LINK TO OUR JOURNEY TO JILLIANA

LINK TO OUR JOURNEY TO JILLIANA
CLICK ON JILLIANA'S PHOTO TO FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY TO CHINA

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Meilynn's Re-adoption

On June 11th we had Meilynn's re-adoption.  California does not require a re-adoption but we decided that we wanted to cover all bases.  She will now have birth certificate that is just like the other kids and if we ever lose it, it is easy to get another one.  If we had just kept the birth certificate from China it would be really difficult to get another copy if anything ever happened to her original.  Re-adoption also guarantees inheritance rights and if we were ever to move to a state that requires re-adoption it would be done.   So on June 11th the whole family went to our local court house and made it official again.  We were just there last July to do Emma's re-adoption.  We didn't know that we were allowed to bring a camera so we regretted that we did not have pictures for Emma.  We made sure to have our camera this time.  We told Meilynn that it was her special day but I know she had no idea what was happening.  I could only imagine that she thought that we might be taking her back.  She seemed so unsure and did not break a smile until we left and went for a celebratory bagel.  It was all very quick.  We had to swear that we were who we said we were and that we would tell the truth.  The Judge asked us if we promised to love Meilynn and love and raise her as our daughter.  Of course we said yes!  She already is our daughter!  And then he asked us if we we understood that she would have all the same rights as a biological child including inheritance rights.  Yes!  He asked both of our older daughters if they agreed with the adoption and would accept her as their sister.  Kami said, "We already have and do."  Then we just signed the papers and it was over.  Meilynn acted like if I don't look at the Judge then everything will stay the same. She wouldn't talk or smile.  It was all over very quick and then we went to the car and then Meilynn started crying.  We had told her that as soon as she got to the car she could open her special gift from Grandma.  She was saying, "special gift" but we couldn't understand her.  Finally we figured out the problem and she opened the gift and all was well.
The whole family with our Judge. Daddy signing the papers.
Meilynn wondering what we are doing and when can we go home.
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Listening to the Judge. Mommy signs the papers.
Opening Grandma's gift
Grandma gave Meilynn a beautiful cross just like the one that she gave Emma last year.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Forever in our Arms Day!

Today is our Forever in our Arms Day for Emma Sophia Mingjing Poma.  Again I am having trouble putting my pictures in order so they are a little different order than I wanted. Meghan holding Meilynn Grace Shiyue and Kami holding Emma Sophia Mingjing Our first picture of Emma Sophia Mingjing More referral pictures Today Our baby

Meilynn and Emma

Emma with her sisters.  she is the life of the party!
Emma just woke up so if I have time later I will post more.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Meilynn Turns 3 !!!!!!!!!!!!

Meilynn Grace Shiyue turns 3!  On May 24th Meilynn turned three.  It is hard to believe that she has only been a part of our family for 10 months.  We cannot imagine our family without her.  She loves Hello Kitty, Chocolate ice cream, and Miso soup!  She has a smile that will light up a room.  She can be a tease and is quite stubborn.  She is extremely observant and does not miss a thing.  She is a Daddy's girl.
Our first peek at She Shiyue And here she is today!
Another picture at referral
And now! A picture we think where she lived just before we came to get her Here she is getting to lick the beaters from her first birthday she shared with us. The day her party supplies arrived in the mail.  Meilynn has loved Hello Kitty from the beginning.  She is our first child out of three that has a stuffed animal that is so important to her.  I have to wash it weekly.  I tried to find another just like it so that we would have one for upstairs and one for down but I couldn't find the same one again.  It seems like we are always looking for Hello Kitty.  One night I spent two hours trying to find her.  She was hiding between two chairs.
Meilynn and Emma could not wait to open the box of party supplies.
Emma and Meilynn Emma and Meilynn
I love this one of her studying her birthday cake
With big sister Meghan With big sister Kami The party table.  (we are in the middle of a remodel) Seeing her cake on Daddy's shoulders just after Mommy finished making it. Giving Mommy a bite. With Uncle Matt Cousin Brooke and Meilynn
Blowing out the candles
Opening the camera that Emma bought Meilynn A Hello Kitty blanket from Meghan's boyfriend, Nick The new Hello Kitty! Hello Kitty music box We had a little trouble with the pinata.  I bought one where you just pull a string so that you don't have to hit at it.  I never liked the idea of beating the pinata.  You were supposed to pull a string and one of the strings was supposed to make the candy fall out.  We pulled every string without anything happening.  We finally had to  pry open the bottom and shake the candy out.  We don't have the best track record with pinatas. The first time we had one was with our oldest daughter Kami.  I was so excited to have her birthday.  I filled it with all kinds of chocolate.  It was a little donkey.  Everyone took their turn at hitting it but when it broke open it looked like the pinata was going to the bathroom!  Liquid chocolate filled with candy wrappers plopped out.  Kami's birthday is in August and we live in Southern California where it was close to 100 degrees.  I learned my lesson that day to never put chocolate in a pinata on a hot day!
Meilynn had a wonderful birthday.  Emma was sick that day and actually  slept through a lot of the party.  I had a few people ask me about doing birthdays together or separate.  It was hard doing the birthday's separate.  They are a little young for understanding why one is getting all of the gifts.  But I think it went as well as can be expected.  I made Emma a part of the planning and we went shopping just the two of us to pick out Meilynn's gift from Emma.  On a few items that I bought I bought both girls.  But I did not wrap Emma's and they just show up as we use them.  For example.  I bought Meilynn a Hello Kitty bug catcher.  One of our favorite things is going a walks and looking at bugs and flowers.  I could not buy a bug catcher for Meilynn and go on a walk and only have Meilynn able to catch bugs.  So Meilynn opened her gift on her birthday but the day we went on a walk I had one for each of them.  This is how I solved that problem.  I do think it is important for them to have their own special day and Meilynn did get presents that Emma didn't.  This too is all part of growing up