It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Happy Holidays from the Keims!

The fall and holiday season is a family favorite! I love all things pumpkin spice and cozy while Shawn and Avery love all things Halloween. All three of us love everything Christmas! We certainly never thought we'd be celebrating our second Christmas while still in the waiting period. Whether they publish it or not, every couple that is waiting to adopt has little milestones - that day of the month that marks another month of waiting, Mother's Day, Father's Day, a special vacation you imagined you'd be bringing your baby along for, and the holidays. For this reason there are lots of articles with ideas on how to survive the wait during the holidays. I read a few of them but I didn't really feel like they applied to us. We know we are incredibly lucky that we have Avery and that helps keep us positive - we love experiencing the magic of the holidays through her eyes. We are hopeful that next year will be the year we are celebrating with Avery AND her baby brother or sister.

 Avery had a big part in decorating this year.

We've had lots of adventures since my post last month - we've gotten back into running and walking in a big way! I hadn't run since August when I got a steal on a pair of new sneakers, went for a 3 mile run and got giant blisters on both heels that took over a month to heal. We've had a little friendly competition with my mom and my sister-in-law, Jill, on Map My Run. Our favorite place to run and walk is on the Big Creek Greenway. They have a boardwalk through the forest and swamps and it's been so refreshing to get outside and in nature. Avery has been with us every step of the way and she runs between Shawn and I so she probably doubles our milage. So far, for December, we are over 50 miles and hoping to get in 60 before the end of the year.

Our favorite trail.

Hiking around Lake Lanier.

We definitely miss our families at the holidays so we are especially grateful to have friends who are like family right here in Georgia. We had a plentiful Thanksgiving dinner with about 30 friends and then we took off to Memphis for the weekend. We went to Shiloh Battlefield as an early birthday present for Shawn and then we spent the rest of the weekend in Memphis. We went to the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, Beale Street, Sun Studios, Graceland, and the biggest Bass Pro Shops in a pyramid. It was a fun little road trip. 

We have also enjoyed driving around looking at Christmas lights, the lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, watching Elf, and baking and decorating more cookies than we can ever eat. Tonight we plan to eat snack foods, watch A Christmas Story, and get to bed early so that Santa can come.

If you are friends with us on Facebook or have followed our journey for a while, you've probably seen Christmas Bear in our holiday photos. Some people have mentioned how freaky it is or that the kids are probably terrified by it. Here's the story of Christmas Bear: My mom has made no secret of the fact that she hates inflatables! One year after Christmas we saw this particular inflatable clearanced to 75% off so Shawn thought it would be fitting to send it to my mom as a joke for her February birthday. My mom promptly mailed Christmas Bear back to us and couldn't believe we had actually bought it and paid postage to send it to her. So, Shawn being Shawn, said ok, "We love Christmas, we're keeping it!" We have set it up every year and it has become a silly little tradition that we write where we are for Christmas that year and everyone who is together signs it. What started out as a joke has become kind of special to us and we love seeing where we were each year, who was together, and it jogs some memories as to what was happening in our life. That first year was 2007 - we were in the midst of fertility treatments and couldn't be too far from the hospital and my mom and dad came down to Charlotte for Christmas. 2008 - Just Shawn and I on Christmas morning but we flew out to my brother, Justin's, in Oregon later that day. Baby Maverick was just 6 weeks old so we got some first hand baby experiences with him. We were also in the process of signing on with Adoption Network Law Center because I remember using their computer to send some pictures to our adoption advisor. We were in Freedom, NY for 2009 and we were celebrating our first Christmas with Avery, our first Christmas as parents! We were in NY again for 2010 but at my sister, Katie's. 2011 - we were home, in Charlotte, for Christmas day and then went to Florida - where it was freezing! 2012 - back to Freedom. 2013 - in Georgia. 2014 - Freedom, NY. I'm not sure of the life span of inflatables but let's just say Christmas Bear is aging. He has a leak somewhere and isn't as robust as he used to be. I mentioned this to my mom, you know, the one who hates inflatables, and she said, "Oh you can't get rid of him! Can't you cut out the writing and put it on a quilt or something?!" So there you have it...a silly, precious tradition.

