It's nearly 10 p.m. and I'm pooped. Both kids are asleep and went down themselves from exhaustion tonight. Still feels weird saying kids. Someone in the elevator told me yesterday that my kids are beautiful and I had to hesitate for a moment. For four years, I've been focused on one kid and it's a bit of a brain exercise to think in the plural now.
Speaking of elevators, the male incarnation of Eloise at the Plaza (a.k.a. Max at the Melia) did a very naughty thing today. While he was on Tom's watch, he escaped from our room and decided to ride the elevator by himself to the 3rd floor and back. The good news is he came right back and didn't get off on the third floor (where the outdoor pool is among other things) or go anywhere else. He loves to push elevator buttons and if he doesn't become an engineer, he may get a job as an elevator dude though he hates wearing hats.
I'm not entirely clear yet on the story and am even less clear on how Tom managed the situation but I do know that when I came back to the room, the first thing Max volunteered to me was that he had done a very terrible thing. He told me what he did and frankly, my first reaction was to laugh as it was all in the past tense and nothing bad happened. But I restrained myself and told him not to ever do it again. We've now taken to bolting the door closed but it's a matter of time before he figures that out too.
We took Molly for her first swim today. She was very brave and thankfully the water is warmer than Betty's pool. She didn't cry or scream and just seemed to take it all in. After 15 minutes, she was even kicking her feet a wee bit. We fall deeper in love with her every day and are charmed by her big smiles and giggles.
The Vietnamese are very kid friendly and love to touch and hold babies. There doesn't seem to be any negativity whatsoever about us foreigners adopting their babies. The doctor at the SOS clinic told me that he thinks that so long as everything is above board and clean, the Vietnamese people are glad the babies are being taken care of and given new opportunities.
We signed up for an overnight cruise on Halong Bay for Saturday night, figuring that there isn't any paperwork we will need to do in Hanoi over the weekend. We are very excited to get out of the city for a wee bit and I'm hoping that it's a little cooler there. If you're interested in where we are going, check out emeraude-cruises.com.
Tomorrow is our first interview with the U.S. Embassy. I pray all of our paperwork is approved and in excellent order. Please wish us luck because we need it. With any luck, we'll be heading home sometime next week - probably in the middle of the week. While it's tempting to explore some of Vietnam - like going to Sapa, Hue and HCMC - we both realize it's time to come home. Traveling in the equatorial heat with a four year old and a 4 month old is not heaps of fun. And I know we will come back to this area again some day to show Molly her native country, as we hope to do with Max and Korea. Though I'm kind of nervous about people not being nice to him after the indifference we encountered in Cambodia.
The highlight of my day today was buying a bunch of fresh lotuses. The woman, sporting the stereotypical conical hat, was going to charge me 500 dong (just over a quarter!!!!!) but I didn't have any dong so I gave her a dollar and she was beside herself.
Outside, the streets of Hanoi are busy and noisy with lots of cheering and shouting going on. Apparently, Vietnam won another game today in the Asia Cup so there's call for lots of celebration. At first, I thought perhaps there was revolution going on but we hardly have to worry about that anymore.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Magicians, dim sum and bridges
Today was a relatively quiet day. Sunday in Hanoi looks like no different than any other day to the tourist's eye except that most of the big hotels offer fabulous Sunday brunch deals.
Taking our cue from the Hanoi Guide (our bible) - written by the International Women's Club of Hanoi - we went to the Hanoi Horrison Hotel for brunch. The motivating factor was it is said to be one of the most kid friendly joints in town. And kid friendly it was.
Kids have their own buffet to eat at where they can choose from french fries, fish sticks (sort of), chicken drumsticks (wings with the meat pushed up), "hot dogs" which looked suspiciously like keilbasa to me and little sandwiches. In addition. the hotel restuarant has a magician perform at noon and a large room in the restaurant taped off just for kids and hotel provided babysitters. There was even a king sized bed for kids to jump on! Brilliant! What a great idea for our next birthday party.
Despite the Lion King playing on the video screen and the magicians balancing plastic tubs on their noses, Max opted for the video game on TV of a car racing scene. He pretty much sat glued to that the entire time, only giving up his seat to someone who had been patiently waiting next to him for some time. Max hung out with peers from all over the world, the first time in two weeks that he has been with people his own size. It's definitely the expat hang-out for folks with kids.
Meanwhile, Tom and I enjoyed the sumptuous buffet. My favorite dish these days is dim sum. We usually have it for breakfast everyday and I'm going to miss it when we head back. There was also this amazing Vietnamese salad that I would like to try to recreate: sliced cucumbers, onions, mango, pineapple, cilantro, sesame seeds and rice vinegar. It was so refreshing, especially in this dreadful heat.
Poor Little Peanut burst out into a heat rash today from being outside for less than an hour. She's never been exposed to a/c in her life til now and I think, unlike some of the other kids, she's adapted quite well.
