This morning was a court hearing for the new baby's case. At a friend's suggestion, she will be called Miracle here on the blog.
Everyone was present in court, except any bio parents. No parent has even contacted CPS since mom's initial contact. Mom never had any visits and was late to the very first hearing. She hasn't showed for the second and third hearings.
Miracle has a different judge than either BB;s case or Precious's case. This judge is much slower and more cautious in moving away from family reunification. However, in this case, with two prior terminations and no parent making any effort, the INITIAL case plan was set as severance and adoption.
Next court hearing is end of August and TPR will likely occur then unless something radical changes.
Miracle's case is like a whirlwind from the moment I learned about her. She is an absolute doll and is doing extremely well. I love when she smiles back. Hopefully, her life can move forward quickly and be drama free, at least in this arena!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Updates in Bullets
May
- turned 14 years old this month
- graduated from eight grade
- preparing for choir tour to San Francisco
- participating in church mission trip this summer
- finishing fifth grade
- read over 1,000,000 words to win prize at school
- home life has been crazy since bio mom moved in
- looking forward to summer
- completed fourth grade
- active in and loving Cub Scouts
- looking forward to Cub Scout daycamp
- flying to Ohio by himself to visit my uncle in June
- speech and physical development "within normal range" per school evaluation
- accepted to development preschool for fall due to behavioral/social issues
- loves the activities and does well at daycare but major separation anxiety
- very protective and helpful with new baby sister
- adjusting to baby sister and now showing love to her
- mild stomach issues lately causing problems sleeping
- starting a screaming phase when she wants something
- no real talking but able to communicate with some single syllable sounds
- two months old
- weighs 9 pounds (6 pounds at birth)
- eating and sleeping extremely well
- looks a LOT like BB when he was little
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
I'll Be Back
I haven't completely disappeared.
My computer has been having problems
and
life has been really, really busy.
We are all doing well.
Many end-of-the-school-year activities are wrapping up.
Updates are coming soon!
Monday, April 29, 2013
First Day
Today was BB's first day of school.
Well, it was daycare, actually.
But we played it up as school, and he was E.X.C.I.T.E.D!
His daily report said he was
"happy" and "active".
That's my boy!!!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Lovin' It
Precious is seeing a whole new world!
She is now front-facing in her carseat.
She is dancing with the DVD player.
She even follows along with some of the motions.
And when she is done,
she just looks out the window and chills!
(Pictures courtesy of May while I was driving.)
Friday, April 26, 2013
One More
We have welcomed another little one into our home. She is the bio sister of BB and Precious. I picked her up Thursday from the foster home where she was placed directly from the hospital a month ago.
The case manager did not review the case file in detail and decided she did not have my contact information, even though she knew both siblings had been adopted. Eventually CPS contacted me and wanted to move the baby.
Court was this week and bio mom did not show. Seems she is AWOL again. This tiny little girl was born drug exposed (like the other two) but has suffered no obvious symptoms. She was born full-term at 6 pounds, but at one month is already over 8 pounds.
She is very sweet, easy to sooth, and sleeps well. Precious is quite jealous but already coming around. BB was in awe and wants to help constantly; he is very protective. Buddy can't wait to hold her, ALL THE TIME. He said he wants to learn to change diapers! May just returned from a week of 8th grade camp this afternoon and was excited to see her. Sweets is not here, but knows we have her.
People will ask Why? Don't you have enough? When are you going to stop?
I have prayed and prayed over this decision. Yes, I knew the baby was coming. I just had no idea when or what state bio mom would be when the baby was born. It was not a sure thing that the baby would even be found by CPS, let alone pulled. But I knew mom was pregnant.
For a long while I didn't know my answer, if I received the call. Then I truly believe the Lord was asking me to take one more. As if to confirm my decision, last Sunday's sermon spoke volumes. It was a call to action, listening to the call of God.
I trust that He will provide, that I can do this. Will it be easy? Of course not. Possible? Definitely, with His help!
The case manager did not review the case file in detail and decided she did not have my contact information, even though she knew both siblings had been adopted. Eventually CPS contacted me and wanted to move the baby.
Court was this week and bio mom did not show. Seems she is AWOL again. This tiny little girl was born drug exposed (like the other two) but has suffered no obvious symptoms. She was born full-term at 6 pounds, but at one month is already over 8 pounds.
She is very sweet, easy to sooth, and sleeps well. Precious is quite jealous but already coming around. BB was in awe and wants to help constantly; he is very protective. Buddy can't wait to hold her, ALL THE TIME. He said he wants to learn to change diapers! May just returned from a week of 8th grade camp this afternoon and was excited to see her. Sweets is not here, but knows we have her.
People will ask Why? Don't you have enough? When are you going to stop?
I have prayed and prayed over this decision. Yes, I knew the baby was coming. I just had no idea when or what state bio mom would be when the baby was born. It was not a sure thing that the baby would even be found by CPS, let alone pulled. But I knew mom was pregnant.
For a long while I didn't know my answer, if I received the call. Then I truly believe the Lord was asking me to take one more. As if to confirm my decision, last Sunday's sermon spoke volumes. It was a call to action, listening to the call of God.
I trust that He will provide, that I can do this. Will it be easy? Of course not. Possible? Definitely, with His help!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
So Proud
May is a huge help with the little ones. She frequently reads BB a book or two or more in his room at bedtime. The other night I listened in from the hallway.
May was reading a Disney book. She was reading with feeling and expression. She was using voices. She was not struggling. BB was eating it up!
