Court: First Hearing

Painting in Cora's room done by the fabulous Kat Stephens!

Court!

 It is so hard for me to believe that our case is finally being heard by a judge who will, at the end of this process, sign an adoption decree to make official what we have known for 2 years. Cora is our daughter. Yesterday, January 12, that judge looked at all of the documents we have gathered, signed, organized, stamped, had notarized, etc., etc!

As far as we know at this point, the judge has not asked for any further documentation. If we don’t get notice that more or new documents are needed by the end of this week, then we are in the clear for the first hearing!

 Our second hearing will take place on January 21!

 

Cora will be present at this hearing and her caregivers will most likely speak to the judge. After that, if no other information or documentation is needed, we should have one more hearing where the judge will give verbal approval of the adoption. After that we wait for the adoption decree, also called written orders or writtens. Then Cora’s passport will be ordered by the RIPA. As soon as her passport is ready, we will travel!! Our sweet girl is so close!

 I’ve been asked a couple of times how I am doing during this part of the process. It’s very tempting to answer with what people expect to hear. “I’m fine! Doing great!”

Many times that is true, but I feel a conviction to be honest and real here where we are recording this process for our memory and to one day help our daughter to understand what her parents did to bring her home. The truth is every step of this process is intense and it’s not easy.

I have absolutely no regrets. We have absolutely no regrets.


That’s not what I’m saying. I would choose this road again and again even with the knowledge that I will get beat up and wrung out. I never walked into this thinking it would be an easy road. The pain can be intense, but so is the joy!

At the moment, my feelings are very confused. I’m ecstatic that our case has progressed to court and that finally finally our daughter is so close! I’m also feeling very guarded. There has been a lot of heartbreak so far on this journey. A lot of hopes dashed to pieces by the realities of a drawn out process. The waiting and the routine of being disappointed has almost become a comfortable place. Never ever would I have thought that a spirit of patience would be comfortable for me, but it is! Allowing myself to truly accept that we will be meeting our daughter most likely in a matter of weeks is almost frightening to me right now. So the best description I can give of how I am feeling is: cautious.

Cautiously hopeful. Cautiously optimistic.

Two years of waiting is almost over!