We got to Austin about 8:30 am Austin time, and to our house at about 10:00. We've pretty much slept the rest of the day.
It was a very long trip -- we have seen 3 sun-rises and 3 sun-sets since the last time we went to bed. Our thoughts are with those from our travel group who still have business in Viet Nam.
Dennis
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
We got our visas
The kids' visas were just dropped off about 2 minutes ago. We're so happy to finally have them in our hands.
We're coming home Saturday night on the flight listed to the right.
Dennis
We're coming home Saturday night on the flight listed to the right.
Dennis
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
We're coming home!!!!
I called the Embassy this afternoon for an update on our case. The American officers were busy and one was going to call me back later this afternoon. About 15 minutes after I hung up we got a call from one of the Vietnamese women at the embassy telling us that our visa had been approved!
She asked if we could be at the embassy in the next 15 minutes for our 2nd interview (my answer was "Hell yeah!") and we were on our way. We met WC staff at the embassy, paid some money, and we were on our way.
The other families in our travel group are still waiting on their paperwork. Somehow, and we have no idea how, we went from being at least a day behind everyone to at least a day ahead. WC staff did tell us that (he thought) in January 2008 the embassy would switch to the 1 interview method, so all investigations are already completed by the time the families get here. That should eliminate most of the pain that we and the other families went through while we were waiting.
As we speak we're waiting on our travel agent to wake up and try to book us on an earlier flight. WC staff will get the visas tomorrow at 4:00 and we can leave anytime after that. We're hoping we can get on an early Friday flight, but worst case we'll be leaving Saturday night as planned.
We've decided to stay at our new hotel (Horison) for the duration. We can both finally breathe.
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. We'll see everyone soon.
Dennis
She asked if we could be at the embassy in the next 15 minutes for our 2nd interview (my answer was "Hell yeah!") and we were on our way. We met WC staff at the embassy, paid some money, and we were on our way.
The other families in our travel group are still waiting on their paperwork. Somehow, and we have no idea how, we went from being at least a day behind everyone to at least a day ahead. WC staff did tell us that (he thought) in January 2008 the embassy would switch to the 1 interview method, so all investigations are already completed by the time the families get here. That should eliminate most of the pain that we and the other families went through while we were waiting.
As we speak we're waiting on our travel agent to wake up and try to book us on an earlier flight. WC staff will get the visas tomorrow at 4:00 and we can leave anytime after that. We're hoping we can get on an early Friday flight, but worst case we'll be leaving Saturday night as planned.
We've decided to stay at our new hotel (Horison) for the duration. We can both finally breathe.
Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers. We'll see everyone soon.
Dennis
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Embassy update
I called the embassy today to get a status report. It's been two weeks since our I-600 interview and we should have heard back a week ago.
They're still trying to track down one of the witnesses in either William's or Ava's case (he couldn't recall which, but we're assuming it's William). They've been trying to find the witness and haven't had any success so far. He (the embassy guy) did think they'd get to him (the witness) either today or tomorrow, and HCMC would get the case later this week. Assuming that Mister X exists and states the same facts that he did when the baby was abandoned, we should get a (favorable) ruling from USCIS later this week (Thursday). We would get our visa Friday and be homeward bound on Saturday. Assuming they can find the guy.
The other families are in a better position than we are. Their docs are in HCMC and they should hear back today or tomorrow.
Dennis
They're still trying to track down one of the witnesses in either William's or Ava's case (he couldn't recall which, but we're assuming it's William). They've been trying to find the witness and haven't had any success so far. He (the embassy guy) did think they'd get to him (the witness) either today or tomorrow, and HCMC would get the case later this week. Assuming that Mister X exists and states the same facts that he did when the baby was abandoned, we should get a (favorable) ruling from USCIS later this week (Thursday). We would get our visa Friday and be homeward bound on Saturday. Assuming they can find the guy.
The other families are in a better position than we are. Their docs are in HCMC and they should hear back today or tomorrow.
Dennis
Monday, October 8, 2007
Happy Columbus Day pt2!
Not a whole lot to say, but we made it through the weekend and holiday.
We finished up all of our shopping and now we just need to figure out where to put all the stuff -- I really hope we don't have to buy a new suitcase.
We're staying in this hotel through tomorrow night, then we're moving to another hotel a couple of miles away (we're hoping for better air quality where we're going). We're staying at that hotel through the week, and if we're still in town on Sunday we're going to move into the cheapest hotel that we can find in Hanoi.
We're trying new sleeping arrangements tonight to see if mom & dad can get more sleep. One key learning last night was that (I think) Will is afraid of the dark. He wakes up crying every couple of hours and we've always thought he was hungry since he'd eat a full bottle each time. Last night I left the light on in the bathroom for him after the first time he woke up, and he didn't cry the rest of the night. We actually slept until 8:30 this morning, which is the latest we've slept since we arrived. Other than Ava waking up at 4:30, that was the most continuous sleep I've had in a while.
One thing about sleeping in the Sommerset Grand: As I've said before, it's built on the site of the "Hanoi Hilton" which has been a prison for about 200 years (the French built it in the 1700's). We've all mentioned that for an all-concrete building it makes a lot of noise at night. Anyway, last night I felt someone sit on the bed and I rolled over to talk to Tami about why she was in the room (the kids weren't crying so I couldn't figure out why she was there). It wasn't Tami and I couldn't see anyone else in the room. That's when I turned on the bathroom lights that I mentioned in the paragraph above.
We finished up all of our shopping and now we just need to figure out where to put all the stuff -- I really hope we don't have to buy a new suitcase.
We're staying in this hotel through tomorrow night, then we're moving to another hotel a couple of miles away (we're hoping for better air quality where we're going). We're staying at that hotel through the week, and if we're still in town on Sunday we're going to move into the cheapest hotel that we can find in Hanoi.
We're trying new sleeping arrangements tonight to see if mom & dad can get more sleep. One key learning last night was that (I think) Will is afraid of the dark. He wakes up crying every couple of hours and we've always thought he was hungry since he'd eat a full bottle each time. Last night I left the light on in the bathroom for him after the first time he woke up, and he didn't cry the rest of the night. We actually slept until 8:30 this morning, which is the latest we've slept since we arrived. Other than Ava waking up at 4:30, that was the most continuous sleep I've had in a while.
