Another month has almost passed, and our sweet little foster baby is four months old! She finally out grew some of her clothes and is quickly moving up in diaper sizes. Her precious smiles, contagious laugh, and funny expressions keep us mesmerized. And, now she will turn her head to find me when she hears my voice. As far as she is concerned, I am Mommy. My heart breaks for her biological mother, but rejoices to God for giving us the chance to help this child feel and know the love of a devoted family.
Baby M's next trial is in November, so it's still not clear what recommendations will be made to the judge. So far things are looking up for us because her biological family members seem to not have the substantial backing they need to provide guardianship. Furthermore, M's biological mother also has a trial in November for her individual case, so if she's released from prison then that could really make things interesting. But, honestly, we're not worried about any of this mess. Our Lord is gracious and in control, and we are honored to protect our sweet baby girl from the crud that has immersed her biological family.
We have now attended two fostercare support meetings and have had some interesting experiences. First, it is very apparent that we are blessed to have such devoted staff for M's case. Secondly, we have been introduced to some issues and problems that could come up through adoption. Many of the people we have encountered through these meetings are seasoned foster and/or adoptive parents, so we are extremely thankful to the Lord for leading us to a group who can help us through this calling. It's nice to have a place to go where our family can interact with other families in a similar situation.
At home we are finally transitioning our youngest son out of the crib and into his brother's room. I have had some sweet mommy-son time with him because we are training him to nap on the bottom bunk, so I have stayed with him as he falls asleep. Sometimes he falls asleep with his head on my shoulder or while holding my hand, so I just bottle up those moments and cement them in my heart! :) Our goal is to change the "dinosaur" room into the "butterfly" room in the next month so Miss M. can have her own room.
On top of prayer for baby M, we have some additional requests. Recently our oldest son started preschool one day a week, so we ask for an easy transition and productive time of learning for him. Next, our youngest son is almost two-years-old and has hit a stubborn, rebellious streak, so we ask for prayers that he would choose obedience over rebellion. As for me, I ask for patience with the kids because many days it is lacking and I am quick to be frustrated and snippy. And, lastly, please pray for energy and rest for my sweet husband because his new job requires a much earlier wake up time and more travel. We are so thankful for every prayer on our behalf!
So, we keep rolling along! We look forward to cooler weather and more picnics at the park (which M is really starting to like). We have family pictures coming up in October, as well as the Fall Festival on Halloween with plans to dress in costumes as a family. We're loving this crazy life, and thank you all for your support!
