One Year Ago Today...

[JPhillips]

My wife and I got to meet our beautiful baby girl for the first time. Langley, or Lai Lai as she was known to her caregiver, was awfully scared and confused as well as being covered in scabies. We all found common ground initially through Cheerios and just sort of made the rest up as we went along. I remember she woke up crying that night and I did my best to hold her until she went back to sleep, but eventually Mommy had to take over.

Since that day we've all learned a lot about each other and at some point we became a real family. She's healthy and happy and loves to sing and dance to the Backyardigans. I've been as happy as I can remember and I finally feel like I have a real purpose in my life.

If anybody is considering an adoption I 'd tell you to go for it. Everything changes, but you'll find joy and happiness like nothing else.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7295/720/1600/Dsc01712.jpg
The First Night in the Hotel- March 2006

http://bp2.blogger.com/_qQb4XNKur7k/RgJ4GbdJEJI/AAAAAAAAATk/CXOrZqJ2KDU/s1600/Langley%2B2.jpg
Langley's Birthday- March 2007

[Lorena]

That is sooo awesome!! BTW, did you post some pics cuz I can't see them

[Lathum]

She is adorable.

Being adopted I can't endorse your statement enough.

[JPhillips]

Odd, the two I posted come up fine for me. They're from my wife's blog, so maybe you can't see things from blogger?

Anyone else not seeing the pictures?

If you want to go the the source you can:

http://whiddenphillipsadoption.blogspot.com/

[st.cronin]

I can't see the pics, either. Also I had no idea Lathum was adopted. I mean, I suspected he was raised by wolves, but...

[Lorena]

I can't see the pics, either. Also I had no idea Lathum was adopted. I mean, I suspected he was raised by wolves, but...

http://forum.rige.net/images/smilies/rofl.gif

[Lorena]

Odd, the two I posted come up fine for me. They're from my wife's blog, so maybe you can't see things from blogger?

Anyone else not seeing the pictures?

If you want to go the the source you can:

http://whiddenphillipsadoption.blogspot.com/

Awww.... how precious! Very nice looking family JPhillips.

BTW, those cakes look delicious!

[Lathum]

I can't see the pics, either. Also I had no idea Lathum was adopted. I mean, I suspected he was raised by wolves, but...

lol

[Lathum]

dola-

I can see the pics just fine.

[JPhillips]

Awww.... how precious! Very nice looking family JPhillips.

BTW, those cakes look delicious!

Langley loves pie, but won't touch cake. We found out, though, that if you call cake - cakepie, she'll eat it like it's going out of style.

[King of New York]

This thread made my day!

Congratulations on your good fortune!

[Wolfpack]

Strangely enough, in seeing those pictures I'm having both flashbacks (to when my older daughter was that age) and flash-forwards (envisioning my younger one at that age--she'll be one in just under a month). Good times coming around again.

[CamEdwards]

Langley loves pie, but won't touch cake. We found out, though, that if you call cake - cakepie, she'll eat it like it's going out of style.

Okay, THAT is amusing. Congratulations JPhillips!

[lighthousekeeper]

This thread made my day!

Congratulations on your good fortune!


''

[oliegirl]

She is adorable.

Being adopted I can't endorse your statement enough.

I'm curious...which statement can't you endorse because you are adopted?

[SackAttack]

I'm curious...which statement can't you endorse because you are adopted?

If anybody is considering an adoption I 'd tell you to go for it. Everything changes, but you'll find joy and happiness like nothing else.

That one is my guess, and it's not that he can't endorse it...it's that he can't endorse it enough. Gotta watch those modifiers!

[oliegirl]

That one is my guess, and it's not that he can't endorse it...it's that he can't endorse it enough. Gotta watch those modifiers!

You are right - I misread it. I thought he was saying that as someone who was adopted he didn't agree with the statement. It was late and I was tired...

Congrats by the way! I am adopted, and actually gave a baby up for adoption a number of years ago. It's not something I talk about - though I'm not sure why. It's something I'm proud of and don't regret at all...anyway, enjoy your baby girl and cherish every moment - which I know you do anyway! My son is going to be 10 in Sept and I can't imagine where the time went!!!!

[st.cronin]

Oliegirl is Lathum's mom????

[JPhillips]

It's been five years now. I can still remember everything about the moment we first saw her and held her.

She's six going on sixteen at times, but I wouldn't trade her for the world.

http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff514/marsusw1/IMG_8757.jpg

[molson]

Holy cow! They grow up fast.

Adoption is very awesome.

[CrimsonFox]

She's a dancing queen!

[SteveMax58]

Ha! Great camera sense! Beautiful girl you have there JP!

[King of New York]

Great picture!

[MizzouRah]

Beautiful!!!

You guys are great for giving her a great home and family to be a part of.

[Maple Leafs]

That photo is awesome.

[Kodos]

Very nice story. What a cutie-pie!