After brunch, Tom and L.P. went back to the hotel for a nap - or so he hoped. Max and I went on an adventure to have some Mommy and Max time. No doubt our mission was the highlight of his entire trip: for all of 100,000 dong, we took a taxi cab through the city and across the Chuong Duong Bridge. The bridge, which traverses the mighty Red River, is one of two that we can see from the 19th floor of our hotel room. Its mere presence taunts Max daily. (That and the neighboring Long Bien Bridge which runs parallel to the Chuong Duong but doesn't take cars. Only pedestrians and motorbikes.) Max, who is sure to become an engineer one day, was in seventh heaven, jumping up and down in the taxi's backseat. His reaction was worth every penny of the $6 we spent.
The big news in the McCall household is that we have finally, yes, finally, decided on a name for our little princess. We are proud to introduce Molly Williams Brewster McCall. What do you think Annie? It's been a tough decision mostly because Max has been quite vociferous about Gopala. But after just recently seeing the movie "The Namesake," we just didn't have the heart to bestow a beautiful yet unusual name on our daughter. Molly was Tom's #1 choice, Williams is Joanie's maiden name and Brewster is a family name on the Moore side. So there you have it. It only took five days and then some.
Molly suits her just perfectly. She has been taking more and more formula every day which is encouraging. Still a great sleeper. She got up at 3:30 a.m., had a bottle and went back to sleep til 7:30. She's a gentle little lamb and she grows on our hearts more and more every day. From the moment we first met her, she has been a great gumless smiler but tonight, she was even giggling out loud. I thought that was quite something from a four month old. She loves tummy time and plays with one of two toys I brought for her. I don't think she's had this much stimulation her entire life.
Not to mention her big brother who still adores her. He swears she said his name yesterday but all Tom and I have heard so far is "ahhh, booo." Max is being a great sport though every now and then he's starting to push the boundaries. Nothing directed at his sister, more towards Tom and I, like when I ask him to lower his voice or be quiet when we're trying to put the baby to sleep. He automatically raises it to see what he can get away with. He hasn't had to bow to anyone in four years so why start now?
It's only 9 p.m. and we're pooped. Kimberly, congratulations on Benedict. What a great name and I'm so happy everything went well for your beautiful family. I've got a sweet girlfriend for him to play with when he's ready... Hugs to everyone. Thanks so much for your notes, blessings, advice and goodwill. We really appreciate it and hope to be home soon.
Taking our cue from the Hanoi Guide (our bible) - written by the International Women's Club of Hanoi - we went to the Hanoi Horrison Hotel for brunch. The motivating factor was it is said to be one of the most kid friendly joints in town. And kid friendly it was.
Kids have their own buffet to eat at where they can choose from french fries, fish sticks (sort of), chicken drumsticks (wings with the meat pushed up), "hot dogs" which looked suspiciously like keilbasa to me and little sandwiches. In addition. the hotel restuarant has a magician perform at noon and a large room in the restaurant taped off just for kids and hotel provided babysitters. There was even a king sized bed for kids to jump on! Brilliant! What a great idea for our next birthday party.
Despite the Lion King playing on the video screen and the magicians balancing plastic tubs on their noses, Max opted for the video game on TV of a car racing scene. He pretty much sat glued to that the entire time, only giving up his seat to someone who had been patiently waiting next to him for some time. Max hung out with peers from all over the world, the first time in two weeks that he has been with people his own size. It's definitely the expat hang-out for folks with kids.
Meanwhile, Tom and I enjoyed the sumptuous buffet. My favorite dish these days is dim sum. We usually have it for breakfast everyday and I'm going to miss it when we head back. There was also this amazing Vietnamese salad that I would like to try to recreate: sliced cucumbers, onions, mango, pineapple, cilantro, sesame seeds and rice vinegar. It was so refreshing, especially in this dreadful heat.
Poor Little Peanut burst out into a heat rash today from being outside for less than an hour. She's never been exposed to a/c in her life til now and I think, unlike some of the other kids, she's adapted quite well.
After brunch, Tom and L.P. went back to the hotel for a nap - or so he hoped. Max and I went on an adventure to have some Mommy and Max time. No doubt our mission was the highlight of his entire trip: for all of 100,000 dong, we took a taxi cab through the city and across the Chuong Duong Bridge. The bridge, which traverses the mighty Red River, is one of two that we can see from the 19th floor of our hotel room. Its mere presence taunts Max daily. (That and the neighboring Long Bien Bridge which runs parallel to the Chuong Duong but doesn't take cars. Only pedestrians and motorbikes.) Max, who is sure to become an engineer one day, was in seventh heaven, jumping up and down in the taxi's backseat. His reaction was worth every penny of the $6 we spent.
The big news in the McCall household is that we have finally, yes, finally, decided on a name for our little princess. We are proud to introduce Molly Williams Brewster McCall. What do you think Annie? It's been a tough decision mostly because Max has been quite vociferous about Gopala. But after just recently seeing the movie "The Namesake," we just didn't have the heart to bestow a beautiful yet unusual name on our daughter. Molly was Tom's #1 choice, Williams is Joanie's maiden name and Brewster is a family name on the Moore side. So there you have it. It only took five days and then some.
Molly suits her just perfectly. She has been taking more and more formula every day which is encouraging. Still a great sleeper. She got up at 3:30 a.m., had a bottle and went back to sleep til 7:30. She's a gentle little lamb and she grows on our hearts more and more every day. From the moment we first met her, she has been a great gumless smiler but tonight, she was even giggling out loud. I thought that was quite something from a four month old. She loves tummy time and plays with one of two toys I brought for her. I don't think she's had this much stimulation her entire life.
