Happy New Year! Mighty Fine 2009...

View from the room - Brian looking out at his birthplace - Viet Nam

Heading out the door to navigate the streets for a doctor's appointment...

What a year it has been. I am so thankful for each and every part of this year's journey. The mountains and the valleys (and plateaus!) have given me DOUBLE blessings of family and friends. True friends. Honest and heartfelt friends. Christian love and spirit in fellowship with others... My life is filled with so much LOVE - everyday. I have been given such a wonderful gift - to live with such love. It is almost overwhelming to think about!

After several hours, he learns to crawl... :)

I pray that 2009 brings peace and joy to the PAPs who are anxiously waiting to bring their babies home, and that healing will be restored to the suffering. I pray that those I have seen here who suffer and toil to simply survive are provided relief. It is heart-breaking. To see the children at the orphanage- the hearing impaired kids who are so full of joy. They know no lack or want for anything - just a smile is riches to them! Yet they have no family and are seen as "non-adoptable" because of their handicap. It breaks my heart.

The city streets of Hanoi...

We went to the VN immigration offices and picked up baby Brian's passport and then went to the clinic. My little man is doing great. The nurses and doctor seemed very competent. They weighed and measured him, listened to his heart and lungs and the doctor did a physical. He weighs 16.1 lbs. and is 27.6 inches long. Big boy! He has a very healthy, strong heart. My mom won the Facebook - "How much does Baby Brian weigh? " pool too. Way to go Mama!

He does have excema and dry skin, and the doctor said that the orphanages will deny that any of the kids here have scabies, but to treat him with the Elimite we brought and see if it isn't gone in a day or two. In the meantime, I am to apply hydrocortisone to his ear for the broken crusties and lotion to his scalp and legs for the dryness and itching. Other than that he is a perfectly healthy little boy. Just sweet as pie. He loves, love, loves to snuggles, loves being smooched on all over and he loves to play, play, play!

Rush hour traffic. LOL 5:1 scooters to cars

We went to dinner tonight with Marci, a single mom from Michigan who is here adopting her 5th child. I met Marci on a Yahoo Group yesterday and we enjoyed a great dinner at Al Fresca's in Hanoi tonight. We had big ribs (pork -I checked with the mgmt) and sangrias. It was our New Year's celebration! Marci adopted her daughter Huong, age 6, from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh and then had to come to Hanoi for the visa interview. Both of our interviews are scheduled with the US Consulate on Friday. Then we are free to come home. They have rushed this process through due to the holidays - everything is happening FAST!

I've asked Todd the travel agent guy to get me on a plane leaving Hanoi either Friday night or Saturday morning. Woohah.... I hope I'll be home for Jordan's birthday on the 7th! Maybe even home by Sunday. We'll see. I've learned how the process goes now on this travel so I am not counting on any definites. Flexibility is key... flexibility is key... (lather, rinse, repeat.)

Jordan is going to a New Year's Eve party tonight with some of her friends in Plano. I hope Dede and everyone there has fun too!

Marci, Huong, Brian and I are going to the Silk Factory tomorrow. I'll post pictures!

This is the rooftop and courtyard of what is left of the Hilton Hanoi... (POW prison). I am told that the Hanoi Somerset Apartment Hotels (where we are staying) was built on the land where the original HH stood and occupies the rest of the block. This is the view of what is left of the prison looking down from our room. Can you imagine?

Anyway, I am rambling now but wanted to share a myriad of things! In one hour it is midnite here, so Happy New Year all!

(Mama - they ain't got no black eyed peas or cabbage over here. Eat double for me, will ya?)

Hanging out wit' me boy...

We had a great night. We took a long warm bath last night, although I still haven't gotten all the dirt out from under his little toenails and fingenails yet. He loved the bath water, and didn't mind the shampoo either. He clung to me the whole time. He is already bonding and doesn't like it one bit when he isn't being held.

We then had an Elimite rubdown from head to toe for both baby and me to rid ourselves of the scabies. We had to keep this cream on everywhere overnight and then rinse it off this morning.

He slept almost all night. He woke up at 2am for changing and a bottle and was back asleep til 6:45am. He scratched his ears and head throughout the night, the scabies sores and bumps and crusties from it in his ear was bothersome to say the least. He breathes so congested and heavy while sleeping I wasn't sure if it was the cold or just Early Onset Steve Elam disorder. :) He didn't like the crib, and as soon as I brought him up in the bed with me, he immediately curled up under my arm and snuggled asleep all night. What a sweetie!

The diaper rash is everywhere, and I can't tell which is the rash or scabies in his groin region. The dry scaliness and red spots extends down both thighs in the back and alongside his inner thighs til midway to his knees.

He has two bottom teeth and is cutting his front top teeth - drooling like a cocker spaniel at times. After the doctor appointment today, I may use some oragel on his gums for relief.
Even though he is 8 months old, he fits into 6 month clothes. The 9 month clothes are just a bit too big, but work like a charm for the outer layering. The layers here are not as much as China - two or three fully covered layers will do, although strangers are still stopping to cover up his hands or neck when they are occasionally showing.

After our morning bathing off the Elimite ritual and a long hot shower for me, it wore the baby out! (I put him in his crib with toys while I showered and he cried the whole time! He didn't like me being out of his sight!) He fell asleep as soon as he got in the stroller. We went down to breakfast at Jaspa's, the in house restaurant. I had coffee, pancakes (and didn't eat something that looked like bacon, or ham - not sure) while baby Brian slept the whole time.

He watches me constantly; looking directly in my eyes. While drinking a bottle, getting changed, being carried - he is just fascinated with this woman - his new mama- who has him snuggled next to her bosom all the time. He seems to like it there...and he is such a sweet, sweet boy.

Alas, I am missing my little girl so much though. She will just love her baby brudder! I show him her picture and tell him stories about her. I will start the process of letting him know that he can't wear her princess dresses or shoes. (She acts selfish about this, but she always shares her dress-up clothes with girls and boys alike). I don't think he'll mind. At least not yet. :)

Dede has been sending me emails from Jordan (in her own words) and pictures of her while they are home. Dede is taking her to play groups and activities and seems to have the schedule down pat! I know they are having fun. I've talked with her on the phone at least once a day, and she is looking at pictures that I am sending them. I think they are having fun together!

I haven't made any other phone calls from the room, as I don't know how much my phone charges are going to be when I check out of the room. (I could probably buy a Volvo for the same amount). My prepaid calling card only works from calling the states to Asia - duh, so I have been using email as a primary communication vehicle.

I haven't heard from Regina and Annie dog - but I am sure Annie is doing great and keeping GeeGee warm in bed at night. Regina - kiss our pooch for us! I can't wait for baby Brian's expressions when he sees a doggy! (that's not for dinner). hehe

I absolutely love all the emails, facebook posts and blog posts I've received. Thank you so much! I am reading them to baby Brian, and saving all of them for his memory book. Thank you for your prayers and warm wishes as we continue our Asian family building and bonding!

We are going to the doctor at 1pm this afternoon. I'll blog later with those results. The winner of the Baby Brian - How much does he weigh? pool will be decided as well! :)

It's a BOY!

Meet Brian Anthony Montgomery!

