Legally and Officially Ours

Yesterday, Thursday, May 3, 2007 was our day in court... well, really our MOMENT in court. We have waited for and anticipated and been anxious for the signed documents that would give us final legality for this precious baby girl whom we met the second she was born into this world.

With each step along the way we moved closer to this day: We filed the required paperwork within 10 days to adopt this baby girl, STEP 1. 30 days passed without hearing from the birth mom, STEP 2. We met with the Independent Social Worker who filed papers to locate the alleged birth father, STEP 3. We sought a birth certificate to prove to the court that a baby girl without a given name was actually born on 10-08-06; which took several attempts! STEP 4. We filed paperwork to terminate the alleged father's rights, STEP 5. We waited to hear from the social worker that her searching was done and she filed her paperwork, STEP 6. We received documents in March that the alleged father's rights were terminated, STEP 7. We finally got a date in court to sign the documents, STEP 8. All of this took us 5 days shy of Hadarya's 7 month birthday.

We dressed up in matching color clothes. We went out to lunch. We invited friends and family. We put a bow in our daughter's hair. We drove around and around looking for parking at the court. We waited 20 minutes to be called in to the court through a lovely courtyard where we took photos. We were invited to sit down and our friends tubmbled in behind us.

I think we'd signed our names in two places on two pieces of paper before anyone else got the chance to sit down. And that was our moment in court. It was over before it really started. We were handed our copies and told we could take a photo with the judge.

It was our moment in court and while incredibly significant, this was about the change not the ritual (as put by our dear friend Scott!) and that made all the difference.