Friends helped us celebrate our first Christmas in Georgia.

Christmas with cousins in 2014.

Once again, there's not too much new on the adoption front. Our paper profile is currently in the hands of three expectant moms. Each of these ladies will have to make a choice. They might choose to parent or choose to make an adoption plan. We hope if they choose to make an adoption plan that one of these ladies will choose us. Our agency tracks the number of views on our online profile each month but that's not really an indicator of anything. We hope it is expectant mothers looking at our profile but it could also be other prospective adoptive couples, family members, basically anyone. Really the only important number is 1 - we just need one expectant mom to see something in us that she thinks might be worth pursuing, just one who wants to begin building a relationship with us. We hope she will see the love and stability we have to offer her child. 

We have been loving 70 degree days in December...and I still don't know where to look when taking a selfie. :-)

We are thankful every day for the choice Avery's birthmother made and we tell her that often. She and I text often and just this week she was telling me that she had mailed Avery a gift and then she added, "I'm so grateful she has you!" We in no way feel like we deserve Avery but we are ever so thankful and honored that she chose us. We look forward to building another unique relationship like that with the expectant mom who chooses us for this adoption. 

After having her face professionally painted twice in one day, Avery had new career aspirations.

I've done pretty good at not buying anything else for the baby until we are chosen. We have everything we need to be ready to go at a moment's notice but when I saw this canvas in a local boutique, I knew it belonged in our nursery. 

Thanks you friends for your continued support in 2015! Please continue to share our story and keep us in mind if you ever hear of someone considering adoption.

November is National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month so a blog post has been on my "to do" list for over a month. I told Shawn today that I hate writing again that we have no news but life does happen while we are waiting. I also know our friends and family want updates but are sometimes hesitant to ask. 

Scottsdale Farm

This is the "city" kind of pumpkin patch. Actually, it was perfect for a rainy day.

So although we don't have much to update you with on the adoption front, we do have a few life updates. In September we moved 10 miles north into a gorgeous 4 bedroom house. When we found this house we thought it was pretty close to our apartment but we've quickly learned that this is a completely different area with it's own little community feel. We live on a single street "subdivision" with 19 houses and we have what seems like to us, a giant backyard, complete with 4 pear trees and a fig tree. There are kids across the street and next door and Avery is loving it. The little boy next door is 5 and he and Avery hit it off the first day they met. One day a few weeks ago, she was in the backyard and he was in his backyard. The two of them talked to each other through the fence and the next thing we knew she was flying out the front door yelling, "I'm going to Keagan's!" 

We've had fun going to estate sales to find pieces, like this table, for our house.

Avery on the swingset that her daddy lovingly spent hours building.

Discovering we have a fig tree in the backyard.

Shawn also started a new job on October 16th. He had been looking for a while and was starting to get burned out on the daily grind of an assistant principal. He is now working for the Georgia Department of Education as a School Effectiveness Specialist. He has been shadowing his colleagues for a few weeks and it's been eye opening. They are working with schools that are in danger of being taken over by the state and their job is to work on strategies and plans to improve the schools and "get them off the list." It's been a huge adjustment, but in a good way. I was used to Shawn leaving at 7AM and not getting home until at least 6PM but now his office is at home and he does site visits to the schools and meets with his team about once a week. He also works from home most Fridays. It's been less than a month but I have a husband who is not stressed out and Avery has a daddy who is a lot more happy.

Friday field trip to Brasstown Bald - Highest Mt. in GA

When we moved in to our new house we hung our Adoption Fundraiser map right behind my desk so I can look at it everyday and dream about where our baby may be coming from. We've had several more generous donations to our fundraiser and we so appreciate everyone who is sticking with us, thinking of us and praying for our family during "the wait."

