Two Years Ago

Two years is all the time I have spent with Will. I can't really remember the days when we were a family of three. Maybe it is because the entire time we were a family of three, we knew that Will should have been home with us making it a family of four. The first time I saw Will's picture, I just felt this overwhelming feeling that he was one of us. He wasn't just some cute baby in a picture, or even a picture of a boy that would become my son. He was already one of us. During the adoption process, someone told me that it is really amazing how you somehow end up with the child that is meant to be yours. Regardless of where he was born or his genetic makeup, it is clear that Will was meant to be part of this family.



We got the name William from my side of the family, the Wylie's. It is my brother's name, my dad's name, my grandfather's name, and just about as many greats as you can add to grandfather's name on that side of the family. We couldn't have picked a better name. Just like all the other Williams in my family I know, he is stubborn, wants things his way, and marches to the beat of a different drum. (This of course is completely frustrating to me because I am the same way.) Just like my brother Willie, Will is quite the talker, friends with everyone, and his goofy laugh and smile sucks everyone in.

Two years later and he still has this exact same expression.


Will was 11 months old when we adopted him exactly two years ago today. He was still a baby in some senses, but he was also cruising around the furniture, able to crawl away from us, and able to mostly feed himself. Those are just a few of the factors that made it hard for me to bond with him. Add in the fact that we also had a 19 month old to take care of, and things have just never gone as smoothly with bonding as I had hoped. It might have taken two years, but Will and I have finally turned a corner. He will probably always be a daddy's boy, but that doesn't mean that Will and I don't have our own special bond - a bond that has certainly deepened these past couple months that we have gotten to spend some time alone together. I can always count on him to give me the biggest, tightest hug anytime I ask for one, and making my heart melt several times a day by spontaneously telling me that he loves me.



Having been there and done that before, I knew that there would be no fanfare at the US Embassy in Guatemala when our adoption was finalized. I don't even remember too much about it. I remember that we had to wait in line for a really long time before we got in the building and we ended up being the last family to be called that day, which meant lots and lots of waiting inside. I remember Will needed several diaper changes while we waited.

Mmm... Turkey


The most memorable part of Will becoming part of our family was when we were home at last, and our family of four was together. Our first day together was Thanksgiving 2007. My awesome friends surprised us by delivering an entire Thanksgiving dinner that day. No matter the day, no matter the holiday, no matter the frustration that Will inevitably gives me, I give thanks every day that I have the honor of being his mom.

Me and my Boys