[shannondl]

Hello,
My name is Shannon, and I would like to share my story and see if anyone has any comments or information for me.....
I have been married to my husband for 9 yrs and together for 11 yrs. We have four girls.(his mine and ours) Our oldest girls were 11 and 12 months old when we got together, and then we had twin girls. My 11yr old daughter has expressed her feelings about my husband adopting her/or to at least legally change her name to his. Since kindergarten she has gone by his last name, but now that she is older she notices her Bio fathers last name on everything(report cards etc...) She hates it!
Her Bio father has not contacted us since she was 2 1/2, never paid a dime of child support. The last time that he saw her we told him that we wanted to go to court and do things properly for our daughters sake.(no more showing up once every year) We never heard from him again. We moved a couple of years later, but my parents have had the same number for 25 yrs and same residence since I and the Bio father were about 10. We grew up together. My husband wants so much to adopt her, because he is truly her father and loves her dearly!! The Bio father is not on the birth certificate, but her name reads his last name. Is this considered abandonment? How do I find out what to do to start my process? He also never proved his paternity!! Just walked away when he found out he would have to come up with money !! Any info would be greatly appreciated!!!