It’s a girl!

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We have exciting news…Derek and I are becoming guardians of an adorable little baby girl!  I’m sure this seems like it’s coming out of nowhere, but it’s felt like a long road to get here!

Becoming foster parents is something we’d been considering for awhile but hadn’t yet done anything about.  This became a possibility in November.  We learned a little more about the baby and started getting information on the process for becoming foster parents. It was intense!  We had 30 hours of classes in December for the caretaker course and CPR training.  It was grueling but made easier by going through it all with Derek.  We also had a ton of paperwork to fill out, everything from background checks to an evacuation plan to describing our own childhoods and what our views were on discipline.  When having a child of your own, you have a “leisurely” 9 months to contemplate all this.  We had weeks to think about everything and explain it eloquently.  It was stressful but also a relief that for the most part we were on the same page about things.  It was also intense because we were doing all of this without knowing for certain that we would be the family chosen for the child.

After the classes, the next step was the home-study!  We were interviewed together, then interviewed separately for about 4 hours each.  Then our home was inspected, which was the really nerve-wracking part! I forgot to dust the baseboards, what if they thought our house wasn’t clean enough?  Derek reminded me that they want us to be successful.  There are so many kids out there that need homes and not nearly enough to take them! It went well and we are just awaiting final approval for our license.

It’s also been tough because this has been our life, but we’d only told a limited amount of people.  We knew that the more people we told that this MIGHT be happening, the more we’d have to tell if it didn’t.  :/. In January, we were told we were the family they selected! We were so excited but knew we had more hurdles to clear.  It was a relief to start sharing the news with others, since it’s all we’ve been thinking about!

We are slowly getting ready to transition this little girl into our home.  She has been with another foster family for a little while, so we are learning as much as we can from them and working with them to make this transition as easy as possible for the little one.  Last Saturday we finally got to meet her.  It was incredible!  Looking into her eyes and holding her made me feel things it’s hard to even express!  She is a happy little baby and making her laugh just took my breath away.

We will be first-time parents, which has us both stressed but also incredibly excited.  The nursery is almost ready (we still need a diaper pail and a few other small essentials) and it’s been pretty crazy being in the baby section at stores like Target and realizing that I am shopping for us this time.  Of course I have all kinds of questions/doubts/worries swimming around my head like: Will I be a good mom?  What if she doesn’t like us? What will the world look like when she’s older?  For now, though, I am just holding on to that feeling of euphoria after getting to meet her.

I will be sure to tell you more once the little one is with us, but had to share with all of you all that’s been going on so far. I plan on keeping this space the same as it’s always been, focusing on food and drinks.  However, parenthood has suddenly become a HUGE part of our lives, so I hope you’ll indulge me occasionally if mom stuff seeps in from time to time. 😉

Also, if you are at all remotely interested in becoming a foster parent or guardian, I encourage you to start the process.  It will take longer than you think and will give you time to contemplate. There are so many kids out there that need homes.  If you have questions from someone that’s been through it, please contact me.  I am no expert but can at least share more about our experience.

 

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