[71T Targa]

I think I’ve mentioned here before we have 11 kids. (bio, step, adopted, foster). A few years ago we brought a little girl home from the NICU not knowing how long she’d be in our care, but also knowing she wouldn’t be going back to her bio-parents so it was likely we would adopt. We ended up having her for just over 8 months then she was moved to another caregiver who shared her ‘nationality’. (If you didn’t already know, there are 573 federally recognized nations in the US). I was pretty crushed, and vowed to never bring another baby home who would just get taken away from us and our kids. That vow lasted less than 6 months…

In Aug of last year we brought a baby boy home from the NICU. He was having a hard time, sweating out the toxins, etc, but we got through. We had a lot of sleepless nights and went through all of the things new parents go through. It was tough, but hopeful. Again we entered in to this not knowing how long he’d be with us. But knowing it wasn’t likely that his bio-parents would ever parent and the most likely outcome was that we would adopt. Yesterday we got word that wasn’t going to be the case. We were given our ’30 days notice' to assimilate this little guy in to the care of his bio-parents. By the end of the 30 days, he needed to be transitioned to be 100% in their care.

While his bio-parents have had visits over the last year he doesn’t know then as his parents. He doesn’t know then as his caregiver. He only knows them as someone who plays with him for an hour or two in an office play room a couple of time a week. Our job now is to help this little guy move from the only family he’s ever known to his ‘new’ parents. To do whatever we can to ease the impact on his world being turned upside down. To do it all with a smile on our face, and without stress in our voice. All while being crushed inside. It’s hard not to hope his parents fail. That they just give up. That they somehow realize that he’d be better off with us than on the verge of homelessness. But I know there is a plan for his life. And that plan is being fulfilled by being with his bio-parents.

I can’t say what will happen next, or what my response will be when we get the next call. For now, I’m just trying to get through the next 30 days. Maybe things will take a turn. But I know it will all turn out okay.