100.1

That's my temperature tonight. I've been flirting with a fever all day. It has given me a new respect for you stay-at-home moms. Thank goodness I had a few hours of reprieve when Zizi went to visit her mom, but during the rest of the time, I certainly was not my best self over here. I listened to Zizi cry a bit more than I wanted to today, because I just didn't have the energy to play with her the way she wanted.

However, late this evening, as I was counting down the minutes until bed time, the Lord proved faithful to his promise in  2 Corinthians 9:8 - "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

I was feeling pretty whimpy (and guilty on top of it all for not being able to be the best mom possible to Zizi today). Then, all of a sudden, Peanut started barking at some dogs that walked by our house. "Oh great," I thought. "As if the night could get any worse." Then, scared Zizi ran to me with terror in her eyes, crawled up in my lap, and snuggled with me for a solid 5 or 10 minutes. That was just what this mom needed to change her attitude, muster up some energy, and pour into this little girl for 45 more minutes before bedtime.

Now, Zizi is sleeping soundly, and mom is about to do the same. Please pray that I wake up feeling much better tomorrow. There is no parent visit tomorrow, so it's all me...all day...YIKES! It's been done by many of you, so I know I can do it, but certainly not in my own strength. Thanks for your prayers.

FYI - Zizi's mom had nothing negative to say about the disappearing braids...whew! She didn't even redo it! I might consider that my greatest accomplishment in a long time...haha.

Braids...

They came out tonight. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, but thank goodness my friend, Stephanie, was here to lend a hand and some words of experience. I hope Zizi's mom doesn't hate me for taking them out. I think I'll write her another note to explain the fact that they were dotted with apple sauce and cottage cheese.

This was something I had been prepared for many times by many people, but I totally underestimated the challenge of caring for her hair. Tomorrow I am investing in a shower cap for meal time. We'll see how that goes. Maybe if I'm lucky, I won't have to wash it again until after her court date on Tuesday.

Prayers for Zizi

We have known from the beginning that we would be temporary parents for this sweet baby, but the reality is still difficult to face at times. Zizi will go to court on Tuesday, March 22, at 9am. That's when the judge will determine the next step for her - to return to mom, stay with us for a while longer, or stay with a different family member. This will be a big day in Zizi's life, and we want to cover it with prayer.

If you are interested, we would love to invite you to our home on Sunday, March 20 around 3:00pm to pray for Zizi and the events on March 22. This is nothing formal or lengthy.  Stop by for 5 or 10 minutes if you'd like. Bring your whole family! We would just like to give you the opportunity to minister to Zizi in this special way.

If you're not able to pray with her in person, feel free to pray wherever you are! Just remember her, her mother, the judge, my husband and I on that day. Here are some things we are praying for:

• That the Lord would watch over Zizi for the rest of her life. That He would continue to put people in her path who will point her toward the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and that He would keep her physically safe in whatever home she is placed.
• That the judge would be wise and discerning as he sorts through the details of the case.
• That Zizi's mother would be drawn near to the Lord, and that my husband and I would do whatever is in our power to display His abundant gracy, mercy, and love to her every step of the way.
• That the Lord would be glorified in Zizi's life and through this entire process.
• Last, but not least, that Christ's peace, which surpasses all understanding, would be with my husband and I on the inevitable day when Zizi is placed in her permanent home.

Bebe and friends

I am so thankful that there has been nothing outstanding to blog about this weekend. Over the past couple of days, Zizi has been able to be a regular kid again - playing, napping, and eating when she's supposed to. She's also enjoyed the company of many new friends. One of those new friends was my mom, who we call Bebe.

Bebe came to stay with us all weekend and was a HUGE help and a wonderful encourager to have around. Bebe and Zizi read books, played games, went on walks, and just had an all-around great time. Bebe also helped me with laundry, meals, clean-up. Her presence will surely be missed in more ways than one! Zizi also has a Meme (my husband's mom) who lives nearby, and we look forward to some fun time with her tonight.

What a sweet sight it has been to watch so many people at church, in our home, and in our neighborhood love on this sweet girl and give her a sense that she is precious in the sight of the Lord. If nothing else, that is a real impact we can make.

We've also had a couple of friends bring us meals. Meme hand-made Zizi a girly burp-cloth that she loves and picked up several other things for us along the way. I just stand in awe at the support that we have from our own family and from the family of faith that surrounds us. Zizi is visiting with her mom right now, but I can't wait until she comes back so we can go play at Meme and Poppy's house!

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child...

...does not apply to foster parenting.

Poor Zizi woke up at 9:30 this morning...went to visit her mom at 10:45...returned at 2:50, taking small cat naps throughout that time in the car seat.

Then, I tried to keep her awake until the DFACS case worker arrived. She was supposed to be here at 3pm. At 3:45, I gave up and put her down for a nap. At 4pm, DFACS arrived and had to see Zizi and undress her to make sure she was not being mistreated. Zizi had not fallen asleep yet, so we went and did just that. (sidenote...Zizi hates nothing more than being undressed and changed). After we undressed her, I saw Zizi do something brand new...she clung to me like her life depended on it. She would not go to that DFACS worker. She has had it with today and wants to get some sleep!

DFACS left at 4:30pm. My husband and I wanted to go on a walk and take the stroller. Too bad neither of us could figure out how it worked. At 5pm, my husbandwent up to try one more time to put her down for a nap, but at 5:15, we have finally thrown in the towel.

Poor baby...she's going to be fussy for the next 2 hours until bed. Too bad my mom's on her way in town as we speak to babysit tonight. Pray for a restful night and some normalcy tomorrow.

Nursery

Another overdue update...here are some photos of our functional (but certainly not designer) nursery. Zizi doesn't seem to mind. Now, if I could just get the door to stop shutting automatically!! I can't tell you the number of times that Zizi and I have been downstairs playing and heard Peanut's whimper over the baby monitor, letting us know that she had, yet again, gotten herself stuck in Zizi's room...that dog...

Poor Peanut

On a lighter note, one of the funniest moments of this whole thing was the night when the baby gate went up. Poor Peanut...ever since that moment on Monday night, she hasn't quite known what to do with all of these new items, people, and commotion surrounding her.

By the way, you deserve an update on Peanut. She stayed with my parents for several weeks after the incident. She went to the vet and to doggy day care several times, both of which remarked how shocked they were that this dog would have bitten anyone. We continue to wonder what exactly happened that day. We're getting some help from the dog trainer who sold us Peanut. We're also watching her like a hawk and making her lay on her bed or go to her crate whenever Zizi is on the floor. They have met several times, and Peanut has done nothing but love on her and lick her toes. We're never going to drop our guard with Peanut, but for now, we think we'll keep her. We're really praying hard that this is a wise decision and if not, that the Lord would make it clear what we should do with this sweet puppy.