First time I saw him, and they wouldn't let me hold him (not til the G&R later)

I am just beside myself... he is adorable.

This is the G&R Ceremony - it's official!

He is SO sweet. Napping as I type this. He came to me right away, makes great eye contact, is fascinated by the sights and sounds around him, and latched onto me without hesitation. He doesn't cry very much - they told me - and so far that is true. He loves the Snugli!

He has two teeth on the bottom, has an upper respiratory infection and scabies all over. There are also a few scabs here and there (I think from teh scabies), but we go to the medical exam tomorrow afternoon for his complete physical. I'll treat us both for scabies tonight. His left ear is pretty bad with the red spots and rash from scabies.

The G&R went quick, quick this morning and then we were off to get his photo and apply for his Vietnamese passport.

I'll write more googoo gaga stuff later, but just want to get the good news out asap!

Ann

Good Morning Viet Nam!

I am here!

Day 2 of the travel adventure was much more productive. Thai Air actually completed the 18 hour flight from LAX to Bangkok. The route took us over the west coast - California, Oregon, Washington, and over Alaska. Then we traversed over Japan, then southward over Viet Nam, and Cambodia to land in Bangkok, Thailand. I read a bit, watched five movies in flight, slept some, and exercised some (as was possible in an airline seat!).It cost me $199 to upgrade to a Premium Economy seat, and it was worth it. Reclining seats, lots of room, and comfort. The Bangkok airport was very cool too - I'll get pics of it on the return route.

Tip - I used my old United Airlines Gold Card to gain access to the Star Alliance VIP lounge in Bangkok. Free breakfast, wifi, and comfort. They didn't care that my United Gold Card was from 1999. It had Star Alliance on it and gained me entrance!

I hopped on Thai Air's next route to Hanoi, and 2 hours later was at the Hanoi airport. The Hanoi airport reminds me exactly of Cabo San Lucas' airport. (Except everything is in Vietnamese instead of Spanish.) It had to be identically designed.

There was no one at Nairobi Airport with my name displayed for transportation (as I was told to expect). I made my way to a currency exchange place and converted $100 USD to Dong. I found the official taxi line right outside the baggage claim doors (ignoring the pesterers who wanted me to ride in their old, unapproved vehicles) and made my way to the hotel. (The pesterers reminded me of the Philadelphia airport - you just don't look at them and don't let them take your suitcases like they are trying to "help"). In the official taxis the fare is fixed - airport to Hanoi (about 20 miles) for $250,000 Dong, or about $16USD.

The drive from the airport to Hanoi was fascinating. People with hoes and rakes everywhere going to/from the fields for work, scooters everywhere, no lines painted in any road to distinguish lanes from any direction, and about 50 near misses of taking out some scooters along the way. It's weird too - everyone just honks all the time, (as in constantly) as if they are saying, "Hi! I'm here! Don't hit me!" The impoverishment is truly heart wrenching though.

Somerset Apartments - Check-in!

The hotel/apartments did not have my name as being registered for check-in, as they were expecting me yesterday and they were not updated that I would be a day late (as they were supposed to be - what we had was a multiple failure to communicate...)They were nice and checked me in anyway. Did I say flexibility is key? :) The apartment is very comfortable! It has a kitchen, patio, washer/dryer, dining area, living room, twin bed bedroom, master bedroom, one full master bath and one smaller shower bath.

Living Room, Master bedroom and pool relaxation area at the Somerset

I learned a lot from previous PAPs who stayed here, so I knew to get my wifi log-in and password, electrical adapters, hot/cold water bottle dispenser delivered, and a crib brought up to the room. It felt so good to unpack everything and "nest" a bit. I took a long, hot shower and did a load of laundry from my 3 day travel extravaganza. The adjacent shopping center in the hotel is nice, and I found Highlands Coffee Shop for lunch and a latte. There is a market in the mall where I got some Diet Cokes, diapers and other necessary items I knew I could purchase here and not have to bring along.

I have taken lots of pictures of the Somerset Apartment/Hotel and shopping center. I'll post the entire collection on the various Yahoo groups for the PAPs who will be following me here in just a couple of weeks (I hope!).

There was no problem adjusting to the time difference of Hanoi. The overnight travel delay in LA was a blessing in disguise.

I called my agency in-country contact - a man named Martin, and let him know I was here. (He didn't know I had made it out of LA, so he was surprised that I had already successfully navigated myself to the hotel.)

Martin will meet me at 10am in the morning at the hotel and we'll review the logistics for the G&R date and activities ahead. I am going to get a good night's sleep tonight and be ready for Baby Brian tomorrow! (I hope they get the G&R for tomorrow!)

This post was very "logistical" in nature, as I wanted to provide the other prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) with the run down... I'll add more humor and cynicism tomorrow, as is expected of me. Hehe.
Children's play area at the Somerset - I miss Jordan!

But for everyone - thanks for your prayers for my safe travels. All went well. It just took a bit longer than planned, but I made lots of friends along the way. Everyone on the Thai flight this morning seemed to know each other well! One man joked that it seemed we had all stormed the beaches of Normandy together there was so much bonding.

I am also thankful that all my bags arrived and I feel safe here.

Til tomorrow!

Ann

The travel adventure begins..

DFW Sendoff - Regina, Jordan and Cindy (Dede)

I am now 32 hours into my trip to bring home Baby Brian, and I am still in the states! (Well - California anyway!)

The flight from DFW to LAX was fine. I had a 6 1/2 hour layover in LA, and boarded the Thai Air plane at 8:50pm for a 9:30pm flight. This flight is going to be 18 hours long. We had a mechanical problem in that the onboard computer system was malfunctioning. I knew it was bad when they started taking out the ceiling panels on the plane and pulling down cables and hard drives!

At about 2am, they told us that the airline would put us all up at airport hotels. (It was a big plane, couple hundred people easy). We got to the Rennaisance Hotel (I had upgraded to premium seats on the plane so they gave us a nicer hotel - sweet). I then checked in with my adoption agency via email and crashed!

I had a glorious 9 hour night sleep, waking up at 1pm. We are supposed to be back at the Thai Air counter by 5pm to see if the computer part arrived from Bangkok and the plane was successfully fixed. Everyone on the plane will be back on the plane tonight - they kept our bags and have us by a pretty tight leash. That's ok though, because the hotel was great and the food vouchers were generous.

I made several friends along the way... Martha and Jim who are from Franklin, KY but have lived in Thailand for 35 years... Matilda, who is a 70 y/o+ very well-to-do drama queen that I have been "taking care of". She has needed a wheelchair and needs oxygen, so I've been her travel companion through the confusion. She is a classic - wearing a big fur coat, barking orders at people, etc. She is going to Bangkok for a New Year's Eve party. That has been an entertaining diversion for me. She wants to take me back to the airport in a limo in a bit, but I'll be just fine on the bus. I am reminded of someone as I care for her, but can't seem to remember who? :)

It is fun engaging with people you don't know along the way... a dentist who is taking his sons over to Cambodia for free dental clinics for the needy, couples on excursions, kids going to Katmandu, etc. One cool thing about the sharing of our situations and lives is that they are all very excited when I tell them I am going to bring home a baby boy! I do think love is a universal language.

