I turned in my adoption application the first full week in January.  I’ve thought about this day every day since I dropped it in the mail.  Some people wait years for this day.

I waited, officially, just 34 weeks.   Just six weeks shy of a full term biological baby.  Today turned out to be my Match Day.  I guess that makes me the proud new mom of a “preemie” 12 year old!

Hope (The kid formerly known as Hope Kid) is a girl!

Her social worker informed my agency today that this was a match, and then it was up to me.  I already knew it was a match.  I cried all through the phone call, and a sense of euphoria swept over me.  It was such an awesome moment.  I swear the news made me high.

I celebrated like I celebrated defending my dissertation proposal, just 49 days ago:  I got 2 slices of pizza, a large cannoli and some bubbly from Whole Foods.  Can you do that right after delivery?  I don’t know, probably not the bubbly.

Oh, don’t get it twisted, I love a good highbrow celebration, but when I’m celebrating something alone, privately and savoring the moment, pizza, dessert and bubbly are my go-to party yum-yums.   Match Day is beyond sweet.

A mere two weeks after starting this blog, the next chapter begins.  Oh, I’m not under any disillusion.  This is a visual depiction of what I’m feeling.

I’m on the first drop of an amazing roller coaster.  I don’t know whether to hold on to the rails or raise my hands high.  I’m screaming with fear and giggling with glee.  I see twists and turns ahead that scare the sh*t out of me, and yet I’m looking forward to every gut-wrenching, puke-inducing, teary eyed moment of it.  Who knows, I might even want to ride this particular ride again someday.

Next week we start developing a meet and greet and transition plan.  This weekend I’m visiting the newly minted grandparents (my folks).  We’ll be poring over decorating magazines, filming videos and picking out pictures for my life book that I will send her in the coming weeks.

Today was a very good day.