So the really tough stuff is over, i think. Again i arrived early at court (cuz i am a Hornstein) and i sit down in the lobby, alone for about 15 minutes. Every time the elevator bell rang, i looked, nothing. I did every thing i could to make sure that the mother, or father for that matter didn't walk out of one of those 3 elevators. Another foster mother that also has my FFA social worker had a hearing in the same court room showed up and we sat and chatted. She had watched the baby last month when he was sick and couldn't go to daycare. She showed me a picture she had taken with him and her foster baby who is a month older than Jace, but double the size. She was sitting there waiting for a hearing to see if the baby will go live with a relative. (her hearing was after mine, but i found out he will be going to the relative today..i cant imagine what the family is going through.) It is now about 9am, and my social worker shows up. We all sit and chat, and wait. I was texting with people, and when i told Darby mother didn't show up, she said that the mother did show up, the egg donor didn't, i smiled. That was the truth!! My case was called second.
When i got into the court room, the baby's lawyer said that the mother's lawyer would enter a general objection(because he has to) and they are going to go forward and terminate the rights. I was excited, but wanted to wait to hear it from the judge, who wasn't the normal judge. As they go around the table submitting to the report, and changing language in the papers to reflect that "mother" has been absent, and not done minimal to get him back...First mom's lawyer asked for a continuance because he wanted to try to find her, and a general objection. The judge denied the continuance and went forward. At that moment, i started to cry. I actually hadn't expected it or even thought about my emotions. I was shocked, i looked at Becky and laughed quietly. The judge continued to go through the legal jargon, and when he got to actually saying that her rights are terminated, and that they had tried to find the father (listed in a section of the Sacramento Gazette, which i have never even heard of..but who cares) and that he couldn't come back and try to get him, that was it. They set another court date for a review in August, but the lawyer told me that if the adoption went through before that, it would just go away. And that was it...took a total of 10 minutes, and now this child is technically a legal orphan until i finalize the adoption in 2 months or so. Of course i had put on make up, so that was dripping down my cheek.
I walked out of the courtroom i think in shock. The other foster mother looked at me, and when i told her, she came and gave me a big hug and said congratulations, and that she was so happy she could be there for it. Becky gave me a hug, and i said to her, "call me to set up a date for you to come out next week." She laughed at me, and said she didn't care about that, and told me to go and celebrate. I left the court house, sunglasses on, and felt like i wanted to scream it out. instead i texted a bunch of people, and headed to work. How the heck was i going to concentrate...i did a few things, but wasn't horribly productive.
So now really all that is left is the formality of adoption. I walked into the daycare to pick him up and the director said she was so excited...and so did the teachers. So i guess this is the story of how i became a mother. LOL...It is so weird, i had been waiting for this, and here it is.
I still am not sure if i want/should post pictures...so i decided i will post this pic...
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