Let's Play a Game Called "Solve My Problems"

Problem #1: Butter Bean is getting his walk on. Not yet unassisted, but he is definitely moving in that direction.  I have heard that getting "walking shoes" will help give them the right foundation to get to walking sooner.  Since he is such a bruiser (almost 28 pounds), our backs can't wait for him to be walking since that means we won't have to carry him around 24-7.
Do these "walking shoes" really help? If so, what shoe should I be buying?
Problem #2: Our living room is currently decorated in neutrals. See?

Please ignore the hubby's foot, dog bone and Butter Bean's hideous Circle of Neglect

I want to add a pop of color to liven things up. My preferred color is green since I think it will really look nice with the Dunkin-Donuts-coffee-with-cream wall color. Really it is SW Portabello if you want the real specifics. Also, I'm giving our gallery wall an update with new pictures and a fun chevron background. I want to incorporate pops of the green into the wall as well. And I'll eventually add in a few throw pillows in green to tie everything together.

I have completely fallen in love with this fabric for the curtains. I love the design and the fact that there is lots of greens and blues to incorporate throughout the room. And it is awesome that the brown in the fabric perfectly matches the walls.

So what's the problem? Well, we have 3 sets of windows meaning that we need 6 curtain panels. And each of those need to be at least 100 inches due to our high ceilings. All of that means that we need lots of fabric (at least 18 yards) and below is the price.  Ugh!

Do I use the fabric I absolutely love? Or is there a clever way to use this fabric and not need 3 yards of fabric per panel? Or do you have a more affordable green curtains options? I'd really like for the curtains to be patterned but if the curtain has a lot of cream/ivory in it, it looks bad against the white wainscoting. I feel like I've searched everywhere and still can't find something that I think will look as good.

Bad News Times Three

Bad News #1: Only a few hours after we got back home from our trip to New Jersey, a tree fell blocking our driveway.

Bad News #2: The next day we found out there was a death in the family. We began to scramble to make travel arrangements to get back up to New Jersey for the funeral. Thankfully, we were able to get permission to bring Butter Bean with us. For the long-time readers, you'll remember we weren't so lucky with Artichoke and Zucchini. And yes, that means that Butter Bean logged his third and fourth flight within two weeks!  Thank goodness he is a good traveler. This trip to New Jersey was not nearly as fun nor happy as our previous trip. And therefore, I have no cute pictures to share. 
Bad News #3: And because things happen in 3's, we were due for some more bad news. So on the way home American Airlines made sure to handle our stroller with lots of special care. Anyone have any tips on how to get reimbursed for our Maclaren stroller and buggy bag? 

This is as far "open" as the stroller would go.  Also note the bent and missing wheels.

I cannot tell you have much we are looking forward to an uneventful weekend at home. Boring would be best!  

Butter Bean's First Flight (& Adventures in New Jersey)

I have been looking forward to Labor Day weekend for quite some time.  A good friend of ours was getting married and I just couldn't wait to attend her wedding.  She has exceptional style which I knew would mean the wedding would be beyond beautiful! Traveling up to New Jersey would also give us a chance to catch up with friends and family and introduce them to Butter Bean.
But we weren't sure if this much anticipated trip was actually going to happen.  There are still some medical issues that are unresolved from the incident, so the doctors and county were being cautious about him traveling, not to mention out of state and on an airplane. We were very fortunate to get medical clearance for him to travel just a few days before we were scheduled to leave!  Woohoo!
We were lucky (or maybe smart enough) to get non-stop flights up and back to New Jersey since we had no clue if Butter Bean would enjoy travelling.  Turns out Butter Bean was an awesome traveler.  He was too excited on his first flight to sleep, but he was super happy so fortunately we weren't *those* people with the screaming kid. He loved looking out the window, "reading" the safety card and of course having an in flight beverage.

Wish you could see his cute face enjoying his bottle!

Butter Bean was completely tuckered out when we got off the flight. He almost instantly fell asleep as we waited for our luggage.

