When you are a foster parent you never know about the foster children that will come into your home. Some children capture your heart from the moment they walk through your door. The moment I saw my baby girl and held her in my arms, she had me. She was far from the ideal baby but that did not matter to me.

She was 13 months old when she came into our lives. She was unable to hold her head up or anything else because she had no muscle tone. She was still only taking a bottle with formula and spent her life in a crib with a flat head to prove it. Being held, cuddled, and loved was not something this baby girl had experienced in her short life. Any time she experienced human contact she completely resisted. She did not cry when she was hungry or needed to have her diaper changed because she had already learned that she would not get her needs meet. She did not sleep much.

In time with a lot of a physically working with her to help develop her muscle tone she started to hold her head up, hold herself up with her arms for a few seconds, etc. Several months later the diagnosis of Sensory Integration Disorder was placed on her something we had never heard of. Our lives became a whirlwind of doctor appointments, therapies, and just trying to learn how to help her. We struggled to learn how to control her behaviors and help her cope with every day things.

She was unable to bond with anybody and would become violent when she was held, or received other human contact with biting, hitting, head banging, pinching, or trying to throw herself out of your arms. She received occupational and behavior therapy to help her and us try to learn to cope with her behaviors.

Yes, things can be difficult but they do not always stay that way. More on our adoption journey with this amazing little girl, tomorrow.

Continued……..

More reading:

National Adoption Month - Foster Care Adoption

Love Thursday: Sharing Hot Chocolate