Fost Adopt Update! Now we have two little girls and they are sisters.

Meet Miss D!

(her first night in our home)

It was May 28th, 2014 and we got our second life changing call.... It was from our Agency.  We were told that Miss S had a Big Sister and she needed a forever home.  It was a tailspin of panic that set in, a flurry of calls to our family/friends and then a ton of tears.  We said, "YES!" ~ and then the process of becoming a forever family for Miss D begun.

It would be 4 months before Miss D arrived at our home.  4 very long months.  It was a roller-coaster ride (and one that is not for the faint of heart).  I had many moments of anger and frustration while we waited for her arrival.  We had many false starts and setbacks due to things that were beyond our control.

 We squeezed in another crib!

We had just a few hours notice..... It was 2 days before her second birthday when the doorbell rang.  It was Miss D in the arms of our adoption/social worker.  She was beautiful.  She was scared.  She was ready.  We were ready.

I can't and won't go into the details of her condition upon arrival and the things that we discovered in the first week.  I will say that it was sobering and something I never want to see again.  So we will be the change. 

The good news is that she was loved in her previous home.... no doubt about it....she was loved and cuddled.  so she doesn't have attachment issues.  She calls us Mommy and Daddy and has since day one.  They were new words to her so it was a natural transition.

Yesterday was the two-month anniversary of Miss D's arrival.  She and Miss S. are more than sisters.... they are best friends and the good news is that have been united and will grow-up together and (fingers-crossed) be adopted together.

She is adjusting to her new home.....and new adventures!!

She traveled with me on an airplane to a wedding in Texas where she got to meet Foster Grandpa and Grandma (Cathie’s Parents)  She also has a local Foster Grandma (Eddie’s Mom) who spends time with both girls each Tuesday and Thursday plus weekends.  In November, her other Foster Grandma (Cathie’s Mom) will arrive from Florida to meet her and see Miss S.  She is getting very close with her new Aunts and Uncles too.

She has attached to some toys.  She especially loves her baby-doll and she pretends to feed the doll and plays “mama” with the doll.  She has made some friends.  Her cousin Tucker and her are becoming very close and she is very social with kids and adults.

We have done many things since she arrived and she has bravely done so many firsts.... including taking a BATH.  Yep - baths were a first for her!

We went swimming in a roof top pool, she went on an airplane, she goes on the swing and slides now, she has been to a kids party, she went to the zoo, she went to a museum, she visited the fair and she has toured the trains at travel town.

Her vocabulary and memory is very advanced and she excels at puzzles and games.  She loves reading books and singing songs.

She is a very bright, caring, giving and loving little girl.  She gives giant kisses and hugs.  I’m not sure how to describe it but, it is like she has always been with us.  She and Miss S are so amazing together.  Last night Miss D taught Miss S how to climb up the kitchen stair.  It was amazing to watch.

In November we will be having a birthday party for both the girls.  We decided to wait until Miss D was settled to celebrate her 2nd. 

Miss S!

We have so much to be thankful for and to celebrate.  Hopefully if we can get their court schedules to line up both sister can be adopted on the same day!

I'm here.  If you have questions send me a line!  There are so many foster children who need forever families. I happy to share our story with you.
 

xoxo

Cathie

Back to Blogging and Foster Mommy Updates

I didn't really mean to take a break from blogging...... it just happened in the chaos of being a working mama.  It just happened as life happened.  I did miss blogging.  The hard part was so much of "our journey" we are not allowed to share...(yet). So it was hard for me to start writing again.  I knew it was something I missed, yet I didn't know how to begin again.

So for now~~ it will be Sundays.  

Happy First Sunday of my new blogging journey.

Each week, I'll be doing recaps of our crafts and recipes at Handmade Happy Hour, sharing our journey with Baby S. and spilling the scoop on our exciting new partnership.

Today, I'll start with a few pictures of the past few months.

See ya next Sunday!

xoxo, Cathie

P.S. Follow our journey at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook too.

