finalization
Adoption is a journey filled with waiting, hope, and unforgettable milestones. One of the biggest moments for us? The day Oliver’s adoption was finalized. As I mentioned in my last post, because Oliver’s birth parents live in Texas, under Texas law, his adoption could not be finalized for six months. During that time, we had our post-placement visits with our social worker and celebrated several firsts, all while making sure we did everything necessary to avoid any delays or issues with the finalization. I didn’t even share pictures of his face on social media before it was official because I wanted to be extra cautious.
If you’re in the waiting period, know this: those months will feel long, but they are worth it. We used the time to bond, document the little moments and trusted the process.
In some cases, the finalization can happen without you being present in person, but we knew we wanted to fly back to Texas and be in the courtroom when they told us Oliver was legally ours forever.
So, in December 2018, we flew back to Texas for a quick trip, met with the attorney from our adoption agency to sign all the finalization paperwork, and then went before the judge to make it official!
We had a wonderful photographer with us who captured all the emotional moments, and on December 10, 2018, we officially became Oliver’s parents for the rest of our lives. It was such a special day, and Oliver looked so dapper in his suit, rocking his Superman onesie underneath because Superman was adopted too—and Oliver is without question our real-life Superman. We even have Superman tattoos because the symbol means so much to us.
The judged asked us several questions including if we understood all of our responsibilities for being Oliver’s parents and that the adoption was permanent. While it was formal, it was also incredibly celebratory. There were even other families in the courtroom that day for a variety of reasons, but the overwhelming love we felt—and the cheers that erupted from complete strangers when the judge said it was official—was absolutely unforgettable.
Now, every year on December 10, we celebrate Oliver/ Obie Day. His nickname is Obie because of his initials (O.B.), and it’s a day that not only means so much to us, but it has become one of Oliver’s favorite days too. Probably because he usually gets to skip school, and we do whatever he wants to celebrate!
One amazing part of the finalization process that I didn’t realize at first was that Oliver’s original birth certificate, which listed his birth parents, becomes invalid and is replaced by a new birth certificate listing me and his dad as his parents. We weren’t expecting that, so when the updated birth certificate arrived in the mail a few months later, it was another incredibly special and emotional moment in our journey.
There’s no question that while the path to finding Oliver was filled with heartbreak, every stumble was worth it because it led me to him. All I know is that I am forever grateful he chose me—and I will always choose him.
I’m curious, do you celebrate adoption anniversaries in your family? I’d love to hear about your family traditions in the comments.
As always, thanks for following along.
Honestly,
Theresa