Morning came, I immediately checked on the girls where they were still sound asleep. I guess they were comfortable and felt safe for the night. I am most thankful that it wasn’t a long night since I had responsibilities at church this morning.

I woke them gently and got them ready for the day. I piled them both in the car, packed a diaper bag of essentials… it was going to be our first trip to church. I hope they do well with new environments and all the people that will be loving on them today. I put them in dresses that I had bought previously, I am so glad I thought to buy stuff ahead of time! Abby showed excitement immediately, it was as though she was just happy to be somewhere new. I explained to her that this was church. Told her that she will make new friends today and that so many people are excited to me her and her sister, Chloe. Chloe laid content in her carrier and still didn’t share many emotions. I will be calling the investigator in the morning as I am concerned about her flat affect.

The two were greeted with hugs and many kisses from the congregation. I have been attending the church since kindergarten, so they are extended family to me. I introduced them to my parents especially. My mom had reservations about me choosing to be a Foster Parent. I think she has the preconceived notion that these kids would be troubled, a handful, and she may not love them like her own. As soon as she embraced Abby and saw the smile on her face, she was hooked. I know I will have to continually remind her that this is only temporary. My dad hides his emotions, it’s not macho to show vulnerability. He hugged Abby and attempted to interact with Chloe. Chloe just stared through him and, again, no emotion.

I dropped them off in the nursery without any problems. It’s so bizarre how quickly they adapt to their surroundings, but I’ll take it! Church was over, and it was time to join some people for lunch. “What do they eat?” I asked myself. “Do they have allergies?”. Chloe was still on formula, so thankfully I packed some for her lunch. We went to Firehouse Subs. I figured sandwiches are a good food to experiment with, what kid doesn’t like Grilled Cheese?! Abby picked at her food as though it was from another country. I broke it up into pieces thinking that would motivate her to eat. Nope. I showed her pictures on the menu to see if she showed any excitement over any of it. Nope. My brother ordered a sub that had ham, turkey, and cheese on it. Apparently, she liked the look of the bread because she immediately confiscated the top of his bun as though she was a homeless person on the street. We all giggled and allowed her to have what she wanted. My mom held Chloe and fed her a bottle. Chloe fell asleep quickly, I guess she is still taking multiple naps during the day. Hopefully with daycare we can regulate a schedule for her.

We returned to the church for a scheduled meeting. It was to discuss some changes to our worship service. As a leader, I was expected to be there. Again, the girls were dropped off in the nursery. “Where Nina is?” asked Abby. Nina? Who is she referring to? How do I ask an almost 3yr old who she is talking about? “Baby Nina isn’t here, but you can play with all these toys if you’d like”. She was quickly redirected. While sitting in the meeting the nursery buzzer went off, so I walked back to check on the girls. The nursery attendant said that Chloe has been screaming uncontrollably and doesn’t seem to respond to anything she has tried. I put Chloe in my arms and she immediately calmed down. How can this be? I just met her less than 24hrs ago. This poor child’s world has been turned upside down, the least I can do is hold her and reassure her safety. I brought her to the meeting with me.

After the meeting was adjourned, I went to get Abby from the nursery. Again, she asked me where this “Nina” was. I felt bad, apparently this person meant a lot to her. I wish I knew who she was talking about. As we walked out of the nursery Abby bolts down the hallway towards the narthex (lobby area near the front door). I got scared, because the doors are usually kept open. She yells: “Nina!” and clings onto my mom’s legs. “Mom, I think she is calling you Nina?”. We are all confused. Is this child making the connection that she is my mom, so she is in the grandmother role? Can she do that at such an early age, and so quickly? Then my father steps out of the sanctuary to join my mom. “Papa” Abby says and stands at his feet as though she’s waiting for acknowledgement. It’s confirmed… Abby is referring to my parents and Nina and Papa. I hope we find her real Nina and Papa, but I am glad she feels so comfortable.