Cat's Litterbox

How things can change in just a little bit of time!

My track out went well, we went and saw Wicked and absolutely loved it! It's my favorite musical now!!

We went up north to visit my family from April 30th-May 5th and then we went to Indiana from the 5th-8th. While we were in MI my cousin Jessica called me to tell me that she worked with someone who had a niece that was 16 and pregnant. Then she told me that the 16 year-old had decided that she wanted to place her child for adoption, Jessica told them about us and directed them to our CAS profile, and they decided that they wanted us to adopt the baby. The birth mom was due on May 28th, and while we were up in MI and IN we looked into attorneys and whatnot because CAS doesn't do out of state adoptions.

Well... long story short (you can read the longer version on the Walker Blog), we were back in MI to meet our baby Gus. It's been a roller-coaster because his adoption hasn't been anything like I had expected. I have to keep my guard up because nothing is certain yet, and he could be taken back at any time.

We've been here in MI for three weeks today, and nothing has been filed. No interstate compact, and no custody termination has happened. The mail reason is that the birth father's mother was not aware of the pregnancy and wasn't made aware of the adoption until two days after Gus was born. She was very upset that she didn't know about anything. The birth father filled out his medical background form and said he was a registered Native American. With that, our attorney has to look into it as much as possible, because if he is in fact part NA, we'll have to go to the tribal leader and get permission for us to adopt Gus.

The paternal birth grandma has the paperwork and was going to fill it out again correctly, because she said the birth father messed up on the paperwork. So, we've been waiting three weeks for her to fill out the papers and she hasn't complied. Then last week she was going to fill it out and take it to her attorney... well, she never did, and apparently she told the attorney that when the form comes to terminate custody (the birth father is 17 and so he'll sign and his parent will also sign), she is refusing to sign it.

At this point I just want to go home. I've been living in a hotel for three weeks and have been away from home since April 30th. Steve had to fly home on Sunday and it only made it more difficult to be here. Now I'm here with just Gus and there's no end in sight for us to go home.

I'll post more later, but I just needed to write. I don't know how anyone can be a single parent-- this is the hardest thing that I've ever done. I wish I didn't love sleep as much as I do. I think the lack of sleep is the most difficult adjustment. And it's even worse without Steve here because at least we could switch on and off for feedings and changes... now it's just me.

Ahhhh... I need a nap.

Until next time!
>^..^<