The next day Butter Bean was spoiled by his foster grandparents while we headed to the wedding. As I expected it was amazing! From the hand embroidered handkerchiefs that were given out for "Tears of Joy" to the exquisite floral arrangements (bride's mom is a florist and pulled out all the stops) to the incredible view of the NYC skyline to the amazing bridesmaids dresses and the most beautiful bride I have ever seen.  Really. I don't know that I have ever heard an entire group of people audibly gasp when the bride walks in the room. We had an amazing night!
The next day my in-laws threw a "Meet the Munchkin" party for all of our extended family and friends in New Jersey. It was awesome to see everyone and catch up since we don't get to see them as often as we'd like. Butter Bean had a great time meeting everyone and it was so cute to see him playing along since our friends' kids.  Another generation of trouble!
Our last day in New Jersey was spent in Princeton, a town with much history for us. It was in this town that the hubby and I met 15 years ago! And 8 years ago we returned to Princeton to get married. As we strolled on the college campus we actually ran into the professor whose choir we were both singing in.  It was pretty cool to say hello, even though I'm sure he didn't really remember us.  We then had dinner at the Chinese restaurant where we had our rehearsal dinner, which unfortunately is under new management and isn't as good as it used to be.  We stocked up on Princeton gear for both us and Butter Bean and then headed to the infamous Princeton Tiger for a photo op for a special doctor.

Here's the story: While we were in the hospital with Butter Bean, there was a lot of medical jargon that was being thrown around. We were trying to stay informed and understand everything that was happening. With the emotional roller coaster of the ups and downs and the ever changing theories and tests being run, it was a daunting task. There was one doctor in particular that we really clicked with. She always took the time to explain to us using everyday people terms what was going on and what the good, bad, and most likely scenarios looked like. One day I was wearing my Princeton sweatshirt because the hospital was always freezing and she complimented me on my shirt because that was her alma mater! I told her how I was excited to take Butter Bean up to Princeton one day and show him all of our favorite spots. At this point we started comparing our favorites and I knew then that I had to get a photo of Butter Bean with the Princeton Tiger for her. She is the person that allowed us to keep our sanity during the hospital stay and helped us feel totally comfortable that everything possible was being done for Butter Bean. And we did get a much cuter picture where you can see his face for her. 
Then we were able to get into the chapel that we were married in and take some more pictures of Butter Bean.  Here is one of my favorites of him "playing" the piano.

We had an uneventful flight home. Butter Bean decided to sleep the entire flight, which was so nice considering the turn of events that happened when we got home.

Breaking the Silence- Part 3

To get the full update, check out Part 1 and Part 2. 
That brings us to "the incident". Honestly, I'm not sure that is the best term for it but since I can't explain it much we'll just go with that. 
Butter Bean got really sick really fast. Like from being fine to being admitted into PICU within 8 hours. 
While I won't disclose any specifics of illness, I do want to say that there wasn't any trauma and there is no person at fault for this.  It was something that just happened and thankfully all of the people he came into contact with that day provided him with AMAZING care. This started with his daycare teachers noticing something was "off" and quickly calling us then his pediatrician who I give credit for saving his life then all of the doctors/nurses/specialists at the hospital who worked quickly and thoroughly to determine the correct treatment. I can't even begin to describe how much I treasure these people because of what their care prevented.   We spent 14 days and 13 nights in the hospital on the most intense roller coaster ride of my life. 

We definitely had the best welcoming committee!

We have an incredible support system in place that jumped leaped into action to help us in any way possible. They sent us and Butter Bean so many prayers, blessings, good thoughts, positive vibes, fairy dust, etc. They delivered dinners to us in the hospital to save us from the cafeteria food. They visited our home to feed, walk and play with Rudy so that we could spend more time in the hospital with Butter Bean. They were on-call to help with anything we needed. Like retracing my husband's route from the hospital home to try to find him after he called to tell me he was in a car accident but not to worry. Um, how are you supposed to not worry? So our friends immediately jumped into detective mode and set out to find him. Thankfully, only the cars were hurt. And on a further random sidenote (because this tangent has gone on longer than expected so why not), we ended up with a pretty awesome rental car which was a fun and unexpected treat! They sent us care packages to our hospital room full of goodies. They colored pictures to decorate Butter Bean's room. The very few who were allowed to visit came and gave Butter Bean some amazing snuggles and us a chance to escape that room to regain some sanity.  And so much more that I could go on and on. And on and on. And then some more.
We had hoped that when we returned home from the hospital that life could go back to normal. Unfortunately, we are not there yet. Please note the "yet" in that sentence. It will happen! It might be a new version of our normal, but I am SO committed to getting back to some semblance of normal. But complications and further testing are still in the way of that long awaited routine and structure. However, we (along with the team of doctors) are hopeful and fully anticipating it to come.  For now, there is good news and we take full advantage of it when it comes around. 

1. We haven't returned to the hospital. 
2. The team of doctors we are working with is incredible! 
3. Since getting out of the hospital, Butter Bean is completely oblivious that he has any health issues!  He has been so happy and giggly and smiling all the time!
4. Butter Bean will be staying in our care through January- woohoo!
5. We have a crawler!

