On Fostering.....

I want to share our experience while fostering openly and honestly to help anyone who might be considering it. While fostering definitely brings joy and is as much a gift to us as it is to these little ones....

it is HARD work.

{playing with rocks on daddy's lap}

Oh sure she looks sweet.....OK actually she really is!!

BUT she also has a mind of her own.
And a scream that can be heard a block away.

And she doesn't always like to be comforted.

She wants to be held, but won't melt into your arms.

And...kisses. Forget about it.

They come few and far between.

But she trusts us and wants us and has definitely bonded with us.

I just want KISSES.

Big open mouth sloppy wet kisses.

And arms squeezed tightly around my neck.

We went from having two children who were pretty self sufficient

to adding two children who depend on us for their every need.

We are tired!

But loving this experience at the same time.

{chatting it up with mommy}

Sure his coos are music to our ears....BUT his screams in the middle of the night....

let's just say...it's a good thing he is so cute!!

Getting up in the middle of the night was exciting and fun in the beginning.

Now I'm just begging Little Mister to give me 5 hours in a row.

Actually, I'd even take 4 consistently!

I know it will come with age.

BUT...HE....he gives big open mouth sloppy kisses and I love them.

And he grins so big when we walk into the door.

Oh and he will tell you a mean story if you give him time to 'talk'.

But again we are tired.

And there are some days, I'll admit...

while my heart is wholly attached to them...

I wonder what it will be like when they are gone.

What it will be like to plop down on the couch with a bowl of ice-cream and my favorite show

and not be interrupted with a crying baby who just woke up ready to eat.

Then I type that and my heart breaks because that is so selfish and I know when that time comes, I will only want to be interrupted and feed that little baby or hold that little missy.

And tickle their tummies until they can't laugh anymore.

People always ask us...WHY? and HOW?

WHY....because we love babies and know we can love other peoples' babies.

And there is such a need. And I couldn't stop thinking about it this past year.

HOW....How will we be able to say good-bye is the question I get asked most.

And I tell them....we don't know yet...we haven't experienced that yet.

And while there are some days we all look at each other and think...

OK we are ready to be a family of 4 again....

none of us can even imagine us being a family of 4 again.

But we know one day we will.

And these cute little babies will either go back to their parents or on to their forever family through adoption.

And the hard days....will feel so worth it!



{and yes...we call ourselves 'mommy' 'daddy' 'brother' and 'sister' and their parents are definitely OK with that. I explained that we aren't trying to take their place in anyway...but those are our roles and names in our home and it would be weird to refer to us by our first names. Bio parents wanted them to know us as mommy and daddy....because that is our role right now for them and I was so glad they understood.}