"Is he adopted?"

Tonight we went to a kid's picnic at our parish. The daughter of a friend came up as I was holding our chunk and asked "is he adopted?" I put her off because we were about the pray grace and she wondered off sparing me from explaining. How do you explain fostering to a child?

I love this little kid. That said...he is teething right now. My husband reminds me we had these very same frustrations with H. It is difficult to love any child when you have been up all night four nights in a row. Yet, I can't deny how totally different it is from #1 (biological) to #2 (foster). We meet his needs, feed him like crazy, burp, clean diapers, and on and on. We love on him, cuddle, snuggle and play. The biggest difference is perhaps that we are not doing attachment parenting with "SBR". I always forget to bring my slings out, I have never felt co-sleeping was an option for us (whereas it was the natural development with H); And it is much easier to pass him to a stranger for babysitting - because there are no b--bs involved. Yet, I am still more of his mama than his mama is. We would 1000 percent be elated for the opportunity to keep him forever. I think everything else just boils down to being guarded.

This week was the first week that I felt a "look" from him when I passed him off at his parent visit. He has the sweetest eyes - which happen to be a little bit clogged and therefore a little bit moist...all the time. I know we have A bond. I just always question - how much, and wonder if it is enough. Before too long he will start to reach for me, as mama. It feels like a long way off until October (our next court date). But the days go fast enough. So we just wait. And hope that the next time I get that question, "is he adopted?" I can simply say "yes!"