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Bloom audiobook

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Bloom Audiobook Summary

There is us. Our Family. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky . . .

From the outside looking in, Kelle Hampton had the perfect life: a beautiful two-year-old daughter, a loving husband, and a thriving photography career. When she learned she was pregnant with their second child, they were ecstatic. But when their new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her sister, Lainey, had at birth. As her friends and family celebrated, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome–a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift.

With lyrical prose and gorgeous photography, 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.

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Bloom Audiobook Narrator

Kelle Hampton is the narrator of Bloom audiobook that was written by Kelle Hampton

Writer and photographer Kelle Hampton chronicles the simple joys of motherhood and daily life on her popular blog, Enjoying the Small Things. An advocate for individuals with Down syndrome, she has been honored by both the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), receiving the NDSC National Media Award in 2010. Kelle lives in Naples, Florida, with her husband, Brett; their two daughters, Lainey and Nella; and her stepsons, Austyn and Brandyn.

About the Author(s) of Bloom

Kelle Hampton is the author of Bloom

More From the Same

Bloom Full Details

Narrator Kelle Hampton
Length 6 hours 41 minutes
Author Kelle Hampton
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date July 16, 2013
ISBN 9780062300294

Subjects

The publisher of the Bloom is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Children with Special Needs, Family & Relationships

Additional info

The publisher of the Bloom is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062300294.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Marnie

June 16, 2012

Knowing nothing of Kelle Hampton before reading Bloom, I got the sense that she's lead a very happy existence with everything always as close to perfection as it could be. Perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect parties thrown with a theme with even the minute details falling within said theme, a huge circle of perfectly fabulous friends. Basically, it sounds like she's lived much of her life in a wonderfully close and fun sorority. She even calls babies littles in her book.Fast-forward to the birth of her second baby. She is so excited for baby #2, getting a photographer for the occasion, having pre-made decorations like champagne glasses with Nella's name for the after delivery toast, a welcome home sign for Nella, and other things. I actually love how excited she was for the birth of #2, as it seems like people only "accept" such fanfare for #1. So while a bit over the top compared to anything I would do even for #1, I love how she approached it as such a celebration. So when Nella is born, Kelle reveals how hard it is for her to deal with the unexpected diagnosis that Nella has Down syndrome. I appreciate her raw, aching honesty, as so many times in life, you're expected to smile and be politically correct. Life as Kelle had known it changed. Acknowledging that, mourning the loss of what she thought would be, and changing her notion of perfection sounds like a pretty strong and healthy trajectory to me. She's gotten criticism for being so self-involved and making this story about her. It's a memoir. I think that's the point of it. The dedication of the book is to her first-born, Lainey, who taught her how to love. I love that. Seeing the world through the eyes of an innocent, non-judgmental child would be a smart thing for all of us to do from time to time. We could all learn from that pureness.People have said that they're disgusted with Kelle's initial sadness and disappointment, which shocks me. How can you judge someone's personal story? She wrestles with the guilt she feels for not being 100% overjoyed those first few days of Nella's life. To me, this is such a hopeful story and one that makes you smile through the tears. Hearing that your child has any sort of birth defect or condition that could shorten her life or compromise her quality of life is a really tough pill to swallow. As a mother, you want life to be the best for your kids. So I understand the reaction. And I would bet that she's not the only one who was heartbroken upon hearing that her child is not exactly what she envisioned. She learned a lot over the first year of Nella's life, and in my personal opinion, her attitude and her approach is nothing but honest (albeit with too many metaphors, but hey). And where can I get such a close group of 30 girlfriends?!? Her support system is enviable. At many points in the book, she talks about how grateful she is and how much each of her friends truly cared, loved, shared. "...the richness of life is often found in the less glorious imperfection of experiences that are interesting and soul transforming.""...if you look in the right places, you will find that the world is filled with so much kindness."

