Drive-Thru

A mom must have invented the drive-thru. I can think of nothing more convenient than a drive-thru when you've got a baby in a car seat. Yesterday, I was jones-ing for a Diet Coke but I didn't want to haul Zeke out of his car seat just to dash into the convenience store for two seconds. Then I realized...I can DRIVE THRU someplace and get a drink. Brilliant! That's one of only several revelations I've had the last two days as I've traveled around town, just me and my little man. Businesses that don't have automatic doors for people in wheelchairs are a pain for moms with strollers. Thankfully, there's usually some kind person around to help but trying to navigate it on your own is tough.

Homecoming Photos!!

You asked for it. Here are some photos from our homecoming Saturday morning. Thanks to Greg for these great pics!! Again, a BIG thank you to all who came and to those who were with us in spirit. We were honored to receive such an incredible welcome!

HOME

We're home!!! We're happy and exhausted (happily exhausted?). A HUGE thank you to our airport posse who made our homecoming SO special. It brings tears to my eyes just to think about our friends who came out for this very big moment. What great stories we'll have to share with Zeke about the day he arrived home and how so many of his friends came to see him!!

He has napped on and off this afternoon. He had a big play session when we got home from the airport. He was keyed up and happy after getting held by so many people and having a big time at the airport. So, he romped around, greeted the kitties and after a while, conked out. We're glad he's resting but we're also a little worried about what this means for tonight when Brad and I are ready to sleep. I think the little guy is just exhausted too and may still sleep quite a bit this evening.

Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes through this amazing journey. God is good all the time.

One chapter ends and a whole new one begins. We couldn't have done it without YOU!!

Visa "Interview" Done

The visa interview consisted of signing three forms and saying, yes, I hereby swear that everything in the visa application is true to my knowledge. They will have Zeke's visa ready to pick up at 4PM. (On a side note, his visa photos are SO CUTE. We got copies today. Oh, what a darling little face!) We're leaving the hotel at 3PM. The bottom line? We should make our flight out of Hanoi just fine. It's a humid day here with lots of clouds so I hope the weather will be good for tonight. Two other families who are here are staying through til Monday. We feel for them. Ok! More when we get stateside!!

Adventures Around Hanoi

Zeke's a conehead!
A cone's not just for ice cream!
Brad and Zeke in the taxi!
Random cute girl with SUPER CUTE kittie. The kittie was TINY. And CUTE.

We didn't have any official business today. After breakfast we went to an area that had handicrafts from ethnic minority groups in Vietnam. We bought a blanket by the Tay people in Lang Son. It's very pretty. We got some other goodies too. Then, the rain started. I took Zeke back to the hotel. Brad kept at it a bit longer on his own by foot in the rain. When Zeke had a brief afternoon nap, we used the time to pack. It's amazing...we have so much room in our suitcases! Seriously! Are we forgetting something?!?! We had a late lunch/early dinner at KFC. We followed that up with more shopping in the Old Quarter. We came back to the hotel, Zeke played and then fell asleep.

We found out that our visa appointment got moved up in the morning so we are happy about that. We hope and pray that it means we'll be able to get out easily on time tomorrow night. Please pray for: smooth, easy flights, good flying weather, ease in making our connections and a REALLY EASY time for Zeke on the flights and the time in-between.

If all goes on-time, we'll be in Springfield at 10AM Saturday. We would be honored to have friends waiting for us at the airport. *smiles*

Vietnamese Water Puppet Torture

So, we had the brilliant idea to wait until we got the baby to go see the water puppet show. Many adoptive families report taking their babies to this cultural must-see and say the babies love it.

So, we "splurged" and spent $3/ticket for the primo seats. That meant second row. The rows were quite narrow and we were toward the middle. Before the show, Zeke is doing great. We go to a nearby shop to pick up his custom Vietnamese teddy bear. (It has Zeke embroidered on its foot and I picked out the teddy bear's outfit.)


We walk around. We wait in the hot lobby of the theatre. He's doing fine. We feed him rice cereal and give him a bottle right before the show starts. We think that if his belly is sluggish with formula and cereal, he'll be a sweet, docile baby and will enjoy the show or else will quickly nod off.

Au contraire.

