We’ve had our little Tater nearly 3 weeks and it feels like so much longer. It has been a whirlwind!
She has settled in so well- we’ve been incredibly lucky that she is a happy and fun little one. She loves to play, eats everything she is given, sleeps well, and gets along with everyone. She has definitely spoiled us by being a really easy placement. That said, I am SO TIRED!
Mitch and I were definitely living the no kids life lazy style. Our usual routine was to come home, hang out, watch tv, and generally be bums. Sometimes we’d do something productive but at least 2-3 days we did a lot of nothing. Long gone are those days. Toddlers have so much energy!
She has also graciously shown us where every non-child appropriate item is located.
In addition to the normal “keep the kid alive” part of parenting, the first three weeks have included: 2 DCS visits, 1 lawyer visit, 3 licensing agency visits, 2 pediatrician appts, plus scheduling appointments for vision and dental, a CFT (meeting to discuss how she’s doing and if services are needed), and a court review next week. She also started daycare 2 days per week, which included a visit to do registration paperwork prior to her starting. And she’s not in need of any therapeutic services! The foster life is so full of appointments and meetings.
Managing all of this as a two parent household has been a lot- and we have a huge network of support! I’m beyond grateful to all the people who have helped us- we’ve been showered in books, clothes, shoes, blankets, diapers, food, toys, advice, and babysitting. We truly could not do it without all the help!
But it’s paying off: in addition to being an overall happy kid, she is learning new words (chicken, llama, baby, book, ball, bye), loves her chickens, is learning to love books, and has gotten into a nighttime routine. We’ve also learned an amazing amount as first time parents! Starting with a 14 month old is definitely not typical, but overall it’s been a great experience and even with the seemingly never ending meetings and appointments, I’m loving having Tater.
I’m starting to adjust to being called “Taters Mom” and calling her my foster daughter- though we still haven’t committed to what we call ourselves, and have mostly avoided it since she doesn’t have a ton of words and has no problem getting our attention when she wants it (which is always- she’s a toddler).
The next few weeks will be full of celebrations as we go through the holidays, and hopefully her cheery demeanor will make it even more fun for everyone. We’ll learn more in early January regarding how long she might be with us, or if she’ll be moved at that time. It’s hard to think of her leaving so soon, but we’ll love her while we have her and keep teaching her new things. Next up: saying Kitty.
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