Baby V

What a week this has been! It started out horribly, and has ended on an oh so sweet note :). I don't have much time to write this post, so I'm gonna make this quick!

After we made the decision to have Little J transition to another home, we felt totally criticized and ridiculed by the County. To make a long story short, there were some misunderstandings with the information they thought we had been given before we decided to take Little J's placement and they needed quite a bit of clearing up. They left us feeling like we would be passed over for future placements, and frankly we were worried sick that we would never have a child in our care again. On Friday I had an answer to a prayer when I rented a car to a woman who works for the Department of Family Services who was totally able to reassure me that all would be well and we would be getting calls for more placements soon. Little J is set to move to another home within the next 7 days or so (we don't have an exact date yet), but we figured we probably wouldn't get a call until she had been placed elsewhere. Wrong!

Yesterday Jeremy, Little J and I were hanging out, all feeling a little bored, when the phone rang. I immediately recognized the number as being from DFS, and being that it was a Saturday, I was pretty sure it was a call from the placement team. I thought I was going to be given details on Little J's move, but was pleasantly surprised to be asked if Jeremy and I could take an 8-month-old baby girl who had come into care only 2 hours before we got the call. We happily accepted, and set a time to pick up Baby V (as she will hereafter be known as) in an hour. Thank goodness we had thought ahead and bought a car seat, crib, playpen, highchair and diapers, because this little doll had very few belongings, all of which were filthy and are still sealed in plastic bags in the garage (where they will remain - DFS requires foster parents to keep all of the belongings a child comes into care with, even if those items are unsanitary, worn, etc.). We quickly put together the playpen and got the carseat in the car, and were on our way!

This visit to Child Haven was much different than when we picked up Little J. Even though we had less time to prepare for Baby V's arrival, it was overall a calmer, quicker, easier process. The moment we walked into the cottage where Baby V was sitting in a swing I was in love! This little girl is SOOOO cute and soooo loveable. She is generally happy, and seems to be right on target developmentally. Not much is known about why she was removed from her home, but we do know that she has two siblings who were removed and later adopted several years ago, so we're guessing there may be some recurring problem with the biological family.

Anyways, right now this is just considered an emergency placement while DFS searches for family members and such who may be able to take Baby V, but it could definitely turn into something longer - only time will tell. In the meantime we are adjusting to sleep deprivation and enjoying every moment of cuddling with this adorable, happy baby. My heart is full of joy, and all I can think is "this is exactly what I want." Life is good :)