Re-Adoption Day

Several times over the past few months Gabi has said she's had a bad night because of a bad dream. This dream keeps coming back. In this dream we are all on an airplane going back to Bulgaria. She said that she is excited to visit everyone ... once we are there she said that we take her somewhere and tell her that she has to stay. We then get in a car and wave goodbye. She said that we go back to America and she stays there.

Re-adoption is not required -- our homestudy agency recommends it to make things easier in the future. Once the paperwork clears Gabi will be issued a United States birth certificate. We are also hoping that Gabi will now understand that there is nothing that can take her away from us -- we are not going to change our minds, even if we go back to visit Bulgaria we will NEVER leave her there.

In front of the courthouse ....

We were the first appointment of the day so we were ushered in right away. All lined up and waiting for the judge to come in. We were telling Hailee about her re-adoption hearing .... she was only 4 so she remembers very little. We sat at a table much like the one below .... Hailee sat in the middle, Jack & I on either side. There was a microphone right in front of Hailee ... she leaned over and before Jack or I could get her she was saying "Haaaaiilllllleeeee" very slowly and loudly into the mic .... we were quick to grab her but the judge laughed and said it was fine .... so she did it over and over and over again ....

She doesn't look nervous at all, does she? But she was. She was worried about what the judge was going to ask her. She was practicing what she could say for different questions all the way to the courthouse. The clerk of courts told us that we were free to take pictures while we waited ... Lisa didn't need to be told twice. She had the girls up, posed and was snapping away ....

When the judge entered the room Gabi grabbed my hand and held on tight. Her little hand was freezing -- she kept looking at me and then at him while he was reviewing the records. Finally he looked up and asked who was going to speak -- Jack said he would, he was sworn in and the questions started. Gabi kept squeezing my hand .... Jack continued to answer the routine questions. It didn't take long before the judge said that once he approves this adoption Gabriela Lynn will officially be an "Ollmann", we will be responsible to provide for her until she's 18 and she will be a rightful heir to our estate. He also said that there will be no difference between her and our biological children -- he wanted to know if we accepted this responsibility -- Jack said "yes." The judge then announced that her new name will be Gabriela Lynn Ollmann and she will be a part of our family FOREVER ....

We hope that Gabi remembers those words .... maybe she can let go of the feeling that we can take her back .... she heard for herself, from a judge, that she is ours forever ..... (and Gabi didn't have to say a word!)

After the hearing the judge was kind enough to ask the clerk to take our picture .... he even gave Gabi the seat of honor. Wish we had some time to compose ourselves because I think Lisa and I were still crying ....

After court we headed to the Chancery for a celebration breakfast. None of us were very hungry before the hearing .... Is it my imagination or is she beaming???

How important was today? Listen to video below to hear it from Gabi herself ......