Our Vietnam Adoption Journey

Museum of Vietnamese History and Going Home Tomorrow!

2007-07-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

We visited this museum today (after arriving when it was closed - I think the museums close for about two hours midday). We walked around and found a new restaurant to have lunch. Ian did his usual flirting thing. We went to the museum for awhile, but did not have much time there because we were going to the Water Puppet Show (again) this time with PLAN families (our agency).

I could go to the Water Puppet Show every night - it is really fun. There are many museums and places we did not see, but even Ian seems to be tiring of life in a hotel room. We need to get home, but we have really enjoyed it here.

We are frustrated with luggage restrictions. Ian is allowed a carryon and checked bag until we get to L.A. (China Airlines). In L.A. we take Midwest Airlines and he is not allowed anything (we were hoping for the extra baggage allowance). Domestic flights allow infants on your lap for free, while we had to pay a small fee for this on China Airlines (but we get a bassinet for him which means exit row seats and that also means a lot of extra leg room - for Sean especailly), so maybe that is the difference. We will see if we can stuff it all in and maybe pay for extra weight if we have to.

I talked to Zach a couple of times before he left on his vacation with his dad. I am sorry we did not make it home before he left, but I was so glad to talk to him. He will have a great vacation.

Here are some pics. We leave at 5:20 PM Friday evening. Ian is not sick after all, yesterday's vomitting incident was maybe a reaction to getting medication he was not happy about _ Ibuprofen for his teething pain....

We are coming home!

No New Pics Today

2007-07-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I know the pics of Ian are what you want.

We went to China Airlines again today, this time to purchase Ian's ticket (we were told ahead of time it is much cheaper to purchase his here and not a big deal since it is a lap ticket and not an actual seat) and to request a bassinet for the long flight from Taipei to L.A. (that means we have more spacious exit row seating and that means LEG ROOM for Sean as well as the great bassinet for Ian. That is something they won't let you confirm until right before your trip so it is confirmed! We are so happy because the China Airlines woman said thay are discontinuing the bassinets. She even asked what size diapers he wears and if he needs a baby meal! Seanwas pretty cramped on the way here, so that will really help. I am pretty nervous about that flight. It is about 13 hours I think. That is along time if he decides he needs to have a major crying meltdown (his are rare and usually short). I worry about him becoming very sick, etc. He vomited tonight (not sure yet why) while I was standing up holding him, and it covered me, him and our bed comforter. While Daddy got the bath ready, he attempted his first fingerpainting expereince with it (sorry TMI). He seems to be feeling better now....but I REALLY am worried about the long flight and the whole trip home. Some of those airports are so hectic....

When we arrived at China Airlines, it was the lunch hour and they were closed. We walked around a bit, and decided to have lunch at a cafe. Some Vietnamese people next to us asked us "Vietnam baby?" We said yes and talked to them a bit. When they saw me make him a bottle (we carry Playtex bottles with about 4 oz. of bottled water, a small thermos of hot bottled water and a formula dispenser with pre-measured compartments). They were all intrigued with the Playtex bottles. I ws not surprised because they are not available here. In fact babies are breastfed in Vietnam and it sounds like all babies (except the orphans of course) are. Some Vietnames people do not even know about formula or that you can buy it here. So the man asked us to write down the name of the Playtex bottles for him and one of the women took a picture of one with her cell phone camera.

We were going to go to a museum today, but didn't make it before it closed. Tomorrow is our last day to do that, so maybe there will be pics tomorrow. Ian is really starting to talk a lot! He is such a flirt with Vietnamese women. Once in awhile I will watch him listen intently to conversations in Vietnamese. Yes, he has a history with that language and I wonder what he understands.

We are really hoping Ian's vomiting was a one time thing (especailly so close to the big trip home). We've had tiny mild upset stomach things, but have not gotten sick (well, Sean has a cold but not too bad). We have really tried a lot of different foods, but try to heed the advice of our health dept. travel clinic -no unpasteurized milk, no uncooked foods (like lettuce & tomato on sanwiches which we eat at trusted restaurants), no unpeeled fruit (well o.k. we eat that too at trusted restaurants), no shellfish...o.k. maybe we aren't following the rules exactly- we've eaten a lot of prawns.

Well, must go - I want to make sure that Ian is still sleeping o.k (I am in the lobby while Sean is up with Ian). He has not been napping a lot during the day, then sleeping a LONG time at night, but tonight with not feeling well...he is a little unsettled.

