Life Saver

If you have a baby, plan on having a baby--heck, even if you occasionally come into contact with a baby I think you should read this book.  I read it and two nights later little Gremmie (this is actually what we call her...) slept in two five hour blocks through the night.  I couldn't have been more ecstatic.  I am a big, big fan of sleep.  And, consequently, a big fan of this book. 

Our Mugs

When we signed up to work with an additional adoption agency, we thought it was high time we had some recent professional pictures taken of us and our home for our adoption profile.  I've included the highlights--just in case you were curious.  They were taken by my co-bear den leader (in cub scouts), Julie, of Madeline James Photography.

Baby Gremlin is doing great!  She is currently at a visit with her mother.  I always get stressed out when my foster babies are at visits--they are not in my care and I have no idea who is responsible for them or what happens in the visits.  I know it will be okay, I just can't wait until she comes home in two hours...

Foster Motherhood

Soon after my last blog post, we got a long awaited call from Child Protective Services (it just hit me that most people would not be excited by a call from them...).  We were asked to take placement of a two month old baby girl.  Although we only had her for three weeks--we fell absolutely in love with her and had a wonderful time playing full-time parents for the first time.  The weeks went by after our first little girl went to live with her grandparents.  I kept my phone on me at all times--just waiting for a call with another placement.  On Friday I couldn't take it anymore.  I could no longer resist the urge to call CPS to make sure they knew we had an opening.  The result of my call?   Three hours later they asked us to come pick up a three day old baby girl from the hospital.

Picking her up Friday night was quite the experience.  They had apparently had some problems with the baby's mother wreaking  havoc because she wasn't taking her baby home (really, who could blame her?).  In preperation for us to come pick her up, they hid (yes, hid) the baby in another part of the hospital.  We were escorted by security to get the baby--they even had code names for us on their walkie talkies ("the guardian angels").  When it was time to get to our car we had not one, but two security guards plus a nurse take us to the parking lot.  It was pretty intense.

But now she is here.  We affectionately call her "the gremlin."  Because, really, newborns, look a little wrinkly and disproportionate at first.  But she is beautiful.  And she doesn't like to sleep at night.  And we think she is wonderful.

Although I'd love to, I can't give details about the baby or post pictures (confidentiality stuff, you know).  But I will tell you this--I love being a mother.  Even if it is just temporary.  It all just makes us more anxious to have one of our own.  We decided to start working with an additional adoption agency in Spokane--one that has much shorter wait times than our current agency.  But I really think we will continue to foster after we adopt.

So, if you're ever wondering what I'm doing--I'm most likely changing a diaper, making a bottle, or holding a sleeping baby.  And I'm in heaven.  Except for the no sleep part.