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Fostering and Infertility

Y'all, we've been parents for 6 weeks now.
We've been parents of two for 3 weeks.

Life has changed drastically in the last 6 weeks, and we love it.
We just experienced our first Christmas with babies who were having their first Christmases. So much fun. We got to go see Santa at the Bass Pro Shops with our older baby and she did great; we got an incredible picture with Santa that I'm sad we can't share. She was so happy in his lap, she had a huge smile on her face!! We now have a plethora of items that say "Baby's First Christmas" and I love it.

Seven weeks ago I couldn't tell you what day of the week it was without first thinking about what day of the cycle I was in, today I can't tell you what day of the week it is at all without remembering what day it was yesterday or looking at the calendar on my phone; I have no idea what cycle day it is without looking at an app on my phone, and that feels amazing. The last 6 weeks have been crazy, hectic, fun, hard, and wonderful all at the same time.

I believe that God has truly been at work in our lives these last several weeks. I am so much more at peace now than I had been the last two years. Even though these babies may only be in my house for a short period of time I know this is exactly what we are supposed to be doing right now.

Initially when we decided to reopen as a foster home we thought we would continue on our current course with our fertility treatments, six weeks into it with two littles that is probably not the plan any longer. Infertility has been stressful. Everything I've read about IVF says that it's stressful. Foster parenting is rewarding, but also stressful. Knowing all of that, and still not having a full time job with benefits to help with the costs associated with IVF, we will be holding off on IVF or further fertility treatments for a few more months, and I'm totally ok with that.


Our cars now have two car seats. Our schedules are determined by when the babies need to eat and sleep. Our plans are scheduled around bedtimes. I LOVE it all. Our laundry is filled with tiny clothes and socks, and it has to be done daily. There are formula cans and baby food jars in our pantry. Our Amazon cart is filled with things we hope to save up enough to buy (things like double strollers and extra infant car seat bases). My nights are more sleepless and my days contain fewer naps. It's all worth it.

This is so not the plan I had for our lives. I believe that it is God's plan. The pain from the last two years disappears when I look at the little faces of the girls God has entrusted to our care. I absolutely still desire to bear our children, but having these two babies in the house has made the pain of not being able to do that yet so much more bearable.

Please continue to join us in prayer for our ability to care for these babies; for their biological families and the plans God has for them. Pray for our own ability to have children and our desire to parent babies who will remain ours, whether through birth or adoption.




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