What's taking so long?

​What is taking so long?  When you’re going through an adoption, you get that a lot.  From your friends & family.  And from your own brain.  It doesn’t help that you have already waited so long to become parents.  And you might keep telling yourself, “Well, I’ve waited this long.” 
 
These have been the shortest 4 months of my life.  I feel like we blinked, and Jase is now more of a baby boy.  He is beautiful, and already shown us so much of his personality.
 
But, until today, we still didn’t even have custody.  Today we FINALLY got to tell the judge we wanted him to be ours forever.  Finally got to change his first name from “Baby Boy” to Jason.  Jase.  The Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) called him that, and it made my heart smile. 
 
COVID-19 obviously threw a wrench in things.  Custody should have been done 2ish months after he was born.  But, here we are. 
 
Here’s the order of how things have happened for us. 
 
Social Worker came to do initial visit
Jase was born (WOOT! WOOT!)
Natural/birth mother signed consent for Power of Attorney
We took him home when he was released from the hospital
Paperwork
More paperwork
Calls from the attorneys
Fast forward to a home study visit (most anxious day of my life)
More paperwork
Court date
 
Now we wait.  We will find out in the next couple days when our finalization hearing is.  AKA Gotcha Day!  What a party that will be!  And we’ll have a few social worker visits between now and that big day. 

But, again.  We wait.  We’ve been doing that for 7 ½ years.  So, what’s a few more months!
 
Jase is ours.  Which he has been since the moment our BM said he could be. 
 
This grubby faced boy is now a Hillman, and will be forever.  He will be taken on so many adventures, and have to deal with us being his parents.
 
Parents that sat in their living room instead of court today.  Ones that raised their right hand and promised to take care of him.  Be responsible for him.  Educate.  Love.  Care for.  I couldn’t help but get choked up during the whole “hearing.”  I use the “” because, legit….I was still in my night gown.  Not exactly the outfit I’d envisioned the first time we sat in the attorney’s office, being given the play by play.
 
Today is another good day.  A weight has been lifted.  Just like that we are solely responsible for this tiny wonder.  Jase really is a miracle.  His GAL agreed.  The judge said Jason, Jr was lucky to have us.  And we were pretty lucky to have him.  I happen to agree. 
 
One more step, buddy.  Just one more step.
 

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