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Say cheese! New siblings David Banda, 3 ½, and Mercy James, 4, show off their smiles while enjoying the day at Jardin des Tuileries in Paris on Friday.
The family, including sister Lourdes and brother Rocco, are currently in Europe for mom Madonna’s Sticky and Sweet tour.
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July 14th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
OMG!!! those smiles makes my heart melt!
Such cute children!
July 14th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
That is so sweet! She looks unbelievably happy!
July 14th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
I always thought it would be weird–from a kid’s perspective–to get a new *older* sibling. Not saying it’s bad at all, but it’s got to be sort of a strange pecking-order shake-up for the siblings, no?
Does anyone have any experience with this personally? What was it like?
July 14th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
what cuties!!!!
July 14th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
SO Cute. Love seeing happy faces
July 14th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
What a sweet picture! It made me smile (and today I really needed it!)
July 14th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I am not one for writing on these blogs, but to see Mercy’s face a couple of weeks ago and to see this photo today, what a markedly differenc……..adoption does change lives. Simply adorable. It is evident that the smile is coming from deep within, not superficial by any means. Well done Madonna C.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Adorable! Does anyone know what Mercy’s surname is? Will it be Ciccone, or perhaps Richie so that she has the same surname as Rocco and David?
July 14th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
These two are precious! Madonna is blessed!! this picture should be framed!
i agree adoption do change lives!
July 14th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
These two are too precious!
July 14th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
david is so cute!!!
July 14th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
@ Nicole
I’m not sure but I believe it’s Ciccone. Lourdes’ last name is Leon and the boys are Richie’s. I hope Guy will be a father figure for her so she won’t be the only sibling without one.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
David’s always been a handsome little guy and Mercy’s a dollbaby!
July 14th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
What beautiful kids, they look so happy!
July 14th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Mercy is glowing! So adorable!
Not trying to stir anything up here, just curious, but is Guy Ritchie going to act as Mercy’s father? I just think it might be a tad strange for Mercy (being so young) to see that both her brothers call Madonna AND Guy mom and dad where as she only calls Madonna mom, no dad. Not that you NEED a father to thrive necessarily, but I bet it would be nice to have two parents, especially when both brothers do.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Like a lot of others, I had my doubts when I read that Madonna was going to adopt another child. The timing seemed off (with the divorce) and the fact that there were issues with the adoption itself….but seeing Mercy’s smiling face, I think I have changed my mind. She looks so happy!! BTW…David is one cute little boy.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
That pic is too precious, almost makes me want to give my daughter a sibling.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
What a great photo…they are both adorable but she has the sweetest smile and eyes…just so precious.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Carlos Leon and Guy Ritchie have always seemed to be equally loving to all of the kids, so I don’t think they would treat Mercy any differently than they would her brothers or sister.
Those kids look lovely and from the past pictures I’ve seen of Mercy she seems to be adjusting quite well to her new family and life and is a bit of ham.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Those faces made my day!
July 14th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I have posted before on CBB about adoption and I just wanted to answer MissMissy. I am a foster /adoptive mom and have had many children come through my home. Shortly after adopting my then 2 and 3 year old set of brothers I got an almost 1 and 2 year old set of brothers to foster. The foster 2 year old was a few months older than my 2 year old. It was a LOT of work on my end but my children have always loved having new playmates. There were some jealousy issues from all 4 boys but not anything too outrageous. I can also say that my oldest son loves when we take older kids because then he has playmates. But they all really love babies-doesn’t everyone! The hardest part for my kids is when a child leaves our home. Seeing as how David and Mercy are so close in age and looking at their smiles I would imagine they are handling it relatively well. One last comment I think it is much harder when you have an only child and then add another child to the family especially if the new child is older. My kids have always had other kids in our home so it is normal to them. I hope this helps.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
That is just too cute! I love the look on David’s face, like “I know I’m charming, thank you very much,” and Mercy looks so happy!
July 14th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
This has to be the SWEETEST picture. It’s so great to have siblings, of course I’m speaking from an only child perspective. LOL.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
i love the smiles…totally sweet!
July 14th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I also agree, I was a little bit skeptical about Madonna’s intentions, and I still don’t agree what she did was right, in the sense-how she became to adopt Mercy-not the factor of adopting, I think that’s great, but seeing how happy 2 of her children are in this picture, I guess she is doing something right. Maybe Mercy’s father, who is alive, will have contact with her later in her life?
July 14th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
They both have smiling eyes…beautiful!
July 14th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I thought that David’s last name is Banda, and Mercy’s last name is James — all of her kids have different dads, so why would they have the same last name? She’s doing it like all other single moms out there!
July 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
No Guy won’t be involved in Mercy’s life.. this happened AFTER THE
DIVORCE..And David’s last name is Banda..This two are going to be
together and the rest of the family will do their own thing separate from David and Mercy.. I predict that they will get married …
July 14th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Congratulations to Madonna and her lovely family. I applaud Madonna for her persistence and dedication to her children. Lordes is beautiful and seems to have a remarkably normal life, I am sure she will be a great big sister to her new sister.
