Today I became a mother <3

[mrs-b]

As a lot of you know already, today I adopted my adult god-daughter. It's been days of celebration and joy leading up to the event, and today, for the first time, I am legally, as well as in practicality, a mother.

I just wanted to share a few things here. Firstly, the wonderful suggestion from @Lookinagain as to what to give my girl as an adoption gift. I bought Eleanor a gorgeous, solid sterling silver photo frame from Scully and Scully. DKJ engraved the bottom with the words "To my darling daughter, Eleanor" on one side, and on the other "With all my love, always, Mum ox". @Lookinagain - she LOVED it - it was *perfect*! Thank you for the fabulous suggestion!

In the frame are two photos - one taken one day after I met Eleanor, at age 4, and one taken yesterday. So these photos book-end the entire length of our relationship and are incredibly special.

And - because I'm a true PriceScoper and this is SMTB - in the second photo you'll notice our matching, solid gold bangles, my Beloved - Past, Present and Future ring, Eleanor's ring (also made by DKJ but not designed by me) which I bought her as an extra sentimental little gift. It's a clarity Yehuda Enhanced diamond - 1.78 I SI2 OMC - with a gorgeous puffy crown and delicious, pastel light return. It has natural diamonds surrounding the center diamond for a total of over 2ctw, and the setting is in platinum. She fell in love with it the instant she saw it so, enhancement or no enhancement, this was the one. The earrings we're wearing - which aren't visible in the photo - are pearls and 1" solid gold hoops with invisible clasps (for Eleanor) and 1/2" in my outer holes for me - and they're incredibly comfortable! My locket is my new Southern Cross locket. It's made in 18kt yellow, has roughly .8ctw of colorless, eye clean diamonds and hangs on an 18kt 30" chain. The Southern Cross is a constellation that can be seen from Australia and is depicted on the Australian flag. On the flag, each star has 7 points, representing the seven states of Australia, so DKJ engraved 7 points around each of my diamonds. The diamond on the back represents the pointer star which sits off to the side of the Southern Cross constellation and "points the way home". Since I miss Australia, I wanted something substantial that I could hold when I felt homesick. The locket is 1.25" long and 1" wide. I love the substantial feel of it and how comforting it feels. All pieces were made by DKJ.





Here's a video I took of the locket:

 

[lulu_ma]

Oh @mrs-b thank you for sharing your heartwarming story and (as always) beautiful jewels.

The world has filled with so much darkness lately. I love that today was filled with joy and light for you! A heartfelt congratulations to you and your Eleanor

 

[winnietucker]

How lovely! Congrats to the two of you!

 

[bright&shiny]

I’m crying - because I’m so very happy for you! Congratulations to both of you - precious love and devotion if ever I’ve seen it.

 

[kathley]

Such a beautiful story! Congratulations and may you have many happy, healthy, and wonderful memories together!

 

[LLJsmom]

Congratulations @mrs-b such an important event for you and Eleanor that is appropriately marked by stunning, heart warming jewelry. Blessings and best wishes for you both.

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

So happy for you and Eleanor.

 

[Bron357]

Congratulations and best wishes.
beautiful story with the bestest ending.

 

[lovedogs]

Omg this story is so lovely. Congrats!!!!! I'm so happy for both of you

 

[oldcutclubmember]

What a lovely, heartwarming story and relationship you and Eleanor share. Congratulations on becoming Eleanor’s legal mother (I think in both of your hearts you’ve been her mother for years and years already).

The Southern Cross locket is so meaningful and beautiful, I hope it brings you a lot of joy and comfort when you are feeling homesick.

 

[KristyDarling]

I could not love your news more!! So very happy for you and your whole family! Congratulations!!

 

[yssie]

You have always been a mother. The little girl in that left photo is beaming on her mother’s lap. Now the rest of the world will know it too

I’m smiling reading this

 

[Ally T]

I saw this on your Facebook & literally welled up.

That photo is the personification of happiness. Eleanor has always looked to you as her mother & you have always loved her like a daughter. You are an amazing role model & I wish you every happiness officially being her mum xx

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

As a lot of you know already, today I adopted my adult god-daughter. It's been days of celebration and joy leading up to the event, and today, for the first time, I am legally, as well as in practicality, a mother.