Not to mention her big brother who still adores her. He swears she said his name yesterday but all Tom and I have heard so far is "ahhh, booo." Max is being a great sport though every now and then he's starting to push the boundaries. Nothing directed at his sister, more towards Tom and I, like when I ask him to lower his voice or be quiet when we're trying to put the baby to sleep. He automatically raises it to see what he can get away with. He hasn't had to bow to anyone in four years so why start now?
It's only 9 p.m. and we're pooped. Kimberly, congratulations on Benedict. What a great name and I'm so happy everything went well for your beautiful family. I've got a sweet girlfriend for him to play with when he's ready... Hugs to everyone. Thanks so much for your notes, blessings, advice and goodwill. We really appreciate it and hope to be home soon.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
It's Saturday Night
Checking in with a brief (yes brief) update. Not much to report today. Tonight was the first night I left the hotel in two days! Our little princess is feeling out of sorts and absolutely does not want to be put down. Sort of like enforced bonding. I just wish I knew what exactly was bugging her so that we could fix it and make it better.
But hey, considering what she's gone through already in her short life, holding her is the least we can do as her new and forever parents. I think she was constipated this morning and just in so much pain. But I don't know. I'm not really a doctor and she can't talk so it's sort of hard to tell. What I do know is we can offer her comfort in this adjustment period. Not only does she have the upper resp. infection and ear problems, she's going through a huge change and I think she's really grieving which is something Max didn't do. She's a sensitive little one, somewhat frail and very vulnerable - sort of like a baby kitten. And she's really growing on all of us. We even have a name for her, almost. I have to confirm with Tom first though before announcing it to the world.
We had hoped to go to Halong Bay for the weekend as we don't have to be anywhere til Tuesday but three out of four on our team are feeling out of sorts. Max has had tummy cramps and diarrhea for two days and I seem to have joined him in the pain. I think Tom was frustrated with the lot of us but ultimately understands that this is mission for baby, not a travel adventure.
I've tried to put a new spin on hotel life as we wait for paperwork to be processed. This two-week (possibly more) time period is a great opportunity for our little family to bond and cocoon without the distractions of everyday life. Also, as an at-home-mom, how can I possibly complain about not having to cook dinner, go grocery shopping, do laundry, make the bed, change sheets and scrub toilets every day? Though the towels have an omnipresent mildew smell, it's going to be a rough re-immersion back into reality. I am grateful for the support we have here and this gentle time to reconfigure the balance of our family.
I have to say being here at the Melia with other families in the same shoes has been wonderful. We've established a little pod with some of the baby's crib sisters and their parents and it's been great to share the journey and fellowship with them. We share at least one meal together a day, if not more, and share heaps of tips on where to find a cheap laundromat, ginger ale and baby formula. We're forever bonded through the tears and sweat of that intensely emotional and hot day when we drove to Thai Nguyen to get our babies. Though it was four days ago, it seems like it's been weeks.
We genuinely care about each other's babies and are rooting for all of them to get healthy and thrive. It's a natural, unforced and unplanned bonding and I'm grateful we are at this hotel where there seems to be a parade of adoptive parents cruising around with their babies strapped on their chest in Baby Bjorns. Some are just arriving, others who have been here for weeks are relieved to finally be going home and then there are those of us who are midway through the process. Our collective presence is a comfort to each other.
See - I can be brief.
But hey, considering what she's gone through already in her short life, holding her is the least we can do as her new and forever parents. I think she was constipated this morning and just in so much pain. But I don't know. I'm not really a doctor and she can't talk so it's sort of hard to tell. What I do know is we can offer her comfort in this adjustment period. Not only does she have the upper resp. infection and ear problems, she's going through a huge change and I think she's really grieving which is something Max didn't do. She's a sensitive little one, somewhat frail and very vulnerable - sort of like a baby kitten. And she's really growing on all of us. We even have a name for her, almost. I have to confirm with Tom first though before announcing it to the world.
We had hoped to go to Halong Bay for the weekend as we don't have to be anywhere til Tuesday but three out of four on our team are feeling out of sorts. Max has had tummy cramps and diarrhea for two days and I seem to have joined him in the pain. I think Tom was frustrated with the lot of us but ultimately understands that this is mission for baby, not a travel adventure.
I've tried to put a new spin on hotel life as we wait for paperwork to be processed. This two-week (possibly more) time period is a great opportunity for our little family to bond and cocoon without the distractions of everyday life. Also, as an at-home-mom, how can I possibly complain about not having to cook dinner, go grocery shopping, do laundry, make the bed, change sheets and scrub toilets every day? Though the towels have an omnipresent mildew smell, it's going to be a rough re-immersion back into reality. I am grateful for the support we have here and this gentle time to reconfigure the balance of our family.
I have to say being here at the Melia with other families in the same shoes has been wonderful. We've established a little pod with some of the baby's crib sisters and their parents and it's been great to share the journey and fellowship with them. We share at least one meal together a day, if not more, and share heaps of tips on where to find a cheap laundromat, ginger ale and baby formula. We're forever bonded through the tears and sweat of that intensely emotional and hot day when we drove to Thai Nguyen to get our babies. Though it was four days ago, it seems like it's been weeks.