Friday field trip to Ponce City Market

So, let's see...on the adoption front...Our agent called us in September to ask if we would like to be presented to a potential birthmother who was due in January, gender unknown, no drugs, no alcohol, wanted an open adoption, from a state within a days driving distance, birthfather was not in the picture at all and lawyer fees would be potentially higher than average. To us this sounded too good to be true so we gave a resounding, "yes!" So for the next few days, we were hopeful but trying not to get our hopes up. That's a pretty impossible situation - of course we were hoping she would pick us, but...she didn't. That, my friends, is why they say the adoption journey is a roller coaster.

When we moved in to our new house, we had to update our homestudy. So that meant a visit from our social worker, Whitney. She has a daughter close to Avery's age so she totally knows what to talk to Avery about and Avery eats it up. Avery couldn't wait to give her the house tour and show off the future baby's room and of course her awesome bedroom that she thinks is bigger than the master bedroom.

Avery has a new smile!

Once we got her updated report we mailed that off to our agency. I called our agency to ask them to let us know when they got it and ended up asking a ton of questions that of course we didn't think to ask 18 months ago when we were eagerly jumping in to the process. I left that phone call feeling frustrated but also reassured that they are still working to promote us and show our profile. Believe me, when no one has chosen you for 18 months, you start questioning everything. We know that they can't make a match happen and that we have to trust that when it is the right time, we will "click" with the right birthmother. We are hoping and praying every day for a precious baby that needs a loving home. I'm pretty sure that when that happens, I'll be buying every item on Etsy that says, "Worth the wait."

Map Game Fundraiser Update

Last month we began our Map Game Fundraiser and it has been much more than just a fundraiser. If you missed the original post you can read about the Map Game here. It has been heartwarming to see the support for our adoption from our family, friends and acquaintances. At times we feel like this adoption is dragging on with no real end in sight and your response to our fundraiser has encouraged us and shown us that you are still thinking of us and praying for our family to grow.

Something that we didn't expect but have enjoyed the most about this fundraiser is the little stories or explanations as to why you chose a particular city as your guess. Many have chosen a city where they have family and have expressed that their family would be happy to help us while we are there. Others have chosen cities in neighboring states and expressed that they hoped we wouldn't have to travel too far. Still others explained their choice as a favorite college town or a city that would have a lot to keep us busy while we were waiting for approval to bring our baby home. We didn't ask for explanations with your guesses but they have been our favorite part and it's been so touching.

Avery has enjoyed helping me make the little map markers and then looking at where that city is in comparison to Atlanta. So far, most guesses are in the eastern US, a few in the Midwest and one in Arizona.

A few have asked about the duration of the fundraiser - we'll keep raising funds until we are matched. If you would still like to donate, here is the info from the original post:

For a $20 donation you can pick your place on the map; where do you think Baby Keim will be born?  The person(s) who choose(s) the birthplace (or closest to it) wins a prize (it probably won't be a new car, or anything, but...).  You can donate through the PayPal button on our blog (see the right sidebar), or if you prefer to send a check directly to us you can always do that. You DO NOT have to sign up for a PayPal account to donate through them. You can enter as a guest and use your own personal credit/debit card if you like. 
However you choose to donate, please be sure to include what city and state you think Baby Keim will be born in.  On PayPal, use the "Special Instructions" space to provide your geographic information.  If you decide to send a check, please go ahead and include a note with your geographic locations. 

We don't have any progress to report yet. Our case worker shared that our profile had been shown 10 times in June so we are hopefully that we will the family that an expectant mom is looking for. We also sent in 70 updated photos.

Thanks for your continued support and encouragement.

