A more personal post.
They say that when you endeavor to do something good, you must expect to be slowed at every pass. We’re hoping things turn out more like a broadway musical, instead of heading into Greek tragedy. There have been some amazing moments though, so I want to share those as well.

A new car and a new baby. (These are connected.)

Just before Christmas we finished foster parent training. On the way back from Christmas in Houston we had a series of car issues that led us into a new car. No one wants to be on the side of the road, but having kids in the car always makes it worse.

Days after gaining our new car, we were asked to take home a beautiful baby girl straight from the hospital NICU.

A baby rush

Most people have several months notice, but we had about 48hrs before bringing her home. Friends and coworkers chipped in with tons of loaned toys and baby equipment. We had to get her room ready, so parents came and helped us put everything in order. We were amazed and felt really blessed. For the next couple months we were mostly happy zombies, catching sleep whenever possible.

As some people join your life, others leave

2016 has taken a number of good people from the world. Just as the little one was beginning to sleep longer and settle in, my father passed away. It was a surprise. He wasn’t overly old, but he left in his sleep without a lot of pain. That’s not a bad way to go. A few weeks later, my husband’s grandmother passed away in England. She lived an amazing life, surviving WWII and raising a child on her own in the 50s. I am glad to have met her before she passed. Travel was difficult, but Bert arrived in time for the funeral and was able to visit family.

The bright side of both these events was the time spent with family. Both of us were able to see people we hadn’t seen in years outside Facebook and email. In some cases they were able to meet the baby, in person or by video.

Aftermath so far

Having a baby is hard. Having a foster baby, dealing with funerals, family estate sales, angry bio-parent meetings, extra baby appointments, and our full-time day jobs is exhausting. Both Bert and I have been more sick this year than in a long time. My lawn grows with wild abandon, and I don’t care.

If it hadn’t been for all the friends and family support, we’d be limping instead of walking. A big thank you goes out to all of you reading this! I’m also sending a big shout out to my husband, Bert, who has been the most dedicated awesome foster daddy I could hope for.