Jonna

April 18, 2012

I am not the kind of person who would usually pick up this book. I am cynical, crabby, never read blogger books and generally find people who are shiny, happy and throw parties like Kelle Hampton to be . . . not my kind of people. Except. Kelle is my kind of people. If you glance at Kelle's blog, it's easy to write her off as a lifestyle blogger, with her perfect Christmas parties (REINDEER GLITTER, FOR GOD'S SAKE) and adorable fashion sense and gorgeous, gorgeous pictures. The thing is, however, she's not trying to sell you on anything, it's just how she IS, and she does all of it without an ounce of pretense. Despite her penchant for over-the-top everything, I remain convinced that if I invited Kelle to my house to have store-bought cupcakes on cheap Target plates, she'd still think it was grand and wouldn't even notice my dirty countertops. Are people laughing and having a good time? Then she's cool. She swears. She drinks too many Coronas with limes. She has a story about getting wasted and going skinny dipping and realizing later that surely she walked home naked. Her house is littered with laundry and she makes inappropriate jokes. She was in such denial about facing her daughter's long-term diagnosis that she spent a $100 gift card meant for research on magazines and lattes. How can you not love a person who not only does those things, but readily admits to them?My point is, she's a real person, and Bloom, despite its primary focus on her special needs' daughter, Nella, is a stunning look at what it's like coming to terms with the birth of her daughter, and so much more -- it's a wonderful portrait of a real, honest person who takes a hard look at herself, her life, and everything in it and just owns the SHIT out of it. And because of the blog post about the birth of her daughter that launched all of this, you expect her to own the hard stuff, but what is unexpected, and what makes this book (and her) so awesome, is that she owns the good stuff. When she first learns she's pregnant with Nella, she fully admits to wearing a dress that makes her look pregnant because she WANTS the attention, and she wants the experience to start as soon as possible. She admits, too, to wanting to make her life as grand as it can be for her girls because it's all she ever wanted for her life --- not champagne Wednesdays and twee thrifting trips for show and blog fodder, but because that's the kind of thing that genuinely makes her happy and she's unapologetic about it. I'm not explaining this well, but as I read the book, I not only realized that life really is what you make of it, no matter the hardships, but is also about figuring out who you are, what you want and not being too cool to just go for it in a really big way, without worrying for a second what it looks like to other people. Does it look good to you? Then do it. Thus endeth the most uncharacteristic review ever. But dude, I loved it. You should read it.

Nikki

April 02, 2012

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and want to start off by saying this is one of the prettiest books ever. When I got it in the mail last night I was petting the pages and enjoying the gorgeous pictures, when I saw a picture of a woman with champagne glasses being toasted in front of her wearing a face that screamed of her numbness. It was then that it hit me that I had seen that picture before, that picture had brought me to tears before. I've been a lazy blog reader for the last year or so and had assumed I had stumbled across Kelle's blog at some point, but didn't realize which one it was. The second I saw that picture I remembered her birth story, which is the start of the book. It is quite possibly one of the most heart wrenching stories ever and I was even more excited to read this book. I was already excited because it sounded amazing, but between making the connection that I knew this blog and the gorgeousness of the book I was ready to get reading.I started and finished the book today and really enjoyed the story of Kelle's first year with Nelle. The transformation gave me the warm fuzzies. For someone to start off at such a low place, grow, change and overcome is really inspiring. It's a book about change, love, friendships and dealing with the unexpected. Life doesn't always dish out what we expect or have planned, but Kelle's story shows that you can move forward and plow through life's challenges and come out a better person on the other side.

Deb (Readerbuzz)

February 09, 2023

Kelle lived a charmed existence, marrying the man of her dreams, having a beautiful baby girl, expecting her second child, surrounded by warm loving family and friends, starting a blog about the joys of being a wife and mother.Then she had her second child and knew something was not right. It did not take long for the doctors to tell her that the baby girl had Down syndrome.It did take a while for Kelle to face and accept this, and it took the help of the warm loving family and friends for her to do so. And that is what this book is all about.I'll be frank: Kelle is part of a generation who has grown up to expect life is a series of pages in a lacy scrapbook, so going on and on about facing an event that brings challenges into life might not sit well with those readers who have lived through difficulties like fighting in a war or growing up in poverty in Africa. Kelle's story, first told in her blog to a huge audience, obviously has resonance. I found the book genuinely compelling, told with love, with beautiful photos, taken with love.

Debbie

June 20, 2012

Absolutely the best book I've read in a long time! I found it at Target and picked it up for the photos that are interspersed throughout of the author and her daughter and family. I really didn't read the synopsis and didn't know how much this book would move me when I put it in my shopping cart.Cried tears of heartache, joy, and understanding through out this whole book. I too have a daughter with Down Syndrome and I felt like the author had crawled into my brain and wrote down the thoughts I had when my daughter was born and through out her first few years of life. Kelle has inspired me to continue on my track of changing myself through the process of raising a child with special needs. Even though my daughter is now 21, I still experience some of the same feelings Kelle had with her infant daughter. What an impetus for change our daughters can be.My favorite quote in the book "Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me."

