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!

Our Paper Profile

I can't believe October is more than half over! This is such a pretty time of year. The changing leaves are so pretty this year and I love all of the fall decorations and activities. Tomorrow Avery has her first Halloween party and we are hoping to go to our favorite pumpkin patch this weekend. Avery is going to be a witch for Halloween this year but now she has also talked herself into being scared of witches so it's going to be interesting.

This summer when we were on our big road trip our media consultant had emailed me a copy of our paper profile and I just remembered the other day that I had never looked at it full size, just on my phone. I thought I would share it here. We are working with an agency but we would still love it if you would share our blog and/or profile. You never know who knows someone who may be considering placing her baby for adoption. 

We continue to keep busy while we wait but not a day goes by that we don't wonder if today will be the day we get THE CALL. We had heard that we might expect to wait longer the second time so we are definitely learning patience. We also know that our wait hasn't really been that long yet and that we could be waiting for quite a bit longer.

You can click on the pictures below to see them bigger.

Keeping Busy While We Wait

Avery and I at the Arch at 10 PM.

 

It's been on my to-do list to do a blog update for quite a while and I know there are so many people thinking of us so I made it a priority to update today! Thank you for continuing to think of us during our wait these last few months!

 Avery at the hospital where she was born.

On June 13th our websites with our agency finally went "live." It's funny to see the 15 or so pictures they chose to use out of the 180 that we sent them but I guess they know what they're doing.  ;-) Our consultant has kept in touch with us every few weeks but basically all we are doing now is waiting. We can keep track of how many people view our profile online but that number doesn't necessarily mean anything - It could be potential birth mothers but it could also be other couples seeing what kind of pictures to send or checking out the competition.  :-) So, at this point we've been waiting just over 3 months, which seems like a long time on some days but we know in the grand scheme of things we could be waiting for a while longer.

 Maverick, Cora, Avery, and Lilla on the night we walked from Idaho to Oregon.

This summer was actually the first time since we began teaching that Shawn had a full 3 weeks off. Having summers off is definitely an attractive part of teaching but somehow we've always done summer school or had another job during the summer. We had wanted to take a cross country trip for about the last 5 years so we were excited that we could actually make it happen this summer. I had a new niece in Idaho that I was anxious to see and Shawn had a family reunion in Nebraska. Because of the dates of the reunion we ended up crossing Wyoming 3 times - good thing we thought it was beautiful!

 I got in some great baby snuggles with Myra.

 

Our first stop was in St. Louis. We spent 2 weeks here when we adopted Avery so she was anxious to see the city where she was born. We had started out after Shawn got out of work on Friday so we got in late and made it in to see the Arch just before they closed the gates. Shawn and I went up in the Arch when we met Avery's birth mother the week before she was born and then we went back with Avery when she was one week old. We also stopped early in the morning so that Avery could see the hospital where she was born. 

 Avery was sleeping so Shawn and I did a selfie when we got to Yellowstone.

We made it to Idaho and enjoyed a few fun filled day with Justin and Jill and their kiddos. Cora, Maverick and Avery were like 3 peas in a pod! From there we went to Yellowstone and then back to Nebraska for a few days for Shawn's family reunion. Our next stop was Las Vegas. We walked 6 miles in one evening to see everything there was to see on the Strip. Needless to say we were exhausted. Next we stopped at Hoover Dam and went on to Arizona to see our friend, Paul. We had a great evening with Paul and Erika! Next, we headed for Texas and boy, is that a big state! We loved San Antonio and definitely want to go back to spend more time. Our last destination was New Orleans. From there it was a short 8 hours home and we were never so glad to see Atlanta traffic as we were that day!  20 states in 19 days!

 Yellowstone

One of the prettiest places we stopped - Shell Creek Falls in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming.

 

Shawn went back to work the Monday after we got home. He is enjoying his 3rd year as Assistant Principal at Haynes Bridge. I started a new job on August 1st - in addition to teaching Biology online, I am training new teachers to teach online. It was an honor to be chosen for a leadership position in the organization that I love. The first few weeks were pretty overwhelming since I didn't quite know what my job was but 8 weeks later, it's still a lot of work but I'm loving it!

 Black Hills - South Dakota

Avery and I went to NY for a week in the beginning of August. It was great to spend some time with family and friends. Avery enjoyed spending so much time with her cousins that we don't get to see as often as we'd like. 

 San Antonio

 New Orleans

 Some of the cousins in NY.

 At the Pike Fair, where Avery had her first and possibly last ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

 My big girl in the airport.

 

Not a day goes by that we don't wonder if today will be the day we get "the call" but we are patiently waiting and know that it will come when the time is right. We had been wondering how and when to tell Avery's birth mother that we were adopting again and didn't know how she'd feel about it. We had decided we'd wait until we at least heard something. Yesterday I received a text from her that said, "Have you all thought about adopting another child? I was an only child & been praying that Avery wouldn't suffer the same. lol" Wow! We texted back and forth for a bit and she is so excited that Avery will be a big sister! Needless to say, I was relieved - one less thing to worry about! :-)

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers!