2 1/2 Years Later...

Two and half years ago, Dave and I went to the state capital to have the paperwork for Emmy's adoption certified. It was such an exciting trip, just to know that it was another step toward becoming parents. We didn't know Emmy yet but we were excited. I was the most organized human on the planet. You would have had to beat me to a pulp before I would have let go of my binder with all the documents in it.













Well, now here we are again. This time we have a third paperwork-pro with us. She's actually not that helpful but it was very special to take these pictures again with Emmy by our sides. We hit the capital again for Round-2 Adoption Paperwork Certification. We want another child and Emmy wants to be a big sister.

We've always known we wanted two children. We didn't really start thinking about it until we were in China, with Emmy. It was such a great experience we decided that we would start the process again when the time was right.

After being home with Emmy for about a year we started talking about our options. Because of the expense involved with international adoption we also considered domestic adoption through the state. But we felt like our hearts were in China and decided that we would get moving when the time was right. When we met with our social worker for Emmy's 1-Year Post-Adoption follow-up, we started the steps toward #2.

Several months passed, the holidays included, and to be frank, I couldn't make myself get started. Dave, ever the understanding soul, told me not to worry about it - we would start when were supposed to. Because if we learned anything from Emmy, it's that the timing will be what it is supposed to be to get us to our child. Still, I wasn't "feeling it". There were practical concerns about the China program that weren't a good fit for us this time - the wait for a referral had grown from 7 months (after Log In) to almost 18 months. There were travel issues that before as childless people were of no concern, were now a major concern as parents.

But there was also the feeling. When we started researching programs in 2004 we were drawn to the Guatemalan Program. Then one day, driving down the road, I was overwhelmed with certainty that we were supposed to be in the China Program. Dave immediately agreed and the rest is, well, history! I wanted that feeling again. Some sort of shift inside that told us where our next child would be. It just wasn't happening so I kept procrastinating on the paperwork.

The first week of March I feeling kind of cruddy. Emmy was napping and I was sitting at my computer, blowing my nose and coughing. I went to our adoption agency's website and started clicking on all of the adoption programs. I looked at every country's page, including China's. Then I clicked on the Guatemalan program. I started to read and the tears came. Then I felt shaky. Then the phone rang and it was Dave. I told him I didn't know why, but I felt very emotional thinking about the Guatemalan program. He reminded me that we had hoped for "signs" and here was the first one.

That night we went to dinner at an Irish restaurant and in walks a family with a baby who definitely seemed to be from Guatemala. Later we were watching Jeopardy and one of the questions was about Guatemala and their flag was on the screen. Monday morning I had a full blown case of the flu but I left a message with our agency's Guatemalan program director to call me. When the phone rang, Sesame Street had just come on...it was the episode where the town Vet is leaving to go adopt a baby from Guatemala! The next day, Tuesday, while I was waiting for our social worker to call to get her opinion, Sesame Street was the episode where they come back with Guatemala with Baby Marco. On Wednesday, our social worker called. Sesame Street was on...and they were repeating the same episode from day before with baby Marco coming home from Guatemala. Okay, okay, we get it!

So just as we had known to switch from the Guatemala Program in 2004 to China, this time we are switching from the China Program to Guatemala. There are lots of other reasons, practical ones that have to be a part of our decision in addition to the "feeling". The wait for Guatemala is shorter than China (not necessarily by a lot because of lots changes in the program right now), the travel is much shorter in length of days in addition to a 5-hour flight as opposed to 17-hours.

We didn't want to leave Emmy for two weeks travel to China but didn't feel like taking her would be in any ones best interest, but 4-5 days for Guatemala we can handle (I think!). There are many things to consider with the Guatemalan program: The cost is higher than other adoption programs. There are issues with Hague treaty that make the future of Guatemalan adoptions unclear. We are hopeful that if there are any changes in the program that we have started early enough to be grandfathered into the old system.

We have decided to be hopeful that it will work out and also to believe that if it doesn't, it was just a step that leads us to our child, wherever he or she might be.

So here we go again!


Has parenthood changed our trip to the capital? Well parts of it were more fun. Parts of it were less fun (waiting in line). But the clearest example: Remember that binder that in 2004 I would have had surgically attached to my body if possible? Well in 2007, we were taking pictures of Emmy and I LEFT the binder on the capital steps and didn't even realize it until we walked all the way to the parking lot. Fortunately Dave can still run pretty fast and he retrieved it before it was moved. What will I be like with two kids?!