We genuinely care about each other's babies and are rooting for all of them to get healthy and thrive. It's a natural, unforced and unplanned bonding and I'm grateful we are at this hotel where there seems to be a parade of adoptive parents cruising around with their babies strapped on their chest in Baby Bjorns. Some are just arriving, others who have been here for weeks are relieved to finally be going home and then there are those of us who are midway through the process. Our collective presence is a comfort to each other.
See - I can be brief.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Pushing pause
Just a short update to check in.
We're in pause mode, again, til Tuesday afternoon. We're supposed to have our first interview with the U.S. Embassy then at 1:30. And it's Friday. So we officially have several days off. Not sure why we couldn't get it sooner - like today would have been a very efficient use of time but whatever.
There's talk of a possible trip up to Halong Bay which we would love to see. It's one of the seven wonders of the world and looks just so beautiful in photos - enormous limestone formations rising up out of emerald green waters. One is even said to resemble Charles de Gaulle's nose! We may do a day trip, an overnight on a boat or a night or two in a hotel, depending on how things reveal themselves. I'm hoping it's cooler along the coast than it is here in the city.
I'd like to wait a day to see how the baby is feeling. She seems to be on the mend but still feeling out of sorts with the upper respiratory tract infection. We're still getting to know each other and acclimate to each other's rhythm's. She is by and large a peaceful and gentle soul, blessing us with another full night's sleep again last night!! For the most part, she eats, naps and has a little playtime in between. She's teaching us her schedule quickly and as all parents know, little ones don't like breaking the predicatability of their routines.
I keep watching to see if Max's enthusiasm will shift and so far, he remains excited, interested and protective. Today he read her Caps for Sale and Ping. He got a little upset when she wouldn't look at the pictures but I explained to him that she likes hearing the story and his voice.
The big news in her life is that she took her first poop today! She hadn't pooped once since she landed in our arms two days ago so that was a relief. Talk of BM's may sound rather trivial dear reader but amongst us parents, it's a big deal. Word has it these babies tend to get constipated so happy bowels are a good thing.
Annie, I wish you were here with us! You could add some life to this rather "Lost in Translation" chapter of our lives. However, I have had so much fun meeting people from all over the world - without ever leaving our hotel. Last night, I had a wonderful conversation with a political science professor who teaches in Canada. We had a fascinating conversation about the recent history of the Indochina peninsula, noting that the Vietnam War (or The American War, as it is referred to here) could have been avoided after World War II. According to this guy, our alliance with the French prevented us from connecting with the Vietnamese at their invitation. Apparently they wanted to emulate our governmental system and had far more interest in that then following the Communist regime. Interesting food for thought.
This morning, dining next to our breakfast table, was a spunky Chinese couple who lives in Queensland, Australia. They sell souvenirs of kangaroos etc. (all made in China of course) and are on holiday. They had zillions of questions about the baby and our adoption and both insisted on holding her so we could eat. My Sagittarian spirit loves being reminded that there are more people in the world than just us sheltered Americans who so easily get myopic in view of the rest of the world. Sometimes I think we think we are the only people on the planet. But we're not. There are people everywhere - millions and millions of them, doing things everyday that aren't that unlike what we do.
Yesterday, for example, I went to get some baby supplies. I forgot wipes and needed to get some formula (same stuff she was drinking in the orphanage so as not to introduce too much change at once.) Taking the recommendation from the authors of luc and maisie's blog, I headed out to the Vinaconax super market. It's on the fourth floor of an indoor mall and has everything. Looking for cheap souvenirs? Tea? Coffee? Tweezers? They had just about everything except ginger ale, which is what I miss most here in Hanoi. Even Cambodia had it.
So, anyway, this indoor mall just blew me away. Here we are in Hanoi with four floors of indoor mall (a lovely respite from the heat) and guess what the people were doing? The same thing they do when they are perambulating around the Annapolis Mall. Shopping, chatting, wandering. Buying lots of electronic goods and cheap clothing. I thought I'd see a Gap and Starbuck's at any moment around the corner, but I didn't. Not yet. And they say this is a Communist country. It's hard, on most days, to see how or where.
We're in pause mode, again, til Tuesday afternoon. We're supposed to have our first interview with the U.S. Embassy then at 1:30. And it's Friday. So we officially have several days off. Not sure why we couldn't get it sooner - like today would have been a very efficient use of time but whatever.
There's talk of a possible trip up to Halong Bay which we would love to see. It's one of the seven wonders of the world and looks just so beautiful in photos - enormous limestone formations rising up out of emerald green waters. One is even said to resemble Charles de Gaulle's nose! We may do a day trip, an overnight on a boat or a night or two in a hotel, depending on how things reveal themselves. I'm hoping it's cooler along the coast than it is here in the city.
I'd like to wait a day to see how the baby is feeling. She seems to be on the mend but still feeling out of sorts with the upper respiratory tract infection. We're still getting to know each other and acclimate to each other's rhythm's. She is by and large a peaceful and gentle soul, blessing us with another full night's sleep again last night!! For the most part, she eats, naps and has a little playtime in between. She's teaching us her schedule quickly and as all parents know, little ones don't like breaking the predicatability of their routines.
