Full Circle: A Very Cool Story

This is Eun-ha, soon to be Zoe Grace.

Zoe's family lives in Tennessee. They are anxiously awaiting permission to go to Seoul and bring Zoe home to them. Interestingly, Zoe was almost our daughter. Ok, well, sort of.

In mid-May, right after we had officially completed all our application paperwork to be on the list of families waiting for babies, we saw a picture of Zoe on our agency's photolisting. The photolisting is for babies and children with special needs who have not yet found their families, either in Korea or by matching their special needs with special needs that non-Korean adoptive families are "willing to accept." Keep in mind that some special needs are minor. Zoe's was prematurity, from which she has now completely caught up. We found Charlie on this photolisting too; his special needs are also very minor.

Zoe's picture just spoke to us somehow, and we decided to pursue adopting her. The way that works with our agency is that families can request the entire file (all the medical and social info on a particular child) and have a few weeks to review it and decide if they want to pursue adopting that child. Once how ever many families have declared interest, the process "goes to committee." This means that you fill out a bunch of paperwork (sort of essays on why you want to adopt this child, how you will deal with adopting a child of a different race -- assuming you are not yourself Asian -- how you will deal with that child's needs, etc), have a super super crazy weird awkward phone interview, and then the case goes to a committee, who decides which family best matches that child's needs.

Obviously if you've read this far, you've probably astutely concluded that we were not selected to be Zoe's family. About 1 week before the committee met, I saw a post on our adoption agency's online forum that made clear the poster was going to committee for the same child we were pursuing. I emailed her, and could immediately tell that this lady really really wanted this child. To the point where I just sort of felt that the baby was not meant to be ours. I could also tell that this lady and her family were a really really nice family, which made me happy. I found out that we were the only two families pursuing Zoe's adoption. If Zoe wasn't going to be ours, then how wonderful to know who she was going to and how she would be raised.

So about a week later, the day following that super crazy weird and awkward phone interview I alluded to above, we were notified that the other family was selected to be Zoe's family. Sheref was more disappointed than I was. As I said above, I had already somehow subconsciously concluded that Zoe was meant to be with the other family.

All of which brings us to today, when I am "online friends" with Zoe's mom Paula. Sheref had the opportunity to go visit with Zoe in Seoul on Wednesday. While picking up our new son in South Korea, our family got to visit and play with the girl who was, sort of, almost our daughter. We are hoping Zoe is home with her family in Tennessee very soon!

p.s. I did get permission from Paula before I posted this!