Angela

April 09, 2020

Full of hope and perfectly honest for someone going through something similar.

Meg

April 11, 2013

As Kelle Hampton and her husband prepare to welcome their second little girl, they have no idea that lovely Nella, new little sister to their beloved Lainey, will present more new challenges — and opportunities — than they could ever have imagined.Born with Down syndrome, Nella’s condition was a complete shock to the Hamptons . . . especially Kelle, who was suddenly forced to reconcile the dreams she had for the “sister” relationship her daughters would share and left to grapple with how a special-needs child would impact her family. In her honest, raw accounts of the early days of Nella’s life and where her family is now, Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected is a captivating, soul-soaring story of a mama whose love for her children knows no bounds.Hampton is a blogger, writer, photographer — all talents immediately evident at her blog, Enjoying the Small Things. Nella’s story begins as a post in January 2010, and the Hamptons’ lives are forever altered by her arrival. What becomes immediately obvious in Kelle’s retelling is this mother’s pure, raw and unfiltered ability to draw you into her family’s story . . . and hold nothing back.I’m going to be honest with you, just as Kelle is honest with us: her reaction to Nella’s Down syndrome was tough to read. She painfully describes the days and nights following her daughter’s birth, in which she writhed and sobbed and questioned her faith. I felt physically uncomfortable hearing Kelle’s reaction, but the story is obviously a retrospective. We understand that Kelle doesn’t feel this way now and, in fact, she frequently mentions her own embarrassment about her behavior. We know how much she adores Nella now — but she doesn’t prune the past. She chooses not to remove the ugly bits, even knowing how ugly they really are.And that is the power of Bloom: Kelle invites us in, knowing we could judge her. Frown at her. Gossip about her. She invites us in because this story — her story — is an important one to tell, and she wants us to understand that Nella truly is a blessing. Their blessing. And if she couldn’t yet understand it that January night, she gets it now.Bloom is real, honest, gut-wrenching. It’s thought-provoking — what would I do in this situation? — and it’s painful. It’s also beautiful and realistic and something I couldn’t stop reading, because I have so much respect and admiration for Kelle — and so much jealousy regarding her giant, awesome net of friends (and how they get her through). The women in her life are amazing, and she makes no bones about the importance of their faith, inspiration and guidance in the weeks, months and years after Nella’s birth.And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how truly gorgeous this paperback is. As Kelle is a talented photographer, the pictures in Bloom are her own — and each big moment is illustrated with a stunning shot or two. The book is the perfect blend of photographs and narrative, but make no mistake: the words themselves? Super important. This ain’t some picture book with a few captions pasted in, friends; Kelle is a fantastic, engaging writer, and I closed the final page with so much love for her family. The photos tell their own stories, and the book wouldn’t be as powerful without them.If you appreciate memoirs, stories of family, books that detail adversity and rising above . . . well, I’ve got a book for you. Readers don’t need children of their own to appreciate Bloom and its universal truths about love, life and relationships, though I imagine the story will resonate even more powerfully for parents. This was the type of book I finished and wished I’d read a little more slowly.

Annabelle

April 14, 2012

Bloom is an amazing and inspiring story about unconditional love and finding beauty in all kind of circumstances. This is a book that anyone can connect with and this is why made it to the New York Times best seller list as #11 this week. What I loved more about reading Kelle's journey is realizing how much her daughter Nella has changed her. Nella has made Kelle more open-hearted, open-minded and compassionate. By reading Kelle's book and blog we can see how she is teaching others by example. She shares her beautiful heart with grace, courage and humility. She shifted her "views of perfection away from image and more to inner happiness." Kelle accepts and respects people from all walks of life, embraces diversity and she is willing to learn from the different journeys and perspectives of others. I am older than Kelle and have learned many lessons from her about what is really important in life: to be more loving, accepting and compassionate with all my fellow human beings, to be more grateful, to learn and grow from life's disappointments, to be less judgemental of others, to be more optimistic and to enjoy more the small things. Thank you Kelle, for making the world a better place for our children and for all of us.

