Weekend of Firsts

I was really hoping to have my parents attend the adoption ceremony for Primero. He is joining their family as their first grandchild and I was so hoping they could be there to embrace him and their role as grandparents. When I called my parents Friday to share the good news that the date for the adoption finalization has been set, my dad told me he thought my mom had a colonoscopy scheduled for that same day. I spoke with her the next day and she confirmed that she did indeed have the procedure schedule for the day of the finalization and couldn’t reschedule it because if she did it in the new year she would have to pay for it (she’s paid out her deductible due to all the chemo and other cancer related medical expenses). I get it, I do. But, that doesn’t make it suck any less. My mom said if the procedure is scheduled for later in the day she might be able to come, but she won’t know until the Monday before and I sort of doubt it will work out. Technically my dad could still come, so long as he doesn’t need to be there to take her home at the same time as the court hearing. I asked my friend, who Primero loves, but she’s working and unable to come at that time. I’m hoping to find someone in my family to attend, perhaps my aunt that I’m close to or maybe a cousin? I think Esperanza will come but I don’t know about his other family members. It’s kind of a tough thing and I wouldn’t pressure them into coming, even if they are in favor of the adoption. Not that I wouldn’t welcome having them there, if they do decide to come. I just recognize it might be awkward for them. I have also decided to not have the babies there because I don’t want to be distracted by a squirmy toddler (yes, a toddler!) and disobedient pre-schooler. They will be in daycare and we can celebrate with them later in the day. I also want to get family pictures taken by my photographer friend.

So, this past weekend was kind of a big one for us. Chica Marie lost her first tooth on Saturday. A few weeks ago we were out to eat on a Friday night and she mentioned her tooth was bothering her. I looked in her mouth and when I touched the offending tooth, it seemed to wiggle slightly. I pronounced her tooth to be fine but that it would soon fall out. And Chica Marie lost it. She began sobbing and howling that she didn’t want to lose her tooth. She refused to eat anything for dinner. I had been on the fence about the Tooth Fairy but decided it might help ease her into the whole tooth loss thing. So, I promised Chica Marie that when she lost her tooth, if she put it under her pillow, the Tooth Fairy would give her money for the tooth. On Saturday was playing with the tooth and I noticed it was about to pop out. I tried to get her to eat an apple to lose it, but she refused. She could see my trick. So, I promised to get her a piggy bank for the money the Tooth Fairy was going to leave her if she would let Primero pull the tooth out. After a few attempts to get a good grip, the tiny bottom middle tooth was out and Chica Marie was clinging to Primero for dear life. Sunday after church we bought a piggy bank. It’s a white piggy wearing a silver crown and a pink tulle tutu. Totally adorbs. She put the $2 in dimes the Tooth Fairy gave her into the piggy bank and jingled the coins incessantly. Primero acted the part of Tooth Fairy, sneaking into her room to retrieve the tooth and then again to stash the coins under her pillow. We used plastic baggies to contain the tooth and coins so they wouldn’t get lost under her bed because she is such a restless sleeper.

After procuring the piggy bank at Target and getting hair dying supplies at the beauty store (both Primero and Esperanza dyed their hair) we went to a pizza buffet for lunch. This is only the second time I’ve ever been to this place and who do we see there? The attorney for the little one’s mom. At first he didn’t see us, but after passing our table a few times he did notice us, but didn’t say anything. I wonder if he will report their mother that he saw us? I guess it doesn’t much matter. After lunch we took Love Bug to get his first haircut. It’s so funny because right before the rules changed for foster care I was thinking that I should ask permission to get the baby’s haircut because it was getting unruly. His thick curls were getting more and more difficult to comb on the back of his head and his hair was so long it was almost always standing up. The barber was fantastic, going slow and taking his time, being gentle and careful. When I first sat Love Bug in the chair he cried and tried to lunge back into my arms. But, I had Primero with me to help and he played Love Bugs favorite song by his favorite band, “Alone Together” by Fall out Boy. Yeah, the baby’s a rocker. So, Love Bug snatched the phone from Primero and was content to sit and let the barber go to work. He first cut the hair with a scissors because it was too thick to cut with the clippers. I only teared up a little when I got a few curly locks for his baby book and soon the barber was buzzing off more hair with the clippers. He left about ¾ of an inch on the baby’s head when it was all said and done. He took a little more than I had hoped, but Love Bug looks so much better and now he looks like more of a little boy than a baby! It is so much easier to manage his hair and he’s happier too because he hated having his hair combed. I was pleasantly surprised with how good Love Bug was while getting his hair trimmed. He didn’t really fuss and only started wiggling when the barber started with the clipper because he was scared of it. The barber was very intent on the baby getting a good first impression so he would hopefully be calm at future haircuts and not freaking out. I also got hair product tips from the mom of the boy that has his haircut before Love Bug. She  was so kind to look up the name and picture of a product she felt would help with both Love Bug and Chica Marie’s hair. I was grateful for her suggestion.

After having a varied amount of ages in foster care I didn’t really think there would be too many firsts for me as a parent. This weekend, both of the firsts for Chica Marie and Love Bug were also firsts for me. I never had a foster child lose a tooth with me and I’ve never taken a baby for their first haircut. What a blessing to experience this with both of these special little ones!