We leave Friday, July 27th at 5:20 PM and arrive in Milwaukee Sat. morning at 4:45 AM (gain 12 hours). Can't wait to get home, drink regular coffee (Vietnamese coffee is very thick like espresso, but with a very distinct taste - I am not fond of it), use our washer & dryer, water from the tap, see everyone, not get stared at so much (o.k. I guess we will still get stared at). Bye!

The Temple of Literature and Ian Continues to Adjust Well

2007-07-24T03:06:00.000-07:00

We have been noticing that Ian has not been crying as much as he did the first week (although that was not much anyway - he was very happy & smiley during the day and most of the night). The first week he had some "fussy" times when it would be difficult to figure out what he needed. I figured it could've been anything: gas, tummy ache, anxiety, grieving, just being scared of a new environment or us (but he never seemed afraid of us). At night it seemed like he was having something like night terrors, where his cry was a different, more distressed pitch, he didn't open his eyes (always after sleeping), he would awaken to sounds he normally would sleep through, arch his back and would not be comforted - very different than other times. The last time it happened (several days ago) instead of barely talking or talking very quietly in a comforting voice, I said a little louder. "It's o.k. Ian. We're here." I said that a couple of times, and it was like magic. He settled down and went back to sleep. He still wakes up for a bottle (he was eating cereal at the orphanage, but is not very interested now - we figure when we get home we can restablish that, right now he loves the bottle and seems to need the nurturing that goes along with that), but we are happy to oblige and know that eventually with more solids we will get him to sleep through the night. It is very easy though. After the bottle he goes right back to sleep. He also sometimes is very content in his bed even if he is not asleep yet (although we still are more than happy to rock him to sleep because he needs all of the nurturing we can give him).

Everyone says what a happy baby he is. Most of the Vietnamese people are very friendly, ask how old he is and if he is a boy (not as obvious to them given how he is dressed), and play with him. Many Vietnamese people have said that he is so lucky and several have thanked us and say we are doing a wonderful thing, that there are many children without families and that they are grateful we are doing this. Of course, it is so humbling for us, because we are obviouly the lucky ones (I know adotpive parents just feel that way - we are so blessed and this is such an amazing experience). He is so used to getting showered with attention that he will stare at people not fussing over him, just waiting in anticipation, like the games are about to begin. You can see the excitement and anticipation on his face. On the elevator yesterday, a man rode up with us. Ian just stared at him as if to say "Have you not yet noticed how cute, smiley and irresistible I am?" The guy just looked at the floor (like many of us do in elevators), Ian kept staring...

Today we went to The Temple of Literature. I need to read the brochure, but I knew it was a beautiful place to visit and it appears to be an important place of worship and study. It is truly beautiful and inspiring. A lady there told us that all school children visit there every year.

I am having a lot of trouble uploading some of the photos so will add more later....

Water Puppet Show

2007-07-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight since we laid low today, we decided to go to see the Water Puppets. There is a history to them (very ancient) and they started long ago by farmers in the rice paddies, but I need to learn more about the story. Before the show, some musicians performed traditional Vietnamese music. Ian loves music (especially being sung to) and rhythm (drumming patterns on the bed or anywhere else) so I figured he'd love it, but it was very loud so I thought he might be scared. He fell asleep awhile, then really watched the show. We have noticed that it seems that he is o.k. as long as we are there or are holding him. It is like he figures we brought him there so it must be o.k. He really does very well with a lot of situations (which should come in handy with the marathon plane ride home - yikes).

Anyway, here are some pics. It was hard to get really good ones since it was dark and there was a lot of movement (and we are still learning about how to use our new digital camera). It was very cool...

Halong Bay and Probably not coming home early

2007-07-23T02:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we would need to be at the airport now if we were leaving today so I guess we will not make it back to see Zach before he leaves on vacation with his dad (very disappointed). Our tickets never got confirmed so I guess nothing opened up. I think everything is booked tight this week so we will probably come home on our original flights (leave Friday, arrive Saturday morning). We will have the chance to see more things to tell Ian about and to get pictures for him. Have a great vacation Zach!

Yesterday we went to Halong Bay (Ha Long Bay?). It is an incredibly beautiful place, reminds me of a huge Wisconsin Dells. You could just imagine the dragons emerging from the water (there is a lot of folklore to that effect). We knew it would be a long tiring day, but it was exhausting. It was truly beautiful and we are so glad we saw it, but humidity was 75% and there was dead air at the end. We left our hotel at 8am and returned at 9 pm because it takes 3 1/2 hours to get there by car. There was a beautiful cae that Sean went into (I stayed at the boat with Ian).

