Peanut’s Smile

Every Smile Has a Story: The Heart Behind Our Shirt When our son was born with a cleft lip, we knew his smile was something truly special. As we prepare for his surgery on March 5, we wanted to create something meaningful—not just for us, but for anyone who has been touched by the cleft community.   That’s how these shirts came to life. They’re more than just fabric and ink; they represent resilience, love, and the unique journey behind every smile. The design features a simple smiley face with a small stitched line on the right side—just like our little one’s. Around it, the words "Peanut’s Smile" serve as a reminder of the strength behind every child’s journey. On the back, the phrase “Every Smile Has a Story" speaks to the beautiful diversity of smiles in the world.   These shirts are a way for our family and friends to show support as we navigate this chapter, and they also serve as a way to raise awareness for cleft-affected families. If you’d like to be part of thi...

We started seeing our specialist at Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) every six weeks starting in August until “Peanut” was born. They performed growth scans to monitor his cleft lip and tried to confirm if his palate was affected, but they never could because of how the nasal cavities appeared on the ultrasounds. Hey, at least we got to see our little guy more often! Since they couldn’t confirm the palate, we prayed it would only be the lip, as that would mean just one, possibly two, surgeries—depending on whether his gum line was cleft as well. I was really hoping it was only the lip because I wanted to breastfeed more than anything. If the palate is affected, babies have a much harder time creating suction. Babies with cleft palates often burn more calories trying to feed than they actually get from the milk, so specialty bottles are a huge help. The specialist referred us to meet with a cleft team at Primary Children’s in Salt Lake to get more information and prepare us for what was to...

Peanut was born on Halloween 🎃! As a first-time mom, my biggest fear was not knowing I was in labor. I kept saying that my water *had* to break; otherwise, I’d wait too long and end up delivering in the car! My biggest goal was to have an unmedicated vaginal delivery.   My water broke on 10/30 at 5:10 PM. My mom quickly rushed me to the hospital, and my husband met us there. We spent almost 3.5 hours in triage before getting set up in labor and delivery. I wasn’t having any contractions, and the doctors gave me until 10 PM to start progressing on my own before starting pitocin. I wanted an unmedicated birth, which ideally wouldn’t include pitocin, but I trusted my provider to do what was best. If it was necessary, I was open to it.   For the next 1.5 hours, we walked, squatted, jogged, and curb-walked, trying to get labor to start. But nothing worked to kickstart things. At 10 PM, I started on pitocin, and IMMEDIATELY active labor began—it was exactly what I needed. From that...

On July 3rd, Brendon and I went to the anatomy scan, feeling excited to see our baby boy again. We had gotten a gender check four weeks prior and couldn’t wait to see “Peanut” once more. As we went through the ultrasound, everything seemed to look good—the heart was pumping, the lungs were developing, and he appeared to have ten fingers and toes. The thing about “Peanut” is that he loved to keep his hand in his face and stay turned toward the placenta. When he finally gave in and let us see his two eyes, nose, and mouth, the tech noticed his cleft. She said she couldn’t confirm for sure, but based on what she could see, she was pretty sure he had at least a cleft lip. We left that appointment in shock. I mean, nobody wants to hear that something is different with their baby. But we were thankful that his heart was working, there were no kidney issues, and he had no extra digits! The next step was heading to Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) to confirm whether it was a cleft. We waited a fe...

Brendon and I know people who were born with cleft lips and/or palates, but I truly was in the dark about how and why it happens, how it affects a baby’s day-to-day life, and what surgeries look like. I want to provide education to others who, like us, were at a loss about clefts. A cleft lip is an opening or gap in the upper lip that can range from a small notch to a larger opening that extends into the nose. A cleft palate involves an opening in the roof of the mouth (the palate), which can affect the front (hard palate), the back (soft palate), or both. These conditions can vary in severity and may affect how a baby eats, speaks, and sometimes even breathes. Essentially, it’s a hole or a spot where the tissues didn’t fully join together during development. The hardest part of the diagnosis is that the exact cause isn’t always known. Sometimes it’s connected to a larger issue, like a chromosomal abnormality, but often it’s just an isolated defect. I’ve included an infographic that gi...

Welcome to my little corner of the internet!   Hi, I’m McKaela! I’m so glad you’re here, whether you’re family, a friend, or someone who simply stumbled upon this space. This blog is where I share my raw, unfiltered thoughts and feelings as we navigate our journey with a cleft baby. It’s a place where I hope to connect, inform, and maybe even inspire those who are walking a similar path—or simply want to learn more about it.   You might notice I refer to my baby as "Peanut" throughout my posts. Before we knew his gender or shared the news with others, we called him Peanut—a sweet, simple nickname that stuck and carries so much love and meaning for us.   This blog is deeply personal, and every word comes straight from my heart. Thank you for taking the time to read, support, and walk this road with us. I hope you find connection, understanding, and maybe even a little hope here.   Welcome to Peanut’s story and our journey!