Children's court is an interesting place. With all the time we spent waiting, it's hard to not look around and speculate why each person is there. Plus, some people just draw attention to themselves. It's really not that hard to leave your slippers at home, come with makeup already on your face, and wear clean nice clothes. Sawyer's birth mother did not show up for the court hearing which was not a surprise. It was a relief that she wasn't there because I imagine it would've been very awkward for everyone involved. She might not recognize our faces, but we will never forget what she looks like. She's been MIA for months now. As the hours passed by we were beginning to wonder if we could ever be called or if the hearing would be postponed again. Ron, Elizabeth (our Family Connections social worker), and I waited for 3 and a half hours before being called into the court room.
Our time in the court room with the judge was very short. It was said that both the county social worker for Sawyer and birth mother's attorney couldn't locate Sawyer's birth mom. The attorney's words were, "If I could've found her, we would be appealing the decision for parental rights to be terminated." Our history with Sawyer, our intention to adopt, and our feelings about him were discussed by the judge. The judge thanked us for our hearts for this child. Then denial of parental rights was granted by Fresno County Superior Court. The judge thanked us for dressing up and respecting the court. And that pretty much sums it up.
I expected to feel like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but I didn't. I actually felt more nervous than ever because now we had to wait 70 days to see if Sawyer's birth mom would appeal the court's decision. We had reason to believe that she wasn't in Fresno County anymore, but that was just speculation. All we could do is pray that she would stay away for at least 70 more days.
Until next time...
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