Last Week ~ Will Bio Mom Visit?

Bio Mom has one week left to have her final visit with Sweet Pea.  It has been 3 weeks since her last visit.  I am wondering if she will schedule one at all? When traveling the foster adoption journey, sometimes I feel like I share my house with the bio parents, because they are always on my mind!

Bio Dad RETRACTED Consent to Adoption!!

Okay everybody, I am seriously not believing what happened in Sweet Pea's case.  Was informed today that Bio Dad contacted his lawyer, retracted his consent to adoption (changed his mind about signing away parental rights), and wants his parents to raise Sweet Pea.   I literally screamed into the phone: WHAT?!!!  As soon as I heard the words, my heart fell to my stomach, or was it my stomach that rose to my heart, because I literally felt nauseous, dizzy, light-headed and ready to cry. 
Actually, I DO believe this, because this particular bio parent has been trouble from the get-go.  Criminal...Weapons...Drugs...screaming at the Judge, escaped prison, paranoid and delusional, etc., etc. 
     Caseworker said case now returns to a termination hearing, and does not think Judge will rule for grandparents, as the agency could not approve them suitable for kinship care.  They are divorced-Bio Grandpa inquired previously about custody as Dad wished him to.  He is ill, has a criminal and drug record himself, and is married to a drug addict. Grandpa also stated that he would prefer to have only a Grandparent role, not a parental role.  Bio Grandma is also an alcoholic and has a current sentence she is serving at home.  So, I am praying that Sweet Pea stays right where she is, in our family, the only family she has known since she was born, as we brought her home directly from the hospital.  She is now 14 months old!
Please pray for everyone in this situation!
Blessings,
The Queen Mama

Check Out My Foster Adoption Mommy Gift Boutique!

I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for cute gifts or clothes that support and advocate adoption.  I always have a hard time finding them, so I decided to design some of my own!  I hooked up with CafePress and made some adorable designs that they in turn put on T-shirts for Women, Men, Kids & Infants, and mugs, tote bags, bibs, etc. They are so cute on your own kids or gifts for someone you know that is adopting.  You can visit my store at Foster Adoption Mommy's Boutique, and tell me what you think!  I am also working on more foster care and adoption designs at a second store I am opening, and will post it soon!   Big Daddy thinks I am crazy to take on yet another little side business, but I can't keep my passion for foster care and adoption bottled up, and this is another creative outlet for me to advocate!
Wishing you  many blessings!
The Queen Mama

Please Welcome Guest Blogger Momma L !!

Good Evening out there crazy internet land,

How do you even go about starting a post? I mean really I probably started this thing about 5 different ways and what you just read was what I went with. Nice. By now you are probably wondering who is this dork the Queen let on her blog, well let me introduce myself...

I am Momma L. I have 4 little bits in my crew and a fabulous groom at my side. What's even better is I have an Awesome Lord guiding my way. This past year has been a wild ride in our house so I will try to give you the highlights as they pertain to the course of adoption.

 

Instead of your shame you shall have double honor; And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs." Is 61:7

 

 

This is a very important verse to me, to put it short, God layed this verse on my heart in a not so subtle way and spoke to me about adoption with it. Now I had always had in mind that I would love to adopt...some day. Both my husband and I thought that, in fact we had recently, well a year prior to this verse, taken the PRIDE class. So it was on our hearts, just not pressing I would say.... until then.

Then it became pressing. We had previously discussed that when we adopt we would seek to adopt someone of Native American decent, because of ICWA it almost makes native kids a special need finding adoptive home sometimes. Sooooo back to the verse, I feel like I am rambling, I think I do that, I type how I would talk, sorry haha:) So you will notice that I said I recieved confirmation that it was time to adopt... the hubs didn't. Even after I lavished upon (please insert verbal vomit for lavished) about how I actually heard from the Lord, and Ohemgee, yada yada... he just looked at me and said "oh" or something equally heart warming.  Now mind you at this point- so very very early I, me myself my plans, was thinking we would be welcoming a child around the age of 3/2.

Let's jump ahead a few months there was a question of a cousin, and we really prayed hard about it during that time. We really prayed for God's will and His timing and as I look back it was. But after that there was much trial in our life, much. After the trying time was when my husband really said that's it, we gotta go forward with thing, get those papers in. Then shortly after that the opportunity we thought was gone was back on the table. My cousin. You might think that we just jumped right in with both feet, but we prayed first, then answered.

This journey has been by no means an easy one, as one would think considering that we are dealing with family. In some ways it makes it harder. Social workers expect things to move through quick and easy because everyone is all family, well I expect social workers to do the job that they are to do and not take the easy way. I did not expect this road to be easy or without frusteration, and I also know that I am far from over, but I do find solace that God built this from the start. He chose her to be parented by us. He could have chosen any child and still might choose more for all I know, the verse does make me a little nervous as with the usage of "double" lol. But no matter what goes on God is with us, and as you can see from my blog, we have had many things go on. It is also nice knowing that there is others out there in your same boat.

I was very hesitant as to share my story, we are not the legal parents yet, and I do have a fear of this SW getting another bee up her skirt about me, but I trust that those out there will honor my words and not share things without permission and more importantly need to hear another voice that is feeling what they are feeling. I know that frusteration, I know that agony of the child that cries in the middle of the night and you don't know why. A ridiculous fit, a holler that you aren't the real mom, unanswered emails, and voicemails. I understand, because I have been there. I am there and God is with me.

If you would like to know about our journey, please visit http://is617everlastingjoy.blogspot.com/

 

One More Vist...

So Sweet Pea had a visit with Bio Mom the other day.  First time in 6 weeks.  It was also the next to the last time.  The caseworker said she has one more final good-bye visit when she chooses before her final consent hearing.  Selfishly,  I am jumping for joy...but then I feel guilty, because in my heart,  I am feeling sorrow for Bio Mom.  I cannot imagine saying goodbye to my child.  All I can imagine is heartache, anguish, pain...Even though she has never lived with her, as we were placed with her straight from the hospital, she did carry her for 9 months, and Sweet Pea is "her" child, biologically. 
 She brought her a few toys and a little hoodie to the visit, which I thought was very sweet.  Her entire demeanor has changed since she has been away from Bio Dad for the past 5 months.  As far as I know, she is clean and living at a halfway house where she is monitored closely.  I truly hope she can pull it together and keep it together...so she has a chance with the baby she is now carrying.  But, when Bio Dad is released from prison, I am not sure how well she will hold up.  She has told me that he has some sort of control over her emotionally.  She knows he is not good for her, but can't stay away from him.  So, my dear readers, I will be praying for God's hand of guidance in both of their lives, that they may know Him, and prosper, and that He watches over the precious baby she is carrying.
Many Blessings,
The Queen Mama