Eighteen Months in Labor? - Happy 17th Birthday

It had been a long 18 months. I had asked for a baby girl - healthy, 0 to 9 months old. I was going to name her Christina Noel. Christmas was approaching and I believed that THIS would be the month. You know, with the name I had picked and all.

I started buying baby clothes for a baby girl. Hung them in her closet. Bought the baby crib and decided on the room decor. Still no baby girl.

Got a call. It went like this. "I know you wanted a girl, but we have a healthy baby boy and just wanted to know if you might be interested?" I had been in adoption labor for 18 months! YES, I was *interested*.

Monday, April 13, 1992: Met foster parents and my soon-to-be son at their home where he had been since birth. We locked eyes and I loved him from that moment on. God chose the perfect baby!

Tuesday, April 14, 1992: Second visit to the foster home. Picked out an outfit for my new baby to wear home the next day. Hugged, kissed, cried with the foster parents. This had been their first foster child, so it was very emotional. Left at 2:11pm to head home and wait for the next day to hurry and get here.

Wednesday afternoon, April 15, 1992: Social Worker arrived at my door with 6-month old Taylor. What a wonderful day that was! Note: Because he was just a baby at the time of adoption, I was able to (re)name him. I named my new baby boy Taylor.

After the 6-month waiting period, we went to court for the signing of the final paperwork.

That's me swearing in in the Judges' chambers and my mother-in-law standing behind me

Me signing the papers


Judge Gray signing the final paperwork.
Did you know that I was adopted too?

Mother-in-law, Lezlei (sister-in-law/friend), me and Taylor

My (now ex) husband and I walking Taylor out of the Courthouse. I love this photo that Lezlei took of us. It looks like Taylor is looking back saying "well, it's all official now"

Christian Montessori Pre-School Days


Elementary school: First trip away from home to summer camp. And yes, I cried . . .


Junior High Graduation Day. Note: the shirt was tucked in for the ceremony!

Sitting (and and maybe thinking?) in the neighborhood Starbucks

Football

one of my favorite photos . . .


Hanging out and having a good time with his friend

Sometime this year at a friend's. Shhhhhhh, I stole this from his photos on the computer . . .

future baker???


or maybe a recording artist?

At Focus getting new skateboard for birthday (compliments of mommy) . . .

Happy 17th Birthday Taylor!
I love you sweetie, xoxoxo - Mommy

13 comments:

JoAnnA Pierotti said...

Happy Birthday Taylor,
Thank you so much for emailing me to tell me to read your baby story. He is beautiful!!! This did make me smile.
blessings,
joanna
www.mosshill.blogs.com

Queenly Things said...

Yay!! Happy birthday Mr. T. What a handsome lad and lucky, too. His mom definitely rocks the house!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sherry,

Wow,your story touched my heart to overflowing. That is such an awesome story and I know you are so proud!!!

Happy Birthday Taylor

I hope you both have a wonderful, fabulous, fabulous, wonderful DAY.

Cindy

Anonymous said...

yay! what a great love story...

Retro Cafe' Art Gallery said...

Awww... what a sweet sweet story Sherry! How wonderful!
xoxo,
Kristin

Dede Warren said...

Happy Birthday to a very special, loved son!!

Congrats to you Sherry, on making the difference in the life of such a handsome, lucky boy!

Don Madden said...

I don't know about this "sweetie" thing. When I was 17 if my mom had called me "Sweetie" in front of my friends I probably would have had to join the Army the next day and hope to be shipped out immediately to Siberia. It is (or maybe just was) a guy thing. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Taylor! Make your Mom count the blog hits so you know how many people now know how old you are and what you look like. I'll be looking forward to some skateboard action shots.

Sherry Goodloe said...

Ohhhhhh Don, I hadn't thought about that! And I only actually call him "sweetie" in the privacy of our own home. None of his friends look at my blog, so I'm *safe* (hee hee). He didn't say anything about it when he read my post. But now that you mention it, he didn't seem all that excited about me posting the photos.

TEENAGERS! . . . gotta love em right?

That Girl Ang said...

All I can say is... WOW!

God bless!

Lisa said...

Happy Birthday Taylor. What a sweet post!!

Anonymous said...

He is SO handsome,and you are so lucky to have him! Happy Birthday, Taylor ( cool name, too!)

Art by Ronda Juniper Ray said...

What a lovely, touching story! Not only is he wise, he is handsome, and has the world's BEST MOM!

TiffanyJane said...

Oh Sherry!! Thank you for this post...I had no idea!!! Truly, the amazement of meeting wonderful people on the internet! Thank you, thank you, I needed to hear {read} this. I know that was an awesome day for you, to be handed a sweet little boy ~Taylor. Love the pics of you :) .....and what a handsome young man Taylor has grown in to!! Tell that good looking boy to keep baking as his wife will really love that one day!! My hubby cooks/bakes, and let me tell ya, there is nothing like a man in the kitchen!....they make the best husbands! Mine cooks, I clean :)
I know you are so proud of Taylor and I can only imagine the love he has for his sweet Mom :)
I love the pic with Taylor walking between yall with him looking back, soooo cute!
You are an inspiration, thank you :)
xo Tiff