Readoption Date is November 27rh!

We finally got a Readoption date for Ava. I felt so guilty not following up on the paperwork until months after our return from Vietnam. But I found out that the other families who traveled with us in July just had their readoption cerremony or are about to have their readoption ceremony. So I don't feel so bad.

What is a readoption? It's basically a "formality" and the final phase of the the adoption in the U.S. You hire a lawyer to submit all your legal adoption documents, including Ava's Vietnamese birth certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, etc. to the local county courthouse. In return, you get an "American" birth certificate with her "American" or new name if you choose to have a different name other than her birth name. My parents changed my birth name but kept part of my Vietnamese name as part of the new name. I am still really torn about Ava's name (what it's going to be). I like to think there is a tradition here and a little of history "repeating" itself ;-)

Back to the readoption. Once the lawyer submits all the paperwork, you basically get a court hearing in front of a judge. When a date is picked, you receive this letter below. Then you invite friends and family to come to the Readoption Ceremony at the courthouse. After 60 days of the ceremony, we can then apply for a Social Security number for Ava, using the American birth certificate. Also, her birth records will be forever stored at the courthouse in case we would need addtional documents reproduced.