One thing about sleeping in the Sommerset Grand: As I've said before, it's built on the site of the "Hanoi Hilton" which has been a prison for about 200 years (the French built it in the 1700's). We've all mentioned that for an all-concrete building it makes a lot of noise at night. Anyway, last night I felt someone sit on the bed and I rolled over to talk to Tami about why she was in the room (the kids weren't crying so I couldn't figure out why she was there). It wasn't Tami and I couldn't see anyone else in the room. That's when I turned on the bathroom lights that I mentioned in the paragraph above.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Happy Columbus Day!
Well, today is Columbus Day and the US Embassy here is taking the day off to celebrate. So we're going to get out and finish up all of our shopping. We'll hear something from the embassy either Tuesday or Wednesday so on those days we won't be budging from our room. Hopefully, they'll soon be giving US something to celebrate!
Friday, October 5, 2007
Today was supposed to be Happy Day
So we have the winners of our "When do you think we'll travel home" poll. It is the two people who voted that we would return home later than our scheduled date, which was today. So congratulations to you both and thanks to everyone who voted.
Here's what Will thinks about the whole situation:
Well, we're all trying to be positive. We've spoken with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's office who has sent an inquiry to the embassies in HaNoi and HCMC. Numerous friends, family, and acquaintances have called and written our congressmen. We are so moved and thankful for all your support. This will all work out. I can't bare to think otherwise.
However, once we are home, I am going to fight for changes to be made to the process here. No families need to go through this ever again. Our own embassy is disrespectful to the Vietnamese government and cruel to its own citizens waiting to go home with their children. Investigations definitely need to be a part of the process but there is no need for USCIS to conduct these investigations in the way they are doing right now. We recently found out that the Vietnamese International Adoption Office has filed an official complaint against the embassy with the Foreign Service Department because of the way they are handling this situation.
Today we plan to visit the Museum of Ethnology. It should be very interesting and I'm hoping to be able to figure out which ethnic group our kids belong to.
Please keep thinking warm thoughts and sending your words of kindness and comfort. They mean the world.
Here's what Will thinks about the whole situation:
Well, we're all trying to be positive. We've spoken with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's office who has sent an inquiry to the embassies in HaNoi and HCMC. Numerous friends, family, and acquaintances have called and written our congressmen. We are so moved and thankful for all your support. This will all work out. I can't bare to think otherwise.
However, once we are home, I am going to fight for changes to be made to the process here. No families need to go through this ever again. Our own embassy is disrespectful to the Vietnamese government and cruel to its own citizens waiting to go home with their children. Investigations definitely need to be a part of the process but there is no need for USCIS to conduct these investigations in the way they are doing right now. We recently found out that the Vietnamese International Adoption Office has filed an official complaint against the embassy with the Foreign Service Department because of the way they are handling this situation.
Today we plan to visit the Museum of Ethnology. It should be very interesting and I'm hoping to be able to figure out which ethnic group our kids belong to.
Please keep thinking warm thoughts and sending your words of kindness and comfort. They mean the world.
This is torture
Not much happened today. One of the WC staff called us this morning and came by late this afternoon. Aside from that, there's not much action here in Hanoi.
I think that the kids are picking up on the fact that we're so upset. They have done nothing but cry whenever they aren't being held all day long. We pick them up, they fall asleep, we put them down, they start to cry, rinse, repeat.
We don't really know what's going on, other than there is an investigation. Either they're looking at the entire province and we're just waiting on the NOID (Notice of Intent to Deny) or this is a routine investigation and there's nothing really wrong.
The worst part is just the waiting. It's Friday night here now, and Monday is a holiday (Columbus day), so we aren't going to hear a thing until Tuesday at the earliest (Yes or NOID). It could go even longer.
We went ahead and rebooked our flights for next weekend which is just wishful thinking on our part. The odds of us getting out of here by then aren't very high, but we just wanted to feel like we were making progress.
We've been traveling for 22 days so far, and I don't know how much longer we can handle this.
I think that the kids are picking up on the fact that we're so upset. They have done nothing but cry whenever they aren't being held all day long. We pick them up, they fall asleep, we put them down, they start to cry, rinse, repeat.
We don't really know what's going on, other than there is an investigation. Either they're looking at the entire province and we're just waiting on the NOID (Notice of Intent to Deny) or this is a routine investigation and there's nothing really wrong.
The worst part is just the waiting. It's Friday night here now, and Monday is a holiday (Columbus day), so we aren't going to hear a thing until Tuesday at the earliest (Yes or NOID). It could go even longer.
We went ahead and rebooked our flights for next weekend which is just wishful thinking on our part. The odds of us getting out of here by then aren't very high, but we just wanted to feel like we were making progress.
We've been traveling for 22 days so far, and I don't know how much longer we can handle this.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
"Call Your Congressman"
We were told today by in-country staff that we should call our congressman. The panic that I saw yesterday in some of the members of our party is now starting to take me over. I just can't believe this is happening. And even more than that, I can't believe the way our country is handling this situation.
Why did they allow all these families to come to VN, begin to bond with their children, and then decide to hold us all hostage while they sort things out? What kind of country does something like that to their own people? What kind of administration would even consider sending 7 little innocent babies back to an orphanage to live out their lives? I do understand that they believe there might be a problem in Thai Nguyen (I, for one, don't at all believe that there is anything shady going on there) and they need to check it out. But for God's sake, quit bringing families here, send us all home with our children, and THEN check it out.
I know I'm ranting now but I'm really scared. I feel absolutely helpless, sitting here waiting for a woman we don't know from Adam in HCMC to make a decision that will impact us for the rest of our lives.
We have done nothing wrong. Our children have done nothing wrong. We just want to go home.
Why did they allow all these families to come to VN, begin to bond with their children, and then decide to hold us all hostage while they sort things out? What kind of country does something like that to their own people? What kind of administration would even consider sending 7 little innocent babies back to an orphanage to live out their lives? I do understand that they believe there might be a problem in Thai Nguyen (I, for one, don't at all believe that there is anything shady going on there) and they need to check it out. But for God's sake, quit bringing families here, send us all home with our children, and THEN check it out.
I know I'm ranting now but I'm really scared. I feel absolutely helpless, sitting here waiting for a woman we don't know from Adam in HCMC to make a decision that will impact us for the rest of our lives.
We have done nothing wrong. Our children have done nothing wrong. We just want to go home.
Progress
We have heard from Jenny and WC's attorneys are working to resolve the problem. Hopefully, we'll hear more soon.
One thing I wanted to make clear is that, as far as we know, this isn't happening because of WC or anything WC did. This is all being perpetrated by our own government. Which is a little surprising to me. A month ago, I was worried about dealing with the Vietnamese government. If you had asked me then which country I thought would be the caring, compassionate one throughout this process, my answer would have been wrong.