I hope to be in Bangkok for breakfast tomorrow - but my adventure boots are strapped on and I am having a ball so far. We'll see where the journey leads!

We are GO for launch!

The last three days have been a whirlwind...

Besides being sick and then electromagnetic pulse awakened into energetic powerball from the steroid shot and B12 shot, the world was rather weird yesterday. First my car wouldn't start after a car wash and I had to ask my friend Bonnie to come get us. Triple A came, got it started, and we took it to the Firestone dealer where our friend Dave Bowers had his folks take care of me. The old gal needed a new battery. (Tell me about it! :)

Then when my friend Regina was taking us back to the Firestone dealer to pick up the car, my garage door automagically came down (on its own accord) while we were backing out and we rammed it pretty good. The door was off at least three hinges and hanging crooked at half-mast. Just lovely!

I could not find a garage door servicing company answering phones at 5:15pm Christmas Eve, so our friend Mr. Pete (Bonnie's hubba) came over and worked on it for 'pert near two hours. Works like a gem now! It needs a few hinges and panels replaced so the garage door project was right up at the top of my sister Cindy's "to do" list. Thank you Mr. Pete!

Then the toilet in Jordan's bathroom is stopped up. Plunger no workee. Move "call a plumber" into Cindy's priority list.

By this time on Christmas Eve, it was just about comical. I had too many things left to complete (and Santa duties to boot) to have the option of a meltdown. I felt like I was "under attack" (Reference Mamma Mia ABBA song). A couple of friends got a good laugh when I declared, "Get thee behind me Satan!" and claimed the rest of this trip to be His, and now I know we are protected! I am not kicking the daggone donkey.

Finally - the silent night, holy night set in... and all was calm and bright. I am comforted to know that there will be many unexpected twists and turns over the next two weeks, and it is HOW I manage through it that is important. Flexibility and hopefully some grace!

So Christmas Eve and day was just awesome with Jordan. Regina joined us for our holiday festivities and Christmas dinner. Jordan modeled her princess shoes, dresses and costumes all day long. She loved it!

This afternoon I was printing out and laminating a Vietnamese Dong to US Dollar exchange rate chart when it hit me. I am really going alone to a foreign communist country to adopt a baby and bring him back home here. I am going alone. My trusted adoption COO (sister) is managing the operations at home this time instead of traveling with me. OMG. Then when I took out Jordan's clothes and other items from the suitcase, I was so sad and already missing my little girl. She was SO sweet today, affectionate and loving... whew... this is tearing me up!

But I am totally excited too! I kinda feel like Jason Bourne - in the international travel scenario way of being cautious and alert. (But not like Jason too, because I am 1) not a man 2) not a spy 3) I don't have any aliases.) I am on a mission though! A big one.

Thank goodness Cindy arrived this evening. Boy was I glad to see her! She helped me "re-pack" til almost 2am, pared down packing items to the necessary (simplify!), provide additional osmosis courage and then we had our traditional weighing bags on the scale photo op. Picture posted later - the camera is packed! Posted now! Suffice it to say, I am checking two bags that weigh about 48.5 lbs. each.

It has been just a ton of mixed emotions because I so want Cindy to go along on the trip! We had to swallow back tears a couple times tonight. We spent time reviewing Jordan's social calendar and other household management tasks. She has a list o' things to do now! Hehe. :) Her time here will go by fast, and she is carrying her passport in case she needs to make a mad dash to the Hanoi Hilton or hot LZ and bring us home! Can you say "helicopter babylift"?

So I am officially in "virtual adoption labor". My contractions are slow and far apart! I am still fearful of a retreat phone call - I am rather skiddish after all the starts and stops. My flight will be 21+ hours including layovers in LAX and Bangkok. I arrive in Hanoi at 9:35am on Sunday, December 28. (I'll be 13 hours ahead of Dallas time).

I am happy, nervous, scared, courageous, thankful and so very humbled by this opportunity. Angels in my life have been (and are) watching and praying over me. Thank you to all the angels out there!

(Angels include but are not limited to: Mama and family, Margot and all the QC golf gals, Cheryl, Shaunda, Patsy, Elaine, Brian Sr. and Denise, Lisa Dett, L2B, Spains, Powers and McCoys, Bac Ninh Yahoo Group, WC agency clients and staff, "Where are my People?" people and many others. Thank you for your love and companionship along this journey.)

Stay tuned!

On again, off again, on again!

A lot has happened since my last post!

After many phone calls and escalation phone calls, we did receive confirmation that December 29th is the scheduled G&R Ceremony. The Giving and Receiving Ceremony is the description of the “Gotcha” acceptance of the baby. (Some of the Viet Nam adoptive parents have affectionately termed it the Getting & Running Ceremony!)

The flights were mostly full and where seats were available they were ultra expensive ($12K for one person roundtrip coach with three stop overs!). It is amazing to recollect the other outrageous travel nightmares we came across when booking a trip with 4 days notice during the holiday season.

I was beginning to think that Santa’s sleigh was going to be the only transportation available. I had to enlist the assistance of a travel agent and he was able to find us a route with availability. Prospective Adoptive Parents can’t be choosers!

The airline is Thai Airways, the layovers are in LAX and Bangkok before getting to Hanoi, and the return flight has a 12 hour (hotel overnight) in LAX. The ‘good’ news is that price was only twice the normal fare. So… with these factors we decided that I would travel alone to Hanoi to get the baby and my sister Cindy will stay here at home with Jordan.

I am looking forward to one-on-one bonding time with baby Brian, and I feel pretty comfortable with the process since it is my second time around. It is certainly different than China, and I will be expecting tons of last minute challenges that require flexibility. I feel much confident this time however in the care, feeding, bathing and loving of a baby. I am cautious and a bit scared about the airports and luggage moving logistics by myself. I am also concerned about the Bangkok airport with the recent political unrest and incidents at that airport. So, I am cautiously optimistic overall, but will need to put on Traveler Alert third eye for the trip.

I am so sad though to be separated from Jordan during these 9 days, and sad that she won't be a part of the trip or of baby Brian's first days with me. She is very sad that she isn’t going. She has been so excited to see Viet Nam! We have been using this entire process to better educate her about her own adoption. I want to make sure that she doesn’t feel too left out of the baby joining the family. We’ll talk on the phone, I’ll try to get Skype up and going and will probably blog more than I had planned to for her... She is excited that she will get to spend time with her Aunt Dede here and wants to know if she'll take her swimming while she is here.

I am also sad that my sister Cindy cannot join me on this Asia adventure! She is totally ready – from travel purses, immunizations, she has her Visa and is an experienced and loving mother… I learned so much from her the first time around and ever since! We had so much fun just planning and packing and preparing. Sigh. I feel happy that the trip is finally on, but there is a sense of loss as well! Cindy is coming in from Florida on Christmas evening, and I leave on the 26th, home on the 9th of January.

I’ll make up an agenda for Cindy and Jordan while I an gone, and there are some great events (birthday parties, New Year’s party, dinners etc.) that are already planned for Jordan to attend. Cindy will be having a very social time while I am gone! They will have a wonderful time. I am hopeful that our friends and China playgroup people will reach out to her for assistance while she is here. They are wonderful folks and we are so lucky to have them in our lives.

