First visit, first bath!
First - just to update, I now have TWO foster kids. M is 2yo with a very young but earnestly trying mom. C is a little over a week old - she was delivered to me at 3 days old!! yes - this time when they called me I agreed to take an infant. Didn't think I would, but here I am!! They called me from the hospital needing a home asap. The poor investigator is new and was painfully eager to hand the baby over. C was born to a mom with cocaine in her system, but seems to be very healthy.....
And now - C had her first visit with her bio mom today....I was less than impressed with the case aid that came to get her - she was very brusque. I was REALLY irritated with she returned C with a nearly full bottle (after a FOUR HOUR stay??) and a request from bio mom to send a bib and bottle cap next time....BOTH of which were in the bag, along with diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, spare blanket, etc. Yeesh!
What bothered me most, though, was C's reaction after the visit. Not sure if she just didn't take to the 45 min travel each way or what but she barely slept all day, was irritable, gassy, cried a lot, ate a lot, etc. She finally seems to have settled down at 8pm! I have this secret little concern that bio mom may have tried to breast feed her (is that even possible a week after giving birth without having initiated feeding??) and thus passed on some of the drugs swimming in her system. Maybe I'm just paranoid??
On the plus side, her cord dropped off today so we were able to have our first bath! She smells so much better! It was really off-putting to smell her mother on her from her trip down the birth canal- blech!
I continue to learn....I can now use the restroom while holding a crying baby, can feed an infant AND a 2yo at the same time, have given up on hampers and just keep the lid to the washer up and keep tossing items in until it's full enough for a load, can translate more of what M is saying, etc....I have also learned a lot about AA skin and hair care. At first, when I was told to use baby oil with vaseline on top AND on the hair I thought it was nuts, but the recommendation has been repeated by everyone so I went for it and it worked!
M is having a great time with the dogs, and they are learning to ignore his occasional screeches (at first, they all ran for cover). He is also learning to keep his hands ABOVE his highchair tray unless he wants to lose whatever he is trying to eat to the nearest waiting mouth....well, YOU try keeping three dogs away from a feeding toddler! I couldn't put them out - there was a lightning storm!
M has been having a few temper tantrums and trying out sulking, but we seem to be moving past it by me ignoring him when he's in a snit.....the fits are getting shorter, thank goodness! I had to go to Sams to stock up on food - I can't believe a 2yo eats twice what I do!?! Wound up getting a bunch of paper supplies (he LOVES tissues), healthy snack foods (he has now decided apple chips are second only to bananas!LOL), diapers, and, for me - Prilosec! Oh, what a grand life I am living!!
When it rains, it pours - I have appointments with both my case worker AND C's guardian ad litem (GAL) tomorrow at 6:30pm. Should be interesting. If they stay longer than an hour THEY can give M his bath and get him ready for bed LOL! So far I have taken one call from my case-worker asking for an inventory of what each child came with (M= TONS of clothes, no toys; C - what the hospital put her in before she was delivered to my door)
I spent the day today on the phone....calling every pediatrician I could find in my area, and NONE were taking medicaid kids. Guess that's another wonderful government program that totally turns off the doctors....THEN I had to call the WIC office to set up an appointment for both kids (the formula alone could break the bank!). This took four phone calls as they kept screwing up the kind of visit. Apparently, the kids have to be certified first which means they have to come to this first 2 hour appointment to prove their existence....scary to think why these precautions are necessary! I am NOT looking forward to THAT appointment with an infant and toddler in tow! Say Mom - when was it you said you were planning to visit? ;-)
Finally, I am trying to reach the CCMS office to confirm funds for C's daycare - they came through in less than a week for M and I want to make sure they do the same with C. Can't wait for those stipends to start!! I think the red tape is tougher than caring for the foster kids!
Well, M is now asleep in his room and C and I are in bed in mine....time to catch what sleep I can before the next feeding!
And now - C had her first visit with her bio mom today....I was less than impressed with the case aid that came to get her - she was very brusque. I was REALLY irritated with she returned C with a nearly full bottle (after a FOUR HOUR stay??) and a request from bio mom to send a bib and bottle cap next time....BOTH of which were in the bag, along with diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, spare blanket, etc. Yeesh!
What bothered me most, though, was C's reaction after the visit. Not sure if she just didn't take to the 45 min travel each way or what but she barely slept all day, was irritable, gassy, cried a lot, ate a lot, etc. She finally seems to have settled down at 8pm! I have this secret little concern that bio mom may have tried to breast feed her (is that even possible a week after giving birth without having initiated feeding??) and thus passed on some of the drugs swimming in her system. Maybe I'm just paranoid??
On the plus side, her cord dropped off today so we were able to have our first bath! She smells so much better! It was really off-putting to smell her mother on her from her trip down the birth canal- blech!
I continue to learn....I can now use the restroom while holding a crying baby, can feed an infant AND a 2yo at the same time, have given up on hampers and just keep the lid to the washer up and keep tossing items in until it's full enough for a load, can translate more of what M is saying, etc....I have also learned a lot about AA skin and hair care. At first, when I was told to use baby oil with vaseline on top AND on the hair I thought it was nuts, but the recommendation has been repeated by everyone so I went for it and it worked!
M is having a great time with the dogs, and they are learning to ignore his occasional screeches (at first, they all ran for cover). He is also learning to keep his hands ABOVE his highchair tray unless he wants to lose whatever he is trying to eat to the nearest waiting mouth....well, YOU try keeping three dogs away from a feeding toddler! I couldn't put them out - there was a lightning storm!
M has been having a few temper tantrums and trying out sulking, but we seem to be moving past it by me ignoring him when he's in a snit.....the fits are getting shorter, thank goodness! I had to go to Sams to stock up on food - I can't believe a 2yo eats twice what I do!?! Wound up getting a bunch of paper supplies (he LOVES tissues), healthy snack foods (he has now decided apple chips are second only to bananas!LOL), diapers, and, for me - Prilosec! Oh, what a grand life I am living!!
When it rains, it pours - I have appointments with both my case worker AND C's guardian ad litem (GAL) tomorrow at 6:30pm. Should be interesting. If they stay longer than an hour THEY can give M his bath and get him ready for bed LOL! So far I have taken one call from my case-worker asking for an inventory of what each child came with (M= TONS of clothes, no toys; C - what the hospital put her in before she was delivered to my door)
I spent the day today on the phone....calling every pediatrician I could find in my area, and NONE were taking medicaid kids. Guess that's another wonderful government program that totally turns off the doctors....THEN I had to call the WIC office to set up an appointment for both kids (the formula alone could break the bank!). This took four phone calls as they kept screwing up the kind of visit. Apparently, the kids have to be certified first which means they have to come to this first 2 hour appointment to prove their existence....scary to think why these precautions are necessary! I am NOT looking forward to THAT appointment with an infant and toddler in tow! Say Mom - when was it you said you were planning to visit? ;-)
Finally, I am trying to reach the CCMS office to confirm funds for C's daycare - they came through in less than a week for M and I want to make sure they do the same with C. Can't wait for those stipends to start!! I think the red tape is tougher than caring for the foster kids!
Well, M is now asleep in his room and C and I are in bed in mine....time to catch what sleep I can before the next feeding!
posted by Siobhan | 6:11 PM
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