Today was our final adoption hearing through Franklin County. As I mentioned before it was just a formality but the Wilson's never pass up a perfectly good excuse to celebrate.
Where do I begin?? The "re-adoption" process in theory is very simple. I had heard most people don't even hire an attorney they just do it on their own. If most people can do it, I know I can do it! It was mostly fill in the blank paperwork with a lot of fancy language. I have a theory that the clerk at the adoptions desk in Probate Court has some type of agreement with the attorneys to make the process as difficult as possible for the idiots that think they can do it on their own!
When I went in the first time to turn in the paperwork it was not a very pleasant experience. When I walked out I felt about 2 feet tall, I must be an IDIOT! The clerk was nasty and rude. She rolled her eyes a lot and was very short with me as if I should know exactly how this all worked. After all of the huffing and eye rolling she told me she couldn't assign a court date until 6 months after we returned home. Why was she rushing me then?? We still had 5 1/2 months to go! We came home September 13th so 6 months would be March 13th. She told us to come back on that date at 10AM and then gave me her list of demands. Bring this, bring that, do this, do that!!! And if you don't, you will be sent home!! Quite honestly, I wanted to knock her out but instead I left before she reduced me to tears. Didn't she know what we had been through??? As if it wasn't enough to deal with the Guatemalan government and the US Federal Government now I have to be hassled by a clerk at Franklin County Probate Court. When will it end?? Oh! And yes, they took money from us too!!
So here we are...March 13th! We got up early to get Collin fed, bathed, dressed and ready to go. He wore a suit and tie!!! We ran down the checklist of demands so as not to get sent home with our tails between our legs. Off we went on our adventure downtown to the courthouse. My mom, dad, Bryan and Brylie met us down there-we had a crowd. We get to the counter and there she is looking at us like we are IDIOTS! "Can I help you"? DUH!!! My 1 year old is in a suit...yeah we just thought we'd come up to the 22nd floor to look out the windows!!! Now who's the idiot...I mean, there is a big sign above your desk that says ADOPTIONS!! Wrong, it's still us! "We don't have any hearings scheduled today"??
Now, I KNOW 100% that she told me March 13th-exactly 6 months from the day we came home. "Your hearing is March 14th at 10am". This chick is really cruisin' for a bruisin'!!! She claimed that all the magistrates were gone and we would have to come back. Just as we were walking out the door-wait a minute! A magistrate magically appeared . Thank goodness because the idea of getting Collin in that suit again and going back down there the next morning was not sitting well with anyone, especially me! And, mostly because I know I'm right and she's wrong!!!
So we got our hearing where some strange guy asked a bunch of personal questions. He wanted to make sure that we understood that this was the same as having a biological child and he doesn't come with a warranty-he comes as is. NICE! As Wyatt put it, I'm pretty sure they have never turned anyone down since the adoption is already legal-get on with it buddy!!
Finally, the hearing was over and we had to return to the dreaded clerk for some additional paperwork and...suprise...to take some more of our money! There was a lady sitting at the desk looking very frustrated. The clerk was rolling her eyes and literally scolding this woman holding her newly adopted baby. The lady got mad and eventually started crying-I feel your pain sister!! I know it is embarrassing to break down in public. People think the only women with the raging hormones are the pregnant ones-WRONG!! So when the clerk stepped away I had to go talk to her and tell her not to feel bad that she treated me the same way which seemed to bring her a huge sense of relief.
She said something that rang so true with me. She said you go through all the "stuff" you go through to get this baby home and you are just emotionally "raw". I thought that was the perfect word. You expect and are used to dealing with disappointment, rudeness and annoyance from so many different angles throughout the process. You don't feel like you can really speak up for yourself because you don't know if this person can make or break your adoption. You are literally at the whim of that person's mood. Once you are all home together you just let it all go. All it takes is one person to look at you wrong and all that anger and frustration just floods out of you. But the other thing I have found is that there is usually someone close by that knows what you are going through and that is willing to help or at least offer some words of encouragement. Sometimes that is all you need is someone who really understands. It seems throughout our journey with Collin, especially when he was sick in Guatemala, just at the time I thought I was going to lose it someone was there to help me. Don't laugh, I call it karma. You help someone when they need it and someone will help you when you need it. That has been proven over and over to me during this journey.
Off the soapbox and on to the pictures!!
Here is Collin waiting patiently in his favorite chair with his remote.
Here we are during the actual hearing-thanks to my brother, our photographer.
Collin wasn't too happy about the magistrate either.Wyatt looks like he's running for office!
Collin-worn out after a tough day in court.