So we returned from Florida last night and I have three days to finish the Christmas last minute stocking stuffers, pay bills, go to the grocery, repack for Viet Nam, prepare for the parties Jordan will be attending and prepare for her birthday party scheduled for Sunday, January 11. It will be a whirlwind three days!

Jordan in the Admirals Club at the Miami airport - she has her vitamin water, fruit and cheese tray and DVD player watching Cinderella!

My mom had the mother of all colds while we were in Florida so I didn’t get to spend too much time with her. She called the doctor and got some antibiotics (after 5 days of being totally wrecked). After a day and a half of those, she felt well enough to spend some time at Walmart Grocery Superstore with me the afternoon before we left. (Growing up, one of my favorite things to do with mom was go to the grocery store!)

I must have been ripe for her bugs though! Last night I didn’t get to sleep at all, I was coughing, congested, my muscles ached and pained, and I had a massive headache. I bucked up early today and went to Care Now. My PCP is all the way across town, so the local 'doc in the box' is great. I love the PA there. She loaded me up!

I got an antibiotic prescription, B-12 shot, steroid shot, and some Mucinex D. Within two hours I was feeling asymptomatic and was buzzing with energy. It was like drinking a triple shot Grande Vanilla Latte with Energy X2. I have light sweat beads all over – and am currently in a massive preparatory OCD frenzy – the kind I only dream of! I wish I had this energy all the time.

I’ll post more later about the great Florida holiday trip but I am going to focus on my To Do list at the moment… I feel the need of the satisfaction of "check, check, check"!

Is it finally happening???? I think it might be...

We'll keep the lights on for ya...

I checked with my case worker at the agency on Monday to see if there was resolution on my travel delay, and hopefully get good news this week as I had been told was forthcoming. I received a response that “we hope to have a resolution maybe next week”.

Okey doke. You can laugh or cry at that one! Or both.

It is promising to know that some of the other families "behind me" in the timeline for adoption in Viet Nam are starting to get processed now though. Some of these families have been waiting years, and I only hope that our delay allows us the opportunity to travel with some of them and get to know them even better than our virtual electronic relationships. Godspeed to them!

Since next week is Christmas week and then New Year’s week (both having US Embassy and VN government holidays) we are emotionally preparing to enter the holidays and the remainder of 2008 without our little boy. Oh, how that saddens me!

I could share heart-wrenching feelings about Baby Brian’s first Christmas being in an orphanage without familial (or canine) love, but I won’t. There are stories to share about Jordan crying for her baby brother, and her being confused about when he is coming. She has even had some bad behavior and acting out during this restless time. That’s all a part of her coping I guess. We talk about it together, but she just wants her baby brudder home. Ditto. Chalk it up to lessons in flexibility and patience for both of us!

So - I’ve decided to just keep all our Christmas decorations up, out and proudly displayed as a vigil for “Bring Baby Brian Home!” I might even get some Walgreen’s and Target ‘after Christmas sales’ on outdoor lights and just keep adding more and more lights until he is here. (After all, you can take the girl out of Kentucky, but not Kentucky out of the girl…). If anyone wants to join in this Christmas continuation, we’d love to have you join us!

When Baby Brian is finally home we can (again) sing carols about silent nights and holy nights, the wise men, the star in the east, a drummer boy and Angels we have heard on high. Then we will (again) celebrate the joy of a baby boy born on Christmas to save the world with love. But we will add to that celebration the joy of a baby boy who had Christmas wait for him to join a family who loves him so much already.

Trying not to kick the donkey...

In the Old Testament there is a story about a prophet Balaam. He was on a questionable mission when his loyal and longtime donkey stopped on the road. The donkey refused to move forward again. So Balaam beat the donkey – not once or twice but three times.

Finally, an Angel spoke to Balaam and said "Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn't, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off" (The Message).

In her book, “Jesus CEO” Laurie Beth Jones describes that when you have unavoidable delays or opposition to a desired goal, it might be a test of courage and patience. So don’t beat the donkey. An angel just might be on the road.

She relates that unavoidable delays like flat tires that keep us from missing a plane, missed appointments, bankers who tell us “no”- all of these can be ‘donkeys’ stopping us from immediate movement forward. She advises that when the donkey you are on refuses to budge, don’t kick it. Get off the donkey, reassess the situation and look for an angel standing in the road.

It will be three weeks on Wednesday that I have had full adoption pre-approval from both the US and Viet Nam government (and all immigration processes satisfactorily completed) and have been told that our travel was put on hold.

So far, I have just been told that the hold is due to some paperwork assurance processes. (I have been told that my case being on “hold” is different that the other remaining prospective adoptive parents who have been on a delay.)

So, I am off the donkey and just a lookin’ high and low, “Angel! Where are you?”

In the meantime, I am enjoying the Christmas season here, time with friends and activities for Jordan and we may even take a trip this week to Florida to visit family.

Maybe the donkey will move forward or the angel will speak soon!

Then and Now...

Purple couch - December 7, 2008

Caroline, Anthony, Leela and Jordan

Red couch photo in Guangzhou - November 2005

Jordan, Anthony, Caroline and Leela

As we continue to wait for any information and notice to travel (again), life has gone on extraordinarily. Living with a three year old is always fun and exciting.

Three years ago, four families met each other and we were united in our journey to Kunming, China to adopt four children – three baby girls and one baby boy. On November 28, 2005, our children were placed in our arms for the very first time. What a blessing…

We met one another in Hong Kong and had a dinner and some excursion time together as we acclimated to the new time zone. We boarded a plane for Kunming in the Yunnan Province, and checked into the Bank Hotel. Two days later on November 28, 2005, we gathered in an apartment building/office and celebrated our “Gotcha Day” – the day our families were blessed with these children.

The families in our group were from Monroe, Georgia; Denver, Colorado, and two of us from Plano, Texas. We adopted Anthony, Leela, Caroline and Jordan, who were living in the Kunming Children’s Welfare Institute. Their stories were all different- being abandoned under an overpass in a park area, at an entrance to a major tourism area/park, and one at a hospital immediately after being born. These children were crib mates at the orphanage, either with or next to each other for up to 10 months until we arrived.

After finishing the needed paperwork in Kunming, we went to Guangzhou, China. That is where the US Embassy is located and the finalization of the adoptions occurred. Then we all went to our respective homes in the US.

The first year “reunion” (2006) we met in Plano and had a glorious three days together seeing how our children had grown and blossomed. We celebrated our third year reunion this past weekend again here in Plano and had a BLAST. From Little Gym, to Chinese restaurants, to the Dallas Zoo, to riding the train, princess dress up, hot tubbing with the kids, squabbles, kids throwing up Cheetos and fevers, exhaustion, wine for the parents, coffee, presents, hiking, stories, bath time, pictures, playtime and Christmas giving – it was a fun-filled packed weekend!

Jordan will always know that even though she may never know her birth parents, she and these three other children – Anthony, Leela and Caroline – share a common origin of companionship, nourishment and the placement into families who love them with all their hearts. These are her first friends.

Next year we are meeting in the mountains of Colorado for our China travel group reunion and ski lessons for the kids. That will be awesome.

Soon, we’ll add a baby boy to our family who will bring his own adoption heritage for us to enjoy and celebrate. I am so in love with life and this opportunity to be a mother. I am so blessed.

