Our little family’s fairy tale has always been about love, about life, and about loss.  And the next chapter is now being written with the most amazing little human.  It’s quite the story to tell.  I can’t share all the details, but here are a few.

Joe and I were activated by the adoption agency in May.  We were prepared for a long wait and set a deadline of about one year.  If we weren’t matched in that time, we’d stop.  I needed that end date for my sanity.  I couldn’t imagine the anxiety of each passing day with no end in sight.  And let’s be honest—we aren’t getting any younger.

To our surprise, we received a call on June 7. A woman in Florida was pregnant and looking for a family to place her child with after his birth.  We learned she was in Melbourne—the same beachside town we traveled to shortly after learning Zoey’s diagnosis. 

There are a few times in my life when I’ve been left speechless by a phone call.  The day the agency called us to say the birth mother had chosen us was one of them.  What do you say when you’ve been told that a woman looked at your life and decided that she would trust you with the most amazing gift?

Shortly after the match, we began emailing with the birthmother. We learned that she loves to draw, would prefer to live in a climate with seasons and that she’s a sweet girl with a hard set of circumstances. We were matched with her pretty early in her pregnancy so we anxiously awaited each of her appointments to hear an update on this little boy.

A few weeks in, we heard some potentially scary information was revealed on the ultrasound. It was a difficult spot to be for us having been through Zoey’s diagnosis which unfolded in a similar way.  The ultrasound revealed one thing which led to another and another. Adding to the challenge was the inability to ask the direct questions. Thankfully as time went on, we heard the doctors were not really worried about the findings on the ultrasound.  The baby would have extra digits, but that’s pretty minor and apparently fairly common.  We wondered if this was just another reason he’d been matched with us.  I imagine another family may freak out about finding out about a birth defect.  But we’d seen Zoey with all of her “defects” and she was stunning.  Extra digits would just make this baby extra special!

The months passed and we thought the baby may come early so I decided to travel to Florida to wait for his birth. This also allowed me to spend time getting to know the birth mother better. I honestly can’t imagine walking into the hospital as she was delivering to meet her for the first time so I’m incredibly thankful for the time I spent with her beforehand.  The weeks I spent with her were valuable to me and our relationship. I hope she feels the same. It wasn’t always easy hearing her stories.  It’ a life I cannot fathom and the privilege of my own life was put on display. We enjoyed going to the zoo, walking the mall and eating out—we even made the trek to Disney Springs one afternoon.  I also had the chance to go to her doctor’s appointments and was able to hear the baby’s heartbeat.  Music to my ears!

Joe came to town a few weeks later and spent time with the birth mother as well. We all went to the zoo together and also met her mom. Joe and I even made a trip to Disney for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.  While there, we picked Mickey ears with his name embroidered—Sebastian was officially chosen.

On Thursday, October 18—oddly fitting since Zoey was born on a Thursday and also died on a Thursday—that the birthmother peeked her head out the door from her doctor’s appointment and said “are you ready to have a baby? We’re going to the hospital”.

At 10:22 pm, I watched this beautiful baby boy enter the world. He went to the nursery immediately for a bath and warming, but then he was placed in my arms for his first bottle.

We spent time with him and the birthmother in the hospital.  And on Saturday she signed the paperwork that legally placed this little boy into our family.  Welcome to the Waymire family Sebastian Thomas!

We stayed in Florida for two weeks to wait for legal clearance to travel.  On Halloween, we packed up our beautiful little bundle and took him on his first flight!  He was amazing—slept the entire flight!

We’re home now and gradually meeting family and friends.  Mainly, though, we’re snuggling and soaking in every moment with this amazing little boy—our son!  I honestly never thought this would happen.  And even in my sleep-deprived nights, I look at him and can’t believe he’s ours.

Words won’t do this adventure justice.  It really is something you have to experience to fully understand.  To have another woman choose you to raise, protect and love her child is remarkable.  We love our little fairy tale and are so glad Sebastian has joined us on our journey!

My letter to Sebastian can be found here:

https://stillstandingmag.com/2018/11/letter-to-my-new-son-via-adoption/

Photos by Amanda McMahon Photography: http://amandamcmahonblog.com/