[Lindsey]

Thanks for your input, Haley. The sad thing about Brandi is she didn't have a very good upbringing at all. Her parents drank a lot, did drugs, and would rather party than be parents. Her mom got MS and cancer and passed away when Brandi was 17. Her little brother went to juvenile detention when he was 15, and her youngest brother got taken away from her dad shortly after her mom passed.
Brandi was into drinking and drugs at a pretty young age, and that's when our bond kind of fell apart. From when we were little we wrote each other weekly, and then when we were teens we were just completely different people. I guess when she couldn't hide behind drugs and alcohol, all she really wanted was someone to love her. So she tried to get pregnant with this guy who she had been dating for a few years. She was pregnant at her mom's funeral (none of us knew) but had a miscarriage shortly after. She had 3 miscarriages before having her daughter. Before giving birth to her is when she started reaching back out to me, and we really rebuilt our friendship.
Anyways, now she has 3 kids with 2 deadbeat dads. I think she's still just looking for the love she's lacked her whole life. I'm just really sad for her. I couldn't imagine being in her shoes, especially after spending this weekend with her. Three kids is a lot of baggage for a 23 year old girl. And it's tough to raise those kids all on her own. And I think most of the raising is lazily done, but I know she's just worn down all the time. When I was little, I wouldn't have dreamed about running around like her kids were. I knew if I did, I'd be getting in BIG trouble with my parents later. Her kids don't get in trouble. But she was never raised well so she doesn't have any comparison.
I think she lets her ex stay around because every once in awhile he'll do something nice for her, like take the kids for one night. Or watch them while she runs to the store. I don't think she believes she'll find another guy who will treat her well and put up with her "million babies" as she says.