Three Months

We have slipped past what could be called the "honeymoon" period with Baby Boy and Little Girl.  The children are feeling comfortable which basically means all their true colors are coming out.  We haven't run into anything more then what you would expect for children their age.

Baby Boy has become more persistent in getting into things.  The pack n' play has been set up downstairs, so that he can spend some time there from time to time.  Our older children affectionately call it "baby jail."  His protests have also become much louder in volume.  The restrictions in foster care for disciplining are frustrating at this point.  Baby Boy likes to reach up on the counter or even towards my stove top.  I am concerned for his safety.  Due to regulations, I can only use diversion, distraction, and removal.

Little Girl is now trying out defiance with firm usage of the word "No" and full-blown temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way.  The temper tantrums are for attention, so I try to completely ignore them.  Saturday I was working in the kitchen when she decided to have a tantrum over being told "no" over candy.  She plopped down right there and began the screaming and crying and kicking.  To keep myself calm I decided to just quietly sing.  "Whew" that made her mad.  She really turned the volume up.   If the tantrums are disruptive to what the family is doing, I remove her to her bedroom until she is quiet.

Meal times and what she is going to drink seem to be Little Girl's battle of choice right now.  I remember 4 years old as being a time when many of our children engaged in that battle.  We are back to the good ole days of placing the food back in the refrigerator until the child is hungry enough to eat it.  I personally have a hard time with making them sit at the table until they eat because it can disrupt whatever else we might have going on, and it just sets up another battle ground.  I try to remove the fight wherever I can and only engage when necessary.

The positive in all of this is that the children have come to feel comfortable in their new home rather quickly.  Our case worker has commented on how well-adjusted they are and how it is unusual for it to be that way this soon.  We are deeply grateful to God.

This week will mark three months since Baby Boy and Little Girl came to be a part of our family.  This means we have three months to go before we can begin signing papers to finalize their adoption.  Halfway there!  All of the case workers seem to be on the ball, and they already are getting all the paperwork in order.  Our case worker came to finish our home study just last week.  The children's case worker has filed  our adoptive packet with adoptive placement services, and they are going through it all and making sure everything will be in order to move the adoption through.  We are excited!