Howellville Updates...

Life is starting to get back to normal in our little corner of the world. School started back for the munchkins. JJ was excited to go back because he couldn't wait to tell his teacher about his new family and that his new mom is a teacher too. He seems to be getting excited. Last week, he kept saying that he was not going to a new home. He was not going to a new family. He was staying here. I thought, "Oh my, we've got a problem". We've been talking very positive the last few days about it and hopefully once he meets them he will feel the way I do. I'm happy for him & them. It's going to be a GREAT thing. They are excited that they are getting a son and they are ready to have him home. I understand their excitement, because we are getting a new son (BB) too and I'm ready to make it official. The wait drives you nuts, especially when you can't understand what you're even waiting for. These two boy's cases are closed book/simple cases, so the wait shouldn't be this long.

Jacob started back to school. He wasn't  nearly excited as JJ. He hated seeing winter break end. Yes he is homeschooled but that doesn't mean he gets to be lazy. He  does school work every day that public school does. He loves sleeping in & playing all day long on holidays and weekends, but that's over now and it's time to grow his brain (That's what I tell him).

I am very excited to be getting back to normal. Although I really enjoyed the holidays, I realize that structured days /planned out days are better for me.

This week all of the therapies & appointments start back up for the babies. We have to go see  all of their specialists. We took Bry to see the endocrinologist yesterday. We heard nothing new other than she dropped a half of a pound but she was sick most of December so that is probably why. She is 25 lbs & 35 inches tall. She has been doing really good since Christmas. She is staying stable and we've had very few alarms. On unstable nights I might get up every few minutes to alarms. I have to get up and suction her, shake her with her vest to clear her lungs, give her extra breathing treatments, re-position her, etc. Some nights we get no sleep at all. So when she is stable and we have no alarm nights it is amazing. You learn real quick how precious sleep is. Hopefully things are turning around for her & healthier days are ahead.

We got some good news yesterday. My best friend called my nurse and told her to tell me to call her that is was very important. My nurse called and said "call Monica right now". I called her and she said hang on I have someone who needs to talk to you. It was our adoption worker. She was calling to let me know that something is finally getting done in BB's case. yay!!!!! Ever since surrenders were signed, nothing has happened. The problem was that BB not only had a bio dad, but he also had a legal dad( mom was married to another man when BB was born). So that gave BB two dads. Well, here in this state that means that man has rights to BB too. Dumb law? yeah, that's what I thought too. Well, they contacted him and as soon as he signs that dotted line, BB is ours!!!!!!!!!! He will be signing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is not an issue at all. It's also been filed and should be in our local paper starting this week. If that man does what he says and signs then we won't even have to publish the whole 60 days. If he don't it will have to run for 60 days in our paper. We are really really excited. By spring, we should have our "Gotcha Day"!!!!!!!

  I think the reason both of my foster's cases are finally moving is because I finally put my foot down. I'm normally a very patient and quiet foster parent, but after last year, I've changed. I've realized the only cases that move are the ones that have foot stomping foster parents (sad I know). Be nice & quiet and you will  just get overlooked and lost in the system. Well, while I was at JJ's meeting Friday I had the main DFCS people trapped in the room (While we waited for the meeting to start) I brought up BB. I let them know how I felt about the foot dragging in his case. It's been that way in my last 4 foster kids cases. I think I got to Mrs Bossy lady because she left to go check her records/info and she never came back (not even to the meeting she was there for). Probably because she saw that I was right and they are not doing their job. Please pray for my fosters and the whole system. Our county is in a mess and I told our CASA that I don't even want to take anymore kids from our county, because of the shape it's in. My last four cases have been a mess.They've been OVERLY complicated. It's caused me to have no faith in the legal system because so many exceptions to the rules have been made and the rules keep changing so much that nobody knows what to expect anymore.  Sadly, our adoption worker had been avoiding us. She said she wasn't but she was. She hasn't been returning my calls. I've left her messages and sent her messages by foot (through my other case workers) but she hasn't responded until she called me yesterday with the good news. She said she hasn't called because she didn't know what to tell me (Doesn't that sound like avoiding me?). She said that her hands were tied and that they (DFCS) didn't really know how to handle BB's case(with this legal dad stuff). Anyhow, hopefully things are going to start happening now. These kids deserve it. Kids shouldn't just linger in foster care. That's what I told Mrs Bossy lady. These kids need to go home to their bio families or they need to be allowed to be adopted. We have way to many just hanging out in the system. It's not right to them, their families, or us foster parents. Enough on that.

We still have no new baby (grandbaby). Katie had a check up yesterday but she learned nothing new. I'm crossing my fingers for the weekend ,when I know that I will have good nursing coverage for my babies. Everything has to be planed out when you have medically fragile children. You can't just leave them with a neighbor. Hopefully it will all fall into place.

Well, that's about it. My Lil Princess Brookelyn Shae just got here. MeMe has to go. It's time to play:)


Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6