"Twins"

I have really been struggling with how to blog about fostering.  I'm not able to share many details about the girls, and it's really hard for me to not just tell everything.  So here goes....

Fostering is hard.  It just is.  Caring for five children five and under is hard.  No two ways about it.  But it's good.  And sweet.  All at the same time.  We are growing, THAT is for sure.  Growing as parents.  Growing as a family.  Growing in grace for each other.  Growing as husband and wife.  And we are learning.  Learning to manage the chaos that is five children.  Learning to manage the daily grind of paperwork and appointments that define fostering.  Learning to keep our tempers short and our grace for everyone long.  Learning which battles to fight with CPS and which to let go.

The two babies are so very different, and yet so much the same.  It is amazing to watch.  Ryan is a few days older than Miss D.  He has never had a bottle, just slept in a crib for the first time (as opposed to in my arms), and never wanted for love and attention.  Miss D has had the opposite.  And yet, to look at them, you would never know the difference.  They are both happy, smiley babies.  They are both starting to crawl and move around the room.  Ryan is slightly ahead, as he's already pulling up and standing, but my kids tend to be freakishly early walkers.  Miss D has gained another pound--she's up to 15.5 pounds and in the 25th percentile.  The pediatrician thinks that by 9 months you'll never be able to tell by looking at her that she was failure to thrive.

I always wanted twins when I was a little girl.  I wanted twin girls.  They've just always fascinated me.  I had such a sweet moment yesterday as I was sitting on the floor being crawled on, drooled on and pulled on by the twins.   (Confession--I call the babies "The twins" in my head, even though they clearly aren't.)  I had the thought "Boy--no one ever tells you about *this* part of having twins!"  And then it hit me.  What a gift.   I am thrilled to be able to experience being a "twin" mom for this short period of my life.  It doesn't look like what I thought it would.  One boy and one girl.  One black and one white.  But yet so attached to each other.  They talk to each other.  Steal each other's binkies (I feel like the binky police most of the time!).  Share toys back and forth.  I get asked at least once a week as we are out and about if the babies are twins.  And it just makes me giggle.  I never thought God would answer my childhood wishes and prayers for twins in this way.  I know it won't last.  I know Miss D will go back home, but I am going to soak up the experience while it lasts.