Just a few weeks now..

Our paperwork will be leaving for Lansing this afternoon or Monday, and then it's an average of 2 weeks for final approval and license to arrive. Yay!

Evelyn's getting bigger every day...

She just slept in her own bedroom for the first time.

The system's broken...

I've got the baby itch....

Our social worker told me on the phone today there are a few papers she forgot to have us sign,but that she is recommending us for licensing and we should have our license with in the month.
She also told us that things are slow, and the system is reforming right now, and it could be MONTHS before our first placement.
She said up until October 1st, DHS was swarming with kids, and no homes to place them in.
But, because of a few crazy moms who made national news for horrible crimes against their foster or previous foster children, everything is being reformed.
CPS is doing everything possible to keep kids in their homes, even if the situation is risky and questionable because too many allegations have been made on foster parents in the recent past. So, there is a low intake of kids.
Since I was prepared for immediate placement, you can imagine that there is a little bit of a let down.

It's a weird situation because of course I do NOT want these children to experience anything that warrants them having to be removed from their families - but I DO want to grow my family through foster and adoption.

So, that brings me to the baby itch.
I really want a house full.
I know you probably think I'm crazy - but I'm actually the most alive, and dare I say motivated and productive with a house full of kids. I LOVE having 5 toddlers running around and running me ragged.

Not to mention, it really bothers me that there are kids in awful environments that we could open our home to.
There are posts all over the place about families that need to be urgently matched for AA and bi-racial placements, and there are families out there like mine who would actually PREFER AA or toddler placements. But the only thing stopping us is the $12,000-30,000 price tag that comes along with the agency.

We would LOVE to add to our family, we really really WANT to add to our family - and I know we'd make for a great family to a little one.... but there is that big fat price tag that just makes us so uncomfortable.
Why does it have to be this way!?
Why cant a biological mom who wants to place her child out for adoption find the family she's comfortable, get to know them, spend some time with them, and then leave her child with them feeling very comfortable that they'll provide a better life for the child?
(I do understand that there are a lot of moms who are unfit and unable to handle such responsibility)
But, why does there always have to be a money hungry agency in between?
I'm sorry but I can't imagine that there is a legitimate reason to charge a family $30,000 for a child that's already born, and needing a home badly.

Okay, end rant.

WE'RE IN!

We have finished our home study, and are just waiting on our license from Lansing now!
The SW said within the month!
We are so excited it's ridiculous.
We want so badly to offer our family to a child that needs us,
and we're *this much* closer.
I cant wait until I've got 4 or 5 little ones running around my house and running me ragged.

We're scheduled!

We have our home study scheduled for this Tuesday at 2PM.
I am scared out of my mind!
I know we'll be fine - but whew!
Having someone comb through your house, your marriage, your parenting techniques, your finances, your past, and your family is very nerve-racking!
But, I am so excited - because that means we're one step closer.

An anniversary apart....

Karl and I had to spend our third anniversary apart today.
He worked all day, and then had d-groups.
We also are pinching pennies, so we couldn't try and mask the lack of time together with big fancy gifts....
But, it still was a lovely day.
I let him off the hook, and put the boy to bed last night, and then stayed up until 2AM to clean the house.
I wanted him to wake up surprised.
And he was.
I then woke up to an email (his gift) that was very lovely.
At risk of embarrassing him, and showing off how much he loves me, I'll share it:
"Happy anniversary!
Thank you for cleaning the house last night!
You must have stayed up late, and worked hard.
It looked so good this morning.
Thank you too for the drink in the fridge.
Thank you for taking care of the kids the way you do.
The way you really pay attention to every little change they go through.
And how you show them love no matter what.
Thank you for your overwhelming abundance of patience,
With me and the kids.
If I could go back and pick any woman to be the mother of my kids
I would pick you, hands down.
Im sorry that this all I did for you for our anniversary
I love you very much
And I always will
No matter what
Have a good day ashface
Karl"
He says "I'm sorry that this is all I did"... but what he doesn't know is that I would take that lovely letter over a fancy schmancy gift any day.
I then made him a steak, peppers, and cornbread dinner.
And he willingly put our smaller, much more comfy bed up in our bedroom, and our bigger stiff bed in the guest room.
(Which we can do, because our little lady is spending most the night in her bassinet)
He's off to d-groups now, and it's just me and the kiddos.
But, I have a few more tricks up my sleeve.
Anywho, Here's to a wonderful husband and a very happy marriage!

Life is well!

My little girl is teething her second tooth.
She is also increasingly getting better at balancing while sitting.
I don't see her crawling for a good month or more though.

Ethan, my darling boy is going to be a talker like his momma!
He is understanding way more than I thought he does,
and is starting to prove it by saying things I didn't expect to hear at just 21 months.
Today he came up to me, gave me a hug, and said "I'm happy".
He also has been saying things like "come on, mom. let's go"
Other sentences are "I don't want more books"
"I want that one" (I want "X" is a popular one)
He's also started to call Karl by his first name, and me by "honey".
As a kid Karl couldn't say his "R"s, and so he'd say his name "cow-all"
Well Ethan has a hard time saying the "R" in Karl as well, and he calls Karl "cowel"
It's so stinking cute.

My parents moved in next door, and are sleeping there tonight!
Ethan walked from our house to their house today with Daniel, sans parents.
I watched through the window with Evelyn in tow.
He's growing so fast!