It became pretty intolerable at the end for Ian (too hot to nap, irritable, but too hot to be held). The first part was cool and breezy, the end was so hot and sticky. The tour guide became increasingly annoying to all three of us because she talked nonstop and kept holding Ian (to help us out, but still it was so excessive). She also was very loud and in his face, like when he first woke up. He eventually let her know he did not want her around him, but it was so, so annyoying. She would say things like "He is very naughty" because Ian was chewing on his fingers (he has a lot of teething pain). The Vietnamese do NOT like to see babies with fingers in their mouths or toys for that matter. I don't think they really have teething toys. They just can't stand to see it and will yank his hand out of his mouth.

Anyway, I'll get started posting pics. We will be home soon! We are glad to be here but ready to come home. Maybe I'm a bit more homesick than Sean.

Silk Village today, Changing tickets & Halong Bay tomorrow

2007-07-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

We are still not sure if our tickets can be changed. We discovered China Airlines is closed today and tomorrow and had trouble finding their number at the airport (but I guess we could've just gone to the airport and asked someone at their office there). They gave us an itinerary for leaving Monday, but said it is not confirmed and when it is they will contact us at our hotel. Well, we have not heard. But Sean did some Internet searching and with a code that connects to our name and itineraries, he found that the Taipei to L.A. flight is the one not confirmed, which is not a surprise, we knew that was the tricky one. We also found that the itinerary (should it become confirmed) is the same one as we have for Friday, which is much nicer than the first one they gave us for Monday which had us in L.A. with a nine hour layover.

Because we are not sure if we are leaving Monday, we made plans to go to Halong Bay tomorrow (families with our agency were going tomorrow but decided to go Monday instead). It is probably the one place I really NEEDED to see before we leave. It is a long day (some do an overnight trip), leave at 8 am, drive there, take a boat ride with lunch through the bay, and drive back, arriving at the hotel at 7 pm. Halong Bay is incredibly beautiful with amazing rock formations. I am really glad we are going to get to see it. Our hotel is arranging it, which is great.

We have discovered that Ian is quite the trooper! We take him out in the front pack and he never complains. In fact we have to make sure he gets enough water, etc. This morning we went to the Silk Village with other families from our agency, PLAN. There are silk factories there and lots of shops. Among other things we got some silk fabric for Ian's quilt ($7/meter). It is really pretty. I was going to take a picture of it but I forgot. Maybe I'll post it tomorrow. The Silk Village was great, but it was very hot there and we had a return cab planned for three hours later. We called for him to return earlier because we were all so hot and tired (the heat is not as unbearable as I had thought it would be, but we try not to be out in it for very long at a time - the humidity is the worst part). When we came out of the shop where we got the fabric, we found everyone was in the van waiting for us!

This afternoon I hung out in the room while Ian napped and Sean was online and at the front desk trying to reach China Airlines. Because Ian was well rested, we decided to do some shopping in the evening. We walked around (we are trying to find a kite shop we keep driving by, but forget the exact location of) and happened across a nightime street market. It was great, like Maxwell Street Days or something, but almost carnival- like. Because it was nighttime, it was much cooler and there was not the pressure or people following you like the regular shops have. There were mostly locals there which is a good sign I think (as far as shopping goes).

Sean and I talked today about our mixed feelings about leaving early. One important reason we have for returning early is we want Zach to be one of the first, not one of the last, to meet his little brother (he is going on vacation on Wednesday with his dad). We are enjoying this experience a lot (parts of it anyway), but it is getting pretty old having to take care of Ian in a hotel room. Washing bottles and making formula with bottled water, making up zillions of little games to keep him active and occupied (today it was drumming on a formula can with chopsticks - he is so intrigued with rhythm), and not having a washer & dryer at my disposal, it just gets old (actually making up games for Ian is really fun, but he even seems to need to come home). But there is so much more to see, and who knows when we'll get back here (Maybe the next adoption? We'd have to win the lottery I think). So we are ready to come home definitely and also wish to see more.

Well, we have to be up really early to go to Halong Bay (I am so excited) so I will post some pics of Silk Village and maybe the market at night. We will be home soon!

Yesterday- Hoa Lo Prison Museum

2007-07-20T07:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Hao Lo Prison Museum. I was writing a post about it for the blog when the hotel power went out so I could not post pics and lost that part of the post. This prison (1/3 of it remains standing) was originally used by the French colonists for Vietnamese rebels. It was later used for American soldiers during the Vietnam War and is what American soldiers called the "Hanoi Hilton." It is also where John McCain was held during the war. It was interesting and very sad.

