The girls at their first Georgia Football Game

We were informed today that our three foster daughters will be moving into a new foster home closer to the county their mom lives in this Friday, as in less than 48 hours.  We are having the girl’s therapist come over tonight to sit down with us while we tell them the news and help answer any questions they may have.  The girls came to live with us on March 2 and they will be moving out on September 2- so they will have lived with us for exactly 6 months.  Together, we celebrated holidays, birthdays, family vacations, and most importantly- simple, day-to-day activities that families are supposed to do together.  I hope and pray that we have influenced their life in some small (positive) way and that they know that we will be here to support them in any way we can for as long they want us to be a part of their lives.  We have all learned so much from each other, and it is definitely going to be a big change not having them here.  Saying goodbye is, by far, the worst part of being a foster parent.

Please send positive, happy thoughts their way… they are going to need it the next couple days.

XO,

Andrea

Little Man gave us quite the scare today.  I have been having some abnormal pains in my lower abdomen since Friday, but nothing that was overly alarming.  I called the doctor on Friday and she told me to rest a lot over the weekend and drink a gallon of water a day.  I tried my very best to do just that, but despite my efforts, started getting severe pains last night.  I ended up being able to fall asleep and thankfully slept through the night without any major issues.  I woke up this morning and headed to work.  Around 9:00 am, I was having sharp pains so intense that I was in a ball on the floor of my classroom screaming.  Thank goodness I had the best fifth grade class ever and they were able to get help.  I really owe them some chocolate candy bars or something good after today.  Anyway, I had to go straight to the Women’s Center at the hospital and they got me right in and hooked me up to monitors.  Right away we heard the baby’s heartbeat, which was such a huge relief.  He is normally so active during the day, but for some reason, I hadn’t felt him move the whole morning.  I was a complete basket case.   Next, she hooked me up to a tocometer, which is the monitor that uses/reads pressure to determine contractions.  After a few minutes of watching the chart, she verified that I was having uterine contractions and they did a few more tests to make sure I wasn’t going to go into pre-term labor.  While waiting for the results, we got to stay hooked up to the monitor and listen to the baby’s heartbeat for over an hour.  I love that sound and wish I could be strapped to a monitor all day every day for the remainder of the pregnancy just so I can hear that reassuring noise.  After a long, eventful day we were allowed to leave, told to rest and continue drinking lots of fluids and to come right back if it happens again.  The tests showed that I will not be going into labor in the next 2 weeks, with a 98% accuracy rate.  Definitely reassuring.  I hope this doesn’t happen again for AT LEAST 7 or 8 more weeks.

Dear Baby,

Your movements from inside my belly can now very easily be seen from the outside.  This is pretty exciting because most of the time when your dad tries to feel you moving and kicking, you dart quickly away and are ever elusive with your positioning.  Now, I catch him just staring at my belly- and he giggles and gasps every time he is able to see one of your kicks.  You have no idea how much you already amaze us, and just your little movements are providing us with endless hours of entertainment.  Sometimes, I feel high kicks that are close to my ribs.  On those days, I can also feel what might be your 10 little fingers tickling down low in my belly.  I can be pretty sure on these days that you are already in the position that will be most conducive to our comfort when I go into labor in 2 months.  BUT, there are other days when you stretch to other positions.  Laying across my belly, stretching your body as far as it will stretch, kicking and fist pumping with all four limbs, all at the same time.

I keep wondering who you will be.  What passions will you have?  What will your personality be like?  I am trying hard not to project our personalities on you; I can feel every day that you are your own person… but it’s hard for me to not think of you as sharing at least a few similar interests with your parents.  I hope you won’t get too annoyed with me later in life when you strike out on your own and I tell you that you’re a part of us.  I’ll try to keep an open mind, ok?

For now, since I am able to communicate with these words, I would like to state for the record how I feel your kicking, rolling, and finger tickling will translate to your personality.  Bear with me a bit and we can laugh when you are older about how very wrong or very right I may be.

For now, you seem to like it when I pat you through my belly.  Maybe it calms you down.  Maybe it reminds you that the two of us are in this together.  When I stop before you are ready for me to be done, you kick and roll to let me know that we haven’t yet finished bonding.  I feel like this is an indication of what’s to come when you’re here, on the outside of me.  I’m appreciating the early training we have now while certainly looking forward to all the fun we’ll get to have later.  I think you might be a little like me, needing to know that someone is always there to love you and pet you.

The quality, consistency, and timing of your motion tells me that you’ve got a persistent character, but that you’re not too forceful.  You don’t move suddenly.  You build up and roll down.  You tickle rather than jerk.  You are a fluid little fish inside me.  Sometimes I poke you and you poke me back, playfully.  Sweetly.  I never feel as if you’re uncomfortable or unhappy.

This is all I know about who you are, for now.  And I realize that it’s all speculation.  I reserve the right to change my opinion of you at any time.  You can reserve the right to tell me that I’m wrong anytime, too.  Just please, be as gentle as you are now.  I already love you too much to fight.

Love always,

Your Mommy