Jasmine's birth mother gave her the name Jasmine Destiny. I decided to keep the name that was given to her, because quite frankly that was her name! I couldn't imagine calling her anything but Jasmine. On July 6th, 2007, almost two years to the day that we brought her home and on Jill's nineteenth birthday, Jasmine officially became Jasmine Destiny Muldowney! It was the most unbelievable feeling I have ever had. I had been waiting for the past three years and the day was finally here.
She was legally our child, and no one could ever come and take her away from us. I left that courthouse feeling like I had just won the million dollar lottery. We didn't have alot of fanfare or a big party, Jasmine had just eased into our family and became an important part of all our lives. My older children who at first thought I was a little crazy for even entertaining the idea, were as happy as I was. I couldn't wait to go to her school and change her name, call her pediatrician, and anyone I could think of to share our good news. Now I could start planning for Jasmine's future as a Muldowney, and had to start making some hard medical choices. Jasmine's hip was almost all the way out of her hip joint, and would require surgery to correct it. Her best friend Shandrea had the same surgery a few months before, so of course I asked Karen what she would recommend. She gave me an answer I didn't understand until Jasmine actually had the surgery. She said she was glad she did it, but if she had to do it again, she didn't know what she would do. It was a very painful surgery, but the longer we waited, the harder it would be to do it, and the outcome might not be as favorable. So, we made the decision to have her surgery right after Christmas. It felt good to be able to make my own choices for Jasmine.
She was legally our child, and no one could ever come and take her away from us. I left that courthouse feeling like I had just won the million dollar lottery. We didn't have alot of fanfare or a big party, Jasmine had just eased into our family and became an important part of all our lives. My older children who at first thought I was a little crazy for even entertaining the idea, were as happy as I was. I couldn't wait to go to her school and change her name, call her pediatrician, and anyone I could think of to share our good news. Now I could start planning for Jasmine's future as a Muldowney, and had to start making some hard medical choices. Jasmine's hip was almost all the way out of her hip joint, and would require surgery to correct it. Her best friend Shandrea had the same surgery a few months before, so of course I asked Karen what she would recommend. She gave me an answer I didn't understand until Jasmine actually had the surgery. She said she was glad she did it, but if she had to do it again, she didn't know what she would do. It was a very painful surgery, but the longer we waited, the harder it would be to do it, and the outcome might not be as favorable. So, we made the decision to have her surgery right after Christmas. It felt good to be able to make my own choices for Jasmine.