Today we were going to go to a market with some other PLAN (our agency) families, but they left early and Ian slept late and we just went with that. We heard it was terribly hot there, beause it was inside and not air conditioned. We ended up not going, but instead walked around and walked to the lake (Hoa Kiem Lake? I will check). The lake is shaded and pretty with benches and a nice place to relax and cool off. On the way to the lake we intended to shop, but it is stressful shopping because they do not leave you alone. Many of the women will follow you down the street and even grab at you. One woman today had my arm and was not letting go. We bought a fan from one woman and she gave Sean incorrect change and tried to not pay it back to him. He was firm and insisted and she eventually gave it to him.

Later, Sean bought a Vietnamese stringed instrument that he had seen before. It is very long but folds up and has a case. It has one string but you move your other hand along the string in different places. It has beautiful inlaid mother of pearl dragons and other decorations. The wood looks like a mahogany finish (only $40). Sean learned a little about how to play it and we will probably display it in Ian's room and teach him how to play it one day.

Last night and tonight we had dinner with some families from our agency. Ian is the only adopted boy so he is loving being around all of the cute little ladies! Last night we ate at Kiti just a few doors down from our hotel. They have Vietnamese and many other types of food. Sean and I ate there Wednesday night too. They are very nice and held Ian while we ate. Tonight we ate at Al Fresco's which is where Americans go for some American comfort food. It was nice. Ian was so good and we even forgot his toys. He just loves being out and about. He loves people and when we walk around we take him in the front pack (Baby Bjorn) and he is very content.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we are going to the silk village with the families from our agency. We heard there are great prices there. Among other things, I will be looking for fabric for Ian's 100 Good Wishes Quilt. On Sunday we may go to Ha long Bay which is a boat trip through a bay with beautiful rock formations. We have not heard if our tickets can be changed so we might not go Sunday if we are staying longer, because I think the PLAN families might want to go on Monday instead and it would be fun to go with them.

O.K. I will write more later. I am going to post pics of the Hoa Lo prison, our walk today, the actual Hanoi Hilton and maybe cute pics of Ian in the tub and Sean feeding Ian. It is so interesting here, but I can't wait until I can make a bottle with tap water and use my washer & dryer! Being here so long does help you bond though. We spend a lot of time in our hotel room just playing with Ian. I know at home there would be the "real life" distractions and responsibilities. I know this is a special time but I miss Zach and I miss home too.

We Got Ian's VIsa!

2007-07-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Today we got Ian's visa, which means he will be an American citizen as soon as we land on U.S. soil (There are two visas adopted children can come home with, ours ensures he will be a U.S. citizen when we land, because we travelled to his country and saw him before the adoption was complete. When people adopt internationally, but the child gets escorted home or only one parent travels, the child comes home on the other visa. In that case, the child will become a citizen later after official adoption procedures are completed. That is my understanding of it- I think they are the I-3 and I-4 visas).

So we have all of his official paperwork and can go home! We have a packet that we must not open, but will hand to immigration officials when we land in L.A. Today we went to China Airlines (the international airline we used) to see about changing our tickets. We might come home on Monday (arrive Tuesday in U.S.?). They are checking and will let us know if the flights are confirmed. We are trying to make sure there are no treacherous layovers, because the trip will be difficult enough with a baby, even one as easy going as Ian. He has his fussy times and overtired meltdowns, so I am hoping and praying our flights and trip home will be o.k.

When I was writing this post last night, the hotel power went out! This seems to happen every night. Last night it was only for a few minutes. First pitch black, thenI think their backup generator provided some hallway light. I thought the post was lost but some of it autosaved. I am going to post more about the prison museum we went to yesterday, but will do that later. Today I think we are going to a market.
More later....

We are in Hanoi and U.S. Embassy Appointment - We Get Ian's visa tomorrow! We might be able to come home early!

