Has anyone seen those Facebook memories that pop up every once in a while? I love getting my Facebook memories, but my mom can't seem to make hers appear for her! I guess not everyone has access to those memory notifications, but if you're lucky enough to have access, these memories can be fun to look through.
Today, this memory popped up in my notifications... Six years ago, on February 1, 2010, my parents received the phone call asking if we could take in twin baby girls. Six years ago, as a family, we made the decision that would forever change our lives and take us from a family of six to a family of eight over the course of just a few days.
Of course, it makes sense that this phone call was six years ago; my little sisters are six years old now, and we took them in as infants. But over the course of daily life, you forget these important milestones. Seeing this memory appear on my Facebook account today made me remember all of the excitement that came on that day in 2010 (and it made me remember how little I cared about grammar back then).
I still remember the day that we got the phone call about my little sisters. I had turned sixteen almost exactly three months earlier, and my mom was letting me drive home from wherever we were since I had my permit. My mom's cell phone rang as we were on our way home, and I forget what she said now, but I knew that it was a call from D.S.S. even though I could only hear one side of the conversation. When she hung up, my mom told me that the call was for twins. I was over the moon, because I had always had this weird obsession with twins (I actually used to ask my parents if they had given up my twin sister at birth because I wanted to be a twin so badly... their response, of course, was that it would make no sense for them to take in children through foster care if they had given one of their kids away... it made sense, but it was sad for me). Then my mom told me that the girls had been born on my birthday, and that was my sign from the universe that we were meant to have these babies. Still, my mom told me not to get my hopes up, because she had to talk to my dad.
My dad had previously stated that we weren't going to take in anymore infants. He just felt like since my youngest brother was six, we could take in children from toddlers to kindergarteners and be able to help them. There are always enough people who want to take in babies. So my mom went into the conversation knowing that my dad would say no to the placement, but she obviously wasn't going to make that decision on her own. So my parents talked, and I'm pretty sure I stood outside their door trying to get my brothers and sister to be quiet enough for me to eavesdrop. When my parents emerged from their bedroom, my mom said that she had been really surprised by my dad's answer. My mom had told my dad about the phone call, and my dad simply asked, "When are they coming?" That was it. My dad was sold without even hearing the sales pitch. The rest of the family took our usual vote, and my mom called D.S.S. back to tell them that we were taking the babies.
Three days later, Twin A came home from the hospital. She was three months old, but the size of a newborn preemie. A week after that, Twin B came home too. The whole time the girls had been in the hospital, my parents had been able to take turns going into the NICU to feed and hold them, but we didn't get to meet our new sisters until they came home. It was love at first sight, and the rest, as you all know, is history. They never left our lives and I couldn't imagine my life without them. It was great to re-live that special time in our lives today.
Your continued support means the world to me. From foster care to novels, and family to work experiences, I look forward to sharing more of my life with you each day. Don't hesitate to share your own stories with me or ask me questions about my life. Please don't forget to like and share my Facebook author page as well!
I’d greatly appreciate it if you would share this blog with friends and family through your favorite social media sites. If you’re sharing on Twitter, don’t forget to tag me (@TayTayK02) and use the hashtag #TaylorTalks.
Thanks!
Taylor