Does she look different?
Does she look different?
(Does she look like she's *more* our daughter?)
(Does she look like she's *more* our daughter?)
I made this collage with FotoFusion by Lumapix.
Today was Gwen's readoption day. She was our daughter before we went through this stupid and expensive formality and she's (I guess) even MORE our daughter now that it's done.
We went before the judge and promised once again to take good care of her. We swore that we were acting of our own free will. We said (again) that we understood our responsibilities to her. We didn't bring a camera because it wasn't a significant event. It was just another day with our little girl. Because she was ALREADY our little girl!
Why was this necessary? We're already her mother and father. There's no question that our adoption of her last September is absolutely legal and binding. Even in super liberal California where nothing is sure to be what it originally appears on the surface, we are Gwen's parents! Not even the 9th Circus court of appeals could argue that!
I guess, now, we're even more her parents.
I guess, now, we're even more her parents.
In six months to a year, we'll get a California birth certificate that will list us as her mother and father. I'm sure this new birth certificate will be much easier to use than the bulky translated Chinese birth certificate that lists nobody as her parents with a birthdate and place that is also unknown. But it still feels weird that we'll appear to be her birth parents.
I wish the Chinese government would give our kids something more usable as a birth certificate. This whole readoption thing wouldn't be necessary if they'd just give us a different piece of paper in the first place.
Clarification: Readoption isn't required in California. It's just easier in the long run for our China adopted kids to have a birth certificate that is in English and doesn't have a bunch of complicated translations and notary stamps attached. Also, if (heaven forbid) anything ever happened to the Chinese documents, there's probably no way to replace any of it.
It's not China's fault that we can't easily use their documents. I'm not sure that it's anyone's fault. I just wish there was a really efficient way to convert our China adoption documents into a US issued birth certificate without having to go through another homestudy and a court appearance.
posted by Donna at 6/02/2006 02:19:00 PM
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11 Comments:
We'll be doing that too, of course, it would require me to at least receive a referral first, right? ha!
My friends who have adopted says the readoption birth certificate makes their lives easier when they do things later on that require a BC, like sports, school, their drivers license and their first job. With that in mind, we'll be doing it too.
Congratulations on being official the 2nd time around.
I need to do this...Did Gwen get a haircut??
Lisa
We're heading into readoption asap for both girls and couldn't agree more on all points.
Thanks for stopping in. We're following you now.
Yours,
Toby, Charlie, Emily & Carly
We did our daughter readoption ayes it makes things alot easier to have a local one.
She does look different ... cute as always. She almost look like my daughter on the one you just posted. Aloha, MJ (http://tianablogspots.com
It's not so much China's fault as our governments fault for not accepting these documents readily. I have a friend who is domestically adopted, but she was adopted in a state that refuses to do BC negating the existance of birthparents. (Good for them!) But the problem is because her parents have an adoption certificate instead of a BC she has all sorts of problems getting passports etc.
I can't readopt yet in my state until Lydia has been my daughter for a full year.But when that year happens we will readopt for her to make things easier for her. It will be expensive, it will be a pain in the neck...but it will make her life easier.
congrats again she is such a dollbaby!!!
Hugs...Amy
Congratulations! We should be receiving our court date any day now...
Kinda ridiculous that we need to do this, but it definitely will make our girls' lives easier!
And, yes- Gwen DOES look different... She is even more beautiful than she was yesterday! :)
Hugs, Shana
Donna,
It's my understanding that it's not the Chinese government but our own that interfers with re-adoption. As you know, the form needed includes basically the same info that the post-adoption home sudy report does, and (in most cases), is prepared from the same Social worker. The problem is that most California judges do not understand that it's essentially the same report. Therefore, if you submit all the papers for petition of readoption, the Court will usually send a request for the newer form, and deny the petition. Hopefully, the new Bill submitted to the Senate to use the post-homestudy will make the re-adoption process more clearly spelled out for judges and court staff.
It's all very frustrating and senseless, but without it, we are faced with a lot of brick walls by others that do not understand the adoption process.
Interesting. Thank goodness, Kentucky doesn't require readoption... (well, unless you use a different type of visa when one parent travels to china...but that won't be an issue for me.)
Melissa
Nope, but she sure is cute. :)
Congrats on completing this process.
Shell
She is such a hapy kiddo!!
Congrats guys!
Having that BC will be a blessing. :)
We are still dragging our feet for Sydneys.
Ah someday. :)
Jeff
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