Change in plans....

Well it has been a long time since I updated everyone on the goings on. It has been a really crazy month. Brynn graduated magna cum laude from high school on June 5th and we had lots of family come to town to help us celebrate. Hard to believe she is headed off to college 2 months from today seems like yesterday she was toddling around getting in to mischief! She is going to Stetson University in DeLand where he grandmother lives. When she was very young, we would drive through the Stetson campus and she would say "I am going to go to college here." Dreams do come true!

I decided last week to not take Elizabeth back when she steps down from medical foster care. I just wasn't excited about the amount of time she would require of me and to continue my or our involvement with the kids' bio family. They continue to smoke around the kids and their asthma continues to flair up as a result. The mom likes to constantly cause drama amongst the child welfare people, John's teachers, Lizzie's foster mom and me. I am just burned out. So last week I talked to Don and he agreed. I also spoke with Lizzie's foster mom and she thought Lizzie would be fine in another foster home. So I let them all know of our decision last Thursday. We decided that once John goes home we would take a month or so off from fostering to take a family vacation to Omaha, to get Brynn situated at school and for Oliver to start his 2 day a week speech class. And that we would get a fresh start in September.

Well that all changed today, a short 5 days after the "decision".......it started off with Oliver taking every magazine out of my Nebraska copper tub and bringing a magazine to me with a baby on it and saying "dat Lizzie". He sees her once or twice week and seems to miss her. So, I asked him "do you miss Lizzie?" "Yes" he replies. So then I say "would like to have another baby around here?" "Yes." he again replies. A short while later (maybe 30 minutes) the phone rings and it is Lutheran Services general number, I really don't want to answer as I am sure it is about another of the bio mom's complaints. I answer it instead of procrastinating the inevitable. It was the new placement coordinator wanted to know what age children we were willing to accept. "the younger the better" is my response. "So you would take a newborn?" My heart melts at the words. I love the innocence of a newborn, the ease of their inability to talk back, the lack of baggage that comes with a newborn. So I say "Can I call my husband and call you back in 5 minutes?" I know what Don is going to say but figure I can convince him. He of course says "NO!" and then I explain the situation and that I already told them about our vacation and they said no problem they would get respite care. And he goes for it!

So baby Angelo has arrived! He is sweet and just 7 days old. He comes with a sad story. All I know is that his mother has lost previous kids and his father passed away this last week. There are family members of the father's that have expressed an interest but they are not holding out hope. I drove down to the hospital after Brynn got home from school and picked him up in the NICU. The nurses were awesome and gave me a quick refresher course as it has been 18 years since I had a newborn. It was so nice to hear kind words about taking him, when we all know that I really do this for my own desires and needs. He is doing good and we are enjoying him. I think he is probably a blend of Caucasian and Latin/Hispanic but I am not sure. He has a "Caucasian" last name.. For now he is "Baby". The boys love him and Brynn is watching him from across the room. I didn't rate for good night kisses from the boys but he did. And, he has already been to Target! I will update more as I can!