Updates

Hi everyone. Yes DHS states that Justin is legally free but, and that is a big BUT his birth father petitioned the request of termination. I told my social worker I don't understand you said he is legally free and the birth parents only had 14 days to fight the decision. Well supposedly the petition from the birth father came just on the 14 day and they were not made a ware of it or something like that. They said not to worry that when birth parents petition it they rarely ever get reversed. The process is that the judge has to look back over all the paper work and make sure he crossed his T's and dotted his I's. They say this judge is very particular and that he wouldn't reverse this and there is nothing to worry about. I asked how did this happen if the paper work came in saying he is a ward of the state and that he was legally free when there is a petition out there. Supposedly the court date was 1/13/10 that we went to the Referee signed of on termination on 1/14/10 then it went to the judge and he made his decision but he didn't sign the papers until 2/1/10 when we found out 2/4/10 that he was going to be ours. The birth father put in his petition on 2/13/10 which is the 14 days and the social worker didn't find out until 2/23/10 and she said her boss told her not to even tell us because there is nothing to worry about but then she said she wanted to be honest with us. Well I asked if we are still going through with adoption and she said yes. Court was on 3/1/10 for permanency placement to say that he will be placed with us in the intent to adopt him. She said that went smooth. We even got assigned an adoption worker that is coming over next Monday and Friday to go over the adoption process. This is all so weird we are going through the adoption process but yet there is a petition out there. The social worker said she talked to my adoption worker at court on 3/1/10 and talk to Justin's Lawyer who said that the petition could take as long as 4 months to get an answer about the petition or can be as soon as a month. I don't get it because they gave us an answer on the termination in 3 weeks but the petition can take up to four months? Don't get that but they said we continue on the adoption process so that when the petition comes back as rights are still terminated then we can adopt right away without having to wait and go through all the adoption stuff after we can do it now which of course I prefer. That is why it took me so long to post because I was hoping I would have had an answer by now and not many people that know me knows this is what is going on because I feel stupid now because they are sending me cards congratulating me and my family has given him stuff in an attempt to say welcome to the family and this would pull at them and make them back on the fence like they were before. I just figured if DHS isn't worried about it I guess I shouldn't be. You know it bugs me though. I just want him to be mine and that is it. Oh and yes I am over the whole baby thing from the last blog. I know it just wasn't meant to be and the next time we get a call about a child we will be better prepared. So as happy and excited we are that we think he is going to be ours unfortunately we are on the emotional roller coaster ride until I guess those papers are signed that says he is ours and no one could come out of the woodwork or anything. A couple of days ago it snowed here. Like it always does in Michigan and we built snow men as a family and we went to the ice festival in town and here are some pics of our exciting time together as a family. :)He is so cute. We are having a ball with him and I can't wait till it is official. :)