According to Utah state law, there has to be a 6-month waiting period between adoption placement and finalization. Keira Jane Lucas was placed in our home on October 4, 2010. Her adoption was finalized on April 13, 2011.
A Frantic Morning
5:30 a.m. Wake to feed Keira her early morning bottle then doze with her on the couch, as usual, until it's time to really get up.
7:22 a.m. Awake again with a start, realizing no one upstairs had heard their alarms, and we have exactly 23 minutes to be out the door and on our way to the Salt Lake County courthouse for our appointment with Judge Paul Maughan.
7:50 a.m. Pile into the car, only 5 minutes behind schedule (grateful we had packed the baby's bag and showered the night before) and head toward the Salt Lake County Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake.
7:55 a.m. Encounter unusually horrible traffic backup on freeway, due to an accident blocking two lanes, and have to frantically find alternate route. Of all the days!
8:28 a.m. Arrive at courthouse, find parking spot, go through security, find the courtroom, and breathe a sigh of relief that we had arrived before both our attorney and our caseworker.
8:43 a.m. Breathe another sigh of relief that the attorney and caseworker arrived just in time.
8:45 a.m. Wait patiently for my parents, who had been caught in a worse version of our morning traffic nightmare, to run from the parking garage to the courtroom.
8:50 a.m. Raise our right hands and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
9:00 a.m. Walk out of courtroom W37 with our legally adopted baby in our arms, and maybe a tiny tear or two lingering under our lashes.
My little family. Already official in my heart. Now official by law.
Proceedings were witnessed by Travis' mom and dad, the four of us, my mom, Trav's sister Lynsey, and my dad.
And it just happens to be my dad's birthday today. I hope you like your present, dad!
