The end of my time with Summer....

Yesterday I said goodbye to Summer for the last time. The court did approve her placement with her relatives. She wasn't picked up until 2:00ish, so I had most of the day to spend with her. We have snuggled every chance I could and played every time she wanted to. She is growing so quickly. She is starting to sit up better (still falls over if unassisted of course) and has started teething though no teeth have actually come through yet. Summer has the best personality and temperment. She is so happy and alert. She watches everything! I love our snuggle time best though and that's what I'll miss the most. When you lay with her, she nestles in as close as she can and looks so content. Then, as she's drifting off to sleep, she will keep opening her eyes to make sure you are there. I will miss looking into her deep brown eyes. Also, when she's starting to fall asleep, she will smile. Its so precious. She thinks its funny when you are changing one of her major "blow outs" or when she has spit up all over you. She'll smile and smile. I'm not exactly sad (though I do have episodes of course). But its weird to be holding her and loving her one minute and then suddenly she's gone. I'm thankful for the transition period though. Not only for her but for me. It kind of helped me let go of her a little at a time. And I'm extremely grateful for the shared parenting. I was able to meet the family. Tell them about our baby. Sure they will find most of this out themselves. But isn't it easier on everyone if they know these things up front? She did settle back into our routine and home quickly when she was returned so I feel she will do the same at their home. The "mom" is planning to stay home with her until Monday, which will also help Summer. I'm glad I cannot take any placements right now (well, I can but would have to then have my home study updated or amended). Though I love fostering, the thought of having a child for 2-3 years and then losing them...I can't imagine how hard that would be! Or having them returned to their parents when there are still some concerns of recidivism or a relative that is questionable...Again, I'm so grateful that Summer's placement is not like that and her situation is not like that. She will not be returned to either parent. Her relatives seem like a really good placement.

On the adoption front, I should be getting my finalized homestudy report in the next day or so. Yay!!!! Then I start the process of getting the USCIS approval. Please pray this moves swiftly as it can apparently take months. Please don't forget our FSP either or the ChipIn. I'm still about $12,000-14,000 away from what I need to be fully funded! If you are able to help in anyway it would be greatly appreciated!!!! Please consider some kind of fundraiser yourself. Its yard sale time...could you and your neighbors get together and donate a portion of the proceeds to helping Brigita come home?? Or your church?? How about a carwash or bake sale?? You could make this into an annual event to sponsor other children and families just like me and Brigita. That was my original intention when I found Reece's Rainbow. I very much wanted to help these children and families be united. Then before I knew it, God was telling me I was one of these families. Help families like us take some of the worries away. If you send a check directly to RR for our FSP, we get 100% of the donation. And its tax-deductible. And for those interested in helping orphans, its does just that! In most of these international adoptions I have seen, a portion of the adoption fee is donated to the orphanage to help the children left behind. I'm not sure about all of the international adoptions. I portion of my fees does go to the orphange. In addition, most families also use some of the money and/or donated items to leave as gifts for the orphanage children and staff.  Please consider helping! Thank you!!

 See how tiny she is? This is Brigita at 5yo (the date on the photo is wrong). She is the size of a 2yo toddler. Please help me bring her home so she can grow and develop!