One Year Ago Sept. 21

One year ago (Sept 21) we received a call from our adoption agency that we had been approved to adopt Mi Hyeon a.k.a. Sagan.

It was a torturous process to say the least.

The Tuesday before (4 days) the agency updated their photo of her. Everyone jumped on her and bombarded the agency with calls regarding matching. Because Sagan had surgery for Spina Bifida we all were waiting on her medical records update. While there was no real update, only that she had come through surgery successfully, her picture was radiant. I was hooked on her smile! So I called the agency and wanted to know if we could be considered for a match. They said yes.

An hour later we were told that no one would be considered for a match until more detailed records came back from Seoul. I blew a fuse.

After yelling on the phone to my social worker for being unprofessional and manipulative the agency decided to go ahead with the matching process.

There was just one problem. They had matched Sagan with other families in the past but they had pulled out due to the many unknowns of her medical condition. Korea gave our agency just one more chance to match this baby or they would have to return her documents to them and lose the opportunity to place her. Our agency was under a lot of stress due to this situation. I told Maryanne I would send her a check for $5,000. that very day. No need she said.

So the matching meeting was set for Friday at noon.

This was the week of the FLVS staff conference in 2007. I am sorry to all my administrators but I was not focused on learning. Just writing the name Mi Hyeon Seong 10x times. She was my every thought.

On Friday, Sept. 7 I was staring down at my phone the entire morning waiting for an update. Nothing, nothing, tick tock, nothing. The conference ended at 12:30 and I drove the 20 minutes home from the hotel. As I pulled into my driveway my cell phone rang. It was 1:00pm. It was the agency. Unfortunately, I get very bad cell reception in my neighborhood.

I ran into the house and told Fred and Ellie. IT'S THE AGENCY! I grabbed a house phone and Fred picked Ellie up. They were very excited. I did not know the answer I would get from my social worker and knowing me I would cry hysterically if we were not given Sagan. I can't cry in front of Ellie as she will start crying too!

I ran into the master bathroom and Maryanne picked up. She congratulated me, "You have a daughter!" It was wonderful!!!

I had been up since about 2:30AM that morning with complete anxiety. So I did was I was always told NOT TO DO. I planned for Sagan to be ours. I tempted the fates and I blogged my very first blogger, WE HAVE A DAUGHTER!. Knowing the decision might not go in our favor.
But it did. Therefore I had a link to go with a quick email to everyone we knew.

Then the calls started going out. Pauline, Richard, Teri, Sherri, Rossy, etc. It was call after call. Just a quick one so we could alert the rest of the family. It was delightful.

So today, Ice Cream with mommy, will be in Celebration Florida. Where we celebrate the "call from the agency day!" There is a lovely wooded playpark and a great diner where we can have ice cream and french fries (Sagan's favorite food!) to celebrate.

Here is the link to that very special "first" blog.

Our Daughter: Sagan Amelia Zanegood