Little Miss S. is now almost 5 months old and she is happy and healthy.  Foster mama and daddy are doing great too.  We are sleeping through the night and adjusting well to being new parents.

Updates..... we have no "real update" other than the courts move incredibly SLOW! We are on course to being a forever family for Miss S. but we still have some hills to climb.  More to come on that after the April 30th court date.  We are still waiting on a DNA test and a few other minor things.  Our journey has been pretty smooth so far... (knock on wood).  I am forever grateful that we went with an agency.  They keep us grounded on this roller-coaster ride.

Don't heat your bottles!!!

Best tip I received. 

When we picked S. up at the hospital she was just two days old and had only been formula fed. The hospital feeds the babies room-temp bottles. As we were leaving the hospital with our 5-pound 5-ounce bundle of love the nurse said to me, "Don't heat her bottles, she has never had a warm bottle and there is no reason for her to start now."  It was all so blurry that day and I didn't really realize that she was giving me the best advice ever!

I had no idea that you could give a baby a room-temp bottle and had actually bought a bottle warmer that is now in a donation pile. Never ever used it.  Little S. is now almost 13-pounds and she eats like a champ.  The best part is that I can feed her anywhere without the worry of trying to heat a bottle.

 It's had to imagine she was this small.........

Some of her dolls.

She has been to a museum to two.

She outgrew her sneakers.

This was one of my favorite shirts on her. 

I'm making it into a pillow.

We have made several trips to Daiso, The Japanese Dollar Store, for supplies for our next book on Decoden.  Coming this fall!

Little S. took the family to see Mama's new end-cap at Michaels.

She marveled at the Endeavor! 

 Outfit for a day in Malibu!

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It's been busy and full of fun.

See ya next Sunday!

xoxo, Cathie

P.S. Follow our journey at Instagram, Twitter and Facebook too.

The beginning: Becoming Fost Adopt Parents to Baby S.

It's been over a month since I have blogged here.... when I last wrote, I was in the stage of "Let's Pretend I'm 8.5 months Pregnant".  Well that ship has sailed and our lives have been blessed with a Baby Girl.  Since she is in Foster Care, I will need to keep her identity under wraps.  So no pics of her beautiful face.... just toes, fingers and hair.

She is healthy, happy, growing like a champ and a little miracle in our lives.

Here is how it all went down.

Eddie and I have been planning on fost/adopting for over a year.  We took classes, did a home study, got our home certified, filled out hundreds of papers and tried not to freak out while we waited for the phone to ring.

Our plans to fost/adopt took a little longer than the other graduates from our class.  Not that we think it's a bad thing..... for us it's all about timing and when the time is right... the time is right.  We had a few snags a long the way.  The first was when our 17-year old dog, Max, passed away on the day before we were to begin our home study.  We were heartbroken.  We postponed the meeting until our hearts had sometime to heal.  The next derailment was when I was not so gracefully thrown 15 feet from a cab in NYC.   Me with a giant black eye and a hobble was not exactly the picture of a "happy and healthy" home.  Then we had my crash and burn sickness after our baby-moon in Mexico that had me in the hospital with an IV and in bed for 10 days.  It seemed that every time we were inching closer to the finish line we were met with a set back.  Well set back no more.  We were officially certified a Fost/Adopt home on November 14th.

"I bought this just in case...."

So now what?  We waited.  Since we went with an agency we knew that the phone would only ring from 8-5 on Monday - Friday.  It was exhilarating and maddening at the same time.  As Thanksgiving approached we couldn't help but wonder if a child would be placed with us before the holiday.  It didn't help our curiosity when our SW (that is short for Social Worker) said.... "yep, it's a huge possibility that you will have a baby in the home by Thanksgiving!"  So what do I do?  Naturally, I rush out and buy a Thanksgiving baby tee and bib... and try not to freak out.

It was about 10 am on Thanksgiving eve.  Pies were baking, the turkey was being brined and the house was a flurry of fall harvest foods and decorations.  Family was arriving tomorrow for a big meal and in the Filian house that means that means we DO IT UP!