"I know nothing! Nothing!"

One of my favorite shows growing up was Hogan's Heroes. I thought Bob Crane was cool, Col. Klink a total dweeb, and Sargent Schultz just adorably ignorant. With his regular line of "I know nothing! Nothing!" it is no wonder I feel akin with Schultz today.

(Trivia - John Banner, the actor who played Schultzie, was Jewish. He was born in Vienna, Austria and because of his Jewish heritage, he served time in a German concentration camp in the early stages of Nazi rule. His entire family was killed in the camps. His acting in Switzerland and later America ironically cast him into roles of German War officials because of his accent and features. He died of an abdominal hemmorhage on his 63rd birthday in 1973, at his home town of Vienna where he was buried.)

I kinda feel like I am having an abdominal hemmorhage (figuratively this time).

My agency caseworker still doesn't know what caused our 'adoption hold' or when it could be resolved. It is day to day!


P.S. I have SO enjoyed my sister Cindy being here for the past several days... I don't want her to go back home to Florida, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold her here in the Twilight Zone!

Antici.............pation

(said Frankenfurter)


Cindy and Jordan at the Dallas Arboretum 11/29/08

Thanks everyone for your emails, phone calls and words of comfort while we

w-a-i-t.

I only know a few things more now than I did in my last post.

1) Baby Brian is fine - I was concerned that maybe there was a problem with his health that might have caused the delay. I was told that he is fine. Whew.

2) I was told that I was not the only PAP (prospective adoptive parent) family put on hold.

3) The agency hopes to know more on Monday (today).

We cancelled flights, cancelled our travel insurance policy and had a couple of days to be disappointed and reset our expectations.

SO, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with lots of family and friends, and WAY too much food. It has been great to have such dear folks here this weekend to bring such cheer while we "wander in no-mans land" of adoption information.

Cindy is still here, awaiting possible news today of our Hanoi travel before making return flight arrangements home to Florida. We spent several wonderful hours yesterday afternoon at the Dallas Arboretum. The cool, crisp air of autumn was refreshing, the exercise was much needed after the feasts, and we all got to see some beautiful fall foliage and holiday scenery.

I'll post again when I hear more news. In the meantime, we are "hanging loose, Mother Goose"!

Jordan with Santa at the Arboretum - She asked for a Belle dress and a Jasmine outfit. (Oops - gotta go to the Disney Store!)

Trip on Hold

Cindy is on her way here from Florida, so we can pack together and head out to Hanoi on Sunday. I just got a phone call from my agency caseworker that the Ministry of Justice in Viet Nam has put our adoption on hold. We don’t know why. It could be a week delay, a month delay or more. We just don’t know yet.

They asked us to not travel and await further instructions.

I think I shared in an earlier post that my sister Cindy has been a great advocate of “the only thing we can control in this process is our attitude”. I don’t know the reasons, or when we’ll get to bring our little boy home, but I am trusting that God has a plan and I trust Him.

Just when you think you've heard it all...

Jordan (the princess) and I took a jaunt out to American Airlines at DFW today. We had to pick up baby Brian's lap ticket, as lap tickets are not electronic and there was not enough time prior to our trip to guarantee snail mail delivery.

Jordan loves airports. She loves to self-service checkin. She almost has enough of her own frequent flyer points for a free ticket. She is three years old.

So, we approach the ticket counter and I let the Customer Service Representative for American know the record locater for the lap ticket. The woman looked at Jordan and then me without accessing her terminal and said, "You're not taking her back - are you?"

"Excuse me?" I asked softly because I didn't want Jordan to hear her and I was rather perplexed. Did I hear her right?

She looked at me with the saddest big ole puppy dog eyes. Then they started welling up with tears. She said, "You are not giving her back - are you?" The poor gal thought my trip to Viet Nam was to take Jordan back there and drop her off somewhere.

I smiled at her, thinking about her true grief and concern, and just said, "Oh no... we are going to adopt her a baby brudder!"

Then she smiled REAL big and could hardly speak through her tears of joy. She was so happy for us.

Wow.

Cleared for take-off...

We received notice this morning that we can travel to Viet Nam! I am so relieved and excited... and very grateful.

We'll leave on Sunday after Thanksgiving. We'll go through Tokyo to Hanoi, and be staying at the Hanoi Grand Somerset Hotel. We haven't been given any dates for the "Giving-Receiving" ceremony yet (that is the formal appointment when baby Brian will be put into my arms).

Here is what will happen when we get there:

Arrive in Viet Nam
Usually a day or two of local orientation
Travel to Bac Ninh Ophanage, Giving and Receiving Ceremony
Passport procedures for baby Brian (couple days)
Medical Exam for the baby
Visa procedures for baby Brian at US Consulate (couple days prep & ceremony)
Return to USA

Our laptop is fully configured for internet access while in Viet Nam, so we'll post and upload pictures along the way.

We are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and then a life-changing adventure! Stay tuned!

P.S. Any lurkers who might be targeting a ransack on my house while we are gone... We have security systems in place, multiple house-sitters, trained killer canines, Smith and Wessons and we live in Texas. I think that covers it.

Fight or Flight?

I would love to report that I am writing from the Admirals Club of the Tokyo Airport, or something like that. Alas, that is not the case.

The woman at our adoption agency who coordinates the travel for prospective adoptive parents, is out on bereavement leave. There are no plans or coordination with the orphanage or the agency staff in Viet Nam who can assist in logistics until she returns - hopefully Monday.

I was told that they hope to have the Giving and Receiving ceremony the week of December 1st. I offered to go ahead and book flights for that scheduled event, but was told that was highly discouraged, as there could be other unknown delays that could push the date further into December.

It would be so easy to let the sympathetic nervous system kick in and begin the "fight" stimulus ("GRRR"), or just get on a plane to Hanoi for the "flight" stimulus (Like Frank - and do it MY way!). It is my nature to make things happen when stalls occur. I always prefer action over inaction.

However, I don't want to jeopardize the adoption process due to my impatience. I now know who to call in the Embassy if I really had to open up that can of 'whoop a**'... but what would it deliver? Anger? Delay? Relationship with the agency? Possible denial of the baby in the adoption process? Not worth it.

The only advice I can heed is to draw upon my 'patience' reserves. I know that the only thing in this whole process that I can control is my own attitude (words of wisdom from adoption #1 - from my sister Cindy!) and I choose to breathe deep and wait it out.

So I don't know when we are traveling, or when we'll have the baby. I shall try to "Be still and know I am God" (Psalm 46:10) as I pray for more patience.

P.S. For translational clarification - I know that I am not God - HE is God. :) I meant that I should try to be still and let God be God. Know and accept that there are some things I can't control. Understand, hombre? (You never know - somebody might think that I was trying to say I was God or something. You'd be amazed.)

Just Past the Stork of Midnite~

Half past midnight on Friday morning, I received THE email notification from the US Embassy in Hanoi. It was my preliminary approval from the I-600 document process and an official notice of travel approval to come to Viet Nam for the baby!

Details:

The I-600 document approval determines if a baby is actually an orphan or “adoptable” by US law. (as defined by section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended). Baby Brian’s abandonment was documented by 3 officials and all channels to locate his birth parents were exhausted. The US now agrees with that determination, and the adoption process can proceed.