2007-07-18T04:01:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Hanoi last night. Our flight was delayed an hour, which is tricky when you are already hanging out at the airport for hours with a baby. Good practice for the long ride home. Ian slept the whole flight (90 min), but awoke on landing and cried while we deplaned (attracted a lot of stares). Our plane had a camera on the front so you could watch takeoff & landing on a video screen. Well it was a bumpy landing and Sean and I both noticed the plane was sliding sideways a bit after landing (scary). But we all made it o.k. and we arrived at our hotel in Hanoi at about 10:30 PM. Our hotel is the Lucky Star (http://www.luckystarhotel.com/). Our room is pretty and quaint, a bit like a bed & breakfast with armoire, hardwood floors and wood furniture, with crown moldings and pretty pale creamy yellow paint. It is super clean with pretty tiled bathroom. Just a tiny window, but pretty big and very quiet because it is in the back of the building ($40 a night including breakfast and Internet is free here). There are three other families from our agency here (they got their babies Monday) and Ted & Trish , who adopted with us, are staying at another hotel.

This morning at 7:30 Cherie from our agency came for Ian's immigration paperwork we carried here from Ho Chi Minh City, and said our U.S. Embassy appointment would be this afternoon at 2:30. Then she said his visa would be ready tomorrow after 4. This all turned out to go as planned. So tomorrow after we get his visa we can come home! Of course, it depends on finding new flights and we wanted to maybe stay here a bit to see some things. But we hope to come home maybe in a few days! Wow! That is less than two work weeks! Our adoption process here is complete!

So I will post one picture....we all took a cyclo ride around Hanoi (we took two separate ones). Sean got this pic with me and Ian. The traffic is crazy and after awhile, you just pretend that you don't notice that you come so close to crashing so many times. The cyclos are mixed with a million mopeds, cars, buses, some going against traffic with bicycles weaving in and out of it all! Amazing, but hardly ever an accident!

We will be home soon!

Ian loves the ladies!

2007-07-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Ian at the Ho Chi Minh airport. He definitely attracts attention and loves to flirt. One woman took him from me (we had been warned that Vietnamese women will want to hold your baby) in the restroom and then motioned for me to follow. So I followed her out of the restroom (ready for a really good fight if I needed to - just joking) and she took him over to her girlfrineds. , where they all fussed over him and played with him (while I smiled and waited patiently). Then later I walked away from where we had our stuff (we were sitting with another couple also adopting with our agency), and couldn't find Sean & Ian. Then I spotted them...surrounded by the ladies, which is when I snapped the pics.

Ian's new hat!

2007-07-17T00:46:00.001-07:00

Here is Ian in his new hat! We leave for Hanoi in a few hours.

First U.S. Visa appointment and going to Hanoi!

2007-07-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

Today we had the first of two U.S. visa appointments for Ian. This is the U.S. immigration step which allows us to bring him home. The second U.S. visa appointment must be done in Hanoi and is being scheduled. We are going to Hanoi I think tomorrow, but I am not sure when our second appointment will be. After that appointment (could take days or longer to schedule), and the visa is issued, we can all come home. The whole trip usually takes three weeks, but sometimes it is shorter if all of these steps happen quickly. We shall see. We have been told that Hanoi is MUCH hotter and more humid than Ho Chi Minh City. It has actually been not too bad here (very, very humid, but not that hot). I am not sure how we will tolerate the heat & humidity, but we will find out soon. I know both cities are very polluted so that does not help with handling this humidity.

Tonight Sean, Ian and I went to a "grown up" restaurant. The only actual restaurant we have eaten in before tonight is at our hotel (well, except for lunch at KFC in Vung Tau yesterday). That is partly because Ian is often asleep in our room already and we order room service (very inexpensive). And there is a breakfast buffet included with our hotel room so we eat breakfast there most mornings (unless we have adoption business to attend to). Well at this restaurant, it was very nice. We ordered dinners which have several courses. We though Ian would have his bottle and maybe fall asleep in our arms. Um, not so. He was too interested in everything and got tired and fussy. A woman at the restaurant (owner?) took him off (we had heard this often happens in restaurants in Vietnam - waitresses hold the baby while you eat - mixed feelings about that), and was playing with him. She had him belly laughing, but she was loud and was making him laugh by kind of scaring him. Well, eventually he had had enough. He got very upset and since the restaurant was across the street from our hotel, I just took him to the hotel while Sean finished up and paid the bill. We were almost finished, but felt bad that our plan for him didn't work out quite as we had planned. He gets so fussed over....the Vietnamese women fuss over him and play with him and he puts on a cute smiley show for them. But it is very overstimulating, considering he was just in an orphanage a little over a week ago. That is why most of our outings have been short.

So I brought him to the hotel, laid him on our bed to change him and he just stretched out his arms with the most contented look on his face. Then he had a bottle the proper way, all snuggled up, and he crashed.

So we did not get pics at the Immigration Office (silly me, they took our camera at the security check), but here are a few cute ones of Ian.

