Gus being swaddled (7-5-10)
Happy boy showing off his smile (7-5-10)
Fourth of July shirt (7-4-10)
Lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Walker (7-3-10) Well, it's been eight weeks today since we got the call that Gus's birth mom was in labor. In the last eight weeks, our entire world has changed for the better, but has changed none-the-less!
On the 30th of May, Steve had to fly back home for work. He left Cathy and Gus at the hotel and headed home with the hopes that we'd all be reunited in just a short week or two. Obviously, it was more than a short week or two, as Cathy and Gus are STILL in Michigan, and Steve is in NC by himself.
The most frequent question that we get from friends and family is, "WHY ARE YOU STILL SEPARATED??" The basic answer to that complex question is, we're separated because of human incompentancy. It took four weeks before our paperwork was even submitted to the Interstate Compact Office and Macomb County Courts (June 8, 2010). It took four weeks because there was a problem with the birth parent history form being submitted with the correct information (it was filled our incorrectly at the hospital), and there was some problems getting members of Gus's birth family to cooperate and help us.
So the papers FINALLY got submitted on June 8th and then we thought we'd have 2-4 weeks to wait for the Interstate Compact Office to give us the approval to take him home. On July 6th it'll have been four weeks. Then there's the papers to the court, so 30 days from the date of submission is Thursday, July 8th (also our fourth wedding anniversary).
We assumed that we'd get the approval to bring him home, before the court date for his birth mother to appear before the judge adn terminate her parental rights. We assumed wrong.
When the papers were submitted to the ICO, the person who was supposed to deal with out case was on vacation. Apparently when that person returned to MI, the papers were "misplaced" and missing documents. Our attorney never called to tell us this... Steve found out when he called to check on the status of things. The attorney told Steve that it's been taken care of and they're expediting things, but it could be another two-four weeks.
To say it was a set-back would be a HUGE understatement. We were devistated. This is the longest that we've been apart EVER and it's so difficult for us to have a newborn and yet, not be together as a family. We're praying that we hear something soon and can get back together as we're meant to be.
When we do get the okay, Steve will fly back to MI and then we'll be driving back to NC together.
On the positive, Cathy's older brother Dave and his family will be arriving in MI on the 10th, and Cathy's excited for them to meet Gus. Cathy's mom and dad are excited to have all their children and grandchildren "home" together. Her mom plans on having pictures taken of all the grandkids together, since it'll be the first time that this has ever happened.
Cathy is excited to get home and start being a stay at home mom. She will be taking some time off from teaching to raise Gus. While it'll be an adjustment for all of us, we're so excited! Cathy hasn't been out of the classroom in ten years and while she'll miss teaching, she's looking forward to teaching Gus all that she can about life!
Steve is doing well with his job. He's eager to see what changes come as the company moves into the new fiscal year. He's always eager to go to work and loves what he does, and for that we're both grateful.
This weekend was the Fourth of July weekend and we spent it apart, but Cathy was able to spend Saturday the 3rd with Steve's dad, Sue Ann, and Steve's Aunt Priscilla. They drove up from Indiana and spent the afternoon with Cathy and Gus. They went to Buddy's Pizza and spent some time visiting at Cathy's parent's house. They were surprised at how big Gus was! They had not seen him since the baptism on May 22nd!
We'll give another update soon. For now we're excited to report that Gus is going to be eight weeks old tomorrow, and will be two months old on Sunday! He's had quite an eventful two months! He's starting to make a lot of noise and has discovered his tongue!! He likes to stick his tongue out and he has also been smiling a lot! He does very well on his tummy and has even rolled over from his tummy to his back! He's getting taller and filling out more. Cathy will be taking him to the pediatrician soon for his two month check-up. He'll be getting his shots (sad face), and will be weighed and measured. We're certain that he's close to ten pounds at this point!!
We'll write again soon! If you'd like to follow Gus's development each week, check out his blog: Gus's Grandiose Gabble. We also have a YouTube site where Cathy has been posting videos of Gus. Be sure to check it out and subscribe!!
:)
The Walkers
The Walkers
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