Last night we called and talked with Auri. I made the mistake of saying Elvia and she repeated her name a few times...so softly, so clear and cute! I tried to get her to say Auri Elizabeth Elvia...but no response! I guess we need to take it one step at a time! Last week she practiced saying Auri over and over again..she said is so loudly and proudly...yet speaks Elvia so softly and sweet! I feel so sad for wanting to change her name a little so that it is a little bit of a gift from her mama and papa and yet acknowledging the gift her birth mother gave her...life and a forever family. Thoughts anyone???
As for RENAP we are still not submitted. Our attorney hasn't made the trip to her town yet. It is a little bit disappointing and I hope he is able to have it next week and submitted so if there are issues I can address them when I am there December 1st.
(don't worry I will be adding a post as to what RENAP is...since many of you either didn't have to experience them or have no clue what I am even talking about!)
Our Family Is Complete!
12 years ago
7 comments:
Praying for you...can't wait to see Auri home someday soon!!!! Miss you guys
Hi, coming out of lurkdom to say I'm praying for all babies to come home soon, including your Auri. I brought my daughter home from Guat in Jan 2008. Re the suggestions you asked for re name change, I changed my daughter's name and it is something I regret. She's been hearing her new name for 9 months (the time she's been home)-- she came home at 1 year old. we have not done the readoption yet -- we are in process of that. so I could still revert back to her birth name (which foster mom told me was given to her by her borthmom) but would people think we are crazy weird, whatever. she goes to daycare now and everyone knows her by her new name not her birth name. anyway, give it serious thought. I kept her birthname as a middle name but still, I wish I could do it over again -- I'd keep her birth name. Ellen
Continuing to pray for a speed up with the paperwork process.
We changed our girls names, keeping their birth names as middle names. They were 2 years 1 month old when we met them. They clearly new their Polish names. They also took very easily to the names we chose and by the time we arrived home in the US they even called each other by their new names.
The decision to change or keep a name is really a personal decision.
For us we wanted to keep the names given to them at birth (we do not know if their birth mother or hospital staff named the girls) as a connection to their heritage and those who cared for them for the first two years of life. We also wanted to give them a name as a new beginning and connection to our family. With our son and our daughters we have a story behind both their first and middle names which all three enjoy hearing about.
Listen to your heart and do what is right for your family :)
I am also coming out of lurkdom to write about the name change. I think it's a person decision BUT I think it's easier to keep the name intact and simply add a name of your choosing if you want. With my two girls, I dropped their Guatemalan first names and added one of my choosing. I did keep their given middle names. My oldest child, now 9 years old, is sad that we got rid of her "real" name. If she has to pick a spanish name (like when we went to spanish school), she uses her first Guatemalan name. The child we are adopting now will be at least 4 years old before she comes home. My two daughters insist that she have a name that starts with the same letter as their first names (their names start with the same letter). So, she will legally have a name that starts with that letter, but I highly doubt that we will ever call her that. For the 4 years we have known about her, we have called her by her given name.
I hope your daughter is able to come home soon.
Karen
Deanna,
Hoping you get some good news soon about RENAP.
I know here in Oz we are not able to change the name given to the child as they ask the birthmothers to name them, so that the child can look back and know that their birthmother took the time to choose their name. I think also part of the rationale they have is they think it helps later on with the child coming to terms with their adoption.
With our first daughter though her name was Ana and my name is Anna and her birthmother and the adoptions dept specially allowed us to change her name and her birthmother had to sign affidavits etc to allow it in the legal adoption process thru court. It was quite a process but we were able to do it. She was 4mo when she came to us, and it took a few weeks to decide on her new name and then we started calling her that. Legally it didn't go officially thru court until 9mths later so we were hoping it would be ok! We gave her birthmother 2 names to choose from and she chose Sarah and we kept Ana as her middle name. Her birthmother was really fine with that and we can still tell Sarah that her birthmother chose her name.
With our 2nd child, we wouldn't have been able to change her name but we liked it anyway so it was ok. Her birthmother chose her name and the spelling too of Mackayla Anne.
For us here our adoption act laws don't give us any choice so it must be so hard for you to know what's best to do. I guess you just have to do what you feel is right for you and Auri. Will pray you'll know what's best.
Hope Brent is going ok.
Take care,
Anna
Sorry me again, meant to clarify that our situation was with local adoption within our country and I think (could be wrong here but think this is right) that with our intercountry adoption process as well that the adoptive families must retain the child's birthname for the same reasons.
Anna
Sigh. Renap. Hope you get through it VERY Fast my friend!
As for changing your daughter's name to one 'you' chose...
Sweety, her precious birthmomma gave her birth. What an HONOR of course to be the one to do this...The one to make the decision to give this gift to this child...
But, Deanna, YOU are the one giving a 'new' life to Auri.
I think that her birthmomma would be HONORED to have the name's "Auri" and "Eliva' incorporated in one big name...bost of both worlds...
Don't diminish your role in this child's life...at the same time, honoring the birthmomma...
BOTH are possible. I promise cuz I've BTDT...(and am still figuring it out wih my 12 y old !!)
Andrea
Post a Comment