Finally...I'd like to introduce you to Som Kid!

It was June 21st. I was in the library at work, supervising a handful of kids writing their eLearning exams. I saw my phone light up with Darlene's number on caller ID.

Darlene doesn't normally call.

I scurried over to my coworker Mike, who was also supervising, and told him I had to go take a call. Thankfully, Mike is chill, so I ran out into the hallway and got the best news of my life! 

I don't remember all of exactly what Darlene said right off the bat, other than "good news" "referral" and "it's a girl". I think at that point I collapsed onto the floor happy-crying.

I managed to stagger a few meters over to my office down the hall. The entire department was there, and looking at me, because I was clearly happily freaking out about something. Chris was on his way out and flashed me a grin and thumbs up. He later told me he'd assumed I'd won Hip tickets. Logic. I scribbled "I'M A MOM!!!!" on a piece of paper for everyone else... they were confused, but happy. I guess the whole adoption thing never came up with this particular set of coworkers? Other people in the building knew - I even gave a little seminar about the process to the parenting class - but not these guys. They figured it out, though.

More details came out - her birthday, her name, her status, her current location, that she was gorgeous and had some delightful messy curls going on.

We hung up and I knew I'd be getting an email with her picture and more details soon. I got hugs and love from everyone at AYJ, and ran around the school screaming for a while, trying to get a hold of Mike (the husband who is currently on tour in Europe, not the aforementioned coworker). It didn't take long, and when I told him, he got the biggest smile I'd ever seen. We agreed on her name, and then I remembered I was supposed to be working.

Christian from my department had kindly gone in and told Mike (the aforementioned coworker, not the husband) for me, and they sat with me and were lovely, not expecting me to do my job at all, which was okay, because we were down to just one supervisee. They were there when I got the email (which I forwarded to Mike (the husband)) and were the first to confirm how perfectly adorable she is!

Others came and went from the library and found me throughout the rest of the day to see the pictures and gush. I started feeling really bad that they'd all seen her before her grandmothers... but that's part of the fun of adoption, not being able to control when and where you find out! 

Mom was in France, and Mike (husband) and I agreed to wait to tell family until she returned so that I could at least do that one in person and see one face light up! 

Keeping it a secret for over a week was hard.

So anyway, here she is, world!

:D

Her given name is Wanwisa. As Pen (my neighbour and new friend, the one in charge of coordinating our upcoming trip to Thailand) explained to me, it's a common name for people born on or around Visakha Bucha Day in Thailand - wan means day, hence Wanwisa. We're keeping that as a middle name, and we want to call her Lucy. If, later in life, she decides she likes Wanwisa better, Wanwisa it is. But Lucy for its pronounceability in both English and French, for its connection to a Beatles song, to Queen Lucy the Valiant in my favourite set of books, and because you can't say Lucy Lee without smiling!

She's 13 months now. Year of the Goat and a Gemini. Awesomely close in age to two of her cousins and several friends' babies. PLAYDATES PLEASE!

We have information on her health and development (basically perfect), her temperament ("joyful and cheerful"), and a bit on her birthmother and how she came to be up for adoption (nothing unexpected).

At this point, we've signed the acceptance, which will go back to the agency tomorrow, along with the mandatory care package I've assembled... holy crap, I've never felt so much pressure before as the day I went to Toys R Us to pick out her first things! We had to send a blanket and I stood there for about 45 minutes trying to decide. I really wanted to pick out some (goat themed!) fabric and make her one instead, but this thing has to get in the mail pronto. 

And then we wait a bit more to find out our date. This is where things get a bit tricky due to Mike's being away until the end of October. There's a possibility he could get a away for a day or two, meet me in Thailand, sign the papers, fly back, and leave me as a single mom for a few months... or the possibility that we delay the meeting until November. That might happen anyway, due to one little paperwork hiccup Lucy is facing that is nobody's fault. As much as it pains me that she's just *there* in an orphanage and not with me for that much longer, it is what it is, and I can continue to be patient.

Lots to do in the mean time! I've gotta get... baby stuff! And learn how to take care of such a small human! Any advice, tips, tricks, and tools would be much appreciated!