FAQ

Many of you have e-mailed me with specific questions about the adoption (or a recent billboard sighting), so I thought I would use this blog to answer some of those questions:

Q: What is his name?
A: Tamene

Q: How do you say his name?
A: Ta men ay (there isn't an accent on a syllable).

Q: What does his name mean?
A: It means "trustworthy".

Q: Are you going to keep his name?
A: Yes, his first name will be Tamene, we will be announcing his full name soon.

Q: When will you get him?
A: In the next 7-14 days (or so) we should get a call with a "court date". This means that Ethiopia will be issuing a new Birth Certificate and we will officially be his parents. Then we wait for the Birth Certificate to arrive in the US (another 3-4 weeks). Once the Birth Certificate is here we will be scheduled to travel (another 3-4 weeks). If this all goes quickly we should be home with him by the end of August. If we hit any snags it will probably late October.

Q: Will you have to go to Ethiopia to get him?
A: Yes, we will be there for 7 days (it is about a 24 hour plane ride, so we will be away from home for 9 days).

Q: How long has he been in the care center, what is his story before he came to the care center?
A: He came to the care center in May (2008). He was with his mother prior to that time. She took very good care of him and she loved him very much. The details of his story are private and belong to him. Once he is old enough to share his own story, he will decide what to share and who to share it with.

Q: Can you send him toys, etc. now?
A: We were able to send him some pictures of our family and a blanket. We also sent the recordings we made of songs and stories.

Q: Are you excited?
A: Yes.

Q: Is it hard to wait?
A: Yes.

Q: Do you have any new updates?
A: Yes, we received a video from the care center this week. The video is approximately 6 minutes long and shows him playing, eating, drinking, climbing stairs, and smiling, smiling, smiling! Last we week also recieved a report telling us how well he plays with others and listens to his nannies.

Q: Is he perfect?
A: Ok, so no one really asked that questions, but just for the record, YES.


Q: Is that your smiling face on Interstate 94?
A: Yes.


I am happy to field any other questions. Thanks for your interest and following our journey! Also, thanks for your prayers and best wishes, they are very much appreciated!