Crash course in motherhood...

Well, it's been quite a wild ride already!

This is the first moment I've had where Hai is not demanding to be held and is just quietly laying beside me, content if I tickle him between sentences. But let me backtrack and tell you all about the last few days.

Monday morning we met in the lobby at 6:15am. Yes, those of you that know me well know that to get me anywhere at 6:15am, there better be coffee and a pretty good reason. Well, Maria brought Peet's coffee and the reason... it doesn't get any better than the one I had.

We were packed like sardines into a "16 person" van and drove for about 4 hours to the orphanage outside of Hanoi. There was traffic, trucks, road construction for the first couple of hours and then just a lot of bad road. When we got about a 1/2 hour from the orphange the road had 2 feet of water in it... we were not sure we were going to make it, but I think at that point we would have all gotten out and walked the rest of the way!

Pulling into the orphanage gate was the strangest sensation I've ever had. Adrenaline mixed with excitement and fear. I don't think I've ever been so nervous in all my life. They took us in a room to meet the orphanage director and give us a glass of water. Mind you, we've now been on the road for 4 hours, with no stops after drinking Peet's coffee when i woke up. The LAST thing I want is a glass of water. But water it is... The orphanage director says a few words (I have no idea what), and then they say - would you like to meet your kids? of course!!

So after a quick potty break, we all go in to meet our kids. All the nannies were holding kids. Maria brought out a polaroid camera and started snapping pictures. You would have thought she was Justin Timberlake at a sweet sixteen party they way they nabbed her. She was mobbed on every side by a Vietnamese nanny wanting a picture with one child or the other. Maria, I think you may have a new career as papparazzi. :-)

I was introduced to Hai and his main nanny (they call them "foster moms") - Ngoc. She is a very sweet woman, and clearly she loves Hai very, very much. She changed him into his new outfit, a beautiful sweater Grandma sent him that said "hai" on it with a matching hat. It was about 90 degrees and 100% humidity, but darnit, we were going to get a picture of him in that outfit!! :-)

We were put back in our sardine can and driven to the provincial authority to have the "giving and receiving" ceremony. Each family is called up, signs several papers and is then handed their child by the orphanage director and a photo is taken. You can see it attached.

Then we went back to the orphanage and played with the kids some more. Maria was again mobbed, but this time she was smart and said "only a few more pictures, running out of film..." that seemed to calm them down a little. All the ladies wanted to hold Hai - we started calling it "Hai's Harem"... a foreshadowing of things to come, I believe.

After we gave our gifts to the orphanage and the orphanage director - that was all very casual, but they seemed pleased. And yes, the kids liked the balls.

We got back on the bus for the 4 hour drive home. Hai and I were in the back, with him on my lap. No car seats in this part of the world, but at least they didn't put us on scooters. It was a bumpy ride, but Hai had a bottle and a nap and was perfectly content. His nannies told us he only really cries when he's hungry or tired... but more on that later... they also told me he sleeps 9pm-7am...

We got back around 7:00pm, I think. Maria and I were both so tired we could barely see straight. Hai went straight to sleep and we followed soon after. So far, so good. He woke up a couple times that night and I gave him a bottle. (new mommy technique - when ever the kid squawks, stick a bottle in his mouth - seems to be working so far).

The next day I arranged with my agency to have Hai's nanny from the orphanage come and spend a few hours with him during the day. She came around 9am and I went to the Vietnam passport office to get Hai's paperwork started. He should have a passport by next Tuesday.

We came back and took him over to the SOS clinic to get checked out - something the agency really encouraged us to do as a precaution. I'm glad we did because they found he has a ear infection - they gave him amoxicillian. In the US when they give kids antibiotics they flavor it, but NOT here. This stuff is rank. But he'll take it if I mix it in his formula.

The past couple of days have been a blur of amoxicillian, tylenol and this morning a lovely glycerin suppository. For those of you that are uninitiated, consider yourself lucky... but it certainly did the trick. He's a MUCH happier kid today. Fever seems to be down a bit and tummy feeling better.

And, we both actually slept last night, from 9-midnight and again from 1am to 5am... still waiting for that 9pm to 7am kid to show up.

Love to all!!

M.