Winding Down

We haven't updated on our foster parenting lately, so I figured I'd give a little update. Baby N came into our family mid December 2014. We didn't know what to expect, but what we got was the "perfect" baby and the "perfect" foster situation.

We picked Baby N up from the NICU at 3.5 weeks old. She was TINY when she was born (3lb3oz) and came to us at 4lb4oz. She was a sweet little thing from the start, but was a bit fussy. Thankfully, that soon passed and she blossomed into the most laid back, happy, joyful baby anyone could ask for. She is one of those kids that is content to just hang out, but she isn't a wet blanket either. She's full of personality and works to get your attention through delightful squeals, grunts and smiles. She may be one of the sweetest babies I've ever met.

Baby N's mom and dad have been present and willing to do whatever they needed from the start. They never missed visits, they followed their case plan, and most of all, they continued to love their daughter throughout the whole journey.

Initially Baby N and her parents had 2 visits a week, each for 2 hours. Then it was 1 visit a week for 4 hours. Which then became 1 visit a week for 5 hours. After that Baby N got to have overnight visits with mom and dad. Currently, Baby N is in the middle of a 5 day visit with mom in dad in preparation of heading home, for good.

We could not be more thrilled for Baby N and her sweet family. Time and time again we are asked how we can say goodbye to someone who has lived in our home for 8 months; a sweet baby that became part of our family. The answer is simple: because we have been called to. God didn't call us to be her mom and dad. Baby N has a loving set of parents that just needed our help for a time. This may not be the case for all of our placements, but with Baby N, it was very clear from the start that God had only called our family to be her family for a time...not forever. We will indeed miss her more than we probably even know right now. She has taught our family a lot. She helped us learn more about the foster care system. She taught us to be parents to two children. She taught Mckenna how to be a big sister. And she will soon teach us how to love and let go for the good of others.

As Baby N heads home permanently in the next week or two, please join us in praying for Baby N, her parents and our family as we all transition into our new lives!