After a year in foster care, and 3 months after TPR, Jo Jo finally met her judge, the person who has controlled her fate since she was 5 weeks 5 days old. It was our second permanency hearing, so I decided to do what I saw another family had done at my first hearing and bring her along. She lit up the court room, and the judge loved it. I got a chance to state, again, how much I and my family love her and how eager I am to make it official.
Just last week I received the official adoption home study and the subsidy paperwork to sign. So I knew I wasn’t going to get a date because that stuff needs to be turned in and approved first. This makes me glad for permanency hearings, because it gave the adoption worker a deadline. It seems like I am her easy case and while I understand how it’s easy to get saved for last, I also want her to get this thing finished!
The next hearing is in mid-July but the judge promised us a date in June if our paperwork is approved before then.
Mother of All Things 
I bet those judges don’t get to see many of these babies and children they are working for and it’s gotta be depressing at times knowing some of the situations. I can just imagine how bringing her really changed the atmosphere in the courtroom!