Ho Chi Minh City, Nov. 23: Over Thanksgiving, Jolie took a ride with Pitt (above) and dined on "cha ca," a traditional fish dish. In January she returned alone for a meeting on behalf of the Maddox Jolie-Pitt project, a charity that funds relief work in neighboring Cambodia. Photo by: AP |
But they were hardly tourists. For months the couple have been preparing to find a sibling for Maddox, 5, Zahara, 2, and 10-month-old Shiloh, a "process that began shortly after Shiloh was born [last May]," says a source. It wasn't until March 2 that a Vietnamese official revealed that Jolie, 31, had filed preliminary papers to adopt a child – according to one adoption worker, "a boy between the ages of 3 and 5." But the source close to Jolie says there are still a few more steps before welcoming a new family member. "It's wonderful that people are excited about it," says the friend. "But she is only at the beginning of a very comprehensive and detailed process."
In Vietnam that process includes several reports by authorities, a home study and a background check – which can take between three months and two years. Because it's difficult for unmarried couples to adopt jointly in Vietnam, Jolie is applying as a single parent.
