3/4 Of A Year

Our Little Dude has officially been out as long as he was in.

9 months old.

4 of which have been with us.

He has made a lot of accomplishments this month.

He learned to clap while we were in Minnesota.  He has waving down pat. 

And the big one, he will finally put weight on his feet!

We were all starting to think he may need therapy.  Turns out he was just being lazy.

He finally stood on Tueday night and now he is hard to keep sitting!

He has long days when he has visits and was having some hard days, so we bumped his bedtime up to 6:30 or 7.  There are a few nights we are out later then that so he stays up, but he is happiest when he can go to bed then.  He sleeps until about 8:30. 

I know.  It's insane.

He still needs 2 naps, but usually only gets 1.

He sticks his tounge out all the time.  I'm pretty sure he learned this one from Olivia!

The kid loves to eat.

We started him on soft table food and now he thinks he needs to eat whenever and whatever we are eating.

He goes back to the Cardiologist this month, but as far as we can tell he is doing great.

He did start getting the RSV shots and will get them once a month all season to help protect his little self.

Second tooth popped through without so much as a wink.  Much better then the sleepless nights the first one caused.

He's still a little short and a little under weight. 

Still no knuckles.

But he has seriously become the happiest baby ever over the past month.

As well as he is doing, his case isn't doing as well.

It's been our most frustrating month yet.

He comes home from visits unfed, unchanged, with scratches on his legs, not buckled in his carseat.

His Birthmom is drinking on the job, lying about the baby being sick to get out of work, and asking us to reschedule visits.

Yet DFACS seems very unconcerned.

We did finally meet with the Caseworker and were able to voice all of these concerns.  I do feel like she will investigate but I'm not sure there will be any repurcussions.

Which annoys the crap out of me.

We go back to court the first week of December and it looks like he will be going back.  There is a chance it will get pushed back a couple months, but I'm doubtful about that.

I'm frustrated and angry.

I want the best for him.  Not someone scraping by.  Not a liar.  Not an alcoholic.

As much as he has her blood, I've raised him the past 4 months.  Her actions do not show that she has his best interest at heart, yet she is doing just enough to be able to get him back.

She has a rude awakening when he goes back.  Parenting requires more then 4 hours a week.

I'm trying my best to remember that it isn't over until it's over and that DFACS is not the final say in his life.  But it's hard when it looks like nobody is looking out for him but us.

***UPDATE***

Yup, an update even before I post.

All the above stands true so I didn't want to rewrite it all.  BUT...

We got a call from the caseworker yesterday afternoon and BM did get fired!  I'm not happy that she lost her job, but she did deserve to lose her job.  It was seriously bugging me that she was going to get away scottfree with breaking a major law.

While that was encouraging to me, the big news was how much the caseworkers attitude toward the Birth Mom had done a total 180. 

We had just met with her the night before (Tuesday) and she was very much for him going home in December.  Even with all the concerns we were bringing up. 

Well when she called me yesterday morning to tell me BM had been fired, her opinion was completely flipped.  She even apoligized for not taking our claims more seriously.

She even said she no longer feels 100% comfortable telling the courts that it is safe for him to go home!

I still don't know exactly how I feel the case will turn out.  DFACS has sent kids home to worse. 

What I do know, is they are finally listening and watching.  At least now the decision will be based on some form of fact and not just assumptions.

The caseworker will be supervising at least half of the visits over the next month and BM will be required to go back to Drug and Alcohol Counseling.  She is also demanding budgets and the proof that they are paying their bills on time and in full.

Things are looking much different today then they did a few days ago.  And I'm feeling much more confident that his best interests will be represented.

Praise God!