Guess Right, Win Big!: Adoption Fundraiser

Do you remember that map we used from our adoption announcement?  Well, it has been a constant reminder that Baby Keim is out there waiting for us. However, now we want to add something to it: YOU.  Many of you probably know Shawn and I love to play games so we decided to come up with one for our adoption, too.

For a $20 donation you can pick your place on the map; where do you think Baby Keim will be born?  The person(s) who choose(s) the birthplace (or closest to it) wins a prize (it probably won't be a new car, or anything, but...).  We have paid our agency fees and homestudy fees (twice) but we still have a lot ahead of us (travel, lawyers, social workers, hospital and birthmother support). We would love if you participated with us!

We are ready to add your pin to the map!

You can donate through the PayPal button on our blog (see the right sidebar), or if you prefer to send a check directly to us you can always do that. You DO NOT have to sign up for a PayPal account to donate through them. You can enter as a guest and use your own personal credit/debit card if you like. 

However you choose to donate, please be sure to include what city and state you think Baby Keim will be born in.  On PayPal, use the "Special Instructions" space to provide your geographic information.  If you decide to send a check, please go ahead and include a note with your geographic locations. We will continue to post updates and photos as our map fills up!

Carry On

Twins on the Beltline 

We don't have much to update on the adoption front but I thought I would post an update on our daily lives and put out a reminder that we are still waiting to be matched. We began the process of updating our homestudy in March. Our social worker came to visit and chat for an hour and that was a piece of cake, just like it was last year. Everything else involved with updating our homestudy was just as tedious as it was the year before - physicals, financial statements, letters from employers, 911 call clearance, child abuse clearance, separate sets of fingerprints for the FBI and the GBI. At least we didn't have to fill out the 20 page questionaire again. ;-) We are still confident that our agency is doing their job and we know that the right match will come along when the time is right, but that doesn't make the wait any easier. We knew this adoption may take longer than Avery's but we certainly never imagined we'd be without a match or a baby a year later.

House for Sale!

In other news, our house in Charlotte is on the market! We had the interior and exterior painted and it probably looks better than it did when we lived there. We loved that little house and the memories made while we lived there but when we went to visit a few weeks ago, we both left feeling like that chapter of our lives was truly finished and we feel so at home in Atlanta. We have loved apartment living these last 3 years (hello - 2 pools, a gym, and valet trash?) but we want a little more space. We aren't quite ready to buy but once our house sells we are hoping to rent a house close to where we live now with a little bit of a yard. 

Avery and Nana on Tybee Island

My mom came to visit over Shawn's spring break and we packed a ton into her short time here. She had never been to Savannah so we went to Savannah and Hilton Head along with hiking around here and a little shopping. 

Hiking along the Chattahoochie 

Shawn and I both finished our school year this past Friday! We both had good years but are looking forward to a little relaxation and refreshing over the summer. I will continue with my teacher training position over the summer and Shawn will work most of the summer with a 3 week break. We kicked off our summer with a quick trip to Charleston. We had fun on the beach on Sullivan's Island, exploring the USS Yorktown at Patriot's Point and walking around downtown. 

So grateful to be a Mommy!

Avery is almost finished with Kindergarten - she has one week left! It has been pretty amazing to see her learn to read this year. She follows along when we read to her and loves to point out when we skip a word - that's really fun! Hah! She loves reading the Berenstain Bear books and Shawn recently found the Bear family figures from 1987 Happy Meals on eBay. Avery loves reenacting all of the books. 

Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts as we continue to wait. We honestly don't mind people asking if there's been any progress. Once we are matched we may not broadcast it but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. In the meantime, if you'd like to share our story or out blog to help us spread the word we would appreciate it. You never know who knows someone who may be considering adoption.

We'll See What 2015 Holds for Us

It seems as though I haven't been the best blogger but there hasn't been much to update on the adoption front. We're still waiting! I'll update with what has filled our days during November, December and the first of January so that one day we can look back and see what we were doing while "waiting."