July 14th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
That’s very very cute! and no, Guy adopted David with Madonna but he was not involved with adopting Mercy.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Oh and also wanted to add, it wouldn’t exactly be fair to Guy either if he’s expected to be a father figure to a child he did not adopt. Maybe that would be ideal but again, it’s not what HE wanted, it’s what Madonna wanted. Think about it….
July 14th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
such beautiful kids. i love mercy’s little button nose.. and those smiles are heartbreaking..
i’m glad madonna has adopted these kids. i think adoption is certainly a noble activity… especially when it’s like she doesn’t ‘need’ to have more kids – she has 2 biological kids already, but this is great. opens up the heart, helps the children in poverty stricken situations, and helps her.. it’s a good thing.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
I can’t believe what I just read here… Why would siblings get married? I can’t even…
Just to clarify:
Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon
Rocco John Ritchie Ciccone (it might be Ciccone Ritchie)
David Banda-Mwale Ritchie Ciccone
Mercy James Ciccone
From what I’ve seen, Guy and Carlos are both loving and accepting to all the children so I think Mercy will be fine, though I don’t expect either to be her father per se, though it would be nice.
I also believe Mercy is actually 3 (DOB: Jan 2006) per her adoption papers, which would make her a couple months younger than David (DOB: Sept. 2005).
I don’t see how the alleged ‘father’ would be a part of Mercy’s life when she goes to visit Malawi as the biological family (uncles and grandmother) never recognized him and ordered him to stay away from her. I would assume that if Mercy goes to visit her biological family, it would only be the uncles and grandmother.
David is such a handsome little guy. He and Mercy really seem to be getting along quite well. I think it would have been a little harder had Mercy been the only child as she has always been around a lot of children. So being around other children of various ages is probably natural and comforting to her.
July 14th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Just a suggestion: I would love if all four children were given equal treatment.
Since “James” and “Banda” are middle names, then it should be: David Banda, Mercy James, Rocco John, and Lourdes Maria. Or if all middle names were excluded: David, Mercy, Rocco, and Lourdes (or “Lola” as she’s called). I have never heard Madonna call David by his middle name, only “David.”
July 14th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
This kids are so cute.
BTW I read on Wikipedia that David is born on September 24, 2005 ans Mercy is born on January 22, 2006 so that means that Mercy is younger than David
July 14th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I’ve seen pictures of other celebrity families on here where an ex has his previous partners kids with him when their taking their kids places. Whenever we see pictures of Virginia Madsen with her son Jack (with Antonio Banderas), she ALWAYS has Antonio’s daughter that he had after they split with them. And Stella has a mother that’s a huge part of her life. And they both seem to love each other sooo much. I would actually think that someone was missing if I saw a pic of her with Jack and Stella wasn’t with them. My dad has full legal custody of my 10 year old half brother that my mom had years after they got divorced.
I could see Guy and/or Carlos acting like a father figure to Mercy, also. Not because they feel they have to or Madonna is making them, but because they actually WANT to. It’s rare, but not unheard of!
July 14th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Aww! They’re beautiful. What love smile Mercy has!
July 14th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Marie Snyard, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. Why would you even suggest that David and Mercy will one day get married? They are brother and sister regardless of biology. And, what makes you think that the rest of the family will “do their own thing”? Lourdes was with them when this picture was taken and Madonna is pictured with them quite frequently. Were you just trying to start controversy?
Also, David’s last name was changed and Banda became his middle name.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I forgot to mention that they are both adorable. It’s great to see Mercy adjusting so well!
July 14th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
What a beautiful picture of these two! David is a little charmer and Mercy’s smile is so genuine and precious, it just melts my heart.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
I hate to be critical but #28 this is kinda sick talking about these two children getting married. They will be raised as brother and sister your assumption is absurd and not kinda sick, actually sick.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Chicki, as a real single mom, not one of those divorce women who think of themselves as a single mom, I can say that I didn’t give my children their fathers’ last names. They all have my last name since I am the one who lives with them, pays for them, and that way they share my name and their siblings’ last name. So don’t speak for all the single moms out there especially since Madonna isn’t a real single mom (two of her children were created or adopted within a marriage and so would normally have their father’s last name).
Also while Mercy is clearly happy here, she’s been with the nannies mostly and not Madonna. My friend who adopted from Africa took weeks off from work to spend exclusively with her new daughter to help with the adjustment and bonding. My friend isn’t rich and taking the time off was hard, but she did it for her child’s sake. It’s too bad that Madonna didn’t plan to take time off from touring to spend exclusively with her children. It’s not like she didn’t know the adoption process was looming or that she needs the money. Her priorities seem off. You’d think since her mother died when she was young, she’d appreciate how important it is to have a mother present in a child’s life. Oh, well, it’s Madonna.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Just FYI, I don’t know about David but Rocco’s full name is Rocco John Ritchie, there’s no Ciccone in his name. Ciccone was kept in Lourdes’ name though. I believe, not positive, that David is just David Banda Ritchie.
