was in prison which we would take her to see him , but the dads at school were diff then what she had , so she seen jake being the working constant person... love this I cried with u !!
Seeing people pulling themselves from deep shut and making the best from situation and growing and getting better - so inspiring!!!
Riley looks so much like Reece omg they have the exact same eyes
You two are so inspiring! My fiance and I used before we meet each other, used together, got clean together, have stayed clean for four years and have a one year old.honeatly, we thought we were the only ones that had a 180 degree turn around. I have been searching for years to find a voice that I related too! I'm so fucking grateful I found your channel!!!!!!! Thank you so much for all you guys do!!!!!!!!!!
I love that y’all shared this! My story isn’t exactly the same but similar in ways. I was away from my daughter from age 10 months to 22 months while in recovery. I went to rehab and sober living about 900 miles away from home and my mom took care of my baby. About a year after returning I met my now fiancé. My daughter’s bio-dad is not in the picture. It took her about 2 years but she has started calling him dad. When you said that you realized the word dad was missing from her vocabulary and she needed it.... girl I cried! My Londyn was exactly the same! She started saying dad and daddy so often. We are fortunate to have wonderful men in our lives and in our babies lives! Thank y’all for sharing this! So much love to you!
Jess you're at 44k!!! I'm so happy for you. You totally deserve it.
3 months later add about 35k to that. Congratulations 🎉❣️
Aw. I'm rewatching alot of these videos, as my insomnia kicks my ass tonight. I love the honesty with you both. It's crazy cause you and reece story is so much like mine and my husbands story. I never made it to prison but VERY CLOSE. I graduated a treatment court program 7 years ago that I was in for 2years. thank god cause that was my last stop before prison. I admire you Jessica.
I so enjoyed watching you two together. Reece did such a great job. He was so honest and genuine, which is hard to do with a camera in your face! Girl, loved this video and all your other videos too! Recovering addict here, and it’s so inspiring to see other recovering addicts who genuinely speak their Truth and are doing so well In their recovery. Thanks girl for helping to inspire me.
P.s I love your ending sign off. “Stay safe, stay sober”. Love ya girl!
Jessica, I have found your channel recently and watched many of your videos. You are incredible and I love that you and your family are on this journey together. It’s absolutely beautiful and your hard work and gratitude shines through in every video. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. 💗
I respect how honest he is!
I know this is an older video, but I just want to say how impressive you two are. So many others who don’t get clean and/or sober when they have kids. Jessica, your story of being pregnant in prison, and your delivery.....that just about killed me. When you told your baby “I’ll come back for you”....that was SO powerful. You are an incredible woman, and if you were my daughter I would be dang proud of you. God bless you & your husband and children.
This is awesome. Everyone says people don't change - people do change. They just cannot be made to change. Y'all have an amazing story and, from what you show, have been absolutely amazing in your new lives.
I recently found your channel and have been binge watching your videos. I am loving hearing everyone's stories. I, myself, have never been an addict but have had lots of people in my life who have been/are addicts. My best friend is currently a few months out of rehab and I have always always stuck by his side and always will. I just love hearing it from the perspective of others that have been in this situation and it just opens my eyes up to a lot more for sure. Thanks for being so open and honest about everything and having others on your channel that do the same, it's really appreciated! :)
This story sounds so much like mine. I was five months pregnant with my son when I started dating my now husband. I had a five year injunction from the bio father and after that, he hasn’t actively sought to see his son. Although neither my husband or I ever talk bad about the bio dad, I’m fine with this and I feel like my son is better off. My son has known since he could understand (about 4 or 5) that he had two dads. It’s something we didn’t want to spring on him one day. He has a younger sister and brother now and is an awesome kid. Im proud of you Jessica for how you’ve turned your life around and made a great life for your family. I’m glad you have Reece. He seems like a good guy and an awesome dad.
I’ve recently found your UA-cam and can I just say I love you and your family!! I love the honesty. You guys own the mistakes you’ve made and make choices everyday to keep doing better!! Recovery does happen and it’s so worth it!!
This speaks volumes to me and I absolutely love & appreciate your channel. I think y'all are amazing! My husband and I lost custody to our now 5 year old son (to my dad) when he was 3 1/2 due to herion addiction. We have been clean for almost a year and a half, have our own place, great jobs, vehicles and most importantly our son back full time & GOD! Again, I really appreciate your channel and I relate on so many levels. God bkess yall & we do recover!!!
Just back rewatching one of my favorite girls vlogs. Such an inspiration. Always makes me smile.
I know I am one year late, but I just found your channel. I just wanted to tell Reese thank you for his service to our country & thank you for stepping up to care for a child that wasn't yours, with much thought, too-! You guys rock! (My grandson's name is Riley, too!)
There are men who don't even stay with their own kids...this is beautiful. Its so good to see you guys happy and how much love is in your family.
I love this video!! It’s so so soo sweet!❤️❤️❤️
Jessica, girl, I love you SO MUCH but this video gave me some serious feels and this comment is for Reese.
I was in foster care and eventually adopted. I understand my situation is a bit different but hear me out!
