How Anna Came Home

We first heard about our baby girl at the very end of January. Our case worker told us to be cautious in our enthusiasm, but we had been picked for adoption. I'm not sure what I expected that moment to be like, but we were eerily calm when we got the news. I think I expected tears of joy or relief, but instead I calmly started asking questions, almost as if my body went into cruise control. Only after our case worker left did we both start to allow ourselves to get excited. Of course we were excited. We had just found out we were getting a baby in two months, but being superstitious we decided to tell only close family members.


Towards the end of February we began buying necessities like a car seat and a few basic outfits. And we began talking about possible names. Initially Dan talked me into Sophia and Olivia, then he changed his mind and began pushing for Camilla and Miranda. I held onto Sophia and Olivia even though Dan had decided they were out.


Then last week we learned that our baby might be showing up early. It was an anxious week as we first waited to hear about her birth and whether she was healthy. Finally we heard that she had arrived and was healthy, and we'd get to meet on Saturday.

Saturday morning I woke up at 4:50 a.m. It felt just like Christmas morning. I stayed in bed until six-thirty, but finally I decided to get up and do something rather than continue to lie there. I spent most of the morning cleaning the house. It was a great way to work off anxious energy. Finally we drove to the agency, where our baby was placed in our arms. I got to spend some time looking at her and considering her name. I decided Sophia and Olivia were out. And in recent days we had both agreed on Charlotte, but as we drove home with the baby and I in the back seat, Charlotte didn't seem quite right either. Dan suggested Anna and that name just fit.

I admit that I wondered at times whether it would be a tough transition to go from being a teacher to full-time mother, but so far I've loved every minute of it. I even get a little jealous if Dan gets up with her in the night (that is, when I'm awake enough to notice). I know all you parents think I'm silly and eventually I'll wish Dan got up more with her, but for now I can't imagine anything more fun than holding my baby.

In order to respect the privacy of the birth mother I haven't mentioned her at all, but I will say that we know that Anna was loved before she came to us and we will always be grateful for Anna's birth mother.