It was about 10:30 am when Eddie and I both agreed that "they" would not be calling today.  It was Thanksgiving eve and the agency and state would be shutting down early.  It would not be today.  We had convinced ourselves and settled into our tradition of watching the movie, Trading Places.

It was moments later when the phone rang...... I froze.  I looked at the number and it was a 213 area code.  We knew the call would be from a downtown number (213)...... That was it.  This WAS THE CALL.  I answered the call.  Trembling is an understatement.  

"Hello, are you Catherine Filian?" the lady on the phone said to me.  She then introduced herself and said "We have a 2-day old baby girl that needs a home and can you come and get her at 3:00 pm today from the hospital?"  Her name is S.  (S. is not really her name.... since she is in Foster Care, I am using S. for her name to protect her identity.)

She was on speaker phone so Eddie was able to hear the entire conversation.  We were in full blown panic mode...... we had been waiting for this call for over a year and right when we had determined that it "wasn't coming" ~~~ BOOM, the phone rang.  The fost/adopt protocol allows for us to "hang-up" and discuss in private and then call back.  You literally have about 5 min to make a decision.  

Of course we were calling the SW back in less than 5 min with a boasting, "YES!" and a flurry of questions.  The moments before calling back were less than two, although it felt like a year.  I was sobbing, Eddie was pacing like a lion and we were both scared to death.  We weren't scared of who Miss S. would be or what she would look like. (BTW - we were open to any child regardless of race or gender and we were certified for 1 child under the age of 1) We were scared because we knew that we were jumping on the roller-coaster ride of our lives.....FOSTER PARENTHOOD.  We were also scared because we are fost/adopting and that means that S. is in foster care with us first and then she MIGHT be adopted into our family later.  MIGHT is not because of us.... but how the system works.  Of course we would sign on the dotted line immediately... but it doesn't work that way.  We were scared of the MIGHT even though in class we were trained not to be scared.  LOL. Every single child has a different story and case.  With the first phone call it is almost impossible to know what your fost/adopt story will be and what path you will go down.   You just have to trust, believe and above all LOVE and take care of the child that is placed with you. 

On the way to the hospital.

When we rounded the corner at the hospital our hearts burst open with joy, love and pride.  There she was.  It was love at first sight.  She was tiny.  She was perfect.  I fed her in the hospital and got to hold her straight away.  The nurses were so smitten with her that they practically threw her a party. She was our Thanksgiving miracle.  

Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner.

Thanksgiving ~ 2013

So now we are just loving Little Miss S.  Letting courts do what they do.  Crossing our Ts and Dotting our Is.  Documenting everything.  You should see her scrapbook!  Someday.... hopefully soon, I'll get to share all her stories and photos.  Until then, I'll be a little cryptic.  

Baby Toes!

ASK AWAY!  Do you have questions?  Wanna know more about being a fost/adopt home.  I am here.  I will answer you.  Send me an email and I'll do my best to help you with any questions you might have.  It might take me a few to get back to you but I promise I will.

She turned 1-Month on Christmas Day.

I flip/flopped on how much of our story we would share.  I knew that our path was a little different and it comes with lots of questions.  For us we have so much passion for fost/adopt and if we can spread any awareness and get more kids into homes then that is wonderful!  

First trip to Sanrio in Little Tokyo.

Foster Daddy getting S. her first bank account.

Her first dolly.... looks like her.

First visit with our new doctor.  She is doing amazing...... !!!

So far foster parenthood has been very rewarding and full of humor.... just the other day Eddie asked me, "Is that poop or chocolate that is on your boob?" I didn't do a taste test.

Wish us luck on this journey!  We had some court dates this week and I am hoping to find out what happened today at 3pm.  Until then, we march on with Love, Giggles and POOP!

XoXo Cathie, Eddie and Little Miss S.

You can follow along on day-to-day stuff.... by following my personal page at Facebook.  Sorry I can't add anymore people there but you can follow.  Instagram is another good place to see pics of our journey.  I'll be blogging big updates here and new craft projects at our new blog..... Handmade Happy Hour.