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!!