The first thing is a musical interlude. No puppet action. So, he starts squirming and "singing" loudly along with the music and it's clearly not an opportune time for a baby to be making noise. It's hard trying to get him to quiet down and by the time the puppets start, he has no interest in sitting and watching anything.

I begin bouncing him in rhythm to the music and let him play with the paper program. This is a hit and he quiets down. But after a bit, he's back to making noise and being restless. So, I wait until an applause line and then make a run for it. There are empty seats down below us on the front row. I crawl past the very nice, patient people beside us and swoop into a front row seat. There, Zeke has more room to engage in his machinations. It's enough to allow him to wiggle, then settle down and fall asleep.




My adrenaline is so high at this point and my arms are locked in position holding him that I can't fully enjoy the show. Meanwhile, Brad is videotaping (smirk and all) the whole thing (the show itself, not the Zeke sideshow). By the end of the hour-long show, I am sick to my stomach...not from food icky-ness but from frayed nerves. You see, as childless people, we obliviously used to wonder, "Why would you bring a baby to a show where the baby will make loud noises?" So, I just felt like there was a theatre full of those people staring at me because I was now one of THOSE people and here I am, doing all I can to quiet the baby.

Darn it, we had the best of intentions and thought for sure the baby would enjoy the beauty and theatrics of the puppets. They were very animated and colorful. Ugg. I felt badly that Zeke was suffering through this. I came back to the hotel, curled up on the bed and cried (Brad carried the baby home and put him right to bed).

Brad's mom visited us in Springfield right before we left for Vietnam. She told me that even though I love the baby with all my heart and have wanted the baby for YEARS, I would have days where I would just cry from the stress of it all and that would be OK.

So, today was the first of those days. I share this experience because I know there are others who read this blog who are waiting to adopt. After you get your baby, it IS ok to cry. This initial time with your baby is wonderful, beautiful, amazing, more incredible than you could even imagine...but it's also stressful and exhausting.

Not only are you adjusting to having less sleep and the demands of a little one, you're also dealing with the stress of finishing up all the "official" adoption stuff and wondering if you'll get out on time. Throw in some upset stomachs and well, you can see why a good cry would be in order.

Thus concludes the tale of the Vietnamese Water Puppet Torture. But wait!...Our story has a happy ending. After my cry, I looked at the baby in his crib and felt nothing but love and joy at having this little guy in my life. We are SO BLESSED!

Jowly and the Whale

You've heard of Jonah and the Whale? Here's Jowly and the Whale!

And this is Brad serenading Zeke with whale sounds. (Has anyone in this family ever heard a whale?)

Brad and Zeke bond over formula.

Brad put on the Bjorn and put Zeke to sleep.

Home, Please

Zeke probably thinks this hotel is home. So, we can't wait to get him home-home to much more spacious quarters and to his two kitties. (We can't help but miss our furry babies who have kept our arms from being empty for so many years.)

We now wait to find out if we can catch our flight out of Vietnam Friday night. PLEASE pray that we can indeed make this flight. It's not that we don't love Vietnam (we do!) or haven't had fun (we have!) but we're all just ready to be in our own home and to find a routine. Here, each day is different. We try to keep him on a regular eating and napping schedule but it's hard. Once we get home, we can give him more structure and I think that will make him a bit happier.

We continue to feel better. We ate some breakfast and have mapped our meals for the rest of today. We may try to get over to the famous water puppet show this evening...and it just so happens there's a KFC nearby. I'm sure it sounds awful, eating at an American chain here but hey, if you'd been through the stomach travails we've had, you'd also want something with a familiar taste. Speaking of taste...Zeke has expanded his eating repertoire tremendously. He has had bread, banana, banana cake (not as sugary as it sounds), apple juice, baby food pears, scrambled egg, and baby food chicken. We hope to keep adding things to his diet.

Monday's Misadventures

When we last left you, everyone was pretty miserable - Missy's tummy was tangled, Brad's belly was bellicose and Zeke was becoming an 11-month-old unleashed.

Now as the day ends, Brad's tummy trouble appears to have settled, Missy was able to down some bread and yogurt, and Zeke's squeals are from a happy place.

That wasn't the case throughout the day. Zeke is pretty attached to Missy. Because she was down for the count, he wasn't able to spend as much time with her. And he wasn't happy about it.