your mom

May 22, 2012

I have never read Kelle's blog, but read her blog post about giving birth to Baby Nella and was inspired. Her writing style certainly wanes as the book progresses from there, but not to a point of being called bad....just a little weak. There were so so so many metaphors that it became redundant. Seeds sprouting and blooming, floating downstream, etc, etc.I really enjoyed Kelle's honesty. Her difficulty in dealing with her daughter's diagnosis was refreshing in a world where I feel women, especially Moms, are supposed to smile and accept every challenge as a special blessing. We rob ourselves of mourning when we slap a smile on our face and mourning is a part of life.I have heard others complain that this book is too much about Kelle herself and not about her daughter. I think those reviewers may have misunderstood the intention of the book. It's Kelle's memoir. It's a book about a mother's struggle to let go of her notion of perfection and deal with the loss of what her expectations were. And the author did that well.

Leah

January 14, 2020

This book broke my heart. It was a heartfelt documentation of a mother’s love for her daughters while coping with the diagnosis of DS. I felt her pain and sorrow. Her heartbreak, and then the monumental celebration of the realization of the gift she had been given. Everyone deals with hard things differently, and I had a hard time relating to some of her feelings and decisions of coping. But in her own way she figured it all out. At times it was hard to listen to her rant about what she was going through. But the book was her recollection of her life and situation, and it was beautiful. It gave me a different perspective of a situation I will never understand but as a mom. I felt it.

Erin

February 09, 2021

Very real look on how it can be to raise someone with Down syndrome. There was language and some stories that were, how shall I say it, of the world but it was her life story about her walk with Down syndrome and it was beautiful.

Sarah Joyce

April 21, 2012

Bloom emerged from a blog author Kelle Hampton began shortly after her first daughter, Lainey’s, birth. Through her blog, Enjoying the Small Things, Hampton wanted to share with others the simple joys of motherhood she was experiencing. She could not have foreseen how the birth of her second daughter, Nella, would challenge her so vigorously to continue to find a way to enjoy the small things. Bloom chronicles Hampton’s coming to terms with having a child with Down syndrome, her grieving process over her expectations of what could have been, and her resolve to take the situation that was handed to her and make the best of it. Bloom is by far the most visually beautiful memoir I have seen. The photographs included are stunning and bring Hampton’s experiences to life for the reader. One of the most wrenching photos is on page 7. Family and friends are toasting Nella’s birth and in the background, behind the half-full glasses of champagne, you can see Hampton’s face and it is clear from her expression that she already knows something is not right with her daughter.Bloom is so much more than just Hampton’s experience learning that her daughter has Down syndrome. It is a testament to the miraculous healing power of family, friendships, women, and forgiveness – not just forgiving others, but forgiving ourselves as well. When I started reading, I thought this was another memoir that sugar-coated the process that a mother goes through when they find out their child has a special need. Being a mother with a child on the autism spectrum, I needed to see how someone else handled learning their child has special needs and how they came to terms with it. I needed the good, but I also needed the downright ugly. It was so refreshing to see that in Bloom. Oftentimes, when I read a memoir that only highlights the rainbows and butterflies and skips over the tornadoes and hurricanes, I feel like a horrible person, like somehow I should be able to make every day full of rainbows and butterflies. I needed to read something I could relate to, something that showed what it’s really like to find out your child is different from what you had expected and Bloom filled that need. I love the authenticity Kelle Hampton exemplifies; the courage she shows through her willingness to bring us fully into the ugly. It is ugly, this awakening. It is an awakening to our own selfishness in our expectations for others and our prejudices towards those we don’t perceive as perfect. It is an awakening to just how much we define ourselves by what other’s think of us and it brings us to a place where we question our beliefs about ourselves, our world, and God. As we see in Bloom, though, the beauty far outweighs the ugliness, and if we choose to let it, that beauty can transform the ugly from a raging wildfire into a tiny flicker.Bloom spans the first year of Nella’s life and I love how Hampton shows that the fears, the questions, and the journey itself, does not stop just because we’ve learned to accept what we have been given. It continues and the ugliness can creep back in if we do not make a conscious choice each day to keep it at bay by focusing on the good that surrounds us no matter how small. Hampton’s journey to find the beauty in the unexpected and her truth on how she got to that point will help so many others start searching for and find the beauty hidden in the ugliness of their situations too.Hampton addresses in Bloom how her positive outlook about Nella’s diagnosis caused uproar with some of her blog readers. She was told that she was in denial and to wait until Nella got older and her services ran out and she’d have to fight to get the care her daughter needs. Then she would fully understand the awfulness of her situation. I am there now, and yes, it is hell, but I don’t believe keeping a positive attitude about your situation is ever a bad thing. It is beneficial to warn others what might be up ahead, but not beneficial to scold them for enjoying the time they have right now. I think it is wonderful that Hampton has the blessed opportunity to enjoy her daughter at a time when every need she has is being met and that she has the mindset to enjoy it instead of focusing on what might happen years from now. It is one thing to be prepared for what might happen and quite another to be so worried about it that you don’t enjoy what is happening right now.This is a wonderful book for anyone who is facing a crisis that has led them to question everything they thought they knew about themselves and about life. It is an uplifting, transformative memoir. We are witnesses to the shattering of Hampton’s tough outer shell in the midst of tremendous heartbreak and the emergence of her true, authentic, beautiful self that had been patiently waiting for the right moment to be revealed.

