[RNFosterMom]

Well, we've had an eventful week at our house!

A week ago Friday, our 15mo FD was reunified to her Mom and 2 month old baby sister at a supervised aftercare facility. She was very attached to my husband, and he to her. Husband has been very sad w/o his special girl.

On Thursday, we brought our 11 1/2 mo FS to his first unsupervised visit with his parents. I am NOT HAPPY about this development in case plan because I really don't think this Mom can properly care for a pet, much less a child. (At today's visit, for example, she fed him potato chips!) Also, this Mom is staying at same facility as FFD (see above) and FS Mom knows FFD from seeing her at visit transfers w/her son. She talked to FFD's Mom and arranged for my husband to see FFD when he picked up FS. FFD, per my husband, looked very sad and her Mom reported she is not eating, so this upset my husband even more! Now he is saying he's not sure he can keep going through these reunifications....

And then we got a call early Wednesday morning to pick up an adorable 2 month old girl who was in a different foster home for 2 days after being in hospital her first 2 months of life withdrawing from drug exposure in utero. She is a foster to adopt placement (first time we've tried this) and so of course her family situation is very complicated. The first foster home gave her up after 2 days, stating she was too fussy and they had other high needs children in their home. She certainly is fussy! But she's not as bad as we expected, although she doesn't respond as well to my husband as she does to me (which may be due to her being cared for by female nurses her whole life). Poor husband is a bit overwhelmed by her right now, but she is such a cute baby and she even smiles every once in a while in and amongst the screaming. I have consulted MD twice since she arrived and we've already switched to a new formula and have worked out a plan to continue withdrawal meds a few more days, which does seem to be helping, a little anyway.

Our house is definitely in a state of upheaval! My husband is so sad. I'm ticked off, as per my usual method of grieving after a RU. We have a new little one we're trying to bond with and figure out. And our FS will be RU soon and I can hardly bear the thought of it. It would be nice to feel like things are routine and in control again, but who knows when that will happen!

[greenrobin]

I hear you. And I understand.

Some of these kids really REALLY get into your heart. And, even though you absolutely want to give that same feeling to the new ones, it's hard. And then when the new ones are difficult? Well!

I hope the change in formula helps and that her withdrawal ends soon in a very uncomplicated manner (because, hey--it's withdrawal!).

Grief is a funny, jagged thing. My prayers are with you and dh for a dulling of the edges. Also, I pray your fs's RU is a good one. For your FFD, may she also recover quickly from her own grief.

This is such a strange life!

[Yes2Kids]

I double that...I totally get the up & down week...it is like that is our contstant state of life now. We live in grief/anger/excitement all at the same time.

Happy you have a baby now, I hope things smoothout soon for her, I am soo wanting another baby..

I am worried about my DH also, we will soon be losing another FS, he has been here a year and DH is really close to him. As is my three yr old, I am scared he will have trouble attaching to new FC in the future, but I hope not. I guess all we can do is keeep praying and keep in mind why we do what we do....

[shaslove]

I think it has just been one of those weeks.

I am so done with the phone calls from C's mom and dad. And she had a meltdown today!!

Hang in there, you can do it!!