I just wanted to share a few things here. Firstly, the wonderful suggestion from @Lookinagain as to what to give my girl as an adoption gift. I bought Eleanor a gorgeous, solid sterling silver photo frame from Scully and Scully. DKJ engraved the bottom with the words "To my darling daughter, Eleanor" on one side, and on the other "With all my love, always, Mum ox". @Lookinagain - she LOVED it - it was *perfect*! Thank you for the fabulous suggestion!

In the frame are two photos - one taken one day after I met Eleanor, at age 4, and one taken yesterday. So these photos book-end the entire length of our relationship and are incredibly special.

And - because I'm a true PriceScoper and this is SMTB - in the second photo you'll notice our matching, solid gold bangles, my Beloved - Past, Present and Future ring, Eleanor's ring (also made by DKJ but not designed by me) which I bought her as an extra sentimental little gift. It's a clarity Yehuda Enhanced diamond - 1.78 I SI2 OMC - with a gorgeous puffy crown and delicious, pastel light return. It has natural diamonds surrounding the center diamond for a total of over 2ctw, and the setting is in platinum. She fell in love with it the instant she saw it so, enhancement or no enhancement, this was the one. The earrings we're wearing - which aren't visible in the photo - are pearls and 1" solid gold hoops with invisible clasps (for Eleanor) and 1/2" in my outer holes for me - and they're incredibly comfortable! My locket is my new Southern Cross locket. It's made in 18kt yellow, has roughly .8ctw of colorless, eye clean diamonds and hangs on an 18kt 30" chain. The Southern Cross is a constellation that can be seen from Australia and is depicted on the Australian flag. On the flag, each star has 7 points, representing the seven states of Australia, so DKJ engraved 7 points around each of my diamonds. The diamond on the back represents the pointer star which sits off to the side of the Southern Cross constellation and "points the way home". Since I miss Australia, I wanted something substantial that I could hold when I felt homesick. The locket is 1.25" long and 1" wide. I love the substantial feel of it and how comforting it feels. All pieces were made by DKJ.





Here's a video I took of the locket:

congratulations to you and Eleanor dear @mrs-b
i am sensing she is a lover of jewlery

love all the symbolism behind your locket

if it ever stops raining I'll go give your tree a big hug

 

[mrs-b]

@lulu_ma - thank you for your kind words. Eleanor means 'light hearted' or 'shining light'. In the Bible it means 'God is my light'. So you were bang on when you said today was light amongst the darkness. She is certainly the light of my life.

@winnietucker - thank you so much - I will pass everyone's congratulations on, and I'm pretty sure Eleanor will read this thread, too!

@bright&shiny - when the judge said to Eleanor that she was now my daughter, with all the attendant rights and responsibilities, and to me that I was now Eleanor's mother, with all the attendant rights and responsibilities - we *definitely* cried, too. My best friend of 46 years was there, as was her husband, who is Eleanor's uncle. Eleanor's Dad, my best friend in the US and the person who asked me to be a mother figure in her light 17 years ago, and her brother, my god son, were also there. There were photos, tears, hugs, and much joy. It was a wonderful moment.

 

[mrs-b]

@kathley - thank you so much! I hope to be her mother for many more years to come! I'm counting on grandchildren!

@LLJsmom - today was everything for us. And as 'deliveries' go - it was far less painful than most!!

@oncrutchesrightnow - thank you so much. We're utterly thrilled!

 

[mrs-b]

Thank you, @Bron357 You are dead right in the way you worded your comment. It's a beautiful story of a little girl who needed a mother, and a woman who definitely needed a daughter. Finding each other completed two hearts.

Thank you, @lovedogs! For 17 years now, Eleanor has accidentally been calling me
'Mum'. Today she gave up the accidental part and went 'all in'. The truth is - I've always been her mother. But today's legalization sort of gave us both permission to love each other as much as we do. I can't explain it - it's like we just needed that last piece of the puzzle to validate us in the eyes of the world. For years we've tried to explain it to people - but god mother, step mother, fairy-step-god-mother (her term for me up till now) never *quite* cut it for both of us. We wanted the real deal - in the eyes of *everybody*. We have that now. It's like a sigh of relief.

