While We Wait

Well, I'm just waiting on a phone call. The homestudy is complete, my fingerprints are still MIA, but they are waiting on a phone call about them. So while we wait I'll give you some information about adoption in TN that I found out today. Since our last adoption was in KY we just don't know the TN laws.

Apparently when a baby is born and the mother wants to place him/her for adoption they go into foster care for 10 days. This is the waiting period from the time the mother signs over her rights and the time she has to change her mind. Her rights are then terminated at the end of the 10 days and the baby is then elligible to be placed in an adoptive home.

Finalization can take place, I think, as soon as rights are terminated and all of the court papers are turned in. There are a couple of post placement visits that have to occur before our lawyer can petition for the finilization.

If the birthfather is unknown or has not signed then there is a 6 month waiting period before finilization and the father has to be actively searched for during this time. In our case the birthfather rights have already been terminated so we should not have this waiting period.

So I guess once we are able to pick up the baby (hopefully tomorrow!) we will call a lawyer and start the finilization process! It would be funny if Hannah and baby boy (we will tell you his name as soon as we have him in our arms) both have April Adoption days since they both have February birthdays!

Anyway, that's all for now. I'll let you know when I find out about heading to pick up the baby! Not much longer now. Daniel just e-mailed and said this must be like waiting to go into labor and my sister-in-law said the same thing!