And Baby Makes Two

So I started my application for adoption in July 2004.  I learned being a single woman who has never been married is a quite desirable social work client...less paperwork.

I have to say the process went very smoothly.  I was done with all the paperwork by September.  Then again, I did pretty much work on everything as a full-time job.   I make it sound simple, but I remember looking at the "to do" list of paperwork, references, FBI fingerprinting, criminal background checks, etc, etc, etc, and just crying.  It was overwhelming.  But I think I may have been working on the paperwork until the wee hours of the night when this occurred.

I will never forget the first question out of my social workers mouth:  "What will you do when some child at school teases your child because of the color of their skin?"  OK...this is the answer I gave:  "Blah, blah, blah, blah"; this is what I was thinking:  "Well, I am sure I will let my foot off the little B*#%tards neck long enough for them to squeak an apology."  Let me tell you, it is hard to come up with a politically correct answer when this is what you'd like to burst out!

So I went on the waiting list in September.  I was known as family #10 on the list.  My social worker, Katie kept telling me to hurry with the paperwork because there were LOTS of families in the process at the same time as me.  So I knew as the tenth family it would be a while.  This was probably the least stressful time of the whole adoption process.  There was really nothing I could do but wait.  It was all out of my hands.

Sometime around November I was told there were many potential available infants after the New Year; I was getting anxious, but at least I had a timeline....

On December 20th I was at my friend Angela's house scrapbooking.  Angela, my friend Michelle and I decided to go to Zuppa's for lunch.  We were standing in line when my cell phone rang and my SW Katie's name come up on the caller ID.  I was prepared for THE call in January; I just thought she was calling for a check in or something. 

It was not Katie, it was one of the program directors.  I just remember her asking me if I was going to be home over the Christmas holidays because they had a referral of a baby girl but didn't yet have the details.  I grabbed Angela's arm (and am sure I left a bruise); it was a surreal conversation, like talking in a tunnel.  I could vaguely hear Angela in the background yelling, "It's the baby, it's the baby!!"  When I hung up the phone Michelle, Angela and I hugged each other (my daughter would call it a sandwich hug) and the whole restaurant erupted in applause.  Everyone on the staff was congratulating me; we even got free cookies!!

The next day I got pictures of the most beautiful baby in the world.  I remember calling the agency, telling the director that my daughter was just perfect.  What an amazing Christmas!!