The only thing I will say is that our in-country staff should have been more proactive in responding to us when we found out there was a problem. They pretty much shut us out this entire week. I realize that they have lots of other families coming here for G&Rs and are extremely busy but I believe if they had communicated with us at the beginning of this fiasco, there wouldn't have been as much panic to set in amongst the families. Don't get me wrong -- they are wonderful, nice people. They just dropped the ball on this one. Probably because no one expected the situation to turn into the big deal that it has become.
One thing I wanted to make clear is that, as far as we know, this isn't happening because of WC or anything WC did. This is all being perpetrated by our own government. Which is a little surprising to me. A month ago, I was worried about dealing with the Vietnamese government. If you had asked me then which country I thought would be the caring, compassionate one throughout this process, my answer would have been wrong.
The only thing I will say is that our in-country staff should have been more proactive in responding to us when we found out there was a problem. They pretty much shut us out this entire week. I realize that they have lots of other families coming here for G&Rs and are extremely busy but I believe if they had communicated with us at the beginning of this fiasco, there wouldn't have been as much panic to set in amongst the families. Don't get me wrong -- they are wonderful, nice people. They just dropped the ball on this one. Probably because no one expected the situation to turn into the big deal that it has become.
Why We're Here
Yep, Will's standing on his own. Daddy is just helping him balance.
The sweetest little girl in the world.
We're in trouble. He'll be crawling by the time we're home.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Update on Investigation
The investigation that was supposed to be just a routine thing is turning out to be not so routine. Based on the information we have received, it has, in fact, turned into a possibly devastating situation. According to the embassy, Thai Nguyen province is under investigation. For the record, 1) the embassy did tell one of the families at the first interview that there was going to be an investigation and 2) they are investigating the group as a whole.
A report of the situation is being prepared by staff in Hanoi for USCIS in HCMC. The report should be delivered to HCMC today or tomorrow, and a decision / ruling will be made on the report next Tuesday or Wednesday. The possible outcomes of the investigation are 1) that everything is fine and we can go home or 2) everything is not fine and none of the children will be given visas to the US. If the children can't come to the US and our visas expire to stay in Vietnam, the children can be sent back to the orphanage. We don't know what we're going to do if it's #2. Needless to say, we are all terrified right now.
If all goes well it looks like we'll be out of here late next week. We will be changing hotels as a group (our reservations here run out on the 10th) since we've found that being together makes it a little easier to handle. We're each getting little bits and pieces of information, so we've started afternoon information sharing meetings over drinks at Highland. So far the embassy is our only source of information as we have not heard from anyone at our agency in over a week.
This sitution is starting to have a pretty serious impact on all of the families here. My vacation time runs out next week, and after that I would have to do unpaid leave. All of the families are in the same situation -- we have jobs and families that we're supposed to be returning to, and other people back home have put their lives on hold to babysit, dogsit and housesit. We need to go home.
Thank God we have each other because without the other wonderful people in this group, I don't know how we could stand what all is happening. Keep thinking good thoughts for all of us. Hopefully we'll have something positive to report soon.
Dennis & Tami
A report of the situation is being prepared by staff in Hanoi for USCIS in HCMC. The report should be delivered to HCMC today or tomorrow, and a decision / ruling will be made on the report next Tuesday or Wednesday. The possible outcomes of the investigation are 1) that everything is fine and we can go home or 2) everything is not fine and none of the children will be given visas to the US. If the children can't come to the US and our visas expire to stay in Vietnam, the children can be sent back to the orphanage. We don't know what we're going to do if it's #2. Needless to say, we are all terrified right now.
If all goes well it looks like we'll be out of here late next week. We will be changing hotels as a group (our reservations here run out on the 10th) since we've found that being together makes it a little easier to handle. We're each getting little bits and pieces of information, so we've started afternoon information sharing meetings over drinks at Highland. So far the embassy is our only source of information as we have not heard from anyone at our agency in over a week.
This sitution is starting to have a pretty serious impact on all of the families here. My vacation time runs out next week, and after that I would have to do unpaid leave. All of the families are in the same situation -- we have jobs and families that we're supposed to be returning to, and other people back home have put their lives on hold to babysit, dogsit and housesit. We need to go home.
Thank God we have each other because without the other wonderful people in this group, I don't know how we could stand what all is happening. Keep thinking good thoughts for all of us. Hopefully we'll have something positive to report soon.
Dennis & Tami
No news isn't necessarily good news
Someone in our group finally got in touch with a person (real person) at the consulate to figure out what's what with our visa apps. The only information we were able to get was that it was possible that Hanoi would get the report from HCMC tomorrow. If they get the reports early enough tomorrow, they may be able to get us through the 2nd interview tomorrow and get our visas by Friday -- which would put the entire group out on time. If we don't get our 2nd inteview tomorrow, we probably won't be leaving until Monday at the earliest.
We decided to get up and go out shopping today, and were out of the hotel for about 6 hours all told today. We went up and down several of the streets and bought several bags worth of stuff (no descriptions, since something could be for you). We ate lunch at a place called Bobby Chinns (http://www.bobbychinn.com) which had some really good food. We've heard of their macaroni and cheese, and it was as good as advertised.
In the back of everyone's minds here are the two typhoons that are cruising around the South China Sea. If we were to get out on time, we still may be severely impacted by those two storms. Typhoon Lekima is moving inland just south of Hanoi. We've been getting bands of rain from this storm for the past couple of days. It looks like that one is early enough and weak enough that it's not going to hurt too bad.
Typhoon Krosa, however, looks like it's going to be another story. It's a pretty big typhoon and it's projected to be somewhere between Hong Kong and South Japan by this weekend (that's quite a large range, but they expect it to be right next to Taiwan). The rain and wind from it may / will probably impact travel out of Hong Kong on Saturday if we're actually able to leave then. Maybe staying until Monday or Tuesday of next week wouldn't be that bad of an idea.
I think that's it for today.
Dennis
We decided to get up and go out shopping today, and were out of the hotel for about 6 hours all told today. We went up and down several of the streets and bought several bags worth of stuff (no descriptions, since something could be for you). We ate lunch at a place called Bobby Chinns (http://www.bobbychinn.com) which had some really good food. We've heard of their macaroni and cheese, and it was as good as advertised.
