A Big Milestone

Today marks 6 months together as a family of 6...

...and it is also Sena's readoption day!

She is now Sena Claire!  Other than the time I had to appear in traffic court in college, I haven't been in an actual courtroom.  It seemed so official!  Sena had fun running around the courtroom before the hearing began and it was a bit tricky to corral her after it began.  When Daddy took the stand, she tried to climb up there with him.  While we did not have to readopt here by law, we wanted Sena to have a US birth certificate and I'm guessing when she gets older she would not have been keen on having John for a middle name.

One part of today's proceeding was a little bit hard for me.  I know it is just a formality since our adoption was final in Ethiopia and that things are worded a certain way for legal reasons, but in pronouncing his judgment, the judge referred to Sena being "abandoned" and "neglected" by her birth father and the word "unfit" was also thrown in there.  In order to relinquish a child in Ethiopia, there are a number of steps involved.  It is not as simple as just dropping a child off at an orphanage.  Permission must be given by the local authorities after it is determined there is legitimate cause for a child to be placed (and it is for that reason that many parents find themselves in a position - whether due to illness, societal pressures, etc - that they cannot go through the steps that relinquishment requires.  They may leave their child at a hospital or in a place where they hope that child will be found and cared for.  I cannot imagine the heartbreak of knowing you cannot care for your child, but also feeling that you don't really have a place to turn for help.)  If a child is referred to a family, the birth parent must travel to give his or her consent at the First Federal Instance Court in Addis Ababa.  In some cases, a birth parent may have to appear at the embassy if an interview is requested.  Sena was not abandoned and neglected by her birth father.  Out of love, he made an adoption plan because he was unable to care for her. He had to wade through red tape on his end and he followed through with everything that was asked of him when it would have been much easier to not make the lengthy trek to Addis on two separate occasions and relive his heartache all over again.  He will always hold a special place in my heart and I suppose that makes me a bit defensive for him.  He has given us an incredible gift and I am forever grateful for that.