FAQs

Although we haven't shared our news with many people, we do already have a list of some frequently asked questions. Why not just answer them here?

So, you've given up on having biological children?
No. We will likely try again at some point to have a biological child, but this is the path that we feel is right for us.


How long will it take to get your baby?
This is variable depending on the age and sex of the child we are looking for, how quickly we get our paperwork completed and any delays in paperwork caused by the government or anyone else.. We are hoping to have our baby within 12-18 months from now.

Did you request a girl?!
Nope. We decided that God decided if we were getting a boy or girl last time so, He should decide this time as well.

How old will be the baby be?
We requested a child 0-6 months of age. What this means is, at the time we are matched with a child, he/she will be 0-6 month of age. From the time we are matched, it could take up to 6 months to bring him/her home so, we think that our baby will be 12 months old at the oldest upon returning home, but we really think we'll likely have a 7-10 month old when it is all said and done.

Do you have to go to Ethiopia?
Yes, we get to go to Ethiopia at least once for our court date after we have been matched with a child. We will very likely return again a month or so later to bring our baby home. You can have the agency bring them, but the only reason to do that is to save money so, we'll just see what our piggy bank looks like at that time since we'd really like to be able to bring our baby home ourselves.

Will Carter go with you?
No. The trip will take roughly 30 hours which would not be enjoyable for any of us AND, Carter will be 2 by the time we travel so, we'd have to buy him a seat as well which make the trip more costly. Instead, he'll get to spend the week playing carefree with relatives.

Why International?
We met with an agency and talked about domestic adoption. It sounded like we were good candidates and would be selected by a birthmother quickly, but it would be an open adoption. While we think open adoption is a great situation for many people, having 4 visits a year with a birthmother made us uncomfortable when we thought about our family dynamics. How would Carter respond when it was time for his brother or sister to see their "other family"?

With an international program, we may still have contact with the birth family if they are available, but day-to-day, it would just be our little family together which we feel will help us form the bond they we all already have together.

Also, we feel that the children in the U.S. have more resources available than those in Ethiopia. The foster care programs may not be great, but they are often better than an orphan living along on the street.

Why Ethiopia?
In the beginning there wasn't much of a reason.. I researched and read a lot of blogs of families who had adopted who had a smooth process. The agency we are using works directly with the orphanage which takes exceptional care of the children due to the resources that the agency is able to provide. We liked knowing that our baby is safe and in loving arms while we wait to be able to get him/her.

Since then, I've done even more research and have started reading some books. Wow. Just looks at the statistics on our sidebar. Why not Ethiopia?