I keep watching to see if Max's enthusiasm will shift and so far, he remains excited, interested and protective. Today he read her Caps for Sale and Ping. He got a little upset when she wouldn't look at the pictures but I explained to him that she likes hearing the story and his voice.
The big news in her life is that she took her first poop today! She hadn't pooped once since she landed in our arms two days ago so that was a relief. Talk of BM's may sound rather trivial dear reader but amongst us parents, it's a big deal. Word has it these babies tend to get constipated so happy bowels are a good thing.
Annie, I wish you were here with us! You could add some life to this rather "Lost in Translation" chapter of our lives. However, I have had so much fun meeting people from all over the world - without ever leaving our hotel. Last night, I had a wonderful conversation with a political science professor who teaches in Canada. We had a fascinating conversation about the recent history of the Indochina peninsula, noting that the Vietnam War (or The American War, as it is referred to here) could have been avoided after World War II. According to this guy, our alliance with the French prevented us from connecting with the Vietnamese at their invitation. Apparently they wanted to emulate our governmental system and had far more interest in that then following the Communist regime. Interesting food for thought.
This morning, dining next to our breakfast table, was a spunky Chinese couple who lives in Queensland, Australia. They sell souvenirs of kangaroos etc. (all made in China of course) and are on holiday. They had zillions of questions about the baby and our adoption and both insisted on holding her so we could eat. My Sagittarian spirit loves being reminded that there are more people in the world than just us sheltered Americans who so easily get myopic in view of the rest of the world. Sometimes I think we think we are the only people on the planet. But we're not. There are people everywhere - millions and millions of them, doing things everyday that aren't that unlike what we do.
Yesterday, for example, I went to get some baby supplies. I forgot wipes and needed to get some formula (same stuff she was drinking in the orphanage so as not to introduce too much change at once.) Taking the recommendation from the authors of luc and maisie's blog, I headed out to the Vinaconax super market. It's on the fourth floor of an indoor mall and has everything. Looking for cheap souvenirs? Tea? Coffee? Tweezers? They had just about everything except ginger ale, which is what I miss most here in Hanoi. Even Cambodia had it.
So, anyway, this indoor mall just blew me away. Here we are in Hanoi with four floors of indoor mall (a lovely respite from the heat) and guess what the people were doing? The same thing they do when they are perambulating around the Annapolis Mall. Shopping, chatting, wandering. Buying lots of electronic goods and cheap clothing. I thought I'd see a Gap and Starbuck's at any moment around the corner, but I didn't. Not yet. And they say this is a Communist country. It's hard, on most days, to see how or where.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
House Arrest
Okay, well not really. It just feels that way. Today seemed like a long day of waiting in that huge abyss of vagueness. Maybe go to police station today if papers get notarized. Maybe not. Apparently we got in too late last night to get them notarized in time to fill our passport applications for the babies this morning. But alas, the Dads went today to get them while the Moms stayed at home with the babies. Except for the three courageous single parent Moms who went as well.
So, at times it feels like we are hotel bound and can't leave because we're waiting for the phone call to tell us what the next step is. And of course we don't want to miss the phone call b/c then it might mean spending more time in Vietnam than we need or want to. As the baby's passport gets processed, which should allegedly be done in a week, we request interviews with the U.S. Embassy to get permission for the baby to have a visa to go the U.S. That may take two weeks. I'm not sure why some of that paperwork can't be done in advance but I hear that papers have to be sent to Ho Chi Minh City, then back to Hanoi and blah blah blah. It doesn't really matter if we understand it or not. Just as long as we show up when we're supposed to and the WC staff keeps us vaguely apprised. We - as in the community of fellow adopting parents that is forming - seem to find out more information from each other in passing than from the staff themselves. There are holes in the communication system but again, we must keep our focus on the trees, not the leaves.
Yesterday was a blast. Crazy. Unbelievably hot. Chaotic, etc. But before I launch into the details of our G&R (which we finally had around 3:30 - 4 pm), I want to tell you about our precious little daughter and meeting her. And before I do that, I want to let you know what Max said on the bus ride north to go get the babies.
Out of the blue, Max told me "I just can't wait to get our baby Mommy! I want to put her in your arms and let her stay there because I know you will love her so much." Like, someone couldn't have said the more perfect thing at that moment. Where he comes up with this stuff I have no idea but after that toast of sorts and the excitement of going over a very long bridge across the Red River Delta, he shape-shifted back into a four year old and slept for the remainder of the 2 hour horrific journey. (Our busdriver was horrible - nearly wiping out dozens of motorbikes and colliding with various large trucks head on along the way.) Just as well Max slept.
He woke up as soon as we pulled into the rather grotty looking social welfare center for Thai Nguyen province. Apparently, there are 20 babies living there (well, not after the deluge of American and Irish parents yesterday but anyway...) as well as the handicapped, elderly and mentally ill. Rather odd.
Max instantly woke up and said "I want our baby. Let's go get her." We were quickly ushered into a small waiting room that was already crammed with about six couples from Ireland who were also picking up their babies as well. All of our little girl's cribmates. Apparently, they rotate the babies around in different cribs so, for these fellow adoptees are the only family they've know for in their short lives.
