There’s a tradition in their family. Whenever a baby joins the family, Grandma Carol makes a cross-stitched baby blanket for the new addition. She did it for her son, Jonathan, and his younger sister. Then when Jonathan and his wife Alisa had their daughter, Izzy, Carol lovingly created another blanket. She had three more chances to create blankets when Jonathan's sister had babies but was eager to stitch another for Jonathan and Alisa's next child.
After Izzy was born, Alisa and Jonathan spent the next six years trying for a second child. But, like many couples, they struggled with infertility. They decided to attend an information session at Angels Foster Family Network and see if fostering an infant or toddler was right for them.
As a house mother at a group foster home, preschool teacher, after-school program leader, summer camp counselor, church youth group leader, and Girl Scout leader, Alisa already had quite a bit of experience with children. She was familiar with the foster care system. Jonathan refers to her as “the Kid Whisperer.” He, on the other hand, never held a baby until Izzy was born.
Jonathan initially had reservations. He says he wanted to foster but worried that he might not be able to care for someone else's child as much as his own. "How would that impact a child?” Jonathan wondered.
After the Angels Foster Family session, however, Jonathan looked at Alisa and told her they needed to become foster parents. “Hearing statistics about how many children are in the foster care system and the trauma they face, this was something we needed to do,” he says.
“When I found out I was going to get a little brother, I was like, yay!” recalls Izzy, who is now eight but seems like she’s going on thirty. “I knew it would be hard work, but also the best and funnest thing to have a sibling.” The family was clear: Five-week-old Baby Trevor was going to live with them, then return to his biological family.
Alisa smiles. “We said we are going to love on this kid, but let’s keep in mind that reunification is the goal.” The majority of Angels Foster Family placements are successfully reunified with their biological families, but some are adopted later by their foster families. Alisa and Jonathan were told that Trevor would eventually be adopted by his aunt.
That was okay, they said. They were willing to have their hearts broken so a child could have a loving and stable home while his parents were able to get their lives on track.
Grandma Carol understood this as well, but decided that Trevor should have a family baby blanket to take with him as a memento of his time with their family. His blanket is white with cuddly teddy bears stitched into the pattern. Jonathan gets choked up as he recalls his mother’s generous spirit.
As time went on, Trevor’s biological family got to know Jonathan and Alisa’s family and started to think that perhaps Baby Trevor should stay with them. “We told the family that they could always be part of his life and that he would always have two moms,” says Alisa, tearing up at the memory. “I’ve never seen anyone love her kid like she does.”
When Trevor was adopted by Jonathan and Alisa, Trevor’s biological family came to the courthouse to celebrate. The little boy regularly visits his aunt, and Trevor’s biological family has attended his adoptive family’s events. In the end, Trevor got what every child deserves: loving people who cherish him – and a beautiful, handmade baby blanket.
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