Breaking the Silence- Part 2

If you missed the beginning of this story, check out Part 1 first.
From the beginning, we knew Butter Bean's case would be incredibly complicated. This is very rare to know so much about a child's case before they enter your home. Normally, you are lucky if you know both their full name and DOB. How we knew so much about this case is part of that 95% of the story that won't be told here. But in the first 2 months of the case, we were in court 5 times for adjudication hearings. Most of you probably won't understand how ludicrous and unusual this is.  When our foster parent/social worker friends hear this, their jaw normally falls to the floor. It was at one of those adjudication hearings that we were told Butter Bean could be "going home today" due to that fun technicality. After we advocated for Butter Bean to the dismay of some, certain unnamed parties got their act together and the technicality loophole was no longer available.  
After we survived those court dates, we thought the case was like a "normal" foster child case: we take care of the child while the parent(s) work the plan to get them back until the next court date when the next steps are decided. That was a complete rookie mistake. Nothing ever follows the "normal" path. And this was no exception. Then until "the incident", we were told that Butter Bean could be leaving at any point. They would try their best to give us 1-2 notice, but that might not be possible. Because of details I can't share, this development actually made us very happy because it was great for many people including Butter Bean. However, we grew increasingly bitter over the short notice. Especially as we waited month after month wondering if/when he'd be leaving our home.
And if that wasn't enough, Rudy was diagnosed with cancer. He had surgery and they were able to remove all of the cancer.  Now he is back to his normal life of constantly trying to convince you to go snuggle in the bed and believing every cardboard box that comes into our house is his new toy! 
Thankfully, we made the conscious decision to just keep living life and planning as if he'll be with us. We took a trip to the beach for my first Mother's Day weekend. It was an incredible trip and so amazing to actually be celebrating that day! We also went to the mountains over Memorial Day, where Butter Bean went swimming for the first time.  At first he wasn't so sure and then he LOVED it! We celebrated Father's Day with one of the hubby's favorite Southern dishes: chicken and waffles. And we had 4th of July gathering at our house complete with fireworks, which Butter Bean giggled at! But my favorite memory of all was Butter Bean's 1/2 Birthday party! Yes, we are *those* parents. It was a great day that was shared with so many people who have given us endless support and fully embraced Butter Bean.
Stay tuned for the Part 3 which explains "the incident".

Breaking the Silence- Part 1

Are you there? Yes, I am here and kicking despite the lack of posts.  Things have been quiet around here totally silent. This is where I'd normally apologize for being a bad blogger. But to be honest, there won't be an apology this go round. 
Do you wish you have been blogging?  Absolutely. I love sharing our foster parent experience so people can understand what it is really like. And I love using this space as both my outlet for everything that life throws at me and a virtual scrapbook of sorts. Not to mention that this blog has provided me with so much support in the past that I miss those virtual hugs. However, blogging becomes no fun when you can't/don't want to/don't know how to discuss what is going on in your life with the rest of the world. And this is the biggest reason why nothing has been said until now. 
Do you regret that you haven't been blogging? Not a bit. Life has taken us on a wild ride we NEVER expected. My first job is wife, then mom (you can insert foster or doggie before that if it makes you more comfortable), then accountant, and finally blogger. So when I'm up to my capacity in those first three jobs, the blog will slow down.  And in some circumstances like this one, it will just go completely silent.
So what happened? Since I have been gone a while, this is a loooong story.  You may have guessed by the title of this post that there will be additional parts to come.  This, in fact, is Part 1 of 3.  So stick around this week to hear the whole story! If you've been here before you'll know that my updates are the uber vague in general and this will be no exception. Honestly, I really wish I could just tell the whole story but it's against the rules and not in everyone's best interest. So here's my attempt at explaining this crazy story while only giving you 5% or less of the details! This should be fun!
Let's start with explaining what was behind this post.  Within a week, I found out that one of my favorite people had undiagnosed medical problems, my job could be eliminated, and that Butter Bean could be "going home today". Those last three words rocked my world. Not because I'm not in support of reunification- I totally am- but because it was happening on a technicality.  The good news is that those first two things resolved themselves meaning my friend is okay and I'm still employed.  Butter Bean's case was not easily resolved. 
To be continued.  duhn, duhn, DUHN!

Sickness, Sleep and Sanity

I'm going to be honest. The first week with Butter Bean was rough. Like really rough. Not only were we adjusting to life with an infant. We were also trying to figure out what he liked, didn't like, loved and hated. And with a cranky baby who is not feeling his best there were LOTS of things that he hated. Which meant lots of screaming to let us know!

