Two Weeks

 

Two weeks. Wow, how could so much yet so little time have passed since our little dude joined our family? When I look back on the last two weeks, my heart and mind go in a million different directions. There has been pure exhaustion, belly laughter, and so much love. There has been unbelievable gains and frustrating set backs. More than anything, there has been a lot of admiration and pride for a pint size boy who makes daily strides at normalcy, despite the complete uncertainty that surrounds him.

As we hit this two week mark, our adrenaline is wearing off, the exhaustion is setting in, and the struggle to balance life has begun. If I have learned one thing in the last two weeks, it is that foster parenting and normal parenting are two VERY different things. We have literally broken almost all of our parenting rules, we have sat in complete defeat as our tried and true methods failed, and have usually ended up holding a boy who just needed someone to be patient and be there, despite the crashing that is going on around us.

Even with all of the frustrations of being completely clueless in so many ways, the incredible high of watching this little man work so hard has been nothing short of exhilarating. Little things like finding food he will eat, sleeping in his crib for more than a couple of hours, and watching him smile and laugh instead of screaming during bath time, literally keep us going. We quickly realized that these small victories play into a much bigger picture.

You know, when you raise a child from birth, you know where they came from, what they like and don't like, their preferences, fears, and comforts. I'm amazed at how much we take that for granted and call it good parenting. The reality is that we know our children really well and know how to train them based on their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. When there is small child in front of you with no information besides his squeals of joy or displeasure, you realize that while it can be incredibly frustrating at times, the real hardship falls on him as he wades through the new world surrounding him, not to mention the trauma of being taken from his own family. It is with that realization that we march forward, day by day, sometimes minute by minute, choosing to, as Paul said it, "stand the heat so he doesn't have to be in the fire".

With that, I ask for prayers as we continue down this road. Pray for healing and comfort for our little dude, when our words or actions can't or don't soothe him. Pray for patience, understanding, and joy for Paul and I to keep moving forward as we try to find a balance between his world and ours. For continued joy and courage for our kiddos who have had a blast having a new little brother but also feel the effects of change. And lastly, for little mans family, that they find the healing that they need in this difficult situation.

Thank you for your love and support over the last couple of weeks. We feel it and appreciate it!