I had to go to the bathroom as did some of the other parents (there were seven American families from World Child yesterday on the bus.) When I approached the waiting room, I heard Tom yelling for me to get in there quick. He already had Thi Nguyen Hoan (her Vietnamese name) in his arms. He had both Max and the baby amidst a frenzy of excited parents, sedate nannies and the WC staff consisting of Candy and Kenny who were troopers trying to translate all of our questions and the caretakers' responses.
Max immediately fell in love with his little sister. He just couldn't keep his hands off of her in the sweetest and most tender of ways. He loves being a big brothers and is a great helper. He can't get enough of her and just wants to be around her all the time. He gives us constant status reports on what's she is doing and wants to sit next to whoever has the baby in their arms. It's so sweet.
Christine, I will never forget you telling me that the love shared between siblings is so special and what fun it is to watch their relationship blossom. I totally felt that yesterday, even so early in our bonding experience. Max adores her and she follows him everywhere with her eyes. They even "played" cars together on our bed tonite, with Max showing her all of his cars and she, quite on cue, would blow raspberries as if she were making car noises with him. (BTW, our baby is wearing Adison's pink Peter Rabbit jammies today!) She looks so cute in them so thanks for the loan.
I'm more in love with Max than ever and it seems like overnight he has suddenly become such a big boy. He wants to help feed the baby, hold the baby, play with the baby. He even offered tonight to wear the Baby Bjorn to dinner as Tom and I jockeyed for the privilege.
And the baby. She's a cutie pie. Very sweet and mellow. She has a quite little cry and a sweet demeanor. And she's small!!! Like, I brought clothes that are way too big for her. So much for being a clotheshorse. Thank god I brought some younger sized clothes at the last minute. She has great eye contact and immediately started smiling when I had her in my arms. (Same as with Max which I considered to be such a good sign.) But this little girl is a real smiler. She has a big toothless, gummy grin and hardly any hair on her head. Last night, thank god, she slept from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.!!!! And Tom happily did the morning bottle. I hope that wasn't just beginner's luck.
The poor little thing though isn't feeling well. Like many of the other parents, I took her to the SOS clinic this morning for a check-up. Every baby on the bus coming back to Hanoi last night was coughing, sneezing, wheezing etc. Not the healthiest lot but a little anti-biotics and a lot of love will have them back on their feet in no time.
Turns out our little one has an upper respiratory infection (not her first based on her medical records) and is heading towards an ear infection. So, we put her on zythromax today with high hopes that she'll be feeling more comfortable soon. I maintain that if this is how these babies are doing when they aren't feeling well, then we're doing ok.
In case you didn't notice yet (though I know my sister Annie has) we haven't settled on a name yet. We're still in discernment and the list is getting narrowed down. Max insists on calling her Gopala and that's what we call her amongst ourselves but her proper name hasn't revealed itself yet. I had a funny moment in the elevator today when I met an Indian family from New Delhi. I told them we just adopted a Vietnamese baby and that my son wanted to name her Gopala. The father of the family was most impressed and curious at the same time. "Why? How do you know who Gopala is?" His wife muttered something in disdain about us being Hari Krishnas.
Oh one other funny moment I had was yesterday morning at breakfast. Our hotel seems to be full of businessmen and parents adopting Vietnamese babies. Baby Bjorns and strollers are everywhere and we're pretty obvious to each other who we are. I met one man who was carrying his beautiful daughter in a Baby Bjorn and told him that we were adopting our daughter today. He took one look at Max and said "Oh, you must be Gopala." I was taken aback, caught fully off guard, and then he said he's been reading my blog. What are the chances??
We hope our little peanut starts to feel better and I'd be really excited if she maintains that kind of sleep schedule. She has a cute little whimper - like she's not allowed to cry but just wants to get a few squeaks in. I can't believe we finally have her after all this waiting. And much to my surprise, I have been cool as a cucumber for about 96% of the time. You know that feeling when you're doing something you're supposed to be doing and it all just clicks, as if in a divine flow? Well, that's just how this is. We are clearly being held and guided by angels on this trip. I've felt their presence more than once and bow to them in gratitude for their help.
I did have a few minutes of butterflies in my stomach yesterday morning as we were all just waiting, waiting and waiting for 12:40 to arrive. Thankfully, Tom let me fly for an hour or so to go shopping. Shopping therapy really calms the nerves and kept me focused on something other than my anxiety. By the way, anyone who wants to go shopping while they're in Hanoi for very nice quality items, I've got some great sources to share. There's a lot of redundant crap out there and I've luckily sleuthed out some fabulous finds as I try to get my Christmas shopping done. I should be a "buyer." Maybe in my next life.
And just a few notes on the baby hand-off and G&R. It's not as if this trip isn't already surreal enough so to add to the existentialness of it all, we have days like yesterday. We were so not in control of anything (though I did yell at the bus driver to slow down and drive more carefully with the babies onboard --- for somethings you just don't a translator) and were completely going with the flow as soon as our feet touched the bus. Like I said before, the baby hand-off happened so fast. The gift giving was even crazier. Apparently there isn't one caretaker who takes care of just one baby b/c several seemed to dote on our little girl. When I asked who I should give the thank you gift to, one took it and said she would share it with the others. The gifts disappeared in a flurry so there wasn't a chance to personally give gifts. I even met the little boy we are sponsoring in the orphanage, Le Van Van. I recognized him from the photo that was sent to us and I wanted to present him with the gifts I had for him but the presents were already gone when I got back to the room. All that stress about worrying what to get for whom and it all gets lumped together with no sense of personality attached to it. My advice to fellow adopting parents: don't stress too much about it.