In the back of everyone's minds here are the two typhoons that are cruising around the South China Sea. If we were to get out on time, we still may be severely impacted by those two storms. Typhoon Lekima is moving inland just south of Hanoi. We've been getting bands of rain from this storm for the past couple of days. It looks like that one is early enough and weak enough that it's not going to hurt too bad.
Typhoon Krosa, however, looks like it's going to be another story. It's a pretty big typhoon and it's projected to be somewhere between Hong Kong and South Japan by this weekend (that's quite a large range, but they expect it to be right next to Taiwan). The rain and wind from it may / will probably impact travel out of Hong Kong on Saturday if we're actually able to leave then. Maybe staying until Monday or Tuesday of next week wouldn't be that bad of an idea.
I think that's it for today.
Dennis
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
We've been delayed
We were supposed to get the call from the consulate today telling us when our 2nd (exit) interview is. Instead we got a call from one of the other families here letting us know that the consulate had been informing people of a delay. My understanding is that USCIS is investigating something which is causing the delay. The issue isn't with the staff here in Hanoi, it's USCIS in HCM City.
It's possible that we'll hear something back by Thursday (the last day possible for us to get out on Saturday on time). However, I understand that there is a strong possibility that we won't hear back until sometime mid-next week. We've started the process already of extending our hotel reservations, but we're not going to worry about airline reservations, someone to watch the dogs/cats past Sunday, or anything else until Friday.
This sucks.
Dennis
It's possible that we'll hear something back by Thursday (the last day possible for us to get out on Saturday on time). However, I understand that there is a strong possibility that we won't hear back until sometime mid-next week. We've started the process already of extending our hotel reservations, but we're not going to worry about airline reservations, someone to watch the dogs/cats past Sunday, or anything else until Friday.
This sucks.
Dennis
Monday, October 1, 2007
Slow day today
It's been a pretty lazy day today. Tami posted some pics (below) of some of the goings on around here, but pretty much we've been trying to find time for a nap since 5am today. Whenever one goes down the other goes up, so naps are few and far between.
We did go out for dinner tonight to the coffee shop (Highlands) that's in the building. It was nice to get out, and we saw lots and lots of families that are somewhere in the process. A couple of people that we flew here with are leaving on Wedesday morning, and there were a couple of families we met who have their G&R tomorrow. It was nice to be around people
The smoke in town is really bad tonight. It appears that we're here during crop buring season, when all of the farms that ring the city burn all what's left of their crops. Add that in with the generall bad air and the exhaust, and it makes for a pretty rough time. The first night it was like this we kept thinking the building was on fire. All that said, today was the first day in weeks that I haven't had a sore throat (but I'm still coughing because of the quitting smoking thing).
We're hoping to hear from the consulate tomorrow so we're going to run errands tomorrow and Wednesday morning. We did decide that if there's any way at all for us to get out of here early (there are 3 flights a day from Hong Kong to LA) we're going to. We really really really want to go home.
Dennis
We did go out for dinner tonight to the coffee shop (Highlands) that's in the building. It was nice to get out, and we saw lots and lots of families that are somewhere in the process. A couple of people that we flew here with are leaving on Wedesday morning, and there were a couple of families we met who have their G&R tomorrow. It was nice to be around people
The smoke in town is really bad tonight. It appears that we're here during crop buring season, when all of the farms that ring the city burn all what's left of their crops. Add that in with the generall bad air and the exhaust, and it makes for a pretty rough time. The first night it was like this we kept thinking the building was on fire. All that said, today was the first day in weeks that I haven't had a sore throat (but I'm still coughing because of the quitting smoking thing).
We're hoping to hear from the consulate tomorrow so we're going to run errands tomorrow and Wednesday morning. We did decide that if there's any way at all for us to get out of here early (there are 3 flights a day from Hong Kong to LA) we're going to. We really really really want to go home.
Dennis
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Sis ain't so bad
I think Will is finally beginning to like his little sister Ava. She has adored him since the day we brought them both home but her adoration has been returned with pops in the head with his stacking cups or slaps on her legs and arms. Today we saw a bit of a change. The attention he's given her today has been more caring and sweet. And most importantly, she seemed to enjoy it.
8,790 minutes to go
This time next week we'll be on the flight from Dallas to Austin (if you can't tell from my posts, we're really ready to come home). We haven't heard the date of our visa interview so hopefully we'll hear something tomorrow. I guess the earliest we could conceivably come home would be Wednesday night, but there would be a rush on plane tickets from everyone else in our group so I guess we'll just wait for Saturday.
Today we took the kids out swimming and it wasn't quite the raging success that we had hoped. They were both very nervous about being in the water, and I don't know that they could really tell the difference between a pool and a bath. We'll try it again tomorrow or the next day, but our initial impression is that Ava is going to be the swimmer of the family.
We'll probably go out shopping again tomorrow. We still haven't been able to see the Hamoi Hilton, so we'll probably go there first.
I can't believe that UT lost.
Today we took the kids out swimming and it wasn't quite the raging success that we had hoped. They were both very nervous about being in the water, and I don't know that they could really tell the difference between a pool and a bath. We'll try it again tomorrow or the next day, but our initial impression is that Ava is going to be the swimmer of the family.
We'll probably go out shopping again tomorrow. We still haven't been able to see the Hamoi Hilton, so we'll probably go there first.
I can't believe that UT lost.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Under a week to go
This time next week we'll be almost to Hong Kong on our way home, and I don't think it can come soon enough.
Today we went on a short excursion outside the city with several of the other World Child families that are here in Vietnam. We went to a village called Bat Trang, which is also called Ceramic Villiage. Much like the streets in the old quarter being named after the product they sell, this village is named after the product that it makes (I don't know if there are other villages like this or not). In this case the only industry in the city of 6,000 is making ceramic vases, statues, bowls, plates, etc. They make them and paint them by hand. It's pretty amazing.
On the way back in we went by the Tran Quoc Pagoda, which was originally built in the 6th century and was the Buddhist center of Hanoi. We got several pictures of it, and saw a couple of monks walking around (they looked like the monks in Myanmarr / Burma that are protesting at the moment). It was pretty cool. The whole place was amazing.
We even saw a monk pull out a can of whoop ass on a bunch of guys fishing off the side of the grounds. We inconspicuously got a pic. Didn't want him turning that can in our direction.
The pic below is a shrine with an actual coffin sitting there. The man inside was a very important monk when he was alive. It was a bit weird to tell the truth but still fascinating.
