Hannah,

I spent some time this weekend filling in the holes of my journal, primarily the time between March 4 and April 29 (the day of our first supervised visit). This is the one you should print and read.

It occurred to me this weekend that I should tell you a bit about our family dynamics so you can be prepared in court and hopefully avoid any surprises. Stewart is my brother. Holly is our mother. I have been more deeply involved in this journey than Mom. Nonetheless, she has been involved as much as she can despite working two jobs. When the temporary custody order was issued on April 15 stating that I would have joint temporary custody with my brother she became upset. She assumed that because she's the grandmother that she would automatically be chosen instead of me. None of us knew that Gilda S was going to advocate for Carrie's removal at the time, nor did we ever think that I would get joint temporary custody. I suppose Gilda recommended me because of my ongoing involvement. Since that time, Bruce H, Stewart's attorney, and Gilda have both continued to encourage me to petition for the home study. Gilda has consistently told me that she is going to advocate for me to have permanent custody. Mom, Stewart and I have all talked about the situation. We have agreed that in order to get Carrie safely out of foster care, we have to appear united as a family and support my getting custody. However, as time passes, they both seem to be bothered by it. Mom has expressed that she is deeply disappointed. Stewart has begun to believe that no one other than him should have custody. His mental illness seems to be more pronounced. He has no concept of the real responsibility involved. During our drive home from visiting Carrie Friday, I told them about my hiring you. I explained that I am trying to cover all bases just in case the judge doesn't reverse the April 20 order that put Carrie in foster care. Stewart all but said that if he couldn't have custody, he'd rather her stay in foster care. I'm afraid this could get ugly.

I'm not sure if I have given you a clear picture, because the situation isn't very clear to begin with. If you have questions or want to have a conversation about this, please call me. I want to be prepared for court.

Sincerely,
Jody