After the baby circus of Christmas morning, we were paraded to the Justice Department for the province for the official proceedings. I would like to say that the day held great momentous meaning for us all but a) we were so hot, sweat literally soaking all of our clothes everywhere!, b) we were more excited about connecting with our babies and c) it seemed very official but also very rote. We signed some papers, the head officer came in and gave us a speech about how the babies are now ares and someone in our group, gave a speech thanking the officials for the babies, promising we would take good care of them and bring them back to Vietnam to see their country one day. Under the statue of the everpresent Ho Chi Minh and the Communist flag, the ceremony seemed more official than heartfelt. But whatever. It didn't matter. Everyone was just anxious to get back on the air conditioned bus and head back to Hanoi. Now the rest is in the U.S. government's hands.
Well, family and friends, I've got to sign off. I'm pooped out and everyone else is asleep but me. I'm so tired I'm not even going to check ebay or read my email which says a lot for me. With the last two ounces of energy I have left, I'd like to read my homeopathic book to see how I can help this little sweet pea of a daughter of mine.
So, at times it feels like we are hotel bound and can't leave because we're waiting for the phone call to tell us what the next step is. And of course we don't want to miss the phone call b/c then it might mean spending more time in Vietnam than we need or want to. As the baby's passport gets processed, which should allegedly be done in a week, we request interviews with the U.S. Embassy to get permission for the baby to have a visa to go the U.S. That may take two weeks. I'm not sure why some of that paperwork can't be done in advance but I hear that papers have to be sent to Ho Chi Minh City, then back to Hanoi and blah blah blah. It doesn't really matter if we understand it or not. Just as long as we show up when we're supposed to and the WC staff keeps us vaguely apprised. We - as in the community of fellow adopting parents that is forming - seem to find out more information from each other in passing than from the staff themselves. There are holes in the communication system but again, we must keep our focus on the trees, not the leaves.
Yesterday was a blast. Crazy. Unbelievably hot. Chaotic, etc. But before I launch into the details of our G&R (which we finally had around 3:30 - 4 pm), I want to tell you about our precious little daughter and meeting her. And before I do that, I want to let you know what Max said on the bus ride north to go get the babies.
Out of the blue, Max told me "I just can't wait to get our baby Mommy! I want to put her in your arms and let her stay there because I know you will love her so much." Like, someone couldn't have said the more perfect thing at that moment. Where he comes up with this stuff I have no idea but after that toast of sorts and the excitement of going over a very long bridge across the Red River Delta, he shape-shifted back into a four year old and slept for the remainder of the 2 hour horrific journey. (Our busdriver was horrible - nearly wiping out dozens of motorbikes and colliding with various large trucks head on along the way.) Just as well Max slept.
He woke up as soon as we pulled into the rather grotty looking social welfare center for Thai Nguyen province. Apparently, there are 20 babies living there (well, not after the deluge of American and Irish parents yesterday but anyway...) as well as the handicapped, elderly and mentally ill. Rather odd.
Max instantly woke up and said "I want our baby. Let's go get her." We were quickly ushered into a small waiting room that was already crammed with about six couples from Ireland who were also picking up their babies as well. All of our little girl's cribmates. Apparently, they rotate the babies around in different cribs so, for these fellow adoptees are the only family they've know for in their short lives.
I had to go to the bathroom as did some of the other parents (there were seven American families from World Child yesterday on the bus.) When I approached the waiting room, I heard Tom yelling for me to get in there quick. He already had Thi Nguyen Hoan (her Vietnamese name) in his arms. He had both Max and the baby amidst a frenzy of excited parents, sedate nannies and the WC staff consisting of Candy and Kenny who were troopers trying to translate all of our questions and the caretakers' responses.
Max immediately fell in love with his little sister. He just couldn't keep his hands off of her in the sweetest and most tender of ways. He loves being a big brothers and is a great helper. He can't get enough of her and just wants to be around her all the time. He gives us constant status reports on what's she is doing and wants to sit next to whoever has the baby in their arms. It's so sweet.
Christine, I will never forget you telling me that the love shared between siblings is so special and what fun it is to watch their relationship blossom. I totally felt that yesterday, even so early in our bonding experience. Max adores her and she follows him everywhere with her eyes. They even "played" cars together on our bed tonite, with Max showing her all of his cars and she, quite on cue, would blow raspberries as if she were making car noises with him. (BTW, our baby is wearing Adison's pink Peter Rabbit jammies today!) She looks so cute in them so thanks for the loan.
I'm more in love with Max than ever and it seems like overnight he has suddenly become such a big boy. He wants to help feed the baby, hold the baby, play with the baby. He even offered tonight to wear the Baby Bjorn to dinner as Tom and I jockeyed for the privilege.
