It’s just so hard to believe our two little guys are OURS. I mean, it took so long (felt like forever) for D1’s parents to relinquish! We spent 9 months taking care of him, and we weren’t even certain we were going to keep him. We knew his parents couldn’t do it, but still you never know what the state will do with these little foster babies. Sometimes it seems they give the parents so many rights, and so many chances, that they get the chance to totally screw up their kids AFTER they’ve been put in protective custody.

I know so many foster parents who talk about this baby left, or that child went home, only to return to the system in six months (or even a month later!) battered, abused, with baggage for a lifetime…. when they had started out in foster care, in a loving home where they were safe…. but Mom’s got RIGHTS!

The Lord has blessed us so much with these boys!! D1’s adoption was final 3 years ago, and D2’s was a year and a half ago. It’s just so amazing. These two really have made our family feel so complete. We thought we were DONE after J! Then six years later, we got D1.

Not flesh of my flesh,
Nor bone of my bone,
But still, miraculously, my very own.
Never forget, for a single minute,
They didn’t grow under my heart,
But in it.

I found that poem somewhere online. I’ve seen it on several different sites, and an author is never cited. It is so sweet and oh so true!
ADDED 2/8/07: The author of the poem is Fleur Conkling Heyliger. Thanks Dotty!