Monday will be a big day!!

This coming Monday will finally be our court date for the boys.  ---Barring any more continuances---  Big things will be happening that day.  The boys' mom is still saying she will sign papers that terminate her rights for Z and list us as the adoptive parents.  Z's dad finally returned DCS's calls and has said he will sign this same paperwork.  The caseworker told me last week that it was time for us to get an attorney for Z's adoption.  She gave me the name of one DCS uses a lot and Nathan gave her a call that day.  We filled out some forms and will know more about that process after Monday.  Technically, this could all be done in three months.  The court is required to wait three months before finalizing an adoption to give the parents a chance to change their minds about terminating their rights.  So, we have to wait at least 3 months.  But as long as we can get a court date fairly quickly, it shouldn't be much longer than that I don't think.  We have picked a sort of new name for our little guy, I will let you know more about that after court.  I think I can post some pictures after court too. 

Also on Monday, DCS will be asking for G's trial home visit to start.  The caseworker said she is planning to send G to his dad's next weekend and then he will stay there from that point on.  I'm a little nervous about this, but excited too.  G's dad is so excited, I can't help but be happy for him.  I talked to him on the phone today and told him I was going to be sad to see G leave, but I'm happy with where he's going.  He again reassured me that he wants G to see his brother, so we won't be rid of him completely.  That does make me feel better.

So, that is a lot to happen in one day.  We will essentially be gaining a son on the same day as we lose one.  It won't be as dramatic as that though.  It will be a happy day for us. 

As far as W's case, its going no where.  His mom continues to let us all down.  She has failed a few more drug tests.  I was talking with the caseworker for his case this week and we both agreed that something seems different with this mom.   She is still loving and good with W, but she seems to have a different attitude.  She hasn't been going to appointments with me, she doesn't make comments like "I am going to do whatever it takes to get him home" like she was before.  She hasn't been the least bit emotional when someone reminds her that her time to get W back is running out.  At the last court hearing, the judge changed her permanency plan from "reunification" to "termination" and she didn't react at all.  She seems checked out from the situation.  I don't think its because she doesn't want her baby, I think its because she knows she can't, or won't, do the things she must do to get him home.  She isn't keeping herself clean and she doesn't seem to be terribly motivated to make any changes.  We have talked with the caseworker and the CASA about the possibility of us adopting W if it does come to terminating his mom's rights.  Both agree this would be a good place for him.  So, that may be in our future, who knows? 

For now, we are pretty focused on successfully getting G with his dad and getting Z to be a permanent fixture in our family.  If foster care is nothing else, its always changing and never in the way you expected.