Our plan is to go to Hanoi tomorrow (that means packing up a LOT of stuff), but I guess we need some paperwork to take with us, so we are not sure if we will go tomorrow or later. Our hotel room is pretty big, with dressers, cabinets, and ledges and we have our stuff unpacked and organized as a "little home" so it will be something to pack it all up again....which I should start doing. Off to load the pics.............

Michelle

Our Vung Tau Visit

2007-07-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

We did go to Vung Tau today (the city where Ian is from). We took the hydrofoil (high speed hydroplaning boat) from Ho Chi Minh City. It was a bit bumpy at times, but otherwise no problem. The hardest thing was getting on & off - o.k. but a bit scary with stepping onto the boat. One guy (an employee for the boat company) saw the look on my face, extended his hand to help me and said "Don't cry."

We took a taxi to the "Big Buddha" statue and temple, which was cool and there was a little market where we got a Vung Tau t-shirt for Ian and and a few other things. It actually rained on us a little when we first got there (Ian didn't really get wet) and so we were wet (damp) plus the humidity....a bit uncomfortable. While we were waiting for the boat back we had lunch at KFC! ..Ian actually did great and it was our first big outing. On the boat ride back he was overtired and started to fuss & cry. It made me more aware of the looks of the Vietnamese people. Many are very friendly and nice and will come up and say "Vietnam baby?" and ask how old, etc. One lady today actually held him and she was so great - really fussed over him. The Vietnamese womenmake a great clucking sound when they play with the babies.

We were aware at the "Big Buddha" temple that there was a little crowd of Vietnamese people hanging around watching us (that was when the lady held him). We have had also had some serious stares and I try to understand that too. Many are happy the orphans are being adopted by Americans. One man on the street said to Ian "Just come back to Vietnam one day." He even jokingly shook a finger at him and said this several times (we were trying to find a taxi after the U.S. visa medical visit). I told the man we would make sure he would come back and that we planned to bring him back. It was bittersweet, along with the fact that our great joy is due to his birthmother's greastest sorrow in having to give him up and the fact that we are removing him from his birth culture. We know we will make sure he has a great life, but there is something sad about all of that as well.

All in all a pretty successful outing, but we are all so tired. While inVung Tau, Sean and I both wondered if any of the women we saw could be his birthmother. We have noticed how he listens intently when we have Vietnamese t.v. on and when he hears a conversation inVietnamese. We just wonder what is going on in his little head that helps him make sense of all of this. But when we wake up to hearing him happily babbling in his crib and he grins hugely at the sight of us, we know he will be just fine. I am amazed at his resiliency.

Better start uploading the pics....the first one of Ian is on the boat ride home ...very serious and overtired. I was thinking he almost never looks this serious - he is very smiley!

We hope everyone back home is doing well!

Michelle & Sean

Getting To Know Ian.....

2007-07-14T03:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Well since we got Ian on Monday, we have been staying pretty close to the hotel, except for adoption appointments I mentioned in the previous post. It has been great just helping him adjust to us, making sure he has his quiet place to nap, and just playing. I know there is a lot to see, but I remember what others have said - this is not a vacation - it is an adoption trip. We are not wanting to venture out for our own fun, but so we can see more of the country he came from, experience more of his culture. We want to have many pictures and share stories with him.

Over the past two days, we have been having short shopping excursions. Of course, it takes us longer to prepare for the excursion than the outing itself! Getting bottles and diaper bag ready, etc. We have the baby carrier and he does very well in that and it is very comfortable (Baby Bjorn). I haven't gotten pictures in it yet, but tomorrow I will.

Tomorrow we might go back to Vung Tau where he is from. We won't go to the orphanage, although I would love to because he was abandoned in front of it (at the gate) and I am not sure if I have good pictures. We do have video of the orphange though. We are going to take pictures and explore (in Vung Tau) so we can share with him more about the place he came from. There is a boat called a "hydrofoil" we can take from HCMC to Vung Tau - it hydroplanes across the water - very fast and I am now getting nervous about safety for him, etc. We could also hire a car, but I have heard the boat is a great way to go. We are doing a day trip, because our first U.S. visa appointment is on Monday. After that, I am not sure when we will go to Hanoi (the second U.S. visa appointment must be done in Hanoi. If the U.S. BCIS (immigration) questions anything about his case, they will investigate further. I am not sure if they would want us in HCMC or Hanoi if they have further questions.

