Tots

Tater had her second doctor's appointment yesterday, and she is up to 5 pounds, 7 ounces.  So apparently I have good baby-fattening skills.  She is starting to become more alert and is attempting social smiles and holding her head up for a millisecond at a time.  Her lanugo is mostly gone, as is most of her flakiness off her skin.  Her cheeks are starting to plump up into an adorable baby face.  She has a little button nose and a little bow-shaped mouth.  Her hair curls slightly after a bath.  She can track a rattle with her eyes now and is definitely starting to notice the Nugget and his antics with a wide-eyed stare.

Tater Tot has been a joy, and she definitely has us all wrapped around her teeny finger.  She finally fits into newborn sized clothing and the most tiny adorable diaper covers.  She is most content when being held or worn, and is starting to protest being put down in the bassinet at night.  I keep reminding myself that all those night wakings are extra precious time with her, and it's fabulous that she is willing to eat and grow at night.  On the flip side, getting 1 hour of sleep at a time is starting to wear on me, so I am looking forward to sleeping whenever she sleeps next week.  Her likes and dislikes closely mirror the Nugget's preferences as a newborn.  We are all so curious to find out what her personality will be like as she grows.  Not sure if we'll be the lucky family who gets to witness it, but we are loving today.

TT likes
Cuddles
Any kind of formula (phew, what a relief!)
Swaddles
Soothie pacifiers

TT dislikes
Baths
Diaper changes
Wardrobe changes
Nuk pacifiers - the slight difference in nipple shape makes her reel with disgust and rage!

One hard thing about fostering Tater is that, unlike Noodle, she doesn't know I'm not her mama.  We are bonded to each other much like any other newborn and mother.  I know this is setting her up for good bonding and relationships wherever she goes, but the longer she stays, the more I worry how a move is going to affect her.  Still, such is life in foster care, and I suppose worry is the most unproductive thing I can do.  Better to take that energy and pour it into her while she is here.

I myself had a foster mom between my birth and adoption.  I don't remember her, and to be honest, I have very rarely thought of her until now.  When I thought about my unknown past, I always thought of my birthmom and not her.  But now I wonder how she is, how many other babies she helped, why she got into fostering.  I do know that she gave me a precious gift and that my ability to connect with my family was definitely impacted by her loving care.  Paying it forward.