I did realize that the cough / sore throat that Tami and I have been dealing with is directly related to where we are. I felt good for the first time in almost two weeks, and the moment that we reentered the old quarter, the throat started to hurt again.
It took a while to get the kids calmed down tonight since they missed their afternoon naps, but they're down now and we're going to bed. It makes me wonder if i'm ever going to stay up until 9:00 ever again.
We're starting to have trouble with the camera so most of the pictures we take end up too dark to see, but Tami will post any pictures she took today later tomorrow.
Dennis
Today we went on a short excursion outside the city with several of the other World Child families that are here in Vietnam. We went to a village called Bat Trang, which is also called Ceramic Villiage. Much like the streets in the old quarter being named after the product they sell, this village is named after the product that it makes (I don't know if there are other villages like this or not). In this case the only industry in the city of 6,000 is making ceramic vases, statues, bowls, plates, etc. They make them and paint them by hand. It's pretty amazing.
On the way back in we went by the Tran Quoc Pagoda, which was originally built in the 6th century and was the Buddhist center of Hanoi. We got several pictures of it, and saw a couple of monks walking around (they looked like the monks in Myanmarr / Burma that are protesting at the moment). It was pretty cool. The whole place was amazing.
We even saw a monk pull out a can of whoop ass on a bunch of guys fishing off the side of the grounds. We inconspicuously got a pic. Didn't want him turning that can in our direction.
The pic below is a shrine with an actual coffin sitting there. The man inside was a very important monk when he was alive. It was a bit weird to tell the truth but still fascinating.
I did realize that the cough / sore throat that Tami and I have been dealing with is directly related to where we are. I felt good for the first time in almost two weeks, and the moment that we reentered the old quarter, the throat started to hurt again.
It took a while to get the kids calmed down tonight since they missed their afternoon naps, but they're down now and we're going to bed. It makes me wonder if i'm ever going to stay up until 9:00 ever again.
We're starting to have trouble with the camera so most of the pictures we take end up too dark to see, but Tami will post any pictures she took today later tomorrow.
Dennis
Friday, September 28, 2007
Playground & Playroom at the Somerset
The playroom is located on the 5th floor. We couldn't get in but took a pic through the window.
The playground is around the corner from the pool. Will & Daddy thought it looked like a pretty fun place.
The playground is around the corner from the pool. Will & Daddy thought it looked like a pretty fun place.
A good day
Today turned into quite the good day. Will woke up at 5:30 this morning (which along with 1:30 am are his usual morning times) and decided that he wanted to take an early nap. I went back to bed and we slept until almost 9:00 this morning (Ava always sleeps at least 12 hours at night, usually 7 - 7, but she's so quiet you wouldn't necessarily know if she was up anyway). That's the latest we've slept in weeks.
We woke up, had breakfast, then finally left the building. We spent about 4 hours out shopping in the old quarter of Hanoi. I can't say where we went (some of the gifts might be for you), but we went all over. Took a taxi from the hotel and walked 90% of the way back (we hired another taxi for the other 10% - it was brutally hot and we were pooped).
The streets here in the old quarter are named for the items that are sold on that street. Way way back (~1100 years ago) groups of people (I want to say clan but that isn't the right word) built their shops outside the walls of the Citadel of the city of Hanoi. The groupings back then were by trade, and that grouping has held for more than 1,100 years. There is a silk street, toy street, art street, baby street, automotive street, etc. The names of the actual street can change each block (much like 2222, koenig, northland, 290 in Austin). it's pretty cool.
We stopped for a cold drink at a lakeside restaurant (orange ice for tami, peppermint ice for me -- quite tasty), and continued to walk around the city. It was wonderful to be out and about after being stuck inside for 10+ days.
Either this weekend or next week we're going to rent a car for a day and drive to all the museums here in Hanoi. Tomorrow we're going to the "Hanoi Hilton" where the American servicemen were held captive during the war. As it turns out, our hotel is built on 2/3 of the old prison. The remaining 1/3, which can be seen from our window, is now a museum about its role in the war. It's apparently highly propagandized, but it should be interesting.
Thanks for reading.
Will & Daddy
We woke up, had breakfast, then finally left the building. We spent about 4 hours out shopping in the old quarter of Hanoi. I can't say where we went (some of the gifts might be for you), but we went all over. Took a taxi from the hotel and walked 90% of the way back (we hired another taxi for the other 10% - it was brutally hot and we were pooped).
The streets here in the old quarter are named for the items that are sold on that street. Way way back (~1100 years ago) groups of people (I want to say clan but that isn't the right word) built their shops outside the walls of the Citadel of the city of Hanoi. The groupings back then were by trade, and that grouping has held for more than 1,100 years. There is a silk street, toy street, art street, baby street, automotive street, etc. The names of the actual street can change each block (much like 2222, koenig, northland, 290 in Austin). it's pretty cool.
We stopped for a cold drink at a lakeside restaurant (orange ice for tami, peppermint ice for me -- quite tasty), and continued to walk around the city. It was wonderful to be out and about after being stuck inside for 10+ days.
Either this weekend or next week we're going to rent a car for a day and drive to all the museums here in Hanoi. Tomorrow we're going to the "Hanoi Hilton" where the American servicemen were held captive during the war. As it turns out, our hotel is built on 2/3 of the old prison. The remaining 1/3, which can be seen from our window, is now a museum about its role in the war. It's apparently highly propagandized, but it should be interesting.
Thanks for reading.
Will & Daddy
Thursday, September 27, 2007
We're almost done
We got the kids medical checkups this morning, and they're cleared to come back with us to the US. Now all we do is wait for our embassy to call us in for the second visa interview. I keep hoping that it will happen soon (like today), but the reality is that we won't leave until next Saturday. We just really really really want to go home.
We think that the kids are starting to go through the greiving process for leaving the orphanage. On Tuesday and so far today, Will has been the fussiest thing known to man. If he's not in your arms, he's crying. Yesterday it was his sister doing the same thing. Tami had read something before about babies going through a grieving process, and we think this might be it.
For anyone planning to stay at the Smmerset Grand, bring plenty of electrical adapters if you hope to plug in more than one thing at a time. The Melia was set up to accept any type of plug, so most electronics could plug right into the wall. Not so at the Sommerset. The plugs here look alot like washer or dryer plugs in the States, and we only brought one adapter, so we can either use the computer, charge the camera, charge the Ipod, or charge the other camera. Additional adapters would be nice.
I think we are going to go out shopping a little this afternoon. We gave up waiting to feel better before heading out -- it just isn't going to happen.
