We are certified!... oh, and we became parents this week!

Well, it's official-- we are officially certified foster parents!!  Need proof?   Well, our world was turned upside down this week with our very first foster placement.

This week has been both the best and worst week of my life. Cody and I were told last Friday that we were officially certified with the state. Saturday morning we received our first call. That one didn't end up working because a family member said they were available. Sunday afternoon we got another call for an almost 4 year old child, which was older than what Cody and I are willing to take right now, so we had to say no. We thought it was crazy that we had had two calls within a few days of being certified.

Around 9:30 Sunday night we got another call saying that there was a 12 week old baby girl available (who I will be reffing to as Ladybug). We told our worker that we would love to take her in. She arrived at our front door around 1:30 in the morning Sunday night/Monday morning.  I may be a little partial, but she seriously is one one the prettiest babies I've ever seen, and I've been around a ton of them with my mom running a daycare most of my life.

littlest fingers!

The first night was pretty hard with her arriving late and her sleep being off.  She would only sleep about 30-45 minutes at a time, which made for one tired mommy the rest of the day Monday. Ladybug and I spent some quality time together that day trying to figure out each other and how our routine was going to be. Napping was a hit and miss, but snuggle time was amazing.

That evening our amazing friend Nathalie came over to help me figure out swaddling. I had worked at it all day and just could not get it to where her arms wouldn't escape.  Because of her great technique Ladybug was able to get some very good sleep. She was sleeping between 3-5 hour stretches while she was swaddled.

tiny toes!

Ladybug is a very happy baby and only cries a little when she is hungry or needs a diaper change. She is a very, very amazing child, and has made a huge impact on us! She is what made Cody and I become real parents for the first time in our lives.

When there is an emergency placement like Ladybug was the state requires a placement hearing within a few days of it. Her hearing was on Wednesday. We got the call from the county social worker late that afternoon letting us know that her grandparents had gone to the hearing and were requesting that Ladybug be placed with them. I completely broke down sobbing in the office at work. I rushed home as quickly as I could (longest commute home from work ever!) so that I could spend as much time as possible with the sweet little girl. I basically spent from 4pm Wednesday afternoon to 10:00pm Thursday night sobbing off and on.

Driving Ladybug to the child services office yesterday and handing her over to the social worker is the hardest thing that I have ever had to do in my entire life. I know that we only had met her not even 4 days prior, but we love her so much! I did not want to let her go, but I knew that I had to. She was not ours to keep, and God has some sort of plan for both her and Cody and I.  I'm trying very hard to find comfort in that, but it is very hard for me to do.

I am dealing with it better today, and Cody and I have put our names back on the open list to wait for another placement starting this upcoming Monday. I know that we will get the opportunity to provide a safe, loving home to another child and that gives me something to look forward to.