Welcome
Bettina Herrington
Nurse. Mother. Grandmother.
Houston, Texas — heart and soul.
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Welcome
Nurse. Mother. Grandmother.
Houston, Texas — heart and soul.
A little about me
Though I came into the world in Missouri, Houston has been my home for as long as I can remember — and there is nowhere else I would rather be. This city shaped me, and I have spent a lifetime giving back to it, one patient at a time.
On April 2, 2011, I married my husband Doug, and together we have built a life full of laughter, love, and the occasional lively debate about which sitcom deserves a rewatch. (The answer is always The Big Bang Theory.)
What matters most
If you ask me about my family, you should pull up a chair. Three children, three grandchildren, and a husband who makes me laugh — I am wealthy in all the ways that matter.
My oldest
My oldest, Stephanie, was born and raised right here in Houston before she found her way to Jackson, Tennessee, where she has built a life of her own. She works hard, loves deeply, and shares her days with Ronnie, her partner of several years.
Stephanie has the kind of heart that cannot turn away from an animal in need. At any given time, her home is filled with foster dogs — sometimes five or six at once — each one waiting for the family that will love them as much as she does. On Sundays, you will find her in the choir at her church, singing.
My middle child
Wesley has always had a restless heart. He was born in Houston, but the road called him early — California, Louisiana, Tennessee — each one its own chapter, each one teaching him something the last one couldn't. After all those years and all those miles, he found his way back to Houston, where the journey began.
He has become a skilled mechanic, the kind of person whose hands know how things work. But ask him what he loves, and he will tell you about his games. He can disappear into them for hours, the way some people disappear into a good book. And then there is Annabella, his daughter — turning thirteen this year, and the proudest thing he has ever made.
My youngest
Melissa, my youngest, turns thirty this year, and she has had the kind of year that changes everything. She married Sebastian in September — a soldier, a good man — and built a home with him in Killeen, where he serves. In December, their son Rory was born, joining his big sister Ruby. A little girl and a little boy, a new last name, a house of her own to make beautiful.
And making things beautiful is where Melissa shines. She has her mother's love of a good find — the thrift-shop treasure, the perfect piece for the corner of a room, the deal nobody else spotted. She recently finished training in robotics, with hopes of building a career from it. Wherever that road leads, she will walk it the way she does everything else: with style, with care, and on a budget.
The next generation
If you want to see my face light up, ask me about my grandchildren. Three little people who have completely stolen my heart.
Wesley's daughter
Annabella, Wesley's daughter, turns thirteen this year — no longer the little girl we all remember so well, but beginning to become the young woman she will be. The change happens quietly, the way it always does, and then one day you look at her and realize.
She is closest to her aunt Triana, the two of them more like sisters than anything else, sharing the same interests, the same conversations, the same easy understanding. Annabella is shy at first, careful around people she doesn't know well — but give her a little time and an open door, and she will talk and talk and talk.
Melissa's daughter
Ruby, Melissa's daughter, turned three this April, and she lives at full volume. She can laugh until everyone around her is laughing too — and she can give you a hard time when she has a mind to, which is often. That is the life of a toddler, and Ruby is wholeheartedly committed to it.
She has watched Finding Nemo more times than anyone can count, and she navigates her tablet with the casual fluency that seems to come built-in to children her age. She adores her mother and Sebastian — and through her, Melissa and Sebastian are not just newlyweds but a family.
Melissa's son
Born in December, Rory joined his new family just as they settled into their new home in Killeen. Even at five months old, he has a smile that can melt the hardest heart, and he laughs the way his big sister does — which means there is a great deal of laughter in that house now.
He recently learned to roll over, and he seems immensely proud of himself for it, as well he should be. He has only just arrived, but he is already adored. That, in the end, is what every baby should be: completely, unquestionably, entirely loved.
My calling
Nursing is not just a profession — it is a calling. I have had the privilege of practicing it for more than 25 years, and every single day I am grateful for the trust my patients place in my hands.
Antepartum Nurse
Women's Hospital of Texas — Houston
Specializing in antepartum care, I work with mothers and families during some of the most significant moments of their lives. It is work that humbles me every day.
When I'm not working
When the shift ends and the family is settled, you will find me on the couch with something good on television. I have excellent taste.