Our first 4 days went really well with Precious,* our new little baby girl. (*Not her real name.) I’m learning lots about babies, bottles, burping, etc. She’s amazing. Very pleasant and easy going most of the time. Sleeps like a champ. Gives me the best gigantic, slobbery baby smiles. I have to say, at least in my limited experience, a 2-month old is SO MUCH easier than an almost 1.5 year old. I don’t mind a middle of the night diaper change and feeding when the ability to cook dinner, do dishes, clean up the house, etc. comes along with the package. I mean, I can set her down somewhere, sleeping or awake, and she doesn’t move. Ladybug required constant attention unless she was asleep.
Don’t get me wrong, Ladybug was an awesome child. I’m just saying, toddlers are way more challenging than newborns in my book. Speaking of Ladybug, we’ve been missing her like crazy the past few days. It was about 3 weeks between the day she left and the day Precious arrived. We had been doing pretty well, feeling pretty good, and when we got the call Jason pointed out that we really didn’t have a good reason to say no to this one. He said the only reasons he could think of where born out of selfishness. My only reservation was Is it too soon? I wasn’t expecting sadness to be stirred back up quite like it did by bringing in baby #2. Precious is great and our love for her is growing rapidly, but she’s not Ladybug and she isn’t going to fill the Ladybug shaped holes in our hearts. God, we miss that sweet little girl so much.
Now I’m crying. I’m tired and very emotional lately. Sheesh. I have no idea where this blog post is heading…
Let me at least end on a high note. I have the most amazing friends and family. Ahhhhmazing. We didn’t ask them whether or not they wanted to be strung along on this crazy journey with us but they’re right there with us anyway. Have I mentioned that Jason had to leave town the night Precious arrived? Of course I didn’t mention it because I don’t ever tell ya when he’s gone. So yeah. That’s a crazy coincidence. He was in Europe for a week when Ladybug arrived and the night we got Precious he had to take off for a long trip around the mid-west. He’s a wonderful daddy and he can’t wait to get back in the game here at home. While he’s been gone, though, my mom and his mom have been a HUGE help to me! My sister-in-law has been great with answering my questions since my niece is just 5 months older than Precious. Plus, she lent us a bouncy seat and a bunch of blankets and bibs. (This blog post is brought to you by the Letter B.) Also, a bunch of friends have been super kind and helpful, too. Precious is getting tons of love. Despite the sadness we’re still dealing with, overall things have been much smoother with this second placement. God is good.
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Ahh, yes, God IS good, all the time! And thankfully Precious is way easier than a toddler, and what a privilege and blessing it is to sit and hold a tiny baby as she makes faces and smiles. What a blessing to be able to pour God’s love into a new vessel and feel it running through me as it goes through. We are truly blessed!
Thanks Mama! I’m so glad to have your help as my mom and also as a wonderful grandma to these babies. You are THE BEST!!
Does it seem likely that Precious will be staying with you for a while, or indefinitely?
Annie, TPR is very likely but it looks like we’re the 2nd choice for permanent placement at this point. Of course, as you know, anything can change at this point.
I can totally related. After S (our first little buddy) went home, M (age 2) & T (2 wks.) came two days later. We missed S so much! We didn’t even know how much we missed him until there were other kids in the house occupying our time. We quickly fell in love with M & T as well but it was a shock to our systems.
Someone asked me when we had M & T if I found it easier to bond with T since he was a baby and was younger. I think they were shocked with my answer when I told them it was actually easier in some ways to bond with M since she had so much personality and was a bit easier to communicate with than a baby.
Glad you have so much help and glad that it is going well. You will always miss Ladybug but it will get easier.
I agree completely… an older child is so much more responsive to relationship and able to connect back emotionally. A baby can pretty much care less WHO is taking care of her, as long as her needs are getting met by someone. My mother-in-law is convinced she prefers me. We’ll see… 😉 Also, we knew with Ladybug that she was really aware of what had happened to her and aware that she was with new people in a new situation. That made compassion flow quickly. Precious seems pretty oblivious to all of that. Not that we don’t have compassion for her situation but that she doesn’t seem to be hurting so much. One is not better than the other, of course, just very different.
M- I love reading your updates. It seems like yesterday we were in small group at your house! Cindy still carries notes in her bible that you wrote…… “I will marry Jason Ahlbrandt” or something like that! It is awesome to see what you are doing in your life. I’m very proud of you!!!!
Thanks, Kathy! I have so many fun memories from our old small group days. We were so blessed to have you and Cindy stick with as small group leaders through all of high school. That’s hilarious about the notes… I don’t remember what you’re referring to but it doesn’t surprise me either.