July 14th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
They’re so adorable!
July 14th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
I just don’t get it… How can you adopt a four year old and immediately bring her out on a world tour with her brand new siblings? Whatever happened to establishing a sense of attachment and getting to know one another as a family in the comfort of your new home?
July 15th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Cutest.Picture.Ever.
July 15th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Sarah K.- I agree! Plus, I remember reading that, when Madonna’s request to adopt Mercy was initally denied, Lourdes was heart-broken as she had gotten very attatched to Mercy. Therfore, I’ll bet she’s lovin on her little sis like crazy!
Elena S.- That can’t be right, as Mercy is 4 and David won’t turn 4 until the Fall. It’s probably the other way around: Mercy was born in 2005, and David in 2006 (I KNOW David was born in 2006, as I remember reading about it when he was adopted). You can’t always trust Wikipedia, as anyone can add to it, hence there is often innaccurate information, especially on celebrity pages.
July 15th, 2009 at 1:28 am
Oh, and I love Mercy’s smile! In all the pictures I’ve seen of her since the adoption, she seems so happy, and that makes me melt!
July 15th, 2009 at 1:32 am
Oh, and even if Guy and Carlos don’t act as father figures to Mercy, she’ll probably have plenty of father-figures in her life. Madonna probably has plenty of male relatives and friends, for example. And who knows? Maybe Madonna will re-marry one day, her new husband will adopt Mercy, and thus Mercy will have a daddy of her very own.
July 15th, 2009 at 1:52 am
@Mimi
Your whole post seems quite judgmental. By definition Madonna is now a single parent as she is not married. Single parent doesn’t only mean a person who had children out of wedlock and never married the child’s parent, it’s just someone who has a child (or more) and is not married or in a relationship.
Madonna tried to adopt this girl years ago when she was still married to Guy. She was able to start the legal process in late March, only to have her application rejected. The appeal process dragged on until June, when she was approved. Madonna has spent that time with Mercy as her tour, which was set since January 2009, didn’t start until July 4th. Also, what makes you think she doesn’t bond with her child when she isn’t working? She doesn’t have to hover over the child every second of the day in order to bond with her.
July 15th, 2009 at 1:52 am
“as a real single mom, not one of those divorce women who think of themselves as a single mom” — Give me a break. You have a bunch of children out of wedlock with different fathers and you want to hold yourself up as some paragon of single motherhood? Disgusting.
July 15th, 2009 at 1:56 am
David’s passport states his name is
David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie
July 15th, 2009 at 2:15 am
Marie Snyard:
1) David was adopted by Guy Ritchie, therefore his last name is Ritchie, no longer Banda (which is now his middle name).
2) Why would you assume Mercy and David will get married? Beyond the rather ugly undertone of your assumption that these two would branch off completely from the other members of their family, haven’t you ever heard of the incest taboo? Something which triggers REGARDLESS of biology in children who are raised together from a young age. Implying these two would develop a romantic love one day is the same thing as saying Zahara and Pax J-P will get married 20 years from now…and THAT is equally sick.
July 15th, 2009 at 4:45 am
Why would anyone say that all four of Madonna’s children have different fathers? Guy is the father to both Rocco and David. And no, David’s last name is not Banda. Banda is his middle name.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:55 am
#36 You have your Antonio’s mixed up.
Virginia Madsen has child with Antonio Sabato Jr. named Jack (born August 6, 1994).
Antonio also has a daughter, Mina Bree (born August 29, 2002) with his then girlfriend Kristin Rossetti.
July 15th, 2009 at 10:37 am
what a precious picture
July 15th, 2009 at 10:42 am
@ 51 – am with you 100%; disgusting!! Her entire post is just silly!
July 15th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Beautiful children!!! Marie Snyard – I have no words, honestly!!
July 15th, 2009 at 11:21 am
The whole comment of these two SIBLINGS getting married one day shows how most people still don’t understand adoption!! It makes me sick!!!
July 15th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I am sorry I meant some people. Judging from the other comments most people do get adoption.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
“Marie Snyard Says:
July 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
No Guy won’t be involved in Mercy’s life.. this happened AFTER THE
DIVORCE..And David’s last name is Banda..This two are going to be
together and the rest of the family will do their own thing separate from David and Mercy.. I predict that they will get married …
that is the most redilicious and perverse thing i’ve ever read. how weird…they are siblings.
July 15th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
OMG! How cute!!!!!!
July 16th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Look at those smiles. I can’t remember a shot of David with a smile like that before. They’re both adorable.
July 17th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Whoops! I just thought things through, and David WAS born in 2005, not 2006, as he’ll be turning four this coming Fall (plus he was a year old when was adopted….which was in late 2006.).
So he and Mercy were BOTH born in 2005, but Mercy was born before he was.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:14 am
nice photos! happy faces! kids from my country, malawi! Long live madonna, Long live mercy and david!