Two Months

Today marks two months with the babies!

Baby Boy (3 years, 2 months)
He is growing!  When we first got him, his 24 month footie pajamas sagged off his bottom and the legs had lots of slack.  Now he is filling the legs out completely!  I feel so proud of him!  His latest trick is walking backwards, which he does with a goofy, sweet, proud-of-himself smile on his face.  In addition to his growth, his hair, which he largely lost to malnutrition before or at the hospital, is all grown back in and boy is he handsome! (A face only a mother could love?  I adore him.)

He is having less trouble sleeping, is waking less, and is now sleeping on his back or side instead of fetal position on his knees and tummy.  He is completely happy going into his crib (no tears at all), and does less rocking and head-banging during the night to self-sooth.  I pray he continues to grow in trust and peace in order to learn to sleep through the night.

His words are still booming.  He can sing about a dozen songs (in an intelligible-only-by-mommy sort of way, sort of sounds like a slurring drunk but the song is there, tune and all).  And his latest phrases are: "clean the floor" (I swear, I don't make him do this), "in the chair," and "I'm hungry."  He also just yesterday learned how to answer the question: What's your name?  (Before that, he either didn't answer, or said his sister's name instead of his own.)  He has started calling me mom-mom, which melts me.

Growing up before my eyes

Making a Valentine's cake

I'm in love with this guy

Dress up fun

Funny story.  Bitsy is a little overdue on her grooming, but not any more than the usual neglect to which she is accustomed with me.  I take her to the groomer and they call me and tell me that can't groom her unless they shave her because she is so matted.  I cried.  For real!?  She is not any more matted than the last time I brought her in!  So I groomed her myself in a very sloppy way, but as you can see by the picture, she LOVED it.  The groomer ended up grooming her for free with apologies when I told them I probably wouldn't be back (because if you can't help groom my dog when I need it, what's a groomer for?).  All is well!

Baby boy, what did you do?

Girl tea party!

Sister's "tea party"

Chillin' while Abby's at gymnastics

Go Texan day at school.  She is so cute!

After a doctor's appointment in Galveston, we rode the ferry!

Baby boy kissing the sleeping princess (we have been watching A LOT of Disney movies)

This young man suddenly loves to read!  YAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!

School skate party

We are getting professional about waiting rooms!

Baby Girl (4 years, 3 months)
I can claim now that she has mastered potty training!  She asks and goes in all situations, holds it for long car rides, and keeps her panties dry through the night. I am SO VERY glad to have that stressor behind us.  I am not a fan of potty training.

Her behavior had been improving until the babies both had a court-ordered visit with birth-dad.  That seemed to rock her stability and we are rehashing the boundaries we have set with behavior.  Her clinginess and separation anxiety, which had been steadily improving, have also taken a step back with the reintroduction of birth-dad whom she has said she does not want to see again (of course this is not up to me).  Although that sounds bad when you write it down, she is still overall happy, bonding well with the family, and adjusting to her new life.

She still overall is gaining in learning her manners, and that throwing a fit will NOT get her what she wants in this house (can I get an Amen?).  The three of us girls have had a couple of nice girls-only outings together: one to buys Easter dresses, and one to a tea party with some friends.  She loves to sing and will make up songs about whatever we're doing.  Aunt Lindsay says her life is a musical, and I think that's true, complete with the drama and highs and lows.



Big Sister
Abby has turned a corner in the last few weeks. After the honeymoon phase passed, Abby was growing resentful of the two too-cute attention-getters.  For a while she was refusing to have anything to do with them, especially Baby Girl.  But after a conversation in the car about how Isaac had to learn to be a good big brother, she rallied and has been trying to be a good big sister, at which she is quite phenomenal when she tries.



Big Brother
Isaac has been on a downward trend, mostly taking his frustration out on Abby, who mostly acts out her need for attention by annoying him.  We met with the counselor today for some coping skills and mostly just time for him and I to spend just the two of us.  Adel and I have been taking little opportunities here and there like this to spend one-on-one with the big kids so that they would still know how much they are loved even though life is way crazy right now. As a family, we have weathered harder storms than this and I know Isaac will rally as he has done before.  He is an amazing, kind, and gentle-hearted boy, and even though he's having a hard time at the moment, he is still glad to have the new siblings in our home.



The Case
We are learning more details of the abuse these babies endured.  Their older sisters, who are in a foster home near us, are beginning to open up to their foster mom and are reporting some pretty extreme abuse by their stepdad.  It is very sad and shocking, especially now that we know and love these kids so much, to hear what they endured before they were removed from the home.  But the fact that all of the siblings are so sweet, and so willing to adapt and be successful gives great hope for their future.

This has been a ton (and I mean a TON) of work.  Not just caring for the babies, which is a HUGE task in itself, but also the seemingly endless doctors appointments, phone calls and emails on their behalf, and ongoing paperwork. Some days I am barely holding it together.  Other days are just a happy (though active) day with a sweet family of six.  While I don't like the stress, the not knowing what our future holds, and the appointment and paperwork part of fostering, I am absolutely feeling like I am right where I'm supposed to be.  I love these kids and love them as part of our family.  I believe with all my heart that our family is their best option and I pray that we will get to be their forever family.  The court still has to rule on that, but I know that God rules over the court system and everyone in it.  I would love for you to pray with me that we can be the safe, stable, and loving forever family for these two sweet babies, and that we can maintain a close family relationship with their siblings in the other home as well.

How I wish I could post the scores of pictures and videos I have taken over the past two whirlwind months!   But someday, God willing, these babies will really be ours and then I can overshare all the many many sweet photos we have taken.