(re)adopted!

Yesterday we completed the readoption process, which means that Z's adoption is now fully recognized by the US government, his name has been legally changed, and he can receive a US birth certificate. We chose to do the readoption mostly to make life easier later when we register Z for school, go to get him a driver's license, or do anything else that requires a birth certificate. From what I understand, it is possible to use a foreign birth certificate for these things, but having a US one makes the process smoother.

As you can probably tell from the tone of the above paragraph, I am not particularly sentimental about the whole thing! But just for posterity, here are a few pictures:


Z wanted to be sworn in too and solemnly raised his right hand


Being a goofball for the commissioner





We used a trusted lawyer and found the whole process to be short, sweet, and easy. We provided the lawyer with a few requested documents, waited a couple of weeks, and then showed up in court for a nice 5 minute conversation with the commissioner... and that was it! If only the whole adoption process was that easy, right?? Our social worker came with some gifts for the kids (she also took pictures for us - thanks Liane!), and the commissioner gave us a treat for each of our boys. As I said, I viewed this as sort of a non-event formality, but even so it was not a bad way to spend a Friday morning!

making it official

This will be a big weekend for our little boy: on Friday we will appear before a judge to complete the readoption process, and on Sunday at church Z will be baptized! I didn't intentionally schedule these two events to coincide with each other, but I am so glad it worked out this way because seeing them side by side on the calendar allowed me recognize the connection between them and the significance they share.

The readoption represents an official recognition of something that has been a reality for us since November 15, 2010: Z is our son. Though we have called him Z since shortly after he came home, it will now be part of his legal name.* It is gratifying to know that what has been true in our hearts for almost a year will now be legitimized by the government of our country.

If the readoption represents a legal recognition of Z's place in our family, his baptism will be, in part, a spiritual parallel of this action. As Presbyterians we do not view baptism as a saving act, but rather an outward expression of an inward reality and a visible sign of God's covenant with his people. In his baptism we are affirming God's truth about Z and recognizing his place, not only in our family, but in the family of God.

And so in the span of one weekend two significant entities will make pronouncements over our child. Though they are separate and distinct from each other, their messages ring with the same truth: You have a name, you have a family, you have a home, you belong. Thanks be to God.



*We are keeping his given Ethiopian name as his first name and the name we chose (which is what he is called most of the time) will be his middle name. All children adopted from Ethiopia are automatically given a legal name that consists of their given Ethiopian first name followed by their adoptive father's first name and their adoptive family surname. This is the name on all their legal documentation and remains their legal name unless you go through a readoption or legal name change process.