A Bittersweet Day at 4BabyAndMom...

For those of you who haven't been with me since January...

At the beginning of this year, we were asked to be non-relative custodial caregivers for a beautiful, preemie baby girl. We accepted, and our life became rather interesting very quickly.

My children were both turkeys at birth- (Alex was 10lbs, 5 oz, & Abbie was 8lbs 15 oz two weeks early!)- so I had to get used to having a peanut in the house. NewBaby was born at 1lb 13 oz, and when we got her, she was just over 4 and a half pounds! I had to explain to the children that even though she was a 'newborn', she was *not* their sister. We explained that we were going to be "babysitting" for the baby for awhile. They accepted that. (Thankfully, the year prior I had been watching a couple of kids that were with us for awhile and then left to enroll in Preschool, so I think that helped too.)

Through the months, we watched as NewBaby grew in leaps and bounds. She packed on the pounds quickly, and evenly, and we sat in wonder and awe every time a doctor told us she was a "miracle baby". She truly is a blessing that was meant to be here, to serve a greater purpose, and the things God has in store for her must be amazing! To go through everything she did while in utero, and afterwards-- she's truly a miracle.. and every day we recognized it.

Everyone asked as the days and weeks kept passing, how were we ever going to give her back? Without hesitating, we both would say we would know when it was time. That time was today.

NewBaby has been officially reunified with her birth father at court today.

We got to meet up with her this evening to say "good-bye", even though the bio-dad and his girlfriend said we'd stay in contact, I wanted to make sure the kids got that closure. That Bri and I got that closure too. After all, for almost 6 months we were that baby's primary caregivers. It is hard to love a little one that you know is 'not yours' when you know that you're not going to be with them forever, but the love came so freely. To watch her eyes light up when we spoke to her today, that made it all worth while!

I hope and pray, that things go well for her at her new home, with her real dad.. and his family. I can only pray that God protects her and continues to bless her little life, and anyone who meets her. She truly is a walking an army-crawling, rolly-poly, miracle. Our lives have been blessed knowing NewBaby, and nothing can ever change that. We will definitely miss her.