Look what I did!

another "passing the time" activity ---I took up knitting again and kinit this baby blanket!  I haven't held knitting needles since I was about 10 years old----so I found a yarn store, found a fantastic lady named Betsy who was VERY patient with me and re-introduced me to knitting and gave me the pattern to this blanket---and was on call when I needed her--like how to weave in the tails when changing colors, or how on earth do I bind off???? 
in the end, I'm very proud of myself and the end result of my new hobby!!!  dish cloths for everyone for Christmas this year!  ;)

Spring in North Carolina! it's garden time!

Trying to stay busy and eat healthy all at the same time----one of the easiest and most enjoyable things we've done this year!    Matthew's  been a busy guy building these raised beds--even though we have the land, the drainage is a killer and we lose more plants than survive, so we went mostly raised beds this year.  Here are some pix of our gardens----soon to be filled with tomatoes, peppers (5 types), cucumbers, squash, onions, potatoes, radishes, etc----also pix of our herb garden--I'm very proud of this because I have been totally "winging it" and it keeps coming back and I get to use all of these herbs in cooking! YUM!  Matthew enjoyed making the stepping stones with our neighbor David last year.   The other pix is a box filled with 3 types of lettuce--guess what we are having for dinner??!?

 Also, tonight as I went out to take these pictures---look what I saw slithering across our driveway! YIKES!!!! luckily a great neighbor came over after hearing me scream like a little girl and scooped him up and tranferred mr snake to the end of the road. The gorgeous flowering plant is a lenten rose given to me by a dear friend a few years ago and it is finally blooming--they take a few years to bloom and settle in---I thought I had killed it, and instead it rewarded me by the beautiful sight this year. 

Babymoon

We needed to get away..it is that simple.  Time to de-stress and go at whatever pace we wanted.  We've been so wound up jumping everytime the phone rings, crazy-eyed staring at construction projects to be done, a to-do list a mile long, it was time to get away before we drove each other crazy (ok, before I drove Matthew crazy).  So we headed to the mountains of Asheville, NC for the weekend.  For those that have never been, it is breathtakingly beautiful and as close to New England as we're going to get down here in the semi-south.  Asheville is known for being the home of the Biltmore Estate--the largest home in America with 250 rooms built by George Vanderbilt. 

While in Asheville, we did enjoy a wonderful gift of a FABULOUS brunch at world renown Grove Park Inn.  http://www.groveparkinn.com/Leisure/Dining/BRDR_Brunch/    Built in 1913, it has become a home away from home for many dignitaries and celebrities.  During the summers of 1935 and ’36, author F. Scott Fitzgerald resided in our Room 441. He’s just one of the American luminaries to have stayed here, a list that includes Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, George Gershwin, Thomas Edison, Eleanor Roosevelt and Henry Ford. Not to mention presidents — William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, George H. W. Bush, William J. Clinton and Barack H. Obama.  This list doesn't include the celebrities and famous golfers who have also stayed.

The view is FANTASTIC and the clean air demands relaxation as soon as you drive onto the grounds.  What we loved the most was the HUGE fireplaces.  Here we are in the Great Lobby. There are actually elevator shafts built into the back of these fireplaces to hide them to be discreet to the guests.  amazing.

Anyhoo, the weekend was amazing.  The weather was great---a bit chilly, but sunny so we didn't care.  We walked around the downtown area of Asheville for the day checking out all of the cool stores, art galleries, general store, etc. Never had so much great, inspired food in one weekend.  And it was just what the doctor ordered---rest, relaxation and away. perfect. Now we are refreshed and ready to go!

Now, if only Doris would call to tell us there is a baby waiting for us..................................

Getting practice putting things together

Trying to stay occupied while in waiting stage, I've been trying to not go overboard and buy everything for the nursery---it's hard to keep walking by a full nursery with no idea when it will be occupied----however, still need to be ready for "the call"....so we purchased the pack-n-play. Our thoughts are to have the baby in our bedroom for the first x # months anyway, so this was a necessary purchase (I have to rationalize things somehow!).  Here is Matthew putting this together.  What you don't see, is once it is all put together, we went to move it to the nursery AND IT WOULDN'T FIT THROUGH THE DOORS!  after catching our breath from laughing so hard, we semi-collapsed it. So, in preparation of parenthood, we are learning that the 15 minute tasks do often take MUCH longer than anticipated!

Far Away Friend comes to visit!

Luckily my friend Paula is a whiz at getting deals and utilizing frequent flyer miles!  So she came down for a weekend to visit from Boston before the baby.  I put her right to work because what are friends for but to help pick out lighting fixtures??? Plus, I knew Paula's great decorating sense, so we headed out and visited WAY too many lighting stores on a quest for new sconces we were having installed in our living room.  It was great to see and catch up with Paula while she was here.  I guess the good side of being a grown up is to be able to still see those friends in far away places.

Still Waiting!

