Aaron and I completed our Foster Parent certification in January of 2010 and received our license the first week of February. February 10th was a snow day in Dallas, TX. I was relaxing on the couch with my family as the snow fell out the window when my phone rang. I had kept it close to me constantly in anticipation of our first placement call. The woman on the other end was from our agency, and to be honest, I do not remember any other words than "THREE WEEK OLD TWINS." I screamed, and wanted to give her an immediate yes, but to my right sat my dear husband, who admits that he is not a huge baby fan. So I told her I must clear this one with my husband. The poor man had no option but to say yes, but his actual words were "well, if they need a home......"
Their biomom had fled from CPS and the babies had been intercepted in Denver, CO, were checked out a the hospital and would stay with a temporary foster family in Denver until our county CPS could get court order to fly them back. We were given exactly one week to prepare for their arrival, and had a weekend trip planned. Just about every emotion was running through my mind. We had previously been offered another placement that fell through so I did not know if this was a sure thing or not, but wanted to get excited and start my preparation panic.
Within a few hours, it was confirmed that we would be the family to take these twins and I was provided with some of the case information. It did not sink in at all just what we were getting ourselves into.
We immediately sent out an "all hands on deck" email to our church small group who came through for our family in a huge way. We had planned for the possibility of one infant, but needed an extra of EVERYTHING. We had given away all of Camryn and Pierce's infant clothes, and we had a tiny boy AND girl coming, not to mention they were half the size of my babies at birth.
On February 17, 2010, two tiny little babies were carried through our front door. They had just made the trip from Denver and were ready to be out of their car seats. I have never seen such pitiful looking babies. The baby boy was so thin with sunken eyes and a quiet little cry, and the baby girl had very large bugging eyes that looked stressed out. We all just sat and soaked them in once CPS left and boarded what would be a 15 month roller coaster ride.
Foster Parenting is not for the weak of heart. I took these sweet babies week after week to visit their biomother and the more I learned about the situation they were in, the more worried I became. One week CPS would ask me if we would be open for adoption if the case went that way, and the next week the case worker would tell me that they may not have a reason to terminate rights. Bipolar disorder meant that we never knew what story we would get each week. Biomom would share information with me that was very incriminating, all the while completing each step of her service plan. Thanksgiving would mark the 9 month mark when a return would be possible, and as that time approached we were told that even though CPS was not in favor of return, biomom had done what was required of her, and all she had to do was pass a drug test and a home check and they would be sent home. As sad as I was to think of them going home, God gave me an overwhelming peace about the situation. I had tried to stay realistic about the fact that they may go home, and I was trying to think about other children that needed us, and the time I would get with my own two children.
The day before I expected to get instructions on starting to transition the babies to their bio, I received a phone call informing me that plans had changed and transition would not start. Bio had failed a drug test and had been arrested for a PI...............Everything seemed to go down hill for her from this point. She did receive a 6 month extension, but began expressing her desire to give up. We were not expecting to get to spend Christmas with these sweet babies, but we were blessed with Christmas and their 1st birthday. At the end of Feb. 2011 Bio went to jail for aggravated assault of a family member, and her chances for a return were over. She spoke with me about adoption and decided to relinquish her rights as opposed to going to trial. On May 12th, 2011 we both stood in court together before a judge as she confirmed that she felt it was in the best interest of the children for her to sign over her rights, and I was asked if I was prepared to adopt them. I do not know if I have ever had such a wide range of emotions in my life. We had our final visit immediately following the hearing and we now wait for our 90 wait before the adoption can be final.
It is amazing to be at this point in the process and realize that this was God's perfect plan from the moment he placed fostering on our hearts. I never once prayed for their biomom's rights to be terminated, I simply prayed for God's plan to be done, and for the babies to be safe. It turns out that these babies fit into our family perfectly and have blossomed so much in our home. Aaron and I have made a commitment to accept any challenge God puts before us and his blessings just keep getting bigger and bigger.
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