Dennis
We think that the kids are starting to go through the greiving process for leaving the orphanage. On Tuesday and so far today, Will has been the fussiest thing known to man. If he's not in your arms, he's crying. Yesterday it was his sister doing the same thing. Tami had read something before about babies going through a grieving process, and we think this might be it.
For anyone planning to stay at the Smmerset Grand, bring plenty of electrical adapters if you hope to plug in more than one thing at a time. The Melia was set up to accept any type of plug, so most electronics could plug right into the wall. Not so at the Sommerset. The plugs here look alot like washer or dryer plugs in the States, and we only brought one adapter, so we can either use the computer, charge the camera, charge the Ipod, or charge the other camera. Additional adapters would be nice.
I think we are going to go out shopping a little this afternoon. We gave up waiting to feel better before heading out -- it just isn't going to happen.
Dennis
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
We're halfway done
We've been here 10 days and we come home in 10 days. It's also Will's 6-month birthday (happy birthday Will!).
We got the kids passports this morning, and tomorrow we take them to the clinic for their official adoption medical checkup. After that all we're waiting on is the US to finish up their paperwork and send us home.
We're both feeling much better (still coughing, still sore throats), but better than we have been in a long time. Tomorrow we're going to start shopping for all the gifts we need to buy for everyone (whether we feel up to it or not). We're both tired of being stuck in this apartment.
That's about it for today.
Dennis
We got the kids passports this morning, and tomorrow we take them to the clinic for their official adoption medical checkup. After that all we're waiting on is the US to finish up their paperwork and send us home.
We're both feeling much better (still coughing, still sore throats), but better than we have been in a long time. Tomorrow we're going to start shopping for all the gifts we need to buy for everyone (whether we feel up to it or not). We're both tired of being stuck in this apartment.
That's about it for today.
Dennis
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Another day down
Big day, got a lot done.
Almost went back to the clinic today (for me this time), decided not to at the last minute -- I'm tired of doctors and just decided to tough it out.
We watched a "traditional Chinese dragon dance" (whatever it's called) out in the tennis court today. It was/is in honor of the Moon Festival which takes place either tonight or tomorrow night. I'm sure Google would have more info about what I'm talking about.
We also had the first visit with the consulate today. I guess this is a really big step, but it really wasn't that difficult. They asked several questions about the kids then told us what was going to happen next. (For anyone who's coming to Vietnam to adopt 2 kids, if you didn't pay the 2 kid fee with the I-600 when you filled it out in the states, you're going to have to pay the 2nd kid fee when you're here ($700)). We should be free to leave here in 7-10 days, which would be somewhere around October 4th, which is when we were planning on leaving anyway. It could go faster, but probably won't.
We should hear back from the consulate either Friday or Monday, when we would schedule our next meeting with them.
Tonight 4 of the 5 families went out to dinner at a French/Vietnamese restaurant (supposed to be one of the best in the city?) called the Green Tangerine. It was quite good food, but I bet we looked funny to the locals who were eating there: 18 Americans, 9 adults and 9 children (7 babies, 2 under 12). It was fun, and nice to be around other people going through the same thing that we are.
We're going to get the kids passports in the morning, and I think we're all going to go out shoping after. The kids Adoption Medical exam will either be tomorrow afternoon or Thursday morning.
Lastly, the remnants of a Typhoon are on their way to Vietnam. I think it's been downgraded to a tropical storm or tropical depression, but its supposed to rain here until next week sometime. The breeze today has been fantastic due to the storm.
I think that's everything. We might have some pics / vids of today's events posted tomorrow.
Dennis
Almost went back to the clinic today (for me this time), decided not to at the last minute -- I'm tired of doctors and just decided to tough it out.
We watched a "traditional Chinese dragon dance" (whatever it's called) out in the tennis court today. It was/is in honor of the Moon Festival which takes place either tonight or tomorrow night. I'm sure Google would have more info about what I'm talking about.
We also had the first visit with the consulate today. I guess this is a really big step, but it really wasn't that difficult. They asked several questions about the kids then told us what was going to happen next. (For anyone who's coming to Vietnam to adopt 2 kids, if you didn't pay the 2 kid fee with the I-600 when you filled it out in the states, you're going to have to pay the 2nd kid fee when you're here ($700)). We should be free to leave here in 7-10 days, which would be somewhere around October 4th, which is when we were planning on leaving anyway. It could go faster, but probably won't.
We should hear back from the consulate either Friday or Monday, when we would schedule our next meeting with them.
Tonight 4 of the 5 families went out to dinner at a French/Vietnamese restaurant (supposed to be one of the best in the city?) called the Green Tangerine. It was quite good food, but I bet we looked funny to the locals who were eating there: 18 Americans, 9 adults and 9 children (7 babies, 2 under 12). It was fun, and nice to be around other people going through the same thing that we are.
We're going to get the kids passports in the morning, and I think we're all going to go out shoping after. The kids Adoption Medical exam will either be tomorrow afternoon or Thursday morning.
Lastly, the remnants of a Typhoon are on their way to Vietnam. I think it's been downgraded to a tropical storm or tropical depression, but its supposed to rain here until next week sometime. The breeze today has been fantastic due to the storm.
I think that's everything. We might have some pics / vids of today's events posted tomorrow.
Dennis
Monday, September 24, 2007
Another day in 'Nam
It took the AC guy about 3 hours to fix the AC last night, and he finally left about 9:00 or so. Tami and I were sound asleep at 9:01. 4 solid hours of sleep until Will's 1:00 wakeup, then 4 more hours until 6 am. We woke up feeling pretty good...unfortunately not everyone got the memo.
At about 8:00 this morning we carried on with our usual morning routine. I went down to the coffee shop in the lobby and got us some latte's while Tami changed/fed the kids. About 20 minutes after I got back Ava decided that it was her day to be sick, and started throwing up something besides the usual spit-up that she does. She also had a very raspy sounding cough, so it was back to the clinic for us (we're going to have to go back at least 2 more times before we leave, so by then we should all be on a first name basis).
Ava has the beginnings of an ear infection (which we had seen no symptoms of), so she's now on antibiotics for that. Both kids are now off the cough syrup that they got earlier in the week.
We did make an effort to get out of the room for fun -- we went and had lunch down in the restaurant rather than order it as roomservice, which is what we're going to do for dinner.
Tomorrow we have the 1st interview with the embassy, and we should get the kids' passports on Wednesday. In theory we could get the call for the 2nd interview anytime after the first, and we would be able to come home the next day (although we will end up staying until the 6th anyway if we can't get a bassinet on an earlier flight).
