FTA Licensing Update

We had to complete 9 hours of pre-placement training prior to getting our dual license.  Thankfully the classes were only 3 hours at a time.  Beyond the frustration of actually getting to the site, the training was a mixture of very repetitive information, information we already knew, and some helpful information.  We went in with an open mind because we weren't sure what the training was going to be like and really found one and a half of the sessions to be beneficial.

For us we were primarily hoping to discuss what we need to do once we actually get "the call".  There are doctor appointments needed, dentist appointments, figuring out daycare/school, etc.  This was the most beneficial information to us as it was something that would actually help us in preparing for children coming into our home.

We still have the rest of our 33 hours of training we need to complete; but, we have two years to complete the training.  We also have two different training sessions we must complete with our agency; but, in order to register for all of our training we need to be actually licensed.

Speaking of getting licensed, we have our final walk-thru tomorrow!  Our licensing specialist will stop by to verify we have working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire exit plan, etc.  We will be doing an exterior safety check as well.

So far the licensing process has been pretty smooth and our licensing specialist believes we should have our license within a month(ish).  And then it is just a wait for us to get "the call" and we will be on a crazy adventure!

Getting Prepared for Littles

We have been so grateful to everybody who has offered to donate gently used things or even brand new things in order for us to prepare for having littles enter our house.  Since most of the stuff is coming from MN it means that my folks get to transport it to us (haha, sorry m&d).  They recently made a weekend trip out to bring us a couple cribs along with some other smaller stuff that would fit in the small areas of the Flex that weren't being taken up by cribs.  Being given two cribs was kind of a blessing as it means that we could take in a baby and a toddler at the same time as well as an older child if need be.  While my folks visited they did a lot to help us prepare the rooms for littles from swapping dressers around to fixing a drop down crib to a stationary crib to going through clothes and putting them in the dressers.  It is nice being a little closer to family, just wish it was easier for all family to come visit.

One of many bins of clothes before organizing them into drawers.

 My mom ended up keeping quite a bit of clothing from when me, my brother, and sister were babies.  In addition, Derek and I have three nephews and two nieces who.  My brother and sister-in-law have generously donated clothes (and toys still in bins) to us.  Being the youngest child in your family, you get used to hand-me-downs and really kids grow so quickly it makes more sense to go through hand-me-downs unless something specific is needed.  For us it really makes sense because we are not sure of what littles will be entering our home, the ages, sizes, or even season.

As this doll was lying down, Derek said it was creepy because the eyelids open and close.  Boy, is he in for a treat if we get a girl or girls.

 As a kid, I didn't play with dolls very often.  To be honest, I thought they were ugly and there was only one Barbie doll I did like, the one that was "Asian" even though she was Hawaiian.  When I did play with dolls, I wanted to pretty ones, which didn't include the standard blonde hair, blue eyed doll.  Plus, the chances of us having an African American child is so great, I would prefer to have a wider variety of ethnicity shown through their toys (and really, when is it a bad thing to teach any child about diversity). 

Homemade doll clothes my mom made.

 My mom has made so much doll clothes it is crazy.  She used to make clothes for my dolls when I was younger and always thought they were so much prettier than the store bought stuff.

One of three car seats, this one from our licensing worker.

 Besides beds, the other thing that was required for us to have in order to become licensed was car seats.  With our age range being 0-5 (8 at oldest), this meant we needed an infant car seat, convertible car seat, and a booster seat.  Our licensing worker surprised us by giving us one of the three car seats we have and thankfully none of them are pink!

A zebra rug, you know to hide the stained carpet from the previous owners.

With the exception of a few minor things like hanging paintings, for the most part the rooms are done (*only photos of one room because the other is pretty boring with just a bed and dresser).

Drop down crib no more!  This crib held three of my second cousins on one side of my family.

Choices for seating.

 My grandpa made this rocking horse and even won a ribbon at the state fair for it.  And that little yellow rocking chair was a gift for my 1st birthday!

Toddler bed which we could double into another crib if needed.  This crib held two of my other second cousins from the other side of my family.

 Derek thought I was absolutely nuts when I told him we were getting two cribs.  He wasn't convinced they would fit in the room; but, I of course had a plan!  It worked out pretty well to have two cribs so one could be set up as a toddler bed, especially since this one has a drawer underneath.

How cute are these sheets?!

My Aunt had kept some sheets and I instantly fell in love with these!  Seriously, these are the best.  And my sister-in-law had a Bob the Builder quilt that while we can't use yet, works perfectly folded in half for a toddler quilt.

One of two dressers WITH clothes in them.

 This dresser is a bit on the smaller side; but, holds plenty of clothes for boys, girls, or neutral for either.  The dresser in the other room is quite a bit larger that has plenty of room for additional clothes.

Goodwill finds.

 Have you tried to find a good night lite lately?  It is a pain in the neck to find a good one (a.k.a. motion activated).  We haven't tested these out yet to see if they actually work; but, they were too cute to pass up.  And granted if they work should provide a little comforting to littles if they become scared.

If we get an infant.

It is hard to get a good variety of stuff when we have such a "big" age range.  We luckily were gifted this along with a space saving high chair for the dinner table.

Pregnant women "nest" and I can understand the feeling.  Getting the rooms set for the most part has given me a bit of ease in feeling we are somewhat prepared for the future.  It also has made us more excited in knowing that our family will be growing.  Monday (or Tuesday, because I can't remember) will be our final visit with our licensing worker before she hands us off to the next person.  She will be completing our home study with her boss and will just be waiting upon our out-of-state background checks.

What comes up next for us?  We have 9 hours of training coming up in February (yes, I realize that is tomorrow) which is also required before getting licensed.