And this is what we've done...we've believed! Through the hurt, the ups and downs, and heartache we've stood firm in HIS promise to us that Cooper Kenneth is OURS! He is to be a Cozens!
On Monday, I obtained the documentation that legally took the "dad" off of the birth certificate, hired the new attorney, and planned a trip to Austin for Tuesday to take the new relinquishment paperwork to the birth mom. Tuesday my friend and I drove to Austin to get state sealed paperwork removing the "dad" and to meet with the birth mom to do a new relinquishment. I didn't know how it would go, I didn't know how the birth mom would feel, I knew she wanted us to have him but I wasn't sure how seeing me would go...and I was blown away! Her state of mind, her determination to make sure he is safe and with us...we had AMAZING conversations, her apologies overflowed, her thanking us for giving Cooper a loving home and for giving her a new start with her life. Her strength is incredible. We still battle the hospital, as they refuse to honor the legal paperwork taking "dad" off, however he was escorted out of the hospital last Sunday and has told the hospital he's gone. So, we play their games.
I did get to spend about 45 minutes with Cooper on Tuesday. I cried a lot and just rocked him.
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He's doing very well. He's eating like a champ! He has had a few "episodes" with his breathing while he's eating and his heart rate dropping when he eats, and these keep extending his time in NICU, delaying his release. BUT that's okay, we want him to be ready to eat and breath correctly at home. His tentative release is Wednesday, June 25th...this Sunday, the 22nd, he is 1 month old...so he'll be possibly released at what would have only been 36 weeks gestational. He's a fighter! The night before he is released a "sleep in" occurs with the one he is being released to...so right now that's birth mom...she'll spend the night in a family room at NICU, and then be released, we will be her ride to be picked up, and then we'll head straight home with Cooper. Us doing the sleep in will depend on court...I'll get into that more later.
Wednesday the attorney had the new relinquishment in his hands, filed with the court, and we go to court Tuesday at 8am to terminate mom's rights. Monday the attorney files with the "paternity registry" to find out if the "dad" "staked his claim" on Cooper in the way that he was supposed to, if he did not, then we hope to have his rights terminated at the same time on Tuesday.
If he did stake his claim, Cooper is still ours, we file a lawsuit against him, he's served with papers saying that if he wants to gain custody he must fight us...reply within 20 days, hire an attorney, appear in court in Dallas, and prove himself capable of taking care of Cooper. And well...let's just say this character has had some violence issues recently....our attorney says no big deal, Cooper will be ours, but if we need to view it like fostering him to keep him safe until he's ours...then view it that way, since we were going to go the foster route before he came along. So...regardless of the answer from paternity registry, Cooper comes to Dallas!
Here are our VERY specific prayers for this weekend and first of the week: pray that Cooper has NO MORE episodes and is released on Wednesday, pray that Cooper is safe and is taken care of appropriately so that he is successful with his feedings, pray that the hospital treats birth mom with respect, pray that the paternity registry shows us favor and is able to give our attorney an answer on Monday if "dad" has registered or not, pray that court goes smoothly on Tuesday, pray for favor from the judge, and continue to pray for our peace and for birth mom.
IF "dad" is able to be terminated in court on Tuesday, then we will head straight to Austin to give the hospital our paperwork granting us full custody and terminating the parents, so that we are able to do the "sleep in" with him on Tuesday night. If he can't be terminated because of the registry, we go with our plan of picking up birth mom from the hospital and then heading home.
As a precaution of not being able to do the sleep in, we are meeting with our pediatrician today to go over preemie care...as they have to be handled a little bit differently than a full term baby.
Thank you for continuing to ride this journey with us! We can't wait to share photos of him AT HOME! We love you all!
Jess, Bryan, PB and soon to be Cooper Cozens
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