As if one miracle wasn't enough...

On November 26, 2004, the day after Thanksgiving, we received a call from Nancy. We hadn't heard from the birth family in quite a while, so the call came out of the blue once again. She explained that Amy was again with child. Amy came to the phone; she was understandably emotional. She told us that she wanted us to have the baby because he and Ty would be siblings and they belonged together. This baby, like Ty, was conceived in love with the same man. This meant that our children would share not only the same birth story, but each other's genes as well. What a special gift!  John and I did not hesitate; it was an emphatic, heartfelt 'YES' for both of us.

We hung up the phone and began the unexpected, yet joyful task of calling our parents.  No one could believe the news.  How could this possibly be happening again?  Why would we be blessed twice in this miraculous way?  Once again, there was little time to ponder the beauty of it all. Ty was just 9 months old at that point and he was a handful!  Plus, we had to prepare ourselves for baby number two!

The reality that we were about to have TWO babies didn't take long to set in.  Ty would be just 14 months old when the new baby arrived.  Two kids in cribs, and diapers!  Two sets of bottles, binkies and blankies—oh my!  We began the process of moving Ty into his big boy room and we refreshed the nursery for our soon-to-be new addition.

Again, I attended doctor's visits with Amy.  This pregnancy was more difficult than the last.  It was hard watching her struggle, but as always she made light of the fact that she would have 9 months of sleepless nights, but I would have a lifetime of them!  I did not get to attend Amy's ultrasound appointment when she found out she was carrying a boy, but she called with the news while I was at work.  As with Ty, I was shocked by my own response—I was thrilled!  After all, I now knew what little boys were all about and having another would be a joy!  Not to mention the leg up we'd have on outfitting the new little man!  As I expected, John was delighted at the idea of another little boy as well.  He and Ty had a 'guy thing' going on their days at home together and Wil would be a welcome addition to the boy's club!

Wil Christian was due to be born via scheduled c-section on April 28th, 2005.  Although a scheduled time lacked the excitement of getting 'the call,' for planners like John and I, it was perfect.  We arrived at the hospital prepared for anything—or so we thought.  Wil was born just after 8:00 am as expected, but there was a problem and he needed to be admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  He was born with persistent pulmonary hypertension.  His blood pressure was high, which was leading to reduced levels of oxygen in the lungs.  Nancy came out to share the news and inform us that it would be some time before we could see him.  We were heartbroken, but knew that Wil was where he needed to be. Nancy showed us pictures of our newborn baby on her digital camera, but we felt disconnected.  We resigned ourselves to the hospital lobby and various waiting rooms throughout the hospital for the rest of the morning.

Later in the day, we finally had the opportunity to meet our baby.  We followed Nancy into the NICU.  As we past the beeping computers and tiny infants I was reminded of the seriousness of the situation.  Our son was in here somewhere and needed prayer.  We finally arrived at his crib.  He had an oxygen hood over his head and little tubes and wires hanging from his barely 5-hour-old body.  He looked sad and confused.  I wanted to touch him like only a mother can, but I was not allowed to at that point.  I touched the hard plastic incubator and hoped that he could feel my love.

Later that day, we traveled back into the NICU with Amy. Pointing at me, she told the nurses to take Wil out so that his mother could hold him.  She never failed to make me feel like a mom.  The nurse carefully placed Wil in my arms.  I reveled in our short time together.  I knew that our time would be limited, so I quickly tried to etch his little face in my memory.  He looked nothing like Ty.  His face was round and his skin fair.  He reminded me of a peach because he was covered from head to toe in fuzz!  Before too long, the nurse needed return Wil to his crib.  I felt like I was abandoning my son when he needed me most, but I didn't have a choice - he needed to get stronger. 

Five days later, on May 1st, he was finally strong enough to come home. Both John and I felt like we hadn't had the chance to really get to know Wil while in the hospital, so we were anxious to have him all to ourselves!  Shortly after we arrived home, I remembered looking around our house and feeling a sense of completeness.  In fourteen short months, we had gone from a couple with dreams to a dream family.  Just then the phone rang, it was Amy checking on Wil.

We chatted for a while and I assured her that Wil was doing well.  As we hung up, I thanked her for calling, but as always thank you did not seem like enough.  How do you thank the woman who has given you everything?  The woman who has changed the entire course of your life?  She gave me the gift of motherhood and for that I will be forever grateful. 

I think of Amy daily.  I think of the courage and strength she displayed in carefully choosing a loving home for her children.  I am reminded of her as I look into my boys' faces.  I see her dimples when Ty smiles; her sparkling blue eyes when Wil looks up at me, but mostly I see her spirit; it radiates in and around both of them.  Whether near or far, Amy will always be a big part of Ty and Wil's lives.  John and I will make sure of it.  We will ensure that they know how deeply her love for them runs and that no matter where life takes them, they will always have a guardian angel here on earth. How blessed can two boys be?