What I have learned about the steps of I-600 for other Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs):

1) The I-600 filing, acknowledgement, investigation and pre-approval was completed by Mary Ann Russell, the Field Office Director at the USCIS, US Consulate General Office in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
2) When those steps were completed, this documentation was sent to the Hanoi Adoptions Unit at the US Embassy in Hanoi.
3) That office (Hanoi Adoptions Unit in Hanoi) is the office that sent me the I-600 pre-approval and travel invitation notice via email.

What this means:

Tomorrow our adoption agency will let us know what day we can travel. It is typically less than a week notice. We are ready to go!

Here is a picture of my Chinese American Texan Montgomery Indian Princess eating her Thanksgiving celebration meal at school today. It was an awesome luncheon. We are very thankful!

Lunatic Fringe

Ok, yeah I know... I am obsessing. S'alright - I'm allowed. I'm 10 months virtually pregnant.

It's 11pm pm here in Dallas and that means noon tomorrow Tuesday in Hanoi. Someone has our adoption paperwork sitting on their desk. Their task is to review the referral document and make a determination of "approve" or "investigate further". The terms of baby Brian's abandonment are indisputable. 'Investigate further' has no avenue of exploration.

So, I am waiting for one of our US Embassy employees to stamp "approved" on our documents. They probably know subconsciously that what they do affects lives, but I wonder if they have ever met any of us whose lives are on hold; hearts are on hold...

I know people waiting for their notice that have been years in their wait, already praying for their second or third child. One family lost their referred child through an infant illness and death. Some through bureaucracy. One family is going through a biological miscarriage (not their first) while they pray that their family can be completed through adoption soon - hopefully by Christmas. Their hearts (like ours) are totally vulnerable - waiting for the innocence and purity of their baby to fulfill their deepest desires - some to make them whole, some to fill their purpose in life with substance, and to thank the Lord for the blessing of the privilege to parent a baby.

Jordan and I are so blessed. She is a phenomenal little girl - wise way beyond her years. She is playful, excited about baby Brian, and learning everyday. She said tonight, "I need to put my own pajajmas on because when baby Brian gets here he will need YOUR help". She is going to be an awesome big sister. Today is National Adoption Day - I couldn't be happier. My little girl Jordan is the sweetest little girl I have ever met. I am so lucky. She says she is the lucky one...She told me today, "Mama you are the best Mama in the whole world!" OMG. Heart melting all the day long....


Me, Jordan and Cindy (Aunt Dede) in China - December 2005


We are so eager to complete our family with our baby Brian - my son and her baby brother. He is absolutely sweet and so, so special. He has been in an insititution since his birth-day. I can't wait to bring him HOME. The stroller walks we'll go on, the play time, the coo-ing, the singing, the sweetness that is all baby boy - will be here in just a little while. Wow.

What a gift I have been given...

Who am I to be impatient?

He is on his way - I just pray for solace and comfort during this excrutiating wait. My baby - our little Vietnamese American Texan Montgomery - will be home very soon. Godspeed my son.

Still in a holding pattern for take-off here...

I am a member of a Yahoo Group that includes other families (9 of them) who are also going to be adopting from baby Brian's orphanage. Like me, they have all received pictures of their new son or daughter. They are all in some process of this adoption cycle. I heard once that an elephant's gestation period for child birth is 2 years... I know a lot of my listmates from the Yahoo group feel like this wait has been that long! Judy from our group shared this link (below) with all of us showing pictures from the flooding. Amazing. It puts all of our driving desires for our babies in perspective.

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Vietnam-Floods/ss/events/wl/110308vietnamfloods/im:/081112/ids_photos_wl/r2723899522.jpg/

We received a message from our agency yesterday letting us know that Bac Ninh has put all filings on hold. They did have a 2 week delay due to flooding, but now the hold is because they want all the remaining families to travel at once to adopt their babies. This will be the last group of potential adoptive parents from the United States to adopt from Bac Ninh orphanage. The international adoption program between US-Viet nam expired on September 1. The orphanage will still be processing adoptions to families in Ireland, but until Viet Nam has specific adoption reforms in place, many countries have halted the program.

I did clarify with my adoption agency and putting the remaining adoptions and the filings on hold does NOT affect me. (Praise the Lord and pass the biscuits!) My I-600 has already been filed. I am just waiting the I-600 approval and travel approval from the USCIS at the Embassy. I am on day 10 - and the average wait lately has been 8-14 days. Anyday now...

However, I am so very empathetic and sad for the other families I know who are waiting to go bring their children home though. We all want to be home by the holidays with our little ones! I know these other families won't be far behind us. But it is just a bit maddening to be in the dark about the timeline, what is happening and when the next phase will occur.

So, while we wait, life goes on joyfully. Jordan had a playgroup ice cream gathering last night, and it is just horrible to have to eat ice cream sundaes while the girls play, hehe. I have almost finished Christmas shopping and will be decorating the house for Christmas this weekend. I am usually an early decorator, but even this will top my decorating timeline record! I might even go get my free Kroger Preferred Card turkey and fix a pre-thanksgiving meal tomorrow. I am hoping to be giving thanks from the other side of the International Date Line on Thanksgiving Day!

An Ounce of Prevention...

As the time seems to draaag on to receive our travel notice (in this last step of an indeterminate paper pregnancy process), I am ready to stop the nesting and preparing and just have a baby! :)

In my past, I have had the opportunity to be a Brownie Scout, Junior Girl Scout, Cadette and even a Girl Scout Leader. The Scout motto, “Be Prepared” is perhaps one of the most important quests forever present in my thinking processes. Well, I try anyway...

After learning of rains in Hanoi and the concern about the potential disease outbreaks that could follow these intense floods, I researched more with the WHO and CDC websites on specific preventative medications that we might need before the trip.

My sister Cindy has been diligent about her preparation vaccines, medications and visits to an Infectious Disease specialist. Jordan and I have had our primary care physician appointments. I had a preparatory meeting with our international adoption pediatrician to prepare for issues and discuss medications baby Brian might need while in country.

When we went to China to bring Jordan home, she was very ill. She had an upper respiratory infection that required different medications and 3 times a day breathing treatments. We were glad that our hotel in Guangzhou, China had an in-house medical clinic. Boy, was that a stressful time! I felt woefully inadequate in my early caring for her with these illnesses. BTDT. I want to make sure we are prepared for this trip! Did I say that already?

We have all already completed our Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B series of vaccinations. We have had our tetanus, flu shots, polio vaccines, rabies, measles, mumps, and rubella. Jordan got her varicella (chicken pox) vaccine (my mom assures me I had chicken pox everywhere).

We have packed our regular medications and other recommended preventatives. This list includes: Psyllium, Allergy meds, Elimite (for scabies – we were told most of the babies have scabies so we’ll all be treated for it in country), Ibuprofen, Prilosec, Immodium, Pepto-Bismal, Dramamine, Hydrocortizone cream, anti-bacterial cream, bug spray with at least 30% DEET, sunscreen, A&D ointment, Babylax glycerin suppositories, Baby Tylenol, Baby Oragel. I’ve packed my Epi-pen in case of bee stings. To be extra safe I packed Tamiflu and a Z-Pak in case of the flu or bacterial infections in country.

