Thursday, May 12, 2005

99.9%

Please forgive me for taking so long updating this page.

School is really taking a toll on me, but the end is in site.
Soooo much has been going on in the family as well. Aside from the foster baby we've had since Thanks giving (99.9% item) we've had three different foster children (The family really took an emotional beating with them) and have only recently adopted another baby.

First lets get to the adoption:
Keagan James. Three weeks ago we adopted a 5 month old baby boy with Down Syndrome named Keagan James. We are considering changing his middle name, but aren't sure.
After submitting applications of sorts, phone interviews, personal interviews, jumping through hoops, Etc...we were finally chosen as the family to take the beautiful little boy.
He is wonderful. Has trouble with swallowing so is fed through a G-tube, but we know that is only temporary. The kids absolutely love him. In the state of Nebraska it takes 6 mos to finalize, so we have to wait until November to make it official. It's an open adoption so we have been developing a relationship with the birth mom and her family. Great family, but she is such a young, young woman that it is completely understandable why she would defer care.

As far as our foster daughter. :(
After a genetic test, we found out that the alleged father is infact 99.9%. [Side note: DNA tests take much longer than they lead you to believe on CSI] We are sad, but believe that birth dad is really a good choice for her to go to. Birth mom is trying to get back into the picture and of course the state is obligated to go through the motions with her, but they hint at the fact that they don't think she's going to be able to get her back. We are so glad that the birth parents are no longer together. Chaulk it up to a momentary lack of discretion when the birth father thought the birth mother was worth any attention. He knows better now.
The social worker told the birth father that we would be interested in doing the day care for the baby when he gets custody of her. The social worker said that he was overjoyed that we would be willing to do so. He really appreciates how much we love her and are caring for her.
The next court date isnt' until the end of June so we have her for a while.

Did I mention we have a 15 passenger van?
Regular mini-vans don't accomodate 5 child seats.
It feels like we are driving an air craft carrier. It's a trip.

I will be applying for Lincoln Fire at the end of May. They won't start their class until January so I'll have to get an interim (Sp?) job until then. Overland Park, KS Fire is hiring in January too and we have really put a lot of thought into going down there as well.
In any event, we may have to litigate, because I have a condition called Neurofibromatosis that most government agencies, [city, state, and federal] who use a screening criteria called NFPA 1582 illiminate those with NF from thier job pool. I was iliminated from joining the military and the Omaha police department years ago, but since then I have obtained a copy of the NFPA 1582 and have found that it is not as sweeping as they had led me to believe. I'm confident that I can litigate to get on. I'm hoping that It won't get that far. I dont' think they are use to people being as prepared to do battle as we are.
OK, better get ready for class.
Thanks for understanding why I've been gone so long.
Until later
-Bug out.