We needed to treat him (and us as well) for scabies (we knew that it was probable he would have it) and we did that twice so far. I had a very itchy spot on my wrist a couple of days ago, but I think it was a bug bite, because it did not do anything more. Ian's wrist where apparently the scabies were looks much better.

He has learned to love his bath! The first couple of baths made him cry (we have a great inflatable duck tub, which is great, because the hotel tub is very high and deep), but now he has come to love his bath. Last night and this morning (we had to give him another this morning to wash the scabies cream off), he spashed so hard, I was drenched. It was so funny.

We have noticed one thing he does not do is babble. I think that is so sad, but he has not had the proper attention to encourage that I think. Even in the last few days, he has really increased his babbling! He loves being sung to, knows his name and ours, and keeps checking to see if we are both there. He was not used to being kissed on the lips (reserved for mommies & daddys) and we have done squeaky kisses on his lips. Today, he kissed Sean, and later me, back. Later, he tried to chew on Sean's lips as he has his nose because he is teething and is chewing on everything!

Well, I'd better get those photos posted. I will try to write more and keep the pics coming. Each one takes forever to upload.....

Michelle

P.S. Check out the pics above. I love the one where Daddy gets one foot, Ian the other (he already shares) and the one where Ian is trying to chew Sean's nose. The poor thing is teething and is so sore...

Gotcha Day & Giving & Receiving Ceremony Monday July 9th and first couple of days

2007-07-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I am sorry I am "behind" on the blog, but we finally got the card reader for our camera memory card and figured out how to send pics to the blog. It takes so long, so I will post as many as I can. We also wanted to give ourselves a few quiet days with Ian, not really going out and about much (well Sean goes to Gloria Jeans everyday for coffee).

Our "Gotcha Day" was Monday (the day we received him). It was overwhelming...a three hour drive to the orphanage, chitchat for about two hours, then...silent anticipation. There is one other family with us and they are adopting two girls. We pulled up to the orphanage all of us teary and nearly having heart attacks. We signed some papers, then we waited. No one told us what happened next, but we knew they were bringing us our babies. Our little boy (we are naming Ian Le Dinh Gahagan) was first. They brought him saying "Here he is". Sean held him first. I walked over and said "Hi Honey" and touched his hand and cheek. He did not cry. He actually smiled at me almost immediately. He let us hold him, kiss him (he loves the neck kisses) and has been so responsive and full of smiles. He was smiley all afternoon, then in the evening he was very upset for awhile (overtired, overstimulated and waking up from a very short nap not knowing where he was is my guess). He had a similar crying spell Tuesday evening and so far is being rocked to sleep (he has a lot of catching up to do as far as loving goes).

We were so rushed at the orphanage, because we were going to have the Giving & Receiving Ceremony (the Vietnamese adoption) right away. We saw his room and his bed. Someone laid him in his bed and it was so disturbing to me - I couldn't wait to get him out. The orphange director told me he likes his bottles very warm and he loves his cereal, he wakes up early, but after getting fed and a bath, he goes back to sleep. She said he is "easy" and we have found that to be true. He is full of smiles, stares at me, then Sean, then me, then Sean. He loves rolling over and over on the cool sheets on our bed (I think he has not been able to do that). He is strong and is going up on hands and knees and standing with support of course.

So we had the Giving & Receiving Ceremony Monday after the orphanage (so he is legally ours), had lunch with our agency people, drove back, got his passport photos, then Tuesday, Sean went to apply for his Vietnamese passport (with agency people) and we had his U.S. Visa medical appointment Tuesday. We were hoping to have the first of two U.S. Visa appointments Wednesday but it will be Monday. Then we will head to Hanoi to finish the process (second U.S. embassy appointment for his visa to come home). We will be in Hanoi at least a week. They told us to plan on a three week trip, but I think it might be shorter.

He is beautiful, so sweet and fun! We are both overwhelmed with all of it...the experience of this, the instant love, the way he is so ours....he is so smiley and cuddly and loves to cuddle with each of us. We are so blessed it is overwhelming....

Michelle

P.S. The pic of Sean in his sunglasses is about an hour or so after we got him - at the restaurant where we had lunch (he is fromVung Tau on the coast-it was a seaside restaurant). Isn't it amazing how smiley he is already? The one which looks like we are on a stage with red background was the Giving & Receiving Ceremony. The bottom one was when Sean first held him. I have found these pics are clickable. I can click on them to enlarge.

