OPINION By Emily Mitchell

My life was changed when I found out I had the chance to have a little sister. We had only seven weeks to prepare for her arrival. In that seven weeks, we had to: clear out a room, paint, get a crib, buy food, shop for baby clothes, and pick a name. It was complete chaos. Choosing a name was one of the hardest things to do. Mom, dad, and I had different ideas. Finally we came up with Erica, spelled with a “c” not a “k,” named after the late Eric Larsen. The Lee came from my mom’s side, and the Ann is the middle name of my late aunt Julie. There was always the thoughts of “What if the mother backs out,” or “What if the baby has disabilities or serious diseases?” I’m not saying that these would be a bad thing, it’s just a thought that came to my head.

Seven weeks later, Erica Lee Ann Mitchell was born in Council Bluffs. I was the first to hold her and I got to cut the umbilical cord. This was a special moment for me because it was first memory with my new sister. She was born on Nov. 25, 2011. We got to take her home that Saturday night. For the adoption to take place, the mom had to take her out of the hospital and give her to my mom off of the hospital property. Erica was greeted in and out of the hospital by many family members. Ever since, she has been living in our home and adored by many.Monday, Dec. 10, my family and I went up to the Pottawattamie Courthouse to have a judge to sign the adoption papers to make it official. This adoption is a closed adoption. This means the birth parents have no rights to Erica at all. I personally like it this way because then there is no fighting, conflicts, or the thought of the birth mom running off with her.

Erica has been a blessing to my life. She has impacted my life and has given me something I have never had before. I love watching her grow up. I am so happy my parents decided to adopt her. I recommend adoption, open or closed, to anyone who would like a child because there is a special bond, even if they aren’t blood related.

This is Erica on her 1st birthday. She had an Elmo cake, hat, and bib.