Plug and Play Parenthood

Photo by Geishaboy500 via Flickr Creative Commons

June 18, 2012. What a monumental day for our family. That is the day that the legal system declared our son to be our son.

We woke up only ten minutes earlier than a regular work day. However, it was nothing like a work day. It was exciting and meaningful and exhausting in a way no work day will ever be for me. Instead of our regular work wear, we stepped it up. I even ironed– and not with my regular iron…. Or as most refer to it, the dryer and a damp cloth. No. This day I used the ironing board and an actual iron.

We left an hour before our assigned pre-meeting time. It was early enough that we didn’t get stuck in traffic. Though, we did make it just in time with only a few minutes to spare. We went through security which consisted of two slightly grouchy men who offered no direction except to bark at people for forgetting to remove a piece of jewelry or a belt. For once, this scenario didn’t make my blood boil. In fact, it didn’t phase me. We had bigger fish to fry.

The letter from the family law firm advised us to go to the fifth floor, but once there, the next step was unclear. We decided to grab a bench among the few other families with an early morning meeting. Shortly thereafter, attorneys from the representing firm appeared with a folder and led us to a small conference room where we read over the final adoption decree and the information to go to vital statistics (again… one last time) and signed the dotted line. Family and friends lined the wall in the room with us, snapping pictures the whole time. I silently wished they’d been present for placement, too. Though, that wouldn’t have been permitted. The attorney gave us a run down of what to expect in the courtroom.

A sweet family went before us. My eyes swam a little when the judge declared their petition granted.

We were next.

We ambled up to the stand. I mentally noted that there had been no traditional “all rise” that I’d expected.  The judge had a weathered face with a kind expression, and he looked like the kind of man who probably had a herd of cows on family land somewhere. He swore us in, and everything went as we expected from there. Our family and friends hovered in the background, digitally documenting.

I actually thought, “H, you’ve almost made it without crying.”  Then the judge said, “I grant your petition.” Emotion washed over me, and I leaned in and kissed Baby Boy’s button nose as I blinked back tears. I could hear our people sniffle.

The judge came out and took pictures with just us and then with our whole group.

And just like that, Baby Boy had the same last name as us… Officially.

Tags: finalization

Trackback URI | Comments RSS