[JPhillips]

Beautiful!!!

You guys are great for giving her a great home and family to be a part of.

Nah. We're lucky to have her. I'm not always the best father, but she's changed my priorities. There's nothing better than seeing her happy.


The only problem with her picture sense is that's it's almost impossible to get a picture of her without a princess pose!

[Lathum]

If anybody is considering an adoption I 'd tell you to go for it. Everything changes, but you'll find joy and happiness like nothing else.



I'm glad this is still true, she looks like a lovely little girl and I wish all the happiness in the world to you all.

[tyketime]

Awesome! I wish you and your family many more years of happiness...

[MizzouRah]

Nah. We're lucky to have her. I'm not always the best father, but she's changed my priorities. There's nothing better than seeing her happy.


The only problem with her picture sense is that's it's almost impossible to get a picture of her without a princess pose!

I'm not always the best father either, join the club. :)

The greatest thing I can think of as a father is to see your kid(s) doing something they enjoy and seeing the expression on their face(s). That alone, is worth it all.

[markprior22]

Very nice pic. She is beautiful and a very lucky girl.

[Dodgerchick]

Wow, 5 years already? She's adorable... quite the fashionista :)

[CU Tiger]

Nah. We're lucky to have her. I'm not always the best father, but she's changed my priorities. There's nothing better than seeing her happy.


Remember you ARE the best father she will ever have.
That's what matters.

As someone who grew up without much family at all, I cherish both my kids. I make tons and tons of mistakes and really beat myself up over it...but I always come back to some advise I was given by a very old wise lady: "You only make parent mistakes as long as you keep on parenting".

Congrats on being an awesome Dad to a beautiful girl.

[JPhillips]

And today makes seven years. Hard to imagine where the time went. I remember getting her in Chongqing like it was yesterday.

CU: Don't think I ever mentioned it, but thanks for the kind words.

[Lathum]

Wow. I remember when this happened. Time is a funny thing. Grats on your happiness.

[Marc Vaughan]

I'm not always the best father
Don't worry about being a perfect parent - thats impossible, just do the best you can and apologize when you screw up.

My daughter turns 19 this month and is nearly finished with her first year at University - yet I remember clear as day when she was a little dink playing Power Puff Girls with me ...

[JPhillips]

http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy48/marsusw/254.jpg
All of us at St. Augustine

http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy48/marsusw/IMG_9837.jpg
Softball

http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy48/marsusw/DSC00408.jpg
It's good to know costume designers

[BYU 14]

Really like getting the updates and great to see how much she has enriched your life as you have enriched hers.

Edit: Love the Princess poses BTW :)

[hoopsguy]

Congrats, JPhillips. And thanks again for the PM you sent me about adoption back in ... well, I'm guessing it was right around the time you met Langley.

[JPhillips]

Congrats, JPhillips. And thanks again for the PM you sent me about adoption back in ... well, I'm guessing it was right around the time you met Langley.

No problem. I've found that sharing my experience with this has been good for me. All of my concerns seven years ago seem so silly to me know. We're as much of a family as any I know, with all the ups and downs that implies.

[JPhillips]

Really like getting the updates and great to see how much she has enriched your life as you have enriched hers.

Edit: Love the Princess poses BTW :)

She's all princess and all tomboy. She'll happily muck a stable and then pretend I'm her King taking her to a royal ball.

[JPhillips]

I'll have to find the photo from reconciliation. She's with her class around the altar and all of them are looking at the priest except she's doing a princess pose for the camera.

[MrBug708]

She is a lefty

[JPhillips]

She is a lefty

Yep. Pain in the ass for two righties to teach her to tie her shoes.

[korme]

What a cutie!

[JPhillips]

It's been thirteen years now. The past two days she's been dancing at the Irish Dance World Championships. She made it past the first cut and is now trying to get to the final forty. She's only fourteen, but she looks twenty with the hair and makeup.

I couldn't be more proud of her hard work and dedication.

https://oi1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff514/marsusw1/56874367_10214298202353300_5309998742424780800_n.jpg (http://s1239.photobucket.com/user/marsusw1/media/56874367_10214298202353300_5309998742424780800_n.jpg.html)

[Thomkal]

awesome

[nilodor]

What a journey so far, way to go! Good luck to her!

[GrantDawg]

Wow! That's big. Congrats and good luck!

[tarcone]

Man, Crazy how time flies, isnt it?

She is a beautiful young lady.

Congrats.

[bbgunn]

That is really cool. I hope I can raise my baby son as well as you did your daughter.

[JPhillips]

She finished 84th in the world. I'm so proud of her.

[Edward64]

She finished 84th in the world. I'm so proud of her.

Nice, congrats.

If you don't mind me asking - why Irish dancing?

[JPhillips]

Nice, congrats.

If you don't mind me asking - why Irish dancing?

Who knows? She really wanted to try it as a kindergartener and she's loved it ever since her first lesson.