A response...

Hello All,

I just want to respond to some comments I have been getting...the first is, "I don't know how you do it..."

I want to say, I don't do it alone. I have an amazing support group that picks me up when I'm down, feeds us when we are hungry, supports us when I am weak, and are my dearest friends! Thank you to my support group for providing your time, prayers, meals, and love. I couldn't do it without you. I also have the most amazing respite provider on the planet! Letty is here with us three days a week and she is just a ball of loving energy who takes over the house, lends a hand, an ear, anything I need and even tells me when to go to bed or take a bath. I couldn't do it without her! I have my church, who continues to strengthen me and currently recruited over twenty volunteers to come and rock Milo so I could spend time with the other kids. My best friend, Rachele, who reminds me of everything I'm forgetting, picks up anything I need, comes over at a drop of a dime, and is always there for me and my kiddo's. Then of course, my husband, who is the most hands on, fun dad I have ever seen and comes home from work and tries to pamper me and meet my needs, never worrying about his. And, most of all, I have the strength that none of us can possibly understand and that is God's strength. I feel His love, courage, passion, and I know I'm doing exactly what I'm suppose to be doing.

I've also been getting a lot of "I could never do that..." My support group can tell you, neither can I! It wasn't more than a month ago I couldn't get out of bed over missing my last foster placement. It hurts, it hurts more than anything. And caring, loving, and nuturing a sick baby as if he is your own is the same way. I'm dreading the incredible pain I am going to experience. Milo slept on my chest all morning, I smelled his little baby smell and felt his little sighs. I love him as much as anyone could and can and I can't do this any easier than anyone else. I'm choosing not to use that as an excuse to not help. Does that make sense? However, I haven't lost foster children, but rather gained "extended" family and made great friends.

With that said, I have to share how absolutely honored I am that the parents, the State, and God put enough trust in me...little ol' me!...to care for children that need the best of the best of care. What did I do to deserve this honor? What makes me so special that I get to love these amazing, beautiful children? Why am I so lucky? I get to see miracles on a daily basis...can anyone comprehend that? Real miracles, every day!!! How can I not be thankful? I want to pinch myself, I'm just in awe...

I can not do this alone, it is taking the whole community. Why is everyone helping me? Loving me? What makes me worthy? The whole thing just blows my mind! I couldn't last a minute without all the support of each and every one of you reading this. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you! You are my heroes, you are making my dreams of helping children come true!

Let's brag about Jamie...

I got a call the other day from school that Jamie is doing excellent! She is participating now in Kindergarten specials like PE, Music, and Art, wow!!! She is also spending a large part of the day in an "academic" special ed room rather than just the "sensory" special ed room. This option wasn't even "on the table" last year, she is just knocking our socks off!

The progress she has made since she moved in with us in March is nothing short of a miracle! Praise God!

Vibrating chair...

Here is Milo's first time in the vibrating chair. He likes it and is showing interest in the bubbling fish. It plays soothing music and gets Milo out of the crib...

Milo's teddy bear...

Milo loves this brown, snuggly bear his mom gave him at birth. He loves to hold onto it while he sleeps. He uses a weighted blanket to help his sensory issues and muscles. The tubes you see are feeding tubes, a monitor for heart rate and oxygen levels, as well as, continuous oxygen.

Milo's space...

Here is Milo's space, formally known as the kitchen nook...He is in the middle of all the action. We want him in a central location where I can see him at all times. He has many, many machines and it is our prayer as the weeks go on each and every one of these machines disappear as Milo gets stronger! He has his own rocking chair space as he has up to three "rockers" aka "angels" who rock him and cuddle him and pamper him! His increase in movement and positioning has lowered his needed for uncomfortable suctioning!

Introducing Milo!

This is the newest member of our family, I'm proudly introducing Milo! He is almost six months old, has long eye lashes, blue eyes, and curly hair.

Here is his close up photo. He is an absolute angel. Milo is taking on the fight of his life against severe brain damage. He has prayers coming from coast to coast and even further.

The prayers are working! Please continue.

Week Five: Mesopotamia

We are studying the area of Mesopotamia since that is where it is believed that Noah's Ark landed and he started life over again. The kids colored and labeled their own maps and decided to make the Red Sea the color red.

They were about to label (without looking at a cheat sheet) the Mediterranean Sea, Nile River, mouth of Nile River, delta of Nile River, Red Sea, Caspian Sea, Madagascar, Egypt, Africa, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean...

We are studying the Tower of Babel and the city of Ur.

Math

For Math, I work one on one with each of the kids in a Montessori type style...we are learning hands-on concepts, there are very little worksheets. Here are pictures of Kaylee working on math. We work on a big placemat. When we learn a new concept, we have a CD of songs and we sing songs about it, Abbey likes to join in for that part!

This is a picture of Kaylee learning about place value...