I realized I haven't posted anything for a while---and it is only because nothing really new to update!  We are still waiting patiently for the phone to ring.  In the meantime, I've given Matthew a "honey do" list to get some projects completed around the house that needs to get done before the baby arrives! For instance, hanging new ceiling fan in nursery (check/done!), spreading the HUGE pile of mulch sitting in our driveway (we are both doing that --but mulch is like chinese food, you can keep spreading and shoveling, but the pile never seems to get any smaller!), paint the back hallway (ok, that is my task), get new lights installed, etc--you get the picture. 

Just wanted to let you know things are still good --we're still waiting---keep the prayers coming for the Birthmother!  Hopefully we will have news soon!

for all the world to see

Each step gets us a little  closer---I know we told you we were all set just waiting for the phone to ring---and that is true---but there are so many other steps that actually happen that we are learning as we go along....one is us being posted on the agency's website for potential birthmom's to preview.  Well, as of today, we are officially on the website.  I dropped off our profile books to the agency yesterday, got a reading list from Doris and DVD's to watch in preparation and NOW we just sit back and wait for the phone to ring--I don't think there are any other steps we need to do---if we do, we don't know what they are! 

We are trying to stay calm---and get our house to-do list complete because who knows when we will have the energy to paint rooms and do minor construction again?  I'm trying to get my address book squared away, and in the meantime solve world peace. (sarcasm). We have a really long to do list and who knows what will and will not get done?? but who cares????

so as we go into the holiday season, don't just pray for us, pray for the birthmother  that is carrying our child that she is safe, healthy and at peace with her decision to place her child with adoption.  Praying for her will lead her to us.

now just waiting for the phone to ring!

We had our final meeting/interview with the adoption agency Tuesday morning ---so we are now officially just waiting for the phone to ring to let us know we have a baby waiting for us or a mother who wants to meet us!!!!!!!!   Paperwork is complete, interviews are complete------and now the wait begins!  Wow! this is exciting!

We got new phones over the holiday weekend (a Thanksgiving/Buffalo tradition) and promptly assigned a new ring tone to the agency's # so we make SURE we know when they are calling and can drop everything when it happens.  hear what we chose here.   I'm sure I will be in some meeting with buyers one day when the Sesame Street Theme begins to play---but I can't WAIT to hear that tune!

While in Buffalo for Thanksgiving, Matthew's mom doted us with gifts--and the greatest gift ever is the rocking chair that she rocked all of her babies and grandbabies in and now wants us to rock our baby in---what an amazing gift!

Matthew and I also visited a few Buffalo locations that are true Buffalo----like the Sabres arena where the Buffalo Sabres Hockey team play and now our new baby will be ready to be an instant Sabres fan! 

One other Buffalo institution is the Anchor Bar--where Buffalo Wings were invented.   They have a cute gift shop where you can buy little stuffed Buffalo's with wings--so of course, our new baby HAS to have one of those! 

Grandpa

Many of you may know that my Dad has been battling cancer/Lymphoma this past year.  He has been in aggressive treatments all year and lots of praying going on too.  He has been a trooper during these treatments and my Mom too being right there at his side the whole journey.  Well, something worked, because he just got news that his body is CANCER FREE!  He had MRI and bone marrow tests and came back "clean as a whistle".  As you can imagine, we are thrilled to pieces.  And our soon-to-be baby will have healthy grandpa to play with and adore for many many years.  Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes.  We love you Dad.

Salem can't wait for baby either!

When it is quiet in the house, I get nervous---means the cats are up to something. So I went hunting for Salem--and look where I found him!!!!

our first baby gift!

Peggi works with 3 of the coolest ladies in the world--the Customer Service Team at Sabic Innovative Plastics Specialty Film and Sheet in Pittsfield, MA.  As the Lexan Sheet Specialist at Piedmont Plastics, my job is to be a liason between the two companies, so let's just say I talk with these women more than most family members!  They too have been following along on our adoption journey because they are like family.  Ironically, one of the women's husband graduated from University of Maine Orono and her daughter is hoping to attend there next fall so they have been visiting recently. On her most recent trip for Homecoming weekend, she picked up this adorable UMaine Bear and baby socks for our soon-to-be baby!!  I LOVE IT!!! 

Another Step Closer

Today we had our Home Study Home Visit where our Social Worker, Kim, comes to the house to make sure everything is "safe" to have a baby. And a good way to get the house cleaner than normal and those little things fixed that have been on "the list" for a while.  All smoke detectors working, fire extinguisher filled, etc.

She also emphasized again that we are under contract to not tell anyone when we are placed with a baby for 7 days.  This is the "legal risk" period of when the birthmother may change her mind.  It is also a chance for the baby to react and get comfortable with us as we will be strangers to him/her since he/she didn't hear our voices, etc during pregnancy.  It is going to be hard for me not to shout it to the world---but it is best for everyone and agency policy....so don't be offended when we delay in telling you!!! 

I think we passed the Home Study---next is to complete our Profile Book and Dear Birthmother Letter...meet with the Director of the agency and then WAIT for the phone to ring!!!!!!!!