@Muluver - I'm so glad you like the locket! It's a substantial, beautifully made, lush piece FILLED with meaning. Next year we'll begin the process of getting Eleanor Australian citizenship. At which point I'll get her a Southern Cross locket also.

 

[mrs-b]

Thank you so much, @KristyDarling! It was a wonderful thing to do - but it was even better shared with family. We had a lovely judge, a kind, positive lawyer, and everyone was just so nice to us - it really helped to make it special. As our lawyer said to us before we walked in - "This is happy court." And indeed it was.

Thank you, @yssie. Eleanor and I found home from Day 1 when we met each other. Whenever I said to her "I'm looking forward to becoming your mother" - she would always respond straight away - "You ARE my mother. You always have been." And she was right. I remember one day when she was about 7, we were walking to Starbucks together. We were walking along a portico and I was near the wall of the shops, while she was on the side that ran along the edge of the car park. As we chatted, a man came walking towards us. He looked unkempt and was muttering under his breath. He was looking at Eleanor and walking straight towards us. I remember Eleanor was nattering to me about boys at school, and I was listening - seemingly intently - while keeping one eye on the man approaching her. As he got close to her, I casually reached out, put my arm around her waist, and scooped her to the other side of me, so I was between her and him. She kept chatting, never really noticed what I had done, and just kept walking. When I got home that evening, I remember saying to her father - "I don't know when it happened, but I'm her mother. I just am." We deserve to be recognized as having the relationship we've had for years. We've earnt it. We *are* it. It's nice that the State now recognizes us for who we are.

 

[mrs-b]

@Ally T - thank you for your kind words, dear girl. This is both a huge step for us - but also a natural, almost-nothing, recognition of what has always been. We are beyond happy. oxo

@Daisys and Diamonds - thank you! And you're quite right - she is indeed a lover of jewelry! I have, as they say, brought her up right!! And I'm so glad you like the locket! And yes - pls do give my tree a hug from me and tell her I'm sending her love from across the Pacific. <3

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

what a lovelly thread
i feel like some of the hurt in the world at large has been soothed due to the love and kindness radiating out from Mrs B and her Eleanor

 

[Slickk]

Omgoodness @mrs-b What a heartwarming story! I love that you adopted your beautiful daughter as an adult. She chose you (but of course) and it’s that much more meaningful because of that. So inspirational!
Love love love the jewelry and frame to commemorate the occasion. Thank you for sharing and may you and Eleanor lovingly enjoy many years of friendship, love and family.

 

[caolsen]

Thank you for sharing your story and your family @mrs-b. So much love in those photos and trinkets…

 

[missy]

Congratulations on a true love story.
Wishing you both a lifetime of continued unconditional love, support and joy. To you and your entire family.
Biggest hugs and much love.

 

[diamondringlover]

congratulations! this is a beautiful story!

 

[foxinsox]

Oh gosh congratulations! I’m so happy for you @mrs-b and your Official daughter!

 

[MissGotRocks]

When the stars align, all is right with the world!

Beautiful story and best wishes for many years of happiness for you and Eleanor! It is a special story and one that you will both treasure forever. Always wonderful to have special jewelry mark the occasion - I am very happy for both of you!!

 

[Sparkles88]

Congratulations @mrs-b and Eleanor! Thank you for sharing your beautiful story. The photo of the two of you with your beaming smiles made my heart swell with joy! I am over joyed with happiness for the both of you.

 

[dk168]

Congratulations!

DK

 

[MamaBear]

This a fabulous!! What a celebration! Congratulations Mama!!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I've been overwhelmed by all the things that cast bleak and hearing this bright star alignment is just so good. Pure, a wonderful ceremonial rightness of it.
I'm so happy for you both and thank you for letting us bask in the shine of you and your beautiful Eleanor.
Congratulations, mum.