One rumor that we did hear this morning is that in the very near future the US Embassy is going to change the immigration process here in Vietnam. Instead of there being two required interviews there will be only one, which should cut the process down by a week or so. Unfortunately that process won't be in place for us.
Maybe we'll have some pictures tomorrow.
Dennis
At about 8:00 this morning we carried on with our usual morning routine. I went down to the coffee shop in the lobby and got us some latte's while Tami changed/fed the kids. About 20 minutes after I got back Ava decided that it was her day to be sick, and started throwing up something besides the usual spit-up that she does. She also had a very raspy sounding cough, so it was back to the clinic for us (we're going to have to go back at least 2 more times before we leave, so by then we should all be on a first name basis).
Ava has the beginnings of an ear infection (which we had seen no symptoms of), so she's now on antibiotics for that. Both kids are now off the cough syrup that they got earlier in the week.
We did make an effort to get out of the room for fun -- we went and had lunch down in the restaurant rather than order it as roomservice, which is what we're going to do for dinner.
Tomorrow we have the 1st interview with the embassy, and we should get the kids' passports on Wednesday. In theory we could get the call for the 2nd interview anytime after the first, and we would be able to come home the next day (although we will end up staying until the 6th anyway if we can't get a bassinet on an earlier flight).
One rumor that we did hear this morning is that in the very near future the US Embassy is going to change the immigration process here in Vietnam. Instead of there being two required interviews there will be only one, which should cut the process down by a week or so. Unfortunately that process won't be in place for us.
Maybe we'll have some pictures tomorrow.
Dennis
Sunday, September 23, 2007
What a day (and it ain't over yet)
Between the two of us Tami and I probably got about 5 hours of sleep last night. Will and Ava weren't that bad (Ava continues to sleep through the night, and will likes to wake up for an hour at 1:00 am), but Tami and I were horrible. Between the coughing, sneezing, nose blowing, coughing, and more coughing, we ended up staying up most of the night.
At about 6 this morning Tami finally decided she had had enough and we went down to the clinic. Turns out that Tami has a fever (probably bronchitis) and I'm having real bad allergy problems. Ava still has crap in her lungs, and Will seems to be the healthiest of the bunch.
Tami got 4 perscriptions and I got 2, and we came back and have been trying to get some sleep during the day today but now neither Will nor Ava are cooperating.
We can still lay around the apartment tomorrow, but on Tuesday we have to go to the 1st visa interview whether we're feeling better or not. Here's to hoping we're feeling better.
Around 5:00 today we lost power in the apartment. It took them about an hour to turn everything back on, but the AC in the bedroom is now broken (the AC's here are kind of like window units, but they're not in windows). It's going to take them another 3 hours to fix that unit.
We can't wait to go home.
Dennis
At about 6 this morning Tami finally decided she had had enough and we went down to the clinic. Turns out that Tami has a fever (probably bronchitis) and I'm having real bad allergy problems. Ava still has crap in her lungs, and Will seems to be the healthiest of the bunch.
Tami got 4 perscriptions and I got 2, and we came back and have been trying to get some sleep during the day today but now neither Will nor Ava are cooperating.
We can still lay around the apartment tomorrow, but on Tuesday we have to go to the 1st visa interview whether we're feeling better or not. Here's to hoping we're feeling better.
Around 5:00 today we lost power in the apartment. It took them about an hour to turn everything back on, but the AC in the bedroom is now broken (the AC's here are kind of like window units, but they're not in windows). It's going to take them another 3 hours to fix that unit.
We can't wait to go home.
Dennis
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Everyone is sick
We're all sick. Will and Ava are on drugs from the clinic and getting better. Tami still hasn't been to the clinic and now I'm getting sick and don't feel like going either. The funny thing is that we have every drug under the sun for the kids, but don't anything for us. Even the only thermometer we have is rectal, and that's not going anywhere near me.
Dennis
Dennis
Somerset Grand
We moved to our suite at the Somerset Grand on Thursday. This place is fantastic and as close to home as you can get. We have two bedroom, two baths, living room, dining room, kitchen, and small outdoor patio. The outside walls in the living room and both bedrooms are wall-to-wall windows.
Our living and dining rooms
Our kitchen
Our second bedroom
Bedroom with Dennis, Will, and Ava
Love,
Tami
Our living and dining rooms
Our kitchen
Our second bedroom
Bedroom with Dennis, Will, and Ava
Love,
Tami
Ho Hoan Kiem
When we first got here (aka pre-babies) Dennis and I walked around Hoan Kiem Lake almost every morning. We were never early enough to catch the Tai Chi-ers but there was always a lot of people sitting on the benches, gathering in groups talking, and just generally hanging out.
Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Swords) took its name from a legend about King Le Loi. The King, while boating on the lake, was given a sword by a giant tortoise, which helped him repel Chinese invaders. After the battles, the sword was restored to the tortoise in the lake.
There is a temple called Den Ngoc Son (Jade Mound Temple) on the north side of the lake. A beautiful red bridge crosses from the lake shore to the island where the temple is located. We haven't been inside yet but plan to go back and take the kids. We bought Ava a Vietnamese Barbie doll in a cute little shop right outside.
In the middle of Ho Hoan Kiem is Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower). I need to go back and get a pic of it at night when it's lit up and absolutely beautiful.
Kid News:
We tried our first outing today with Will & Ava. We missed the shuttle to the C-Mart (a Walmart-like grocery store) so we decided to go get a bite to eat. (We can't really do much yet with the kids still under dr. ordered "house arrest.") We barely got out of the elevator when Ava spewed all over me. The milk was running down my chest and into my shorts when she spewed again. It looked like one of those double fountains people have in their backyards -- a stream from her nose and one from her mouth. Needless to say, we went back upstairs and ate in. We haven't had the guts to attempt it again. New rule: Always bring a dry clean shirt on any outings.
More Ava news: She now lets us know when her nappy is dirty. The sweetie used to sit complacently until we checked her. I like that she feels comfortable enough to tell us she needs something and also that she knows something will be done about it.
I just keep wondering what I did in my life to deserve these two. Dennis and I are so blessed.
Love,
Tami
Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Swords) took its name from a legend about King Le Loi. The King, while boating on the lake, was given a sword by a giant tortoise, which helped him repel Chinese invaders. After the battles, the sword was restored to the tortoise in the lake.
