I watched a family being born today.
Just after Spring Break of 2008 a giant, fussy 6 month old girl joined my infant class. She was restless, overfed and developmentally behind. Along with her foster family, we got to know her and over the next year and a half we watched her grow into a noisy, joyful and incredibly opinionated toddler. She went weekly to visit her birth mother who worked desperately to earn back her daughter. In August 2009, to everyone's surprise, birth mom and dad gave up rights to their little girl. I cried when foster-dad shared this news. Cried over all that birth mom and dad overcame and the maturity it took to acknowledge where this little girl belonged.
Today was her adoption hearing. Mom, dad and big brother beamed, cried and squirmed while little miss ran circles around the courtroom visiting laps and squealing at the attention. The room was filled with family, friends and caregivers all dabbing eyes and sniffling as the adoption lawyer talked about her forever home. After formalities, the judge brought big brother and new little sister to the bench where they banged the gavel and became a real live family.
The best part, a new middle name specially picked by big brother: Sunshine. Happy Adoption Day little miss Sunshine.
flickr: Travis County Courthouse
4 comments:
wonderful sarah. thanks for sharing.
after 30 seconds reading your blog, its clear you belong on my blogroll like white on rice.
You had me in tears after the first paragraph...I'm at work! I know some of the ups and downs of said family, how exciting for them!
Maybe you shouldn't blog at work...but who am I to talk. : )
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