Emily

August 22, 2012

Writing Style 3.5/5Overall Rating: 5/5Okay... I'm really having a hard time rating this book. On one hand, it was amazing. It was inspirational, heartbreaking, happy, and everything wonderful and perfect about this beautiful book. But on the other hand, oh my god. Could she get any more dramatic?I am in no way judging Kelle on her life, because of course, I am not living it. I have no idea what her life is REALLY like... But I had a few issues with this book by halfway through it. It just got to the point of it being completely ridiculous and dramatic. Kelle constantly cried over this, cried over that, pity me, poor me, cry, cry, CRY. It was really starting to piss me off how every other page she was crying over something. She wrote in such a dramatic way... It's really quite hard to explain what i'm talking about, unless you've read the book. I feel like her words were such so scripted and storybook perfect. I also felt like she made her life seem to sugar-coated and perfect as well. Of course, reading the book, you do in fact see the struggles she deals with, with Nella having DS, and her coming to terms with it. I mean obviously, a lot of it serious, and she does stress the challenges. But at the same time, she never talked about having to wake up in the middle of the night, or how hard it was being a mother physically (you know, typical mother dealings... diapers, late nights, etc...). She pretty much sugar-coated motherhood in general (aside from the DS part of course). I don't know, I just felt like she acted as if it was all about her, and not Nella for the greater part of the book. Now please don't get me wrong, I think Kelle is a wonderful woman. She sounds strong, beautiful, intelligent, and like an absoloutely loving, generous, and wonderful mother. Also, clearly, even though I wasn' a huge fan of how she wrote it, she really is a great writer. She writes so artfully, and has a way with words. I just felt that the book was a little too dramatic. Overall though, an amazing read.

Kelly

March 31, 2012

Kelle Hampton is a married mom of two. Her daughters are seriously the cutest little girls ever (with the obvious exception of my niece, Marley) and the younger one, Nella, has Down Syndrome. This book is the account of the first year of Nella's life. Initially, Kelle is heartbroken but it doesn't take long before she rallies and falls completely in love with Nella.Because Nella is only two now (and the book covers her first year), the book and blog (link above on author's name) aren't really about what it's like to raise a child with Down Syndrome but more about how she adapted to be able to parent a kid with Down Syndrome (and, even more specifically, a freaking gorgeous girl named Nella). I completely adored this book (which, incidentally, is filled with really gorgeous pictures). It's one of the great contradictions of my life that I don't particularly like children but if you give me a story about children or pictures of children, I am a happy Kelly. This book had both (and again, GORGEOUS pictures). I tend to like stories that aren't all sunshine and rainbows and this memoir certainly isn't. While Kelle Hampton obviously loves both her daughters, she also struggles to get to a place where she's okay with Nella's diagnosis. (She always is okay with Nella herself, however.) She's worried about what Nella's life will be like and what her older daughter, Lainey's, life will be like. For example, they probably won't have the relationship that Kelle had with her older sister.This is a wonderful book, one that will appeal to people regardless of whether they have a child with Down Syndrome or whether they have children at all. Obviously, it'll speak to different people on different levels, but good writing is good writing, and this book is well-written.Highly recommended.

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