There is a temple called Den Ngoc Son (Jade Mound Temple) on the north side of the lake. A beautiful red bridge crosses from the lake shore to the island where the temple is located. We haven't been inside yet but plan to go back and take the kids. We bought Ava a Vietnamese Barbie doll in a cute little shop right outside.
In the middle of Ho Hoan Kiem is Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower). I need to go back and get a pic of it at night when it's lit up and absolutely beautiful.
Kid News:
We tried our first outing today with Will & Ava. We missed the shuttle to the C-Mart (a Walmart-like grocery store) so we decided to go get a bite to eat. (We can't really do much yet with the kids still under dr. ordered "house arrest.") We barely got out of the elevator when Ava spewed all over me. The milk was running down my chest and into my shorts when she spewed again. It looked like one of those double fountains people have in their backyards -- a stream from her nose and one from her mouth. Needless to say, we went back upstairs and ate in. We haven't had the guts to attempt it again. New rule: Always bring a dry clean shirt on any outings.
More Ava news: She now lets us know when her nappy is dirty. The sweetie used to sit complacently until we checked her. I like that she feels comfortable enough to tell us she needs something and also that she knows something will be done about it.
I just keep wondering what I did in my life to deserve these two. Dennis and I are so blessed.
Love,
Tami
Friday, September 21, 2007
1st Visa interview
The date of the 1st Visa interview has been set for next Tuesday afternoon. My understanding is that the 2nd interview can take place at any time after the 1st, usually about a week (but it can be earlier). We can leave the country one day after the 2nd interview (assuming all goes well),
Next Wednesday we pick up the kids' passports.
Next Wednesday we pick up the kids' passports.
First week
Our first week in country is almost over, and it's been quite a week. After being out of the hotel for hours at a time at the beginning of the week, we've spent the last 3 days cocooning in our hotel room.
A recap of events and key learnings:
1) getting them on a schedule is going to be difficult. Since Tuesday, they've gotten farther and farther apart. Whenever one is awake the other is asleep, which then leads to two different wake-up times during the night. The longest sleep that we've had since Tuesday is about 4 hours.
2) They definately have different personalities.
Will-- We first noticed at the G&R ceremony, but William is used to a lot of attention. The caregivers kept coming around and taking him back from us while we were waiting to leave. He cries a lot when he doesn't get his way, and likes to be held a lot. Since Tuesday he's gotten better about being by himself (not held all the time), but he's still really vocal when he isn't happy. We're pretty sure that he's about as normal of a baby that there is.
He's now pretty good about rolling around, and he sat up for the first time today.
Ava-- She's quiet. Really quiet. She pretty much sleeps the entire time. If she's awake she's quietly laying around waiting for someone to notice her. We think that this is the self-pacifying that we've heard about that kids from orphanages do. We're making an extra point to pick her up every time we hear a peep out of her -- we really want her to understand that we're going to be here for her and she doesn't need to hold back. She's super sweet and the sounds that she does make when she's happy will melt your heart.
She's learned how to roll over, but isn't really able to roll back yet. She really likes to nap on her side.
3) the kids still have a little cough. If they didn't spit the cough syrup out when we gave it to them, they'd probably be better by now. The dr told us to leave them indoors for 5 days and we're on day 3 of that. I'm starting to get some cabin fever, but maybe we can get out this weekend.
4) Tami is still sick and getting worse and refuses to go to the clinic. I'm going to have to make her go -- she's about to lose her voice.
5) The italian food in Vientam is pretty good. We're having Mexican tonight.
6) It feels weird to walk around with 1.6 million Dong (the equvialent of about $100 USD). It's a huge wad of cash, even if it's mostly 100,000 Dong bills.
7) It's not that hot here if you're from Texas.
8) Japanese tv is very strange, but Sumo wrestling rocks.
9) The Melia hotel executive lounge has the best coffee in the world.
Some pics starting with the trip to Thai Nguyen in reverse chronological order because i'm too tired to put them in the right order. The picture of the building is the orphanage, but not the building where the babies live. The Vietnamese woman holding Will is one of his caregivers (that kept taking him back every chance she got). The picture of Tami and I signing documents was the actual G&R ceremony. That's the point they became ours.
A recap of events and key learnings:
1) getting them on a schedule is going to be difficult. Since Tuesday, they've gotten farther and farther apart. Whenever one is awake the other is asleep, which then leads to two different wake-up times during the night. The longest sleep that we've had since Tuesday is about 4 hours.
2) They definately have different personalities.
Will-- We first noticed at the G&R ceremony, but William is used to a lot of attention. The caregivers kept coming around and taking him back from us while we were waiting to leave. He cries a lot when he doesn't get his way, and likes to be held a lot. Since Tuesday he's gotten better about being by himself (not held all the time), but he's still really vocal when he isn't happy. We're pretty sure that he's about as normal of a baby that there is.
He's now pretty good about rolling around, and he sat up for the first time today.
Ava-- She's quiet. Really quiet. She pretty much sleeps the entire time. If she's awake she's quietly laying around waiting for someone to notice her. We think that this is the self-pacifying that we've heard about that kids from orphanages do. We're making an extra point to pick her up every time we hear a peep out of her -- we really want her to understand that we're going to be here for her and she doesn't need to hold back. She's super sweet and the sounds that she does make when she's happy will melt your heart.
She's learned how to roll over, but isn't really able to roll back yet. She really likes to nap on her side.
3) the kids still have a little cough. If they didn't spit the cough syrup out when we gave it to them, they'd probably be better by now. The dr told us to leave them indoors for 5 days and we're on day 3 of that. I'm starting to get some cabin fever, but maybe we can get out this weekend.
4) Tami is still sick and getting worse and refuses to go to the clinic. I'm going to have to make her go -- she's about to lose her voice.
5) The italian food in Vientam is pretty good. We're having Mexican tonight.
6) It feels weird to walk around with 1.6 million Dong (the equvialent of about $100 USD). It's a huge wad of cash, even if it's mostly 100,000 Dong bills.
7) It's not that hot here if you're from Texas.
8) Japanese tv is very strange, but Sumo wrestling rocks.
9) The Melia hotel executive lounge has the best coffee in the world.
Some pics starting with the trip to Thai Nguyen in reverse chronological order because i'm too tired to put them in the right order. The picture of the building is the orphanage, but not the building where the babies live. The Vietnamese woman holding Will is one of his caregivers (that kept taking him back every chance she got). The picture of Tami and I signing documents was the actual G&R ceremony. That's the point they became ours.
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