Yesterday, I had a consultation visit with the Passport Health office (they were great!), and learned even more. (When is enough- enough though?)

Post-flooding, the rains and risk of malaria (skeeter-borne) are greater. Although malaria pre-treatment is optional for Viet Nam, I decided that we should get the medication. Jordan’s dosage is a weekly medication called Lariam, and mine is daily for a week called Malarone.

Although typhoid is another optional vaccine, it is prevalent where food or water is contaminated. Again, the flooding presents additional concerns, so Jordan and I both got Typhoid vaccinations yesterday.

I got scopolamine patches for motion-sickness in addition to the Dramamine I had packed.

The possibility of dengue fever (pronounced, “ˈdeŋ- gā”) transmitted from the daytime Aedes Aegypti mosquito and cholera from contaminated food or water is higher post-flooding. Although there is no vaccine for dengue, the symptoms are headache, joint pain and rash. Since we can’t be pre-treated for this, we have to just be alert for any symptoms.

I was given a prescription for Cipro for traveler’s diarrhea (and used to treat cholera) and will follow the prescribed course of Immodium for first 8 hours, Cipro immediately following (if no change), and medical clinic if fever is present.

I’ve learned that there is no U.S. vaccine available for cholera. Cholera is a food and water borne bacteria that causes extreme diarrhea and if not treated, can lead to death within hours. Although antibiotics (like Cipro) may shorten the course of its duration, the immediate treatment is rehydration.

Melatonin (OTC) for jet lag was recommended. I got some Monistat – in case I have to take and have a reaction to any of the other antibiotics.

So, I think short of a plastic bubble, we have had what we need, we will take preventatives for what might be possible, and we will stay in touch with our physicians via internet. Should any of our traveling galactic medical prescriptions be needed, I will follow a professional’s recommendation for diagnosing and dispensing.

For goodness sakes, we are ready to go already!

Bac Ninh, Hanoi and Viet Nam

The rains have stopped in Hanoi, and the extended forecast looks clear. I am told that the flood water drainage is progressing well. That is good news and I am hopeful to receive our travel approval this week. We could leave as early as Monday, November 17 (a week from today). We are ready to go!

I must admit – and it’s probably not a real good thing either, but my circadian rhythm is in complete disarray. I have already transitioned to Hanoi time (13 hours ahead). My nights are days, and days are night as I wait impatiently for the familiar beep that lets me know I have an incoming email message. I should receive the travel approval email from Hanoi any day now, and their business day is during our normal sleep time. I’ll update the blog with a post as soon as I receive the word!

So - I was refreshing my mental catalogue about the area and travel tips, and thought I’d share some interesting facts…

(Translation help – I know it isn’t perfect, but here’s how I learned to say Bac Ninh: “After I par the front nine, then I will make par on the “back nine” as well.”)

Bac Ninh is the capital city of the Bac Ninh Province – located 30km east of Hanoi. The population of Bac Ninh is 150,331. The word, “Bac Ninh” is derived from Sino-Vietnamese meaning “northern serenity”. It is in the Red River Delta region of northern Viet Nam, and has a flat topography with many rivers and springs. The rainy season is may-October, and the November weather averages high 76 F, low 66F (perfect for our trip).

Bac Ninh is an ancient trading center, with flourishing roots dating from 200-1000 A.D. It is the home to many of the Buddhist religious foundations, with many pagodas and temples in the area.
The main export is cashew nuts, followed by rice, coffee, tea and then rubber. Current religious percentages are 85% Buddhist and 8% Christian.

We will be staying in Hanoi in the Old Quarter section of town, at a hotel called the Grand Somerset Hotel. They have apartment type suite-rooms. With four of us in the room (Cindy, Jordan, baby Brian and myself) that will be needed. The hotel has good amenities, including several restaurants, a grocery shop, swimming pool, and business center.

We will do as much sight-seeing as we can while we are in Hanoi. I am looking forward to seeing Ho Chi Minh’s birthplace, the Hanoi Hilton (Hoa-Lo prison), Viet Nam museums, the puppet theatre, the opera house, red bridges, and many pagodas and temples. We’ll be posting lots of pictures!


Hoa-La prison (aka "Hanoi Hilton") Famous picture of John McCain being pulled from the lakeJordan tells people everyday, “We are going to Viet Nam to bring home my baby brother!” It will be soon - I just feel it in my Mama-bones.

Love, Reign O'er Me! (aka Showers of Blessings...)

Last Saturday two of my dearest friends, Bonnie and Regina, hosted a baby shower at my house in anticipation for the upcoming arrival of baby Brian. I am just in awe of the outpouring of love from my dear friends and fellow ‘villagers’!

Lots of folks brought their little girls, and Jordan and her dear friends had a frenzied time (in their day-after-halloween post-candied state) being little girls. Several brave volunteers watched the girls throughout the shower so the adults could sip Mimosas, catch up with old friends, and meet new friends.

The epicurean tapas were fantastic. They served bruscetta and goat cheese atop sea salt crackers, spinach/artichoke dip and queso with chips, and lots of different kinds of nuts. They provided flatbread swirls – which were provolone, club sandwich, and turkey bacon ranch spreads on flour tortilla rolls…mmm. The piece de resistance was the cake… it was as yummy in taste as it was beautiful in design and sentiment (Food and cake from Sam’s Club).

I am still in shock (pinch me!) over the presents. My gosh – it was overwhelming. Such unique and thoughtful gifts… some handmade quilts, throws, clothes, bottles and supplies, items for our trip, gifts for Jordan as the big sister, and lots of bibs. We’ll need lots of bibs and blankets! The most universal gift of all was a sincere outpouring of love that reigned over me from my friends.

I am blessed in so many ways.

Thank you to my friends here and all of you supporting me along this journey. My cup overflows.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

It is still raining and flooding in Hanoi and south west China. They are calling this the worst natural disaster that Hanoi has ever seen. The drainage and pump stations are working well, but the river continues to rise with the daily rains. The extended forecast looks like, well, more rain and thunder storms.

There are also floods and mudslides in the bordering Yunnan Province (Jordan's birthplace).

I received acknowledged on Monday of this week from the US Embassy in Ho Chi Minh that they have received my I-600 form. I am still waiting for travel approval, and I am sure the floods will impact travel. I checked with the WHO and CDC and they are not recommending malaria medication prior to travel. However, they are on watch-alert for cholera and dengue. Isn't that just dandy?

Please pray for the people in this part of the country, and for baby Brian. We have been told that the orphanage is fine and not flooded. This situation is so threatening to this part of the world, and I cannot wait to bring one little boy home and spoil him rotten.



Floods kill at least 120 in Vietnam, China
By Ho Binh Minh Ho Binh Minh Tue Nov 4, 6:44 am ET

HANOI (Reuters) – Flood water from southern China pushed up river levels in northern Vietnam on Tuesday, worsening inundations across a wide region that have killed at least 120 people on both sides of the border.

Flooding in northern and central Vietnam since last Friday has killed 86 people, including eight children, while 34 have died from flooding and mudslides in southwestern China.

