History Repeats Itself

On September 8, 2015, 5 1/2 month old Tigger was placed with me. 

 

 

Four days later, a memory from a year ago showed up on my Facebook - the day Tank was placed with me. 

 

 

So similar.  Tigger was 5 1/2 months old at placement, Tank was 4 1/2 months old.  Both very active and developmentally ahead for their ages.  Placed one year and four days apart, so I will have them through the same seasons - getting cold, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas.  And they look pretty darn similar from the overhead view in the Exersaucer!  (Admittedly, I did take the picture of Tigger on September 12 to make a comparison shot.)  



The Foster Placement Weight Loss Plan

Tigger has been here almost two weeks, and I have lost five pounds.  The same thing happened in the first week or so after Evie and Tank were placed with me.  (Not that the five pounds ever stayed off!) 

I think it probably is common for foster parents to gain weight in the first weeks when a new child is placed - eating out, easy/quick/fattening food, overeating due to stress.  For me when I get a new placement, eating is my last priority.  So I just end up eating a lot less.  For example, my typical breakfast often is a cereal bar, a banana, and a yogurt.  But when I first get a placement, I am trying to figure out a routine and take care of extra things like finding a daycare and setting up WIC; so I might just grab the cereal bar for my breakfast and skip the banana and yogurt. 

It's just been interesting to me that this has been the pattern with all three of my long-term placements. 

Poor Baby

It took all of three days at day care for Tigger to get his first cold.  He didn't sleep really well last night - I had to rock him to sleep twice, then he woke up a half hour later and then another hour later.  Poor thing was stuffy and fussy and wanted his pacifier to soothe him but couldn't breathe through his nose to suck on it.  I thought it was going to be a REALLY long night, but he ended up only waking up again at 12:30 to eat and then slept until 6:30 this morning. 

Tonight he was very difficult to get to sleep as well.  Time to make bottles and get to bed! 

Music Monday: Tigger's Lullaby

Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper

 

After I decided that each child would have his own unique lullaby, I had to choose one for Tigger.  I settled on Time After Time.  I want to use something that is not a traditional "lullaby."  I have to admit, I love the song but the video's pretty weird! 

Tigger

On Tuesday around noon, I got a call for a five-month old boy but they didn't have him in care yet.  I said I had patients scheduled until five, but to call me when they had a better idea of time frame.  Well, 5:00 rolled around without a call, and when I called to ask what the status was, the placement worker said, "What?  No one called you?  They've been walking that baby around the office all afternoon."  So I left work pretty much after that and little Tigger arrived around 6:00.  (He got his blog name because he is VERY active for his age, and he has a touch of orange-ish hair on top of his head.)  Because he was in the office all afternoon, they had already submitted for the $100 clothing voucher we get when a child comes into care and had put in an order to an organization that provides clothes for children in need (which arrived the next day). 

Tigger fell asleep by 7:00 that first night, but then was up again from 7:45-10:00, and then was up again at 1:00 and 5:00, but thank goodness went back to sleep again until 9 the next morning which gave me a chance to get a shower before he woke up.  Since then, he has settled into a little bit more of a routine, but we are still working on it.  I had a chance to talk with his neighbor that had been caring for him off and on for the last several months, so I did get some idea of his schedule and eating habits (at least when he was with her - she said his schedule would always get off when he went with his mom).  She seemed like a super nice lady, and I think the reason she is not the one still caring for him is because she finally decided he had had enough chaos and turmoil in his life and that she no longer wanted to be in the middle of it. 

The neighbor told me the night Wednesday night when I was talking to her that Tigger's mom wouldn't show up to the probable cause hearing at court the next day; she was right.  (When a child is removed by EPC - emergency protective custody - they have to have court within a few days for the judge to determine if there actually WAS cause to remove the child).  Usually, this is also when/where the treatment plan for the parent is determined (what they need to do to get the child back).  So court was "continued" (delayed) until Monday.  

If mom gets Tigger back, it will be a minimum of six months to complete her treatment plan based on what the investigator said.  So far, there has been no mention of his dad or other relatives that may be interested in caring for him. 

Tigger is such a cute and happy little fellow!  Life's about to get busy again!

Quiet Blog = Quiet IRL

Just a quick update to say that nothing has been happening in the foster care world.  I haven't received any calls since Machine Gun left almost two weeks ago.  (Of course, now that I'm writing that, I will get a call at 3am tonight!)

I did go to a pizza picnic at the park with TT and her two little ones; as well as another foster couple friends, their daughter, two little boys they were doing respite for, and another 11-year old they were keeping for the weekend. 

And I went to a Foster Parent Association meeting yesterday, which is now being run by another dictator. She has decided that she will not be getting an organization to sponsor Christmas gifts for the kids this year, because hardly anyone showed up to the Christmas party last year (it was held the Saturday before Christmas, which in my opinion is WAY too late in the season to be holding a party).  Fun times.

I'm trying to do some good organization and cleaning in the house while it is quiet.  It's coming along slowly.