Then I caught a nasty cold. Ugh! We should have expected it since we have yet to remain healthy after getting a new placement. At least this time it was only a trip to Urgent Care and a nasty cold instead of our last placement's pneumonia and an upper respiratory infection with a lovely ER visit. This sucks, but last time definitely sucked more!

Needless to say, sleep has been at the top of our priority list. This past weekend the hubby and I took shifts so that we could get some solid naps in. Butter Bean seemed to get the memo too because he basically slept all of Saturday afternoon and throughout the night (except for feedings, of course). And can I tell you how much my hubby rocks? He's been rocking both the 1-2am feeding and the 5-6am feeding so that I can get a full night of sleep and kick this cold! Sorry ladies- he's taken!

We have also decided to start transitioning Butter Bean out of the bassinet in our room and into his crib in the nursery. We just thought that all of us will sleep better. And I think we are on to something because last night he slept through the night! Woohoo! Hooray for sleep! I feel so much more sane today!

Butter Bean is definitely feel better on his meds, so we are seeing lots more smiles! And he was cleared to start daycare, which he is loving! He is the only tiny baby there, so it seems like all of the teachers are spending their breaks loving on him. It is a tough life being so cute! We are hoping his health continues to improve so we will have a happy, healthy, sleeping baby soon!

I also want to thank everyone who has checked in on us to make sure we were keeping some of our sanity! We have loved the phone calls, emails, texts, messages, comments and especially the dinners- so yummy and so helpful! It is nice to feel like we are starting to crawl out of survival mode and find our rhythm.

We have a Name! (And an Update!)

Thank you to everyone who answered the poll on our Facebook page to decide on a name for our new addition!  The results are in.  And *insert drum roll* his name is Butter Bean!

And while we're all here, I might as well give you a quick update. Things have been going pretty well. Friday and Saturday were a blur of figuring everything out. Thankfully Butter Bean was very patient with us! Sunday we felt like we were starting to have things under control until Butter Bean got upset- really upset! His diaper was clean. He was fed. He was burped. And still he screamed. A lot. So we chalked it up to him figuring out this is his new home and this was just part of his transition.

But then things got bad again on Monday and my gut was just telling me something more was wrong. We called our amazing pediatrician, who worked us into the schedule so he could be seen that day.  After our three hour appointment that ended an hour after they closed (did I say how awesome they are?), Butter Bean had 3 significant health issues diagnosed. (Sorry there won't be anymore details on the specifics of his health other than everything is expected to eventually clear up.) Then we hit up two pharmacies to collect all of his meds. We have seen improvement since he's started the meds, but we aren't quite out of the woods yet. Butter Bean still isn't medically cleared to start daycare, so we've been chilling at home trying to keep him as happy as possible.

The other news is that I'm no longer a twenty-something. Womp-womp. My birthday was definitely unlike any others. Butter Bean gave me an awesome present of sleeping 6 hours the night before my birthday! Woo-hoo! Then we spent the morning in court for Butter Bean since you know that's where all the cool kids hang out on their birthday. My only hopes for the rest of the day was a nap and a milkshake. And in all honesty, I was only expecting one of those things to happen.  But I'm VERY happy to report that my awesome hubby made them both happen! Hooray!

Sorry there aren't any cute pictures!  We've been focusing on surviving the past few days.  But there will be some coming soon!

He's Here!

Just wanted to let you know that he made it!  And everyone is doing well!  Well, Rudy is a bit jealous.  But then he figured out that his kisses were loved by all!

Make sure you head over to our Facebook page to vote on a name for our new addition!  The poll will be open through Monday!

Unnamed Baby on His Way!

Well, we didn't have too wait long to get our next placement.  Yes, it is true!  A little 8 week old baby is on his way to our home. So excited!

But I need your help naming him! Since I received so many awesome naming suggestions via comments, text, messages and email, I decided that YOU get to pick his name!  Hop over to our Facebook page and vote for your favorite or suggest a new one.  Just remember the two rules.

1- All names must be vegetables.  It is just how we roll here.
2- Can't use Rutabaga (Rudy), Peas, Carrots, Artichoke or Zucchini.

All set up and ready!

PS- The baby does have a real name.  But really that isn't of any consequence here because it will never be mentioned.

PPS- Sweet Potato has been veto'ed by the hubby.  I loved the nickname Tater, but apparently that is a redneck comedian that has a bad connotation for the hubs.  Sorry!