2007-07-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Vietnam! It is now Sunday evening here. We arrived Saturday morning about 10 am. We were able to crash early last night and feel great today! Today we walked around a bit more to get our bearings. Yesterday we had already found Tax department store (Beth from our agency recommended) which is a great air-conditioned place to shop and has a grocery store where we can buy bottled water and other supplies. We are happy with our room, which is large, very clean and inexpensive (and includes breakfast buffet). Today, after some rest we are feeling very comfortable. We are surprised at how many people speak English and it is easy because we are smack in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City, a stone's throw from restaurants, shopping, etc.

We are so excited because tomorrow morning we get to meet our sweet baby boy! We will go to pick him up from the orphanage and have the Giving and Receiving Ceremony (the Vietnamese adoption ceremony). We are planning to have lunch with seveal people from our agency who are here to help us (and Trish & Ted) with our adoptions. It is a three hour drive from our hotel to Vung Tau where the orphanage is, so it will be a long day. I hope he is o.k. with us, but we need to be ready for him to be unhappy, grieving, or more easy going, anything is possible and we have to be ready for it and not take it personally. After all, we are taking him from all that is familiar to him.

Well, I will post soon with news of tomorrow's BIG DAY! We still need to figure out posting pics as we are using the hotel computer. Wish us luck!

Sean & Michelle

Travel approval!!!

2007-06-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, we got the call from our agency we were not expecting for at least six weeks at the earliest - travel approval! When I heard Judy from our agency say that we could travel, I just couldn't believe it! We had to immediately find flights, which we worked on Tuesday, but booked Wednesday. While they are very expensive, we knew they would be and were glad that we got a decent itinerary and didn't have to pay some insane fare. So we are getting ready in high speed mode! We thought we had a couple of months so still have a lot to do! It is so exciting and I can't believe that we will be holding our little boy in less than three weeks! We sent for our visas on Thursday - very difficult to make yourself send off your precious passports to get the visa...but I know that IS how it is done. I'll write more later...it is after 2 AM and I am fading....

Michelle

Referral!!!!

2007-05-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

We have received our referral at last! Our agency informed us on May 16th that the DIA has approved the referral of a baby boy to us. He was born in December, and we are awaiting transalation of his medical information. We have not yet received pictures, but will get them when the medical information is translated. We are so excited to see that little face! We just want to go get him NOW! Earliest travel will be in about two months. Our agency estimates two to four months to time of travel. The trip will be about three weeks. We have heard the province he is in is a quick moving province for paperwork. Cross your fingers and say a prayer for us that it might be very soon (our travel dates) so we can bring that sweet baby home!

Waiting a few more weeks....

2007-05-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

Our agency just informed us that it might be a few more weeks before we get our referral. That means we would not travel until the end of summer (probably - maybe sooner) or even into the school year. Besides being very disappointed, we need to figure out a plan B for one of us spending time with our baby when we get home (of course we knew there would be a good possibilty we would need to figure out various scenarios of timing, time off work, etc). We have been brainstorming.....

We know the bottom line is we will get a beautiful baby and that baby will be perfect for us. We are so blessed. But we were hoping the timing would work out so that we could take advantage of our time off in the summer. We were told that the wait was uncertain, and I guess we just hoped for the best scenario. But in international adoption, contol is something that you do not have and we will need to let go, make our plans, hope that we can still spend part of the summer with our child and figure out the finances of one of us not working for a longer period of time in the fall.

So....no news for awhile!

Michelle

The wait.....

2007-05-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

As friends and family know, we are in the stage of our adoption where we are waiting for referral (our match). We have been told it will be very soon, which is so exciting and also torturous. I have been in the "Will it be today?" mode for several weeks now, jumping at the sound of the phone both here and at work. Many adoptive parents have said that even though the wait is so hard, they believe that the child they were matched with was the one who was meant to be part of their family. So I guess we let go and let God do his amazing work of getting our child home to us.

After we accept our referral (we will get pictures and medical information) it will be about two to four months to travel, according to our agency PLAN. The trip is three weeks, with the possibility of it being longer if needed. While we would love Zach to go, he is not going to be making the trip.

Michelle

Welcome to our blog....

2007-05-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Welcome to our Vietnam adoption blog! I have been keeping a journal of this amazing journey to our child, but was somehow reluctant to start our blog. Visit us here to get updates of our adoption process. Our blog signature includes all of our names so we will also sign individually so you know who is posting. I (Michelle) am starting us out, with posts by dh Sean & ds Zach hopefully to follow.

We are so excited and can't wait to get that sweet baby home!

Michelle