Ava Mae

So...... I haven't forgotten Ava and how she came to be a part of our family. I couldn't forget her. She just wouldn't ever let you. :) Here's Ava's story......so far......

Dave and I knew that we wanted another child and were very happy with Amelia's adoption process. Amelia had brought so much to our family when we desperately needed it, so the decision to add another child to our family was easy. We knew we wanted to adopt from Guatemala, we knew we wanted Amelia to have a sister, and we thought we knew the timeframe to complete another adoption. The plan would be to start the adoption process for a second child in the winter of 2006. With this timeframe we were thinking we would have another baby in the summer of 2006. Andrew would be 7, Amelia would be almost 3. After adopting Amelia, I did keep my eyes and ears open regarding the adoption process through internet groups and websites dedicated to Guatemalan adoptions. At that time, there were many websites dedicated to children who needed homes. On October 10, 2005 (the anniversary of Jacob's death) I came across a website with a little girl's picture that for some reason (more than any other photo I had seen) I just had to know more about this little girl. I contacted the agency and was told that this child was placed with a family, but that there were other children who needed homes, so the agency sent me pictures of a little girl, just born a few days earlier on October 3rd. This is how we first came to know Ava. Her newborn photos showed this bright, quirky, personality full face. There was something about her. Dave and I decided that we would go ahead with the process to adopt Ava even though it was earlier than our anticipated timeframe. All the paperwork was updated and the process officially began in November of 2005. Well, come to find out that Ava's birthmother was born in El Salvador (that would delay our process), that our new agency was handling adoption paperwork for many, many, many families (that would delay our process), that the Guatemalan government was cracking down on adoptions and changing requirements (that would delay our process), but finally at a month shy of Ava turning 1 we were told we could pick up Ava in Guatemala. During this year, I became addicted to the computer - constantly looking for photos of Ava from our agency, information on Ava, or any other Guatemala news I could find. It was very difficult waiting for Ava - thinking she was growing up without us. I gained some sort of new courage to plead our adoption case with anyone who would listen.... the Guatemalan Ambassador to the U.S., the U.S. Government, the adoption agency, families waiting, anyone. Looking back I should be pleased that Ava came when she did because there was a lot of different paperwork being her mother wasn't Guatemalan - a lot of traveling from Guatemala to El Salvador. Things could have taken way longer, or the adoption could have stopped cold.

My mom and I went to pick up Ava. We were nervous to travel to Guatemala, but it turned out to be the greatest experience. The day we met Ava...we flew from D.C. to Miami to Guatemala City, arrived at the Guatemala City Marriott, checked in and went back to the lobby to check things out and ask something at the front desk. My mom walked around and came back quickly to say that she thought she saw Ava, so we made our way to her and her foster mothers. There she was, looking all of about 6 months old - tiny, but really just shy of 1 year old - playing with her foster mother's cell phone. We talked as much as we could with the language barrier. I won't ever forget Ava's huge laugh while playing with her foster mother. To this day, I've only heard that crazy laugh a few times. We asked the foster mother if Ava was easy going, they giggled and said she "had her moments". Within an hour or so the very distraught foster mothers left the hotel room to go home, leaving Ava with us - people she hadn't ever seen before. Luckily, Ava clung to me, but she was very, very upset and even went on a hunger strike for a good 24 hours. The next day, handling paperwork at the US Embassy, her personality started to peak out. This little frail petite girl did have this personality we saw in her newborn photos. Come to find out she was actually quite gregarious.

Ava came home September 27, 2006. We were all ecstatic, such a relief to have her here. Ava turned 1 six days later.

Today Ava, still tiny and the youngest, but is definately the boss of this house. She's 3, but sometimes it seems like she's really an 18 year old teenager. She wants to participate in the same big girl things Amelia does, but on the other hand, loves to be babied by any older girl who wants to baby her (there have been many instances where flocks of teenagers in swimming pools and other areas "adopt" Ava). Ava loves to play dress up and be a girlie girl, loves her Disney movies and tells us daily she wants to go to Disney. She loves her barbies. Her comfort toy that she carries many places is her bear (she calls goggie). Ava loves singing and can memorize my songs as well as her kids songs very quickly and has been doing this since she was about 18 months old. She says and does some funny things. Her first words were "OH, NO! - SHARK!" after seeing daddy watching Jaws on TV. She calls herself the "queen". The first day of pre-school she got a timeout for telling a classmate named Stephanie - her mom was stupid. Yikes! Don't know Stephanie or her mom..... While at church looking at the crucifix, she told us "Jesus just came out of the bathtub - his shorts are too wet". When Andrew "talks", Ava will come in and say, "Andrew's saying I love you Ava!".

Ava adds a spark to this house, and is a constant companion to a sister who acts like she could do without her, but we know that Ava and Amelia are best buds. Dave and I are the first to admit, that some days we just don't understand Ava, but feel extremely blessed to have our son and our girls who continually enrich our lives.