My mom and dad came down over Veteran's Day weekend. Mom, Avery and I climbed Sawnee Mt. and had a picnic while Dad and Shawn went antiquing. Dad brought his truck so he'd have room for purchases and Shawn said he mastered Atlanta traffic like a man on a mission! We spent some time downtown on Saturday and just happened upon the Veteran's day parade. We went to Centennial Park and had lunch in the CNN Center. Avery just adores her Nana and Papa and we think they're pretty special too!

When we moved we didn't keep much from when Avery was a baby because we didn't know if we'd ever have the privilege of another baby. I kept a small bag of things and once in a while Avery asks to get the bag down to play with the contents. Here she is rocking a pair of 0-3 month pants..hah...she wore them all afternoon!

Just two weeks later we made the haul to NY to see both sets of parents over Thanksgiving. For the first time ever, Shawn had a whole week off at Thanksgiving and we hadn't been home for Thanksgiving in 5 years so it was the perfect time. Avery got to see a little bit of snow, which she has decided she loves. We also went to the Museum of Play in Rochester and got to spend some time with Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother and Sister. We spent about 4 hours there and could have spent much longer. I, personally, was jealous of the mini Wegman's grocery store. We also got to celebrate Papa Dale's birthday with him! We had a wonderful holiday and made it safely home.

We had some gorgeous December day and Avery and I enjoyed taking walks and stopping at the neighborhood playgrounds. We also celebrated Shawn's birthday with a dinner at Texas Roadhouse and an evening seeing the lights and festivities at Lanier World. 

What were we thinking?! Just three weeks after Thanksgiving we headed back to NY for Christmas! Good thing Avery is a pro traveler and Shawn is a pro driver! On both trips we left Friday afternoon when Shawn got home from work and made it into Kentucky before spending the night. This helped make the long day of travel a little more bearable. Once again, Shawn did some antiquing with Dad and Mom, Avery and I did a little shopping, a little baking, and lots of chatting. We also went up to see Grandma Esther for a day. Avery loves admiring all of her pretty glassware...and dancing in front of her mirror. Katie, George, and their kids came on Christmas eve and Avery got in lots of cousin time. Avery idolizes Madeline and tries to copy her every move - fashion, dance, secret languages - and both Madeline and Oscar are so patient with her. Grant has her number and likes to tease her.  :-)

Loving the snow again!

Matching coats with Nana.

Mom and I

Me - n - Katie

Avery and Madeline

Excited kids!

We came home after Christmas and had a relaxing week here at home before school started back up again last Monday. We went to the zoo, the aquarium, and IKEA. We read lots of stories and Avery played with her new toys. 

I've been trying not to buy too much until we need it, but sometimes when you see something cute, you just have to have it...especially when it's 70% off! :-) So, if we happen to get a baby girl - she's going to need some cute headbands to go with her gender neutral clothing. :-)

As if I needed another hobby - I have begun sewing! I haven't sewed since home ec in 8th grade so I really have no clue what I'm doing but I'm learning and having fun! Whenever we do get a baby, he or she is going to be well equipped with burp cloths! I've also finished a blanket for a baby girl and I'm in the process of making one for a boy so we'll be all set! Avery thinks everything I make is amazing so I've made her 2 skirts, a blanket, and tiny sleeping bag for her Mickey Mouse. She'll probably look back when she's older and think the clothes I made for her were ridiculous but I'll enjoy her admiration for now.

Baby blankets and burp cloths! Who knew there were so many adorable fabrics?!

Our adoption liason keeps us updated with how many of our profiles she is sending out to expectant mothers each month. We know they are working hard to find a match for us but we really have peace in knowing that when it is the right match it will happen. Avery continues to ask when we'll get our baby and she's very anxious for that to happen. Today she drew a picture of our family that included a baby so that was pretty sweet. It also included a dog so she might be pushing her luck there.  :-)

Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts! We're excited to see what 2015 holds for us!