And the baby. She's a cutie pie. Very sweet and mellow. She has a quite little cry and a sweet demeanor. And she's small!!! Like, I brought clothes that are way too big for her. So much for being a clotheshorse. Thank god I brought some younger sized clothes at the last minute. She has great eye contact and immediately started smiling when I had her in my arms. (Same as with Max which I considered to be such a good sign.) But this little girl is a real smiler. She has a big toothless, gummy grin and hardly any hair on her head. Last night, thank god, she slept from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.!!!! And Tom happily did the morning bottle. I hope that wasn't just beginner's luck.
The poor little thing though isn't feeling well. Like many of the other parents, I took her to the SOS clinic this morning for a check-up. Every baby on the bus coming back to Hanoi last night was coughing, sneezing, wheezing etc. Not the healthiest lot but a little anti-biotics and a lot of love will have them back on their feet in no time.
Turns out our little one has an upper respiratory infection (not her first based on her medical records) and is heading towards an ear infection. So, we put her on zythromax today with high hopes that she'll be feeling more comfortable soon. I maintain that if this is how these babies are doing when they aren't feeling well, then we're doing ok.
In case you didn't notice yet (though I know my sister Annie has) we haven't settled on a name yet. We're still in discernment and the list is getting narrowed down. Max insists on calling her Gopala and that's what we call her amongst ourselves but her proper name hasn't revealed itself yet. I had a funny moment in the elevator today when I met an Indian family from New Delhi. I told them we just adopted a Vietnamese baby and that my son wanted to name her Gopala. The father of the family was most impressed and curious at the same time. "Why? How do you know who Gopala is?" His wife muttered something in disdain about us being Hari Krishnas.
Oh one other funny moment I had was yesterday morning at breakfast. Our hotel seems to be full of businessmen and parents adopting Vietnamese babies. Baby Bjorns and strollers are everywhere and we're pretty obvious to each other who we are. I met one man who was carrying his beautiful daughter in a Baby Bjorn and told him that we were adopting our daughter today. He took one look at Max and said "Oh, you must be Gopala." I was taken aback, caught fully off guard, and then he said he's been reading my blog. What are the chances??
We hope our little peanut starts to feel better and I'd be really excited if she maintains that kind of sleep schedule. She has a cute little whimper - like she's not allowed to cry but just wants to get a few squeaks in. I can't believe we finally have her after all this waiting. And much to my surprise, I have been cool as a cucumber for about 96% of the time. You know that feeling when you're doing something you're supposed to be doing and it all just clicks, as if in a divine flow? Well, that's just how this is. We are clearly being held and guided by angels on this trip. I've felt their presence more than once and bow to them in gratitude for their help.
I did have a few minutes of butterflies in my stomach yesterday morning as we were all just waiting, waiting and waiting for 12:40 to arrive. Thankfully, Tom let me fly for an hour or so to go shopping. Shopping therapy really calms the nerves and kept me focused on something other than my anxiety. By the way, anyone who wants to go shopping while they're in Hanoi for very nice quality items, I've got some great sources to share. There's a lot of redundant crap out there and I've luckily sleuthed out some fabulous finds as I try to get my Christmas shopping done. I should be a "buyer." Maybe in my next life.
And just a few notes on the baby hand-off and G&R. It's not as if this trip isn't already surreal enough so to add to the existentialness of it all, we have days like yesterday. We were so not in control of anything (though I did yell at the bus driver to slow down and drive more carefully with the babies onboard --- for somethings you just don't a translator) and were completely going with the flow as soon as our feet touched the bus. Like I said before, the baby hand-off happened so fast. The gift giving was even crazier. Apparently there isn't one caretaker who takes care of just one baby b/c several seemed to dote on our little girl. When I asked who I should give the thank you gift to, one took it and said she would share it with the others. The gifts disappeared in a flurry so there wasn't a chance to personally give gifts. I even met the little boy we are sponsoring in the orphanage, Le Van Van. I recognized him from the photo that was sent to us and I wanted to present him with the gifts I had for him but the presents were already gone when I got back to the room. All that stress about worrying what to get for whom and it all gets lumped together with no sense of personality attached to it. My advice to fellow adopting parents: don't stress too much about it.
After the baby circus of Christmas morning, we were paraded to the Justice Department for the province for the official proceedings. I would like to say that the day held great momentous meaning for us all but a) we were so hot, sweat literally soaking all of our clothes everywhere!, b) we were more excited about connecting with our babies and c) it seemed very official but also very rote. We signed some papers, the head officer came in and gave us a speech about how the babies are now ares and someone in our group, gave a speech thanking the officials for the babies, promising we would take good care of them and bring them back to Vietnam to see their country one day. Under the statue of the everpresent Ho Chi Minh and the Communist flag, the ceremony seemed more official than heartfelt. But whatever. It didn't matter. Everyone was just anxious to get back on the air conditioned bus and head back to Hanoi. Now the rest is in the U.S. government's hands.
Well, family and friends, I've got to sign off. I'm pooped out and everyone else is asleep but me. I'm so tired I'm not even going to check ebay or read my email which says a lot for me. With the last two ounces of energy I have left, I'd like to read my homeopathic book to see how I can help this little sweet pea of a daughter of mine.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
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