It’s official! At 2:15 pm today, Jo Jo became my legal daughter. Henceforth, she sheds her blog name and will simply go by her initial, “M”. Sorry if that’s a lot to get used to… but she really is not a Jo Jo in real life, and it feels more natural to call her by her first initial.
Tears came to my eyes when the judge read off the court order, that M now be for all intents and purposes my daughter, and that she is discharged from her status as a ward of the state. The judge even let M go up and sit in her chair and bang her gavel! She showed me the stacks and stacks of neglect and abuse cases she is working on (really, it looked so overwhelming) and I couldn’t help but be so happy at the fact that M’s case will no longer be one of the folders in those stacks!
The judge thanked me for my service as a foster parent. I spoke for a minute about how much joy I felt on this day, and how grateful I feel to M’s birth mom for creating this marvelous being. My grandma spoke a few words, and my aunt, and the foster worker and adoption worker. We took a ton of photos and then went out to an early dinner, complete with a rainbow cake that said “Home Forever”!
I have so many more posts in the works, but it will have to wait until another day. I’m exhausted! Trying to keep M in one place as much as possible, or posing for pics, or away from all the paper and stuff in the court room was no easy task. She melted the judge’s heart, though, as she clapped her hands happily with the rest of us, and waved and blew kisses, saying “bye BYE!” as she walked out of the court room. The judge said it was obvious that we were very bonded and that she is as loved and adored as any kid could possibly be.
Mother of All Things 
So happy for you all. I got misty just reading. Great cake! All the best to you and baby girl M! ((hugs))
So so overjoyed for you!
congratulations!! you’re a beautiful family
Congratulations mom and M. Here is to a wonderful life together and many more exciting experiences as a family.
Congrats! Such a happy day!
Congrats-tears of joy for you 🙂
M made it official by banging the gavel, huh? 🙂 It’s great to see her smile! I’m so happy for you both.
I am very happy for you all and delighted to have a peek at her sweet face 🙂 I have been reading along for awhile and seeing your family reach this milestone has made my day.
That is so very wonderful!! Congratulations! She is so beautiful, and you two make such a lovely family!
Hooray!!! Can I request a post with pictures of her over the months? I love seeing how babies change and mature and turn into the little people they are!
Absolutely!
Ahhhhj!!!! Hooray! What a wonderful way to wake up and start my day. M is beautiful! I don’t know how I imagined her, but I was wrong. So happy to see her beautiful face. Congratulations!
That is wonderful! Congratulations!
Congratulations! So wonderful to see her bright happy face.
Congratulations!
I really couldn’t be happy for you and M! So, so happy and am celebrating with you here in spirit! We got our card – lovely! ❤
Oh, here I am bawling my eyes out. Avalon couldn’t have asked for a better little sister! Sending Huge hugs from Indiana!!!!
She actually would’ve been two months younger than M if she’d made it to her due date… it’s strange to think that my rainbow baby is older than the one I lost!
I always took their age starting from the day they were born, not their due date. If I went by that, Dex would only be 9 months younger! Haha
Oh I broke out in goosebumps reading this and I’m blinking back tears! Congratulations to both of you! Your love for each other is so evident in your posts and I can’t imagine a happier new beginning! Xox I’m so so happy for both of you!
Congratulations. I know how awesome it feels!
Congratulations! Such an emotional day. We felt so much happiness and so much relief!
Congratulations. I am so excited for you and M. Sheis adorable, you two look so happy 😄🎉
Congratulations! I am generally a lurker but had to comment on this post because WOW! Look at her beautiful little face! Awww. So happy for you all!
Beautiful! So happy for you both. Loved finally seeing pics of M. You can see the love on both of your faces.
Congrats!! I am very happy for you@ 🙂
Huge congratulations! Brought me to tears. 🙂
And because my mind thinks like this, don’t forget to add her to your insurance (in case your insurance is like mine and you have 30 days to add her).
Good idea, thanks!
YAY!
congrats! Thanks for sharing this beautiful love story. 🙂
I discovered your blog a couple of days ago. I wish I discovered it a couple years ago. We were on our foster/adopt journey at the same time. I’m single and my adoption of my two babies was finalized on 8/25/14. I was so happy that you were able to adopt M.