I have never referred to my biological father as “Dad.” That right is reserved for the man who raised me. There’s a different bond there, and even though it took some time, he was willing and filled so much emptiness in my heart. I didn’t feel like an outsider, or that I wasn’t 100% his kid in every single way. Biological relations weren’t of more importance, and it was extremely obvious to me. That was just something I knew and eventually never thought twice about. I cried to him. I laughed with him. We got into trouble. (Silly trouble, like ice cream before dinner.) He gave me sound advice. Taught me how to ride a bike, change a flat tire and say the word no, as I was very timid myself. Most importantly, through all of this he made me strong.
I know a lot of kids who were in the system and being a young adult now and knowing how my life would’ve easily ended up I am forever grateful to my Dad for being so determined to love me like his own, no matter what crap I tried to pull. (And boy, did I try. 😂).
I guess I’m really just trying to tell you to keep it up, and more importantly, thank you. You have absolutely no idea what a profound difference you are making in her life just by showing up for the small things.
LOVE YOU GUYS!!!❤️
Ok.... my heart you guys!!! When he says, “when we got her back”. 😭😭😭. I grew up with a step dad from age 5-18 and he would have never said that. I just love you both!
It is beyond crazy how many similarities there are in your life and mine. Literally all the way from addiction, jail, meeting my fiance while actively fighting for my 2 children, his past compared with your husband's. It's literally like watching and listening to mine and my fiances life together over the past 8 and a half years. I honestly want to thank you for being brave enough to share your whole story. That is something I have struggled with for a long time. Not that I dont talk about my past, I do and I am beyond proud of all of my accomplishments, but I have been going back and forth on writing a book about my life and all of my struggles and accomplishments. But watching your videos has instilled this want in me as well as no fear anymore. Thanks so much, and congrats on all of your accomplishments, both of you!
Oh also we literally went through the whole thing you are going through with your first daughter, with my daughter as well. She thought someone else was her dad, until she was 12 and we sat her down and told her because she was asking wierd questions. It's hard but you are doing the right thing, believe me.
I love you guys together, your honesty and how supportive he's been with everything because you deserve it! ❤️ it's amazing to see someone do a complete 360 with their life.
I just suscribed, and all i can think is strong people who overcome all difficulties actually exist, nice job
This is so beautiful🖤 I love how REAL and raw you both are, you're not trying to impress anyone, just tell your story w/ the bad things BUT also show all the hard work you both put into changing your life around, and that has won me over😍🤗 I see a lot of myself in both of you and it's nice to see people I can relate too, thank you🖤
You guys are literally amazing. You have both turned your lives around and made something wonderful. I don't know either of you, but I am PROUD of you. Good for you.
What a beautiful & inspiring story. I love you two together..Thank You for sharing your story. You are definitely blessed together. Those kiddos are incredibly fortunate. 💜🙏🏻
Coming from another drug addicted accidental parent..i totally understand how hard it can be and how hard we are on ourselves. I was 21 when i had my son and i was active in my addiction when I got pregnant. It has been a hard journey to get to where we are now. Im 29 now and Im finally stable..about to move into our own place. It feels good. But I dont think there will ever be a time that im not questioning if I'm doing things right. I think if you are trying your best then you are an amazing parent. As long as you're trying and researching and always improving then youre great! My son has a daddy that was there since he was 1 and recently in the last few years his bio father has been seeing him at least once a month. Its hard but im hopeful that one day we will all be able to coparent and be on the same page. Good luck you guys.
I actually respect his honesty. This dude is real. I like that. This is the best type of person. Very trustworthy he'll tell you whats up
Reece doesn’t give himself enough credit. You can tell he’s a good man just by how humble he is even though he’s accomplished all that he has. You’ve got a winner Jess! Love watching your videos. Love what you guys stand for. I’m 4 years clean and have a 1 year old son. I too lived that fast life since I was 13. 25 now and have a good job, our own house. Sobriety is good
Oh my gosh when Reese said that having Riley completed y’all’s family & filled the void that y’all had been searching to fill your entire lives I started bawling.
Love this and DNA does not make someone a parent you are her dad
Such a touching story!! You guys are so sweet together!! Stay strong!!!!
I love how Jess always sits so patiently even if it's someone else she has on.
*Amazing job Reece [& Jessica]! This was such a powerful video in so many ways.♡* Thank you for serving our country & for being a great role model.
This is so beautiful, I grew up with a dad who wasn't my biological father and although he had his own issues with addiction, it takes a really big man to step up and raise and love a kid that isn't biologically his own, Reece is 100% a great (and funny) guy and him and Micah both are so lucky. Keep doing you, guys! you're both such great role models to us who have struggled.
So excited to watch this. My heart is so happy for you that you got your girl back. The state bullied my adopted daughter out of her first son and had him severed and adopted by four months. They used her Irish twin pregnancy as a weapon against her and told her they would take her second son too if she didn't sign off on her first. She came to me as a teen in the system and they played that for all it was worth. Since I wasn't legally her Mama they said she couldn't live with me and the day she moved out they took her first son. He was adopted by a case worker. Watching you talk about Micah brings me so much joy for you and your girl. I am so proud of you. Your Reese is adorable too. Thank you so much for sharing.