I have some very good news today in case you didn’t see it on Facebook yesterday. (Like the Facebook page if you’re on there–I post the latest news first over there)! I got a call yesterday afternoon from the attorney that our court date has been set for December 18th! 29 days and counting!
Originally they told us we’d likely be with a grouping of other adoption cases on the 29th, but we asked for a date before Christmas. Jac0b has put a lot of stock in this date and I feel like a lot of his angst will settle down once we get through that. I really wanted that stability for Christmas. Holidays are hard enough.
I had prayed that the date would hold some significance, particularly around the number 7. It certainly wasn’t required, but I wanted to see God’s hand in this once again. I think he answered. The date is exactly 7 days before Christmas. The verse from Isaiah “Unto us a child is born” has been on my heart since we adopted. I’m hoping to use that on our Christmas card with our new family picture. It’s not that I see Jac0b as the Messiah, but it does hold a double significance to us this year.
So, it just seems appropriate that even though we can’t have the court date on Christmas, we’re having it 7 days before. Also, if you flip back exactly 19 weeks, that’s the Thursday he was placed with us in August (19 x 7) and if you flip back another 3 weeks (3 x7), that’s the Thursday we met him for the first time and if you flip back another 2 weeks (2×7), that’s the Thursday we got the call about being matched with him. Call my crazy, but it doesn’t seem like an accident to me that all of these multiples of 7 lands us on different significant Thursdays.
The date also worked out perfectly because I had already taken the day off since we’re headed out of town the next day to visit family for Christmas. That’s also the kids’ first day of Christmas break so they won’t miss school either. Scott easily got the day off. They really couldn’t have picked a better day.
When I told Jac0b, the poor thing barely cracked a smile. I had to ask if he was even excited and he said yes. I’ve been thinking on it and there have been other times I’ve expected him to be more excited–even on his birthday–and I am beginning to believe that he really doesn’t know how to celebrate. I imagine he’s had so many disappointments that it’s hard for him to get excited. Why get excited when you doubt it will happen anyway?
And maybe it’s because, as we talked about a few posts ago, that this is bittersweet for him. Yes, he’s getting a new family, but it’s also the day he loses his identity legally with his birth family. And maybe he’s just playing tough guy and if he lets too much emotion out, it’s just too much to handle. I’m sure it’s a combination of all of that.
I asked Scott if I could do family T-shirts for the court date and he was not into that at all. If you know Scott, you know that’s way too cheesy for him. I’m not sure yet how to celebrate the day yet, but I’d love to hear how other families have handled it.
So, 29 days. It will be here before we know it and I couldn’t be more excited.
Do you realize that Dec 18th is Kellan’s 5th birthday? It was 5 years ago that day that Kellan was born and 3 days later we got to bring him home from the hospital. Our celebration when the adoption papers were signed was a little different because he was 8 months old. We just spent the day with the 3 of us. Not really much help when it comes to planning with an older child. 🙂
No I had forgotten but of course it is! I love that!!