Those of you non-Foster parents probably don't have any idea what a lifebook is, or why it requires it's own lady. I'll explain. It's basically a scrapbook of the child's life that goes along with them, so they, in theory, will know what has happened in their life up to that point. I say "in theory" because most kids I know who are in foster care either don't have one at all or have an empty one. As for us, we were given the kit in August, but didn't really know any pertinent information to put into it. That, my friends, is where the Lifebook Lady comes in!
She had told us when she gave us the kit that she was going to try to hunt down as much information as possible to put in it. I hadn't heard from her in awhile, but she called last week to say that she had some information she'd like to give us. We scheduled the appointment for 1pm today.
Turns out, she had gone to Asher's great-grandpa's house and had quite a long conversation with him and got lots of info (and pics!) for us. (Asher had been placed there almost from the time he was removed from his mother's care until he was placed with us in January.) She got information about the time he was with them and a little bit of info about his life beforehand (but not much...it probably wouldn't make for a good story anyway). We have a copy of his birth certificate, so now I know what time he was born (2:24pm), the appropriate way to spell his middle name (McKelvey...not that it matters, since he's getting a new one anyway...), and his blood type (O+...same as me!). I have a single, black and white, closed-eyed pic of his father, and I now know his name and birthday. I have pics of his great-grandparents and some other family members.
But...most importantly...I...HAVE...BABY PICTURES!!!! Two of them, to be precise. The one of him brand new is a little blurry, but it's better than nothing. The one of him at about 4 months old is so adorable that I don't even know if I can look right at it without bursting into cute-induced flames! You want to see them, you say? Well, alright....
Are those not the cutest things EVER?
Here's the thing, though. There's one thing I hadn't counted on when I looked at all this information. It never occurred to me how much it would bother me to see pics of him with people I don't know! The way I see it, he is so totally mine in my mind and heart, that I legitimately forget that he's not "mine." Know what I mean? To those of you with biological kids, think of how you'd feel if you ran into a pic of your child with some stranger! It feels the same way for me, and it seriously surprised me!
But one thing is for sure...I love this child with all my heart. I couldn't love him more if I had carried him within myself. He will grow up knowing that, above all else. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