He's also starting to sprout teeth. So he was FUSSY on and off throughout the day.

Brad introduced him to pots and pans. And he's all into everything, particularly things that make loud noise. But even that runs off after a while and Brad has to go to the well: strapping him into the stroller and taking him for a ride. Down the street, throughout the hotel -- anywhere that gave Missy enough time to deal with GI issues and an activity that keeps Zeke quiet during the transit.

In his third trip out on the town, Zeke finally gave into this sleepiness and konked out in the stroller. The Vietnamese people must look at me and laugh: the sidewalks aren't conducive to small-wheeled devices (strollers, wheelchairs, etc.) and you just don't see Vietnamese people using strollers. So here's Mr. Caucasian walking down the street, picking it up to avoid traffic and bumps, with his Asian baby.

No official meals in light of our situation. Some Ritz crackers, ice cream, yogurt, and bread.

Brad and Missy parted ways in the early afternoon. Brad picked up Zeke's Vietnam passport. Missy took the baby to get his photo for his Visa into the EEUU. Next stop on the road home: a doctor's appointment Wednesday morning. That precludes an interview at the U.S. consolate. Our flight leaves in the evening Friday. We could be coming down to the wire to make that flight if we elect not to re-schedule. We'll know more following the doctor's appointment Wednesday.

I've got a BAD feeling about this...

It's never good when you go to bed with that "funny" feeling in your tummy. Such was the case for Brad. About an hour later, he was on his knees, hugging the potty. Poor thing. Brad is notorious for doing "scales" when he has this kind of episode so it's loud. The baby and I didn't sleep much either. My tummy was upset and I have been super nauseated but have no ability to find relief. Zeke meanwhile was fussier than usual during the night. Bottom line? It's been a miserable 12 hours for all 3 of us. Please pray for us...we need to get better SOON. We have no idea what caused our misery. We just want to get better.

What Do We Do When Zeke Sleeps?

Well, sometimes we sleep too. I crashed this morning right along with the baby. Brad crashed yesterday morning. Sometimes we find something amusing on TV to watch (Jimmy Kimmel, anyone?). But we also really like looking for funny stuff on YouTube. Among our favorite finds today? This great Star Wars edit of Darth Vader being a jerk. Quite clever.

Today, we all got up around 5AM. Zeke had a bottle and shortly thereafter laid back down for a little snooze. We were up and stayed up. Then he woke up and we got him dressed and went down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. He's a pretty good sport about it but definitely wants in on the eating action. We again fed him congee. We also mushed up a banana and gave him tiny, tiny pieces. Today was the first time he had juice with us (apple). After breakfast, we went to Highlands Coffee. Brad had "opera cake" and I had a caramel frozen coffee drink. Yum! The baby got a bit restless so he and Brad came back up to the room while I finished and paid. Then, Zeke took a bottle and a nap. He woke up after noon and we packed him up for a walk. We went to what is quickly becoming a favorite place to get sandwiches. It's a french bakery shop called l'Epicerie. They have DELICIOUS ham and cheese croissants (me) and quiche lorraine (Brad). They also have great breads, cakes, petit fours and ice cream. After that, we walked to Hoan Kiem Lake and saw troupes of young girls dancing for a film crew. It was interesting to watch them. Then we walked around the perimeter of the Old Quarter. Zeke was getting hot (me too!) so we took a cab back to the hotel. Then, we put on our suits and headed for the pool. Zeke really enjoys the water. We get in the baby pool with him. We came back to the room, he had a bottle and is now in bed for the second nap. We will wake him up in a little while to go out for dinner. This will be our first dinner out since his arrival. We'll see how he does!

Photos from today's big adventure:


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Imagine..

if life were like an 80s sitcom..

Florida 30, Tennessee 6 - What do you think Zeke?

Going for the Jugular

Before the western hemisphere goes to bed Saturday night, I thought I would go for the jugular. Get your hankies ready:

Congee

Rice congee is a type of rice porridge that is eaten in many Asian countries. The word "congee" is possibly derived from the Dravidian word kanji.^[1] In some cultures, congee is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or late supper; while in others, it is eaten as a substitute for rice at other meals.

