Screams of Outrage/Whoops of Joy
(updated)
In honor of Blogging for LGBT Families Day, Natalie wants you to know that babies with two moms scream and fuss and want their moms to pay attention to them instead of the computer just like babies with straight parents. We'll post more later....
Nat's not the only one screaming in outrage these days. We continue to be frustrated in our quest to be a legally recognized family, but we are moving forward. Since we last wrote, my employer has grudgingly put our daughter on my insurance but insists that they must have a birth certificate and SSN within 60 days of her birth (or, if that proves impossible, as it will, I must furnish proof that the birth cert and SSN are in process. Acquiring such will be a Herculean task in and of itself). Regarding the birth certificate, our lawyer advised us that, of course, we were in the right, and told us how to proceed. We have yet to hear from Vital Records, but since they were so quick to tell us when there was a problem, no news may actually be good news, and we may someday get a birth certificate showing Natalie's correct last name, our family name. Of course, it won't show Cait's name at all until we are able to complete the second parent adoption, which can't be done until October, because DC requires a six month waiting period. As mentioned before, they also require a home study, and Cait has now completed and sent in the first mountain of paperwork. Two more social worker visits and (hopefully smaller) mountains of paperwork left to go. Oh, and of course, more large checks to both the social worker and the lawyer. So hopefully by sometime in October, we'll have some of the legal symbols and protections that a straight family in this country would have had from the get go.
While all that is really important-- and the lack of the legal protections for Cait's parental status at present is terrifying --we actually don't spend that much time thinking about it. Because, after all, we have our wonderful, beautiful, funny, determined, squirmy Naterpillar to keep us busy. And it's true what they say, love makes a family.
Natalie refuses even to look at the Capitol until all families have equal rights.
In honor of Blogging for LGBT Families Day, Natalie wants you to know that babies with two moms scream and fuss and want their moms to pay attention to them instead of the computer just like babies with straight parents. We'll post more later....
Nat's not the only one screaming in outrage these days. We continue to be frustrated in our quest to be a legally recognized family, but we are moving forward. Since we last wrote, my employer has grudgingly put our daughter on my insurance but insists that they must have a birth certificate and SSN within 60 days of her birth (or, if that proves impossible, as it will, I must furnish proof that the birth cert and SSN are in process. Acquiring such will be a Herculean task in and of itself). Regarding the birth certificate, our lawyer advised us that, of course, we were in the right, and told us how to proceed. We have yet to hear from Vital Records, but since they were so quick to tell us when there was a problem, no news may actually be good news, and we may someday get a birth certificate showing Natalie's correct last name, our family name. Of course, it won't show Cait's name at all until we are able to complete the second parent adoption, which can't be done until October, because DC requires a six month waiting period. As mentioned before, they also require a home study, and Cait has now completed and sent in the first mountain of paperwork. Two more social worker visits and (hopefully smaller) mountains of paperwork left to go. Oh, and of course, more large checks to both the social worker and the lawyer. So hopefully by sometime in October, we'll have some of the legal symbols and protections that a straight family in this country would have had from the get go.
While all that is really important-- and the lack of the legal protections for Cait's parental status at present is terrifying --we actually don't spend that much time thinking about it. Because, after all, we have our wonderful, beautiful, funny, determined, squirmy Naterpillar to keep us busy. And it's true what they say, love makes a family.
Natalie refuses even to look at the Capitol until all families have equal rights.
posted by Jen at
11:40 AM
9 Comments:
A delightful reminder about what all families are really about. Thank you for the smile.
I posted today in honor of Families Day, too.
By
Anonymous, at 4:52 PM
What a beautiful family! As a lawyer in Canada, I can say it is only a little less trouble here. Hope the rest of the paperwork goes through with much less trouble.
By
Krista, at 12:20 AM
Love that picture. Great post. I am so sorry this has been such a long paper road. I don't have words to explain how crap it is.
By
Anonymous, at 8:50 AM
and what a LOVEly family it is!
By
Shelli, at 9:34 AM
I hope that the second parent adoption proceeds without any complications. And natalie is just as gorgeous as ever. And your very right love does make a family.
By
AJ, at 9:54 AM
Great picture, even better caption! You three make a gorgeous family =)
By
Anonymous, at 7:02 PM
Hello, just found your site by accident. My partner and I also have a little boy. We live in Australia in a state with no recognition of same sex relationships. I find it hard to believe that in this day and age, people are still condemning others for choices that have no negative ramifications on anyone else. How can they deny us the right to be with, and love, somebody else. I'd like to hope that our children will grow up in a better, more giving world. But somehow I doubt it. Good luck, I'll be back to see how you all go!
By
Anonymous, at 2:22 AM
Gorgeous pic!! Hoping the legal screaming messiness is over soon!
By
deanna, at 4:11 PM
second parent adoption rocks my free world. I've got a little boy, and I adopted him. Just plug away at it. It
By
Anonymous, at 12:16 AM
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