Bazzy Day

It's Bazzy Day!!! One of the absolute most incredible happy burst at the seems days in our lives. 

I remember it so vividly, even though it was almost 8 years ago. Wow.

Seven years ago today, we looked at this empty crib for hours while we were waiting for our son to be brought to the Marriott Hotel in Guatemala City where we would be able to finally have our son forever. We had visited him about 4 months before and had to hand him back to his foster mom along with a huge piece of our hearts before returning home. I also will never forget that feeling. Watching my baby boy drive away in a cab and not knowing when I was going to see him again. Still makes me cry. 

We were supposed to wait in our room to get "the call" around 9 am that our son was down in the lobby. Instead of getting that beautiful call, we got a call saying that they were running behind and had another family who's child had just arrived so it would probably be more like 11 before we got THE call. We had waited 8 agonizing months and that final two hours felt like years. Years. Kris paced inside the hotel room and tried to watch some tv. I couldn't relax so spent most of those hours standing out on the balcony overlooking Guatemala City and watching cars pulling in to the parking lot and wondering if one of them contained my little boy.

Finally the phone rang. We grabbed the gifts for his foster mom and ran to the elevator. 

I scanned the lobby and saw them and ran again. Then this happened. 

I will cherish this moment forever. Can't even help the tears while I type. It was like the delivery room in a hotel lobby. Getting to squeeze my son and knowing he was OURS. Forever ours through God. Amazing. 

We made a book with all the pictures of Sebastian that we had been given from our agency. Many of them had sweet Ophelia, his foster mom, in them. She was in her 70's when she cared for Baz. We will always love this woman and thank her for giving Sebastian all that we couldn't while he was away from us. 

 

She obviously loved him so much. 

 

 

She was so proud of his little teeth. Just like any mom or grandma would be.

She is always in our hearts.  We can't even imagine how hard it was for her heart to say goodbye to him. She had other children in her home she was caring for and we were very happy for that to know she wasn't truly going home with empty hands. 

After all the emotional goodbyes, we were beyond excited to bring him up to our room.

I didn't get many pictures cuz I just couldn't bare to put him down. I took off his clothes and gave him a bath. We changed him and hugged him and played and played. 

It really felt like he remembered us from 4 months ago. He looked at us like "finally you are here! I've been waiting." 

Daddy and Sebastian were so happy to be together. 

That smile is just priceless. 

We had to spend a few more days in Guatemala getting some final paperwork done, but mostly we just had fun with our boy. 

Ophelia was sweet enough to bring the bear we sent for him to the hotel so he could keep it. We had the 3 girls record saying "I love you Baz" on it and I love that we still have this for him. 

My friends had wrote on diapers for us to bring a long too, so I love this picture especially for that. It was so great getting to see these sweet messages from the people we love each time we changed our son. 

We finally accomplished all we needed and we were ready to head home. 

(Obviously Baz had had it with pictures by this point)

It was time to head home with the stacks of paperwork that we had worked so hard on and prayed so hard over so that this beautiful little miracle would be a part of our family. 

I don't have pictures right now of our airport arrival, but it was an experience all in itself. Many of you have heard the story :) but just know it involves a tornado and a husband who really really doesn't like to fly. We had lots of family and friends who braved the storm and welcomed us home with our son. 

We came home to lots of sweet signs. 

Made by friends from all over the US. 

And from Katryna, Sofia, and Mia.

I was a complete freak and wouldn't let anyone take down our Christmas tree until he came home. We had hoped he would be home in time to celebrate with us, but when he wasn't I just couldn't handle taking down the tree. So we hung some Guatemalan ornaments on it and owned it until the day our son walked through the door. 

Well worth it to be able to open his present with our whole family. 

 

We will always remember those first days and hold them in our hearts because we waited and prayed for those moments for too long. 

I'm often overwhelmed with how blessed we are to have a son so amazing as Sebastian. 

He is sweet, funny, creative, clever, active, and amazing. 

 

 

We love you Sebastian. You are proof that God is in control and He knows exactly what He is doing.

Happy Bazzy Day. Please feel free to eat lots and lots of snack to celebrate. ;)