She's here!

I know this is totally insane, but less than two weeks on the foster/adopt list for 0-12 months and we got a 2 day old baby girl! Her name is Serenity, she is perfectly healthy and is beautiful! She eats wonderfully, she smells like a perfect newborn baby, and she even burps like a champ! We love her already of course!

I was at work today when I got a call over the PA that DH was on the phone. Scared me to death. I thought something was seriously wrong. For some reason this never crossed my mind though I don't know why. DH was like "Ummm we got called for a placement for a 2 day old baby!" I about passed out right there. I tried to call everyone back that I could at DSS but everyone was in meetings or at lunch! I was so afraid we'd miss out on getting her, but sure enough as soon as the kids were on the bus another call came over the PA for me and I went up to the office and they said to come to the DSS office to pick her up. Perfectly healthy and sweet as can be. We went straight there and brought her straight home and have just been in love with her since. :) Our case manager said "Remember that story I told you about why hate to tell you a wait time? Because just when I say no babies are available here one comes!" She was thrilled for us!

I'd love to post pics but I'm not sure if I can since we signed a confidentiality agreement and they said no facebook so I imagine since this is public they'd say no too but trust me, she's beautiful! Hasn't cried yet so I think she's waiting for our bedtime to start that. :)

Oh and we know next to nothing about her birth family situation at this time except that her mother is schizophrenic and is in the hospital still. She had some things for her but everything was too big for her and all of her blankets were dirty. They said it was a bad situation but that's all we were told. No idea yet how long she might stay but we'll treasure every moment!

:hugs:

I am SO happy for you. How amazing!

:hugs: YAY! So happy to hear this hun!

Oh my goodness...how wonderful!!!! I am SO happy for you!!

We were told that we could send pics privately but nothing public :-)

I just can't stop smiling for you :D!

That's great news - very happy for you.

Wonderful news! I'm so happy for y'all!

Wow! Have fun momma!

Wow! That's great!

Congratulations!! So happy for you! :hooray:

wonderful! May she flourish in your care!

So exciting!:hooray: I'm really happy for you! I hope you get to keep her. ;) I know that sounds bad in a way, since the point of foster care is to get kids back to their biological parents when possible - but from the little you said, it sounds like she's a million times better off with you.

Oh my goodness!!! So thrilled for you and your husband!

that is wonderful news!!! Congrats.

wow! so wonderful! congrats!!! :]

Yay Leah! That is wonderful! Can't wait to hear how the night went!

Oh how sweet! I can't wait to get updates. Please update us!

Congratulations and how exciting! I hope that it works out for you and she gets to stay with you. And yeah I would definitely NOT post anything online with pictures.

Congrats!!! :) So happy for you guys!

Congratulations! What an amazing story!

That is AMAZING news!! I am so happy for you and your DH!! Enjoy every second with her!!

Amazing! I bet you guys are on :cloud9: !! What a blessing for you and for baby girl!! :wub:

Congrats! :hooray:

How exciting...congrats!

Stalking for an update...how has your first night/day gone?? I'm sure you're super busy *with a newborn* (how awesome is that!!!!) :-) Thinking of you momma!

Hi ladies! Thank you all so so much! We are completely in love with her! We keep getting all sad and crying because we're so scared she'll leave. We know nothing about the home situation really. Social workers aren't allowed to tell us much because of confidentiality and we aren't allowed to ask. So all we know is mental illness and the social workers keep saying it's a pretty bad situation which kind of goes without saying I think since she's been removed from mom. They did call to check on her and ask about her first night so they could tell the mom how she's doing. When I think about her leaving I feel like I can't breathe. It's so hard to love her so much and do all that we're doing and act like a little family when we know so little.

They did say there was a court date for next week for the mom, but not what for. So far we've heard nothing of visitation so I'm kind of wondering if that's what that's determining. DH says every time they say it's not a good situation or it's a pretty bad situation he wonders what the means. Does it mean that birth mom isn't doing well and it's bad for her and baby? Does it mean that someone is going to come get her and so it's bad for us? Does it mean that there isn't anyone so our chances of keeping her are good? We just don't know and trying to interpret it is making us a little insane. Thankfully we don't get to determine it much since we're busy most of the time.

She's sleeping 3-4 hours at a time sometimes so she's really doing great and is putting on weight. We took her to her first doc appointment this morning. This doc knows the mom and asked if we knew how the mom was. We told her we weren't allowed to know but that we knew they were in touch with her letting her know her baby is okay. Doc says she knows the mom well through being the pediatrician of another child of hers. Didn't say much else. After that though she talked about people being too out of it to be able to care for a baby or to fully grasp what a baby or child really needs. She asked us the statistics in this county for adopting and said she imagined it was high since she has a lot of patients who were foster to adopt and became available for adoption. Said she still sees most of them which she loves.

Also when we were at DSS picking her up EVERYONE that worked there came in to see her, including the janitors. As we were leaving one of the janitors, a really nice older lady, told us to enjoy that baby. DH just told me tonight that when we left the social worker's office to take the baby to see everyone that he was the last one out and the sweet janitor lady grabbed his arm and held him back a minute and whispered to him "maybe you'll get to keep her". He said that's been with him ever since. He's almost having a harder time than me. Said he expected to be nervous and overwhelmed but that he didn't expect for it to feel natural to him and for him to feel like her Daddy.

Does anyone have any experience with it being like this? I was under the impression that we'd know more than we do. Not sure if they just don't want to say much until they know more or if it's always this hush hush. We're also terrified we'll break the confidentiality agreement without even realizing it.

Overall though aside from nerves everything is great and we are so so happy regardless of the outcome that we were blessed with this little girl! :)

:wub:

I am so so so so happy for you guys! Thank you so much for updating us!! I wish we could see a picture! I bet she's beautiful!! She's lucky to have you guys! I really really hope you get to keep her!!! I'm so nervous for you guys! Everything's crossed!

Knowing what little I do about courts and how they try super super hard for reunification...despite if that is in the best interest of the child or not sadly, I will only say try your best to not get too attached. Try to remember this is a foster home 1st. I also am not sure I would let on to the social workers that you are getting so attached so fast. If the chances of adoption are limited they very well may take the baby from you to prevent a serious bond from forming. Just try to keep your mind in the "we are helping her until her mom gets better" mindset. Just so your heart may break a little less IF they do give her back to mom. Better to be prepared for the worst and be surprised with the best than the other way around. Just my .02 lots of good wishes going your way!!!

:woot: Congratulations!
Our county was pretty forthcoming with information. There are some things you just need to know. It never hurts to ask questions, esp. with being new. We were never notified of court dates despite our county requiring it. Couldn't attend anyways. It's hard not to fully attach when your job is to love on and nurture a little one. What Kat said about trying to remember it's temporary first is good advice.
With Baby C we knew for about a week he was moving to another family. It was hard but a good transition.
With our kiddos, we had a family therapy session scheduled & caseworker was supposed to be there to talk with them about moving forward with the adoptiion. We got there. Cw didn't show. Told us over speakerphone in the office to leave the kids & they were taking them back. Eveyone was so confused. It was so messy. And I'm still ticked all this time later. Our other situation I can't talk about due to confidentiality.
I truely hope everything falls in your favor & it's smooth sailing.