Thursday, November 29, 2012

Belly.

I have mentioned it before, but it happens often enough to mention again.

My 4 yr old was going thru the list again:

'the baby was in your belly?'

'yes'

'Cody was in your belly?'

'yes'

'i was in your belly?'

'no, you were in your other mom's belly'

'Lizzy was in your belly?'

'no, she was in someone else's belly too'

*eyes light up with interest*

'whose belly was she in?'

'a lady name S***'

'oh!'


This is exactly why I wanted to have more than one adopted child.  I never wanted Lizzy to be the only one who 'wasn't in my belly'.  She has no concept of this yet, but I could tell that it made one of my newest daughter feel better about this.  Then, having grown up in foster care, she immediately said 'she's staying here, forever, like us?'


'Yes.  She is staying here forever, just like you are.'

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Lol

I was NOT looking at adoption lists!  My friend posted a link to a blog I had never read, so I read it and there her little face was!  :)

Monday, November 26, 2012

What in the world.

Only I would be in the middle of adopting three kids and then stumbled across a picture of a little girl in Russia only to be convinced I need her.


Now if anything comes of THAT It would take a flat out, straight from God miracle.


Kinda like what I am currently living.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

What to write about...besides that my kids are amazing.

I have started so many posts in my head.  Then they are swept away by the busy-ness of each day.

It is weird to be doing foster care paper work again.  I did not miss it at ALL between the time we adopted Lizzy and now.  Not. One. Bit.

The kids are doing so good.  My oldest daughter is such a sweet girl.  She is soft spoken, but has a wild fun loving side.  She is all girl and makes my heart so happy every day.

My 2 1/2 year old daughter reminds me SO much of my first foster placement.  From the back they could be twins.  Same hair, same silly run...if it wasn't so comforting it would be freaky.  I feel like in a small way I got my Sabrina back.  She is healing a lot of the holes that were left in my heart from loosing my first daughter.

My newest son has the best smile and the funniest personality.  I love him.  I make sure to show him that every day because he needs to know.  He carries the most hurt, but we are building a relationship that I wasn't sure would ever come.

Lizzy is, as always, a challenge.  I love that kid.  I think every day my love just gets more obsessed with finding what will work for her.  I am constantly trying to figure out how to raise her.  She is family and we needed her just as much as every single other person in our family of 8.

I wish I could capture all the little stories that happen through out the day.  There is so many important things happening in the details.

But, for now, I am just holding on for the ride.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

I promise.

Sisters in foster care, this is for anyone who is wondering if they will make it through this week, the next few months or the next court hearing.

I promise.

It IS worth it!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Babies.

"where did that baby come from?" my sweet new four year old daughter asked me today gesturing towards my youngest biblical child.

When you grow up in foster care it is normal to 'go get a baby from somewhere'.

Having biological children, especially a very new baby, makes all the questions come out.

"yes, she grew in my tummy".

"no, you did not grow in my tummy".

Our story goes, "mommy and daddy got married (Lizzy always starts here because she is obsessed with brides) and they had a little boy named Cody (my first bio son), and then mommy went and found a little girl named Lizzy (Lizzy always smiles at this part), and then mommy had a baby in her belly and it was ky ky (my second bio child) and then mommy and daddy went out and found Jojo, Chica and Jozzy because we needed them too.

My 4 year old has two other "moms" besides me.  Her bio mom and her foster mom who raised her for the past two years.  She refers to both of them as her "other mom".  Obviously we will come up with something better than that eventually, but for now I have left it up to them to name these people and I encourage them to talk about them as much as they want.

Every once in a while something will come up.  It is mostly about their foster family.  They don't mention their bio mom.

Every day is a new step towards normal.  So far all I know is that we are thrilled to be their forever parents.

Monday, November 5, 2012

BIG.

Lizzy was HORRIBLE today.

Maybe I was too.

Let the BIG feeling begin!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Lizzy.

Lizzy loves "the kids" as she calls our 3 newest children.

LOVES to play with them.

LOVES having friends around.

She really is tickled to have other people her age around.  She does GREAT almost all the time sharing.  She has done amazingly well.

She HAS shown some wear and tear over this life changing move.

Yesterday she got in trouble and was sent to bed.  After she got up she just wanted to lay on me.

So, while everyone ran and played around us, we cuddled.

She is my girl and I love her.  Her place in our family will not change and I TRULY believe this addition to our family (all 3 of them) will be SO good for her.

It is beyond obvious to me that Lizzy is behind.  She is very immature socially and has "very poor impulse control".  She copies everything all the kids say.  She acts SO much more like the 2 year old than the 4 year old.

But, on the good end, being around the 4 year old is teaching her things and she is moving forward.  I thing she might just be "slow" when it comes to learning life skills and practical stuff.  I guess that might qualify her as slow...but, she isn't what I think of when I think of slow.

Regardless, I am so glad she is here and she is mine.  She is amazing in so many ways that acting "young" for her age isn't of much concern.