taylor's story

On January 27th, 2013, our daughter Taylor Grace was born. This is her story.

Landon and I were doing everything we could to find our child but nothing seemed to be working. On September 30th, we had a family prayer. In the prayer, Landon said that we had done everything we could do, and he prayed that God would do the rest.

Five days later, we got an e-mail from C.

We started e-mailing back and forth to get to know each other better. It's hard to describe, but there was an amazing connection. We had communicated with a lot of birth mothers, but talking with C was different. It just felt right. She told us she was coming to Utah in October and wanted to meet. We were thrilled! 

On October 10th, we got the best call possible from our caseworker. She said that C was seriously considering placing with us and wanted to put us on a soft hold! (That means we were temporarily taken off of our adoption agency's website, because things were moving along so well). I immediately hit my knees and wept. The gratitude I felt was indescribable. We thought that maybe, just maybe this would happen. 

On October 20th, we met with C, her mom, and brother for lunch. Everything felt so comfortable, so right. We left feeling it had gone perfectly. The next few days we were on pins and needles wondering if we would hear anything from her and if she would choose us.

On October 24th, I was in meetings for most of the day and left work late. When I checked my phone, I found several missed calls and voice mails from our caseworker. Talk about a panic attack! I called her back, and we planned to meet the next day at her office to go over paperwork.

October 25th, a day we will never forget. Landon was really excited and thought our caseworker was going to tell us we had been chosen. I refused to believe it. I'd been let down so many times. I was completely calm and had convinced myself that we weren't going to get any news from C.

Our caseworker brought us in and started talking paperwork (there's a lot of that in the adoption process). Then two office workers came in with a pink file folder. I was afraid to even hope that maybe our answer was inside. Landon opened it, and together we read the sweetest note from C. She had chosen us!!!

On November 23rd, we got together with C and her family. We spent the day playing Pictionary and seeing the lights at Temple Square. It was so much fun. We laughed and hung out like old friends. We left with the sweet assurance that C was carrying our child and with an overwhelming love for C and her family. 

We made plans to go to California for C's next ultrasound. I couldn't believe it. The opportunity to see our child in an ultrasound was a dream I'd given up years before. We were so excited!

Our trip to California was wonderful. C and her family took us to see the beautiful sights of California, and we had a blast. The highlight was getting to go with C to the ultrasound. We heard Taylor's little heartbeat and saw that she was perfectly healthy and right on schedule. It was impossible not to get emotional. We were so relieved and grateful.

We stayed in contact with C as we prepared for baby girl's arrival. On January 17th, we met with our caseworker, made plans for the hospital and went over some more paperwork. I asked a million questions. It was really important to me that everything went exactly how C wanted it to go at the hospital. I wanted to do whatever I could to make things go smoothly for her. 

We tried to keep ourselves busy as we waited for the due date to come. It was brutal. I became obsessed with to do lists. Every night we had a long list of random things to do that half of my brain knew weren't important and the other (more powerful) half didn't care. I just had to do SOMETHING.

On January 27th at 8:45 a.m., I was at home in my pajamas working on church stuff, and Landon was at church teaching mission prep when my phone rang. It was C's mom. C WAS IN LABOR!

PART TWO:

I immediately called Landon, he booked it home, and we spent the next hour in complete mayhem packing, loading the car, making frantic phone calls, and finally taking off. 

C's family kept us updated on how her labor was going as we drove. I was so excited and nervous! Landon had to keep reminding me to breathe. I was just so afraid something would go wrong. C pushed for an hour and a half, and then, at 2:22 p.m., TAYLOR WAS BORN!

At 6:30 p.m., we arrived at the hospital and met our daughter for the first time. It was surreal. She was so tiny and beautiful and perfect. I couldn't stop smiling. I just held her and soaked it all in. 

The next two days we visited C and Taylor in the hospital and were able to meet Taylor's birth dad. We are so grateful C invited us to be part of this wonderful time. The night before C was released from the hospital, we left her with a gift to remind her of Taylor and a letter from us. 

On January 29th, we met C's caseworker at 8:30 a.m. to sign the adoption paperwork. C planned to sign when she was discharged from the hospital later that day. We went back to the hotel and tried to get our mind off things - HA. We watched TV until we couldn't take it any longer; then we went to the mall across the street from the hospital so we could get there as soon as we got the call.

The caseworker called us as we were finishing lunch. She told us we could come and get our baby girl! Taylor was just yards away, and I couldn't get to her fast enough. 

The caseworker, nurse, and Taylor met us in the nursery. They gave us the official discharge information, and we finally left as a family of three. 

We went back to the hotel and just held our baby girl. It was just the three of us away from all responsibilities and deadlines, and it was wonderful.

We originally thought we would have to stay in California for 1.5-2 weeks, but our caseworkers expedited the paperwork. Just two days after placement, we were able to leave California and take our baby girl home!

I've dreamed of having a child for so long. I used to worry it couldn't be as incredible as I'd made it up to be in my mind, but it's so much better. We've never been happier. We've never been more grateful. Taylor is the light of our life, and we are forever grateful to our Heavenly Father and birth mother for making us parents.