This event may not seem like much, but it is HUGE! May is dyslexic. She could hardly read at all for many years.
At the end of second grade, she was two years behind, barely knowing what sounds letters make. That was after eighteen months of private tutoring and a year in reading resource (special ed). She spent two more years in pull out resource classes for reading and almost maintained being two years behind. But her self-esteem tanked. Everyone made fun of her and called her dumb. She did not like school.
I switched her to a private Christian school for fifth grade. God truly orchestrated this move!
Two years earlier, I met the principal at this private school the spring Sweets was four and I was searching for a kindergarten for her.* This principal heard my family's story and just LOVED on us. She met May as a result and later learned, after I enrolled Buddy in kindergarten a year later after my fabulous experience with Sweets, that May was struggling with her dyslexia in public school. She told me she would be returning to teaching and would be teaching fifth grade the following year, the year May would be in fifth grade. This teacher was a speech specialist and had previously taught a student with severe dyslexia who was by then very successful in high school.
I completed an application for May to attend this private school as she was completing fourth grade. Her IEP (special ed plan) was provided to the school with all her records from the public school. I received a call from the newly hired principal in June saying that despite her high intelligence level, they could not accept her, because her special needs were more than that school could handle. I was devastated, as she hated school by then.
I asked the new principal to reconsider and eventually resorted to begging, saying May needed to go to a new school. I solicited the teacher for help, since May would be in her class and she was willing to teach her. I told the principal I would agree to a one quarter trial period; if the school would just accept her for one nine-week grading period, I would agree to disenroll her if it did not work. The principal brought us in for a pre-admission interview, a standard practice at this private school. At the end of the interview, he asked May to read him a couple short books. Keep in mind, she just finished fourth grade. The books were second and third grade level. She struggled through part of the second grade book and could barely touch the third grade book. But, he accepted her!
The rest is history. This teacher taught May for fifth and sixth grade. Now May has followed her to the junior high school and had her for some of her classes in seventh and eighth grade. The other teachers have also been just as awesome and work with this teacher to adapt teaching methods to be most effective for May. Last year she was reading at grade level. YES!!! She still struggles with schoolwork, but now she is succeeding.
Now May can read out loud to her little brother and not stumble. I am SO PROUD of her!
*Sweets has a late fall birthday and missed the public school cutoff for kindergarten. This private school tested her and accepted her a year before public school would. I felt it was imperative for her to start that year. If she went to live with her dad, she did not need to spend an entire school year in front of the the TV or dropped off with different people each day (he would never send her to daycare). If she stayed with me, she needed to be ahead of Buddy, who was only four months younger but at that time developmentally a year younger. Sweets is now in fifth grade, the youngest in her class, and one of the smartest.
May was reading a Disney book. She was reading with feeling and expression. She was using voices. She was not struggling. BB was eating it up!
This event may not seem like much, but it is HUGE! May is dyslexic. She could hardly read at all for many years.
At the end of second grade, she was two years behind, barely knowing what sounds letters make. That was after eighteen months of private tutoring and a year in reading resource (special ed). She spent two more years in pull out resource classes for reading and almost maintained being two years behind. But her self-esteem tanked. Everyone made fun of her and called her dumb. She did not like school.
I switched her to a private Christian school for fifth grade. God truly orchestrated this move!
Two years earlier, I met the principal at this private school the spring Sweets was four and I was searching for a kindergarten for her.* This principal heard my family's story and just LOVED on us. She met May as a result and later learned, after I enrolled Buddy in kindergarten a year later after my fabulous experience with Sweets, that May was struggling with her dyslexia in public school. She told me she would be returning to teaching and would be teaching fifth grade the following year, the year May would be in fifth grade. This teacher was a speech specialist and had previously taught a student with severe dyslexia who was by then very successful in high school.
I completed an application for May to attend this private school as she was completing fourth grade. Her IEP (special ed plan) was provided to the school with all her records from the public school. I received a call from the newly hired principal in June saying that despite her high intelligence level, they could not accept her, because her special needs were more than that school could handle. I was devastated, as she hated school by then.
I asked the new principal to reconsider and eventually resorted to begging, saying May needed to go to a new school. I solicited the teacher for help, since May would be in her class and she was willing to teach her. I told the principal I would agree to a one quarter trial period; if the school would just accept her for one nine-week grading period, I would agree to disenroll her if it did not work. The principal brought us in for a pre-admission interview, a standard practice at this private school. At the end of the interview, he asked May to read him a couple short books. Keep in mind, she just finished fourth grade. The books were second and third grade level. She struggled through part of the second grade book and could barely touch the third grade book. But, he accepted her!
The rest is history. This teacher taught May for fifth and sixth grade. Now May has followed her to the junior high school and had her for some of her classes in seventh and eighth grade. The other teachers have also been just as awesome and work with this teacher to adapt teaching methods to be most effective for May. Last year she was reading at grade level. YES!!! She still struggles with schoolwork, but now she is succeeding.
Now May can read out loud to her little brother and not stumble. I am SO PROUD of her!
*Sweets has a late fall birthday and missed the public school cutoff for kindergarten. This private school tested her and accepted her a year before public school would. I felt it was imperative for her to start that year. If she went to live with her dad, she did not need to spend an entire school year in front of the the TV or dropped off with different people each day (he would never send her to daycare). If she stayed with me, she needed to be ahead of Buddy, who was only four months younger but at that time developmentally a year younger. Sweets is now in fifth grade, the youngest in her class, and one of the smartest.
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