Congee can be made in a pot or in a rice cooker. Some rice cookers even have a "congee" setting, allowing the user to cook their breakfast congee overnight.

Day Two Observations from Mom & Dad

A collection of observations from our second day as parents:

- God bless single moms. This is a lot of work and doing it with a committed partner is hard enough.

- It's all about making messes and cleaning them up. At least at this stage. Brad's more partial to clean up than mess making. (That's a first!)

- Missy is the most beautiful Brad has ever seen her.

- Crying isn't about pain. It's a communication frustration.

- It's a marvel to see developmental progress happen before your eyes. Even the small act of a child mimicking his parent tossing a plastic cup is a sight to behold.

- Maybe he'll be big enough to go see The Hobbit when it comes out in a few years.

- I keep trying to prepare an answer for when someone asks how much HE cost. Here's what I've come up with so far:
On behalf of adoptive parents everywhere, allow me the utmost courtesy to make you aware of how offensive that question framed that way is. By asking how much a child costs, you relegate them down to a big screen TV or a new car. They aren't things that are purchased.

You probably didn't mean it that way. You've probably heard that adoptions, particularly international ones, can be expensive and you were just curious. There are substantial fees for the U.S. government, the government of the country from which you are adopting, the agencies that make it all possible as well as the travel there. But the child is priceless. I hope that answers your question. If you have any other questions about the adoption process,
I would love to tell you about it. It's a remarkable journey and one I love sharing, douche bag.

- It's really trial and error. Will he eat congee? Will he get in the pool? Will he wear a hat? You just try and see how he reacts. It's all about building the new neurons.

- I told him his grandchildren will be paying for the federal mortgage bailout.

- Some pictures from Saturday's adventures:






- And now for this final funny in light of what we're learning about:

More Zeke Goodness

Showing off his mad walking skillz.
Happy, happy boy!
Inspecting Daddy's hairy leg.
Happy in Daddy's lap!

Some random Zeke-ness:
*Last night, we laid him on our bed before we all went to sleep on the big fluffy comforter. He flipped onto his belly, put his cheek on the comforter and ran his hand across it back and forth. You could just see his little brain working...like he'd never seen or felt anything so soft. He also rubbed Brad's hairy leg like this was a new thing too (see photo above).
*He loves to throw things! Brad and I are encouraging all of his playfulness and he seems to enjoy throwing things...He cracks himself up when he does it!
*He likes congee (blah!). There was some on the breakfast buffet this morning and he ate it right up. Thanks to Joanne for letting us in on this little secret...Lang Son babies dig congee!!
*He's itching to talk. He jabbers all the time. His nanny seemed to be telling us that she had tried to get him to say Ma-ma. He's trying! And when I fed him congee this morning, it sounded like he said, "Num-num."
*He hates to get his face washed. He's snotting around a good bit but when I whisk out the bulb to try to relieve him, he's none too happy. And when a "sheep's leg" hangs out of his nose, he really resists getting it wiped away.
*He's curious about diapers. It's our understanding that in the orphanage, they really don't wear diapers so this is a whole new thing for him. He's ok with it but you can tell this is something new.
*When he sleeps, he's OUT. Efforts to awaken him are futile until he's ready to be awakened. The maid was in this morning while he napped. She asked about running the vaccuum. I told her to have at it. He didn't even stir.
*We see more and more of his personality all the time. He's SO cute!
*There's a play room at the hotel. We took him there after breakfast. There was a riding toy shaped like an elephant. The baby sits on the elephant's back and holds on and then you pull the baby around the room. He seemed to enjoy it.
*His nanny must have held him all the time. He loves to be held.
*He spent some time this morning touching Brad's face. This was so sweet. I think it's his way of getting to know us.

In case you can't tell, we are in love!!

Thank you for all your sweet comments and prayers. We are giddy every morning to check to see who has commented and what they had to say. Many of your comments make us smile or laugh...some make us tear up (and that's ok too!!). We have felt your prayers lifting us up. Yesterday was so emotional. While we were overjoyed to become parents, it was so bittersweet because it was clear to us that Zeke's birthmother loves him very much. She holds a very special place in our hearts and will always be an important part of Zeke's life. We will pray for her always.

A Little Something Before Everyone Turns In for the Night

Introducing...ZEKE!!!

Hello World!