On Tuesday, more rain fell in Hanoi, which has experienced its heaviest flooding since 1984, and the authorities reported 20 deaths in the capital and surrounding area from drowning, electric shock or lightning.

Schools in Hanoi stayed closed on Tuesday and many streets remained submerged.

"This natural disaster is characterized as the largest ever in Hanoi," Pham Quang Nghi, chief of the Hanoi branch of the ruling Communist Party, was quoted by state media as saying at a meeting on Monday.

More heavy rain could strike northern Vietnam this weekend, the national weather center said.
In southwestern China's Yunnan province, mudslides caused by heavy rain killed at least 26 people, with 45 missing, Chinese state media reported. Mountain torrents triggered by heavy rain hit Guangxi to the east of Yunnan, killing eight.

Vietnam's Health Ministry alerted clinics in flood-hit areas to be staffed around the clock to prepare for any outbreaks of diseases such as cholera or dengue as residents in parts of Hanoi and 17 other provinces struggled with a shortage of fresh water and food plus power cuts.
State-run Voice of Vietnam radio said instant noodles and rice were distributed to flood victims in and around Hanoi on Monday.

More water arrived in the northern province of Lao Cai from China, raising Vietnam's Red River, the radio station said on Tuesday. Forecasters said Thai Binh river in the northern delta region was also rising.

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Things People Say to Adoptive Parents - Part Deux

I've received a lot of feedback and input to my earlier post. I just had to share some of these addiitonal comments and questions my friends have had said to them. Hilarious!

* Since she's Chinese, she'll be so smart!
* (in a whisper) "Does she know she's adopted?" (asked somewhere between 12-18 months years old)
* Has she had a hard time learning English?
* One of my friends, Jayne, had someone ask her if 'that' was her grandson. She told them, "I'm the mom and she's a girl".
*One friend was asked whether she needed to keep her little Chinese girl away from the dog ("They eat dog, you know!)

Lastly, my friend Ruth passed this on to me:

Definition

Natural Child: Any child that is not artificial
Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary
Your own child: Any child who is not someone else's child
Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own.

Written by: Rita Laws PhD

Hanoi Floods

I am keeping a close watch on the weather for our travel. Just to be safe, I'll check in with the CDC on additional shots we might need ... malaria from skeeters, etc. As Gilda Radnor said, "It's always something!"

Hanoi suffers as Vietnam flood toll rises to 55

AFP - Monday, November 3
HANOI (AFP) - - Floods have killed 55 people in northern and central Vietnam including 18 in the capital Hanoi, which has been hit by the worst flooding in almost 25 years, emergency services said Monday.
Victims have drowned, been struck by falling trees and collapsing buildings or been electrocuted by live power lines, said the National Flood and Storm Prevention Committee.
Rains have lashed central Vietnam for more than a week and left many Hanoi neighbourhoods inundated in muddy waters since Friday, with thousands of residents trapped inside waterlogged homes, many without electricity.
Hanoi families with young children were using canoes and barges made from oil drums, packaging, bathtubs and banana trees to evacuate their television sets, furniture and other valued possessions.
The severe weather has brought widespread traffic chaos, damaged tens of thousands of homes, destroyed rice fields and threatened dyke systems along the Red River and other waterways.
A dyke broke in Ninh Binh province, a scenic limestone karst region south of Hanoi, on Sunday, killing one of 600 troops deployed for disaster relief there and inundating 10,000 homes near the Hoang Long river, officials said.
"We have been hit by historic floods this year, the worst in decades," provincial People's Committee official Tran Van Ha told AFP. "Farmers' lives have been turned upside down... The roads here have turned into rivers.
"The situation has become especially difficult for old people and children, and we fear we will face a serious epidemic when the flood waters recede."
Among the latest fatalities were eight deaths in Nghe An province, where five children and an old man drowned in floods and two men were electrocuted when they tried to repair the electric system in their flooded home.
In Hanoi, prices for meat and other food have multiplied since the disaster closed many farms, roads and markets. Petrol prices and repair costs for water-damaged motorcycles have also shot up, raising anger over price-gouging.
Television reports have shown people catching fish with nets and rods in city streets under more than one metre (three feet) of dirty water.
Hanoi has been battered by the heaviest rains since 1984, and some outlying areas of the city including southwestern Ha Dong have been cut off for days.
Schools across the capital remained closed Monday, while hospitals reported being crowded by parents with children suffering fevers and chills.
"More children have been admitted since the weekend here, especially children under two years old with diarrhoea and respiratory diseases," Nguyen Thi Lien of Hanoi's Central Paediatric Hospital told AFP.
Vietnam's north-south transport links, including Highway 1 and the national railway line, were severed in many areas.
No immediate relief was in sight amid sporadic rainfalls in the north, said Bui Minh Tang, director of the Meteorological Forecasting Centre.
"The rains could continue for two more days in the north, and some areas of Hanoi could be still by flooded until the end of this week," he told AFP.
"We are already at the end of the normal rainy season, and it is very unusual that the rains have been so heavy and lasted so long this year."
Vietnam, a country of 86 million, gets lashed by typhoons and tropical storms every year, mostly along the central coast.
Copyright © 2008 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20081103/tap-vietnam-weather-floods-8569f9c.html?printer=1

In the count down...

I am currently on Day 6 of waiting for my I-600 Acknowledgement and hopefully receiving Travel Approval. The wait can take as long as 60 days, but it has been averaging 8-14 days. So, I am hopeful I will receive final approval this week and be in Hanoi next week or the week after.

We received our Viet Nam Visas for travel and our passports back from the Viet Nam Embassy in Washington DC. The stamps and insert for Viet Nam in our passports are really cool. With both the Chinese and VN visas; it just seems rather adventurous to have approvals for travel to/from Socialist Republics. (I just love Robert Ludlum novels.)

Last week I received a packet called “Referral Documents” from Viet Nam. It was a package of about 10 documents outlining how baby Brian came to be at the orphanage. It describes that on April 20, 2008 at 8pm, one of the “deaf and dumb children” found a baby at the orphanage gate. They took the baby to the security guard on duty who immediately ran to the gate to see if he could see anyone there. He did not see anyone. He called the Orphanage Manager and she came to the security room and they both called the police together. The police came out to the orphanage and processed the paperwork of the abandonment. The child was then relinquished to the orphanage.

They determined that the boy was approximately 2-3 days old at this time, because his navel was not dried.

He was wrapped outside with a green cotton diaper, wearing a green-flowered white newborn shirt inside and a white newborn hat.

They assigned him a name – basically calling his last name the same last name as the Director of the orphanage. I don’t know where his first and middle name came from. (I am still not allowed to release his Vietnamese name or his pictures until after the adoption is completed in Viet Nam).

In Viet Nam documents and language they call the orphanage “The Social Welfare Beneficiaries Nourishing Center”.

An announcement was completed within the next several days and placed in the newspaper and on television for a period of time seeking the parents or guardians of this baby boy. No one came forward, and the child was permanently relinquished to the center. A birth certificate was given to him.

The next set of documents show the child’s status being changed into “available for adoption” and then on October 20, assigned to me – and all of my personal information formally being connected with this baby.

I hope to learn more when we are in Viet Nam and hope to find the deaf child and security guard who found baby Brian. (I need to refresh my sign language skills asap!)