Back in HCM!

What a crazy day yesterday: G&R, then the 8--yes, 8--hour drive back to HCM. The traffic was particularly crazy, apparently, and the rainstorm seemed to make the scooter-dodging more challenging for the driver. He didn't seem particularly stressed, but we saw our lives pass by our eyes more times than we can count!

Sam, however, was quite the trooper! I suspect it was his first ride in a vehicle EVER, but he was really quite calm during the whole trip..handled it better than we did, really. We were so tired when we arrived back at the Rex, and we decided against dinner and just went to bed. He was a little unhappy and tired, but dozed off right away and slept all night!

It was great seeing Liam and Caleb and David this morning, all being held by their proud(somewhat weary)mommies and daddies. Passport photos made (Sam crying, apparently not into the paparazzi photoshoot) He is also having some GI issues, which would make me cry too. Now he's napping, and Brian and Rob have taken Zoe and Ben to play off some energy at the tax center.

What a help Mom and Dad have been to us! They are great Zoe/Ben babysitters when we're trying to decipher some Sam issues. I don't know how we'd make it without them!
Dad's knuckles still look a little clinched after the van ride yesterday...I think he's going to take home some more aggressive driving tactics he learned.ie, passing on the right is totally fine, and passing into oncoming traffic, also totally fine, as long as you beep your horn first... The horn beep seems to have magical protective powers. Amazing!

I'll try to post some pics...we're doing better than Tricia in the technology department right this minute, because apparently Ben has taken their computer apart. I mean APART, as in, little letters and other bits were lying on the coffee table. I'm thinking the older siblings are enjoying the diversion of attention a bit! Zoe has watched more videos in the last 3 days than her whole first 5 years combined. She's loving THAT side effect of sisterdom!

Greetings from Ninh Thuan!

Hello, everyone! What an absolutely amazing last couple of days! We traveled yesterday all day to get here, and it was an experience in itself. It certainly gives us a perspective on Sam's homeland and where he started in life. We got to the hotel and checked in, and we zipped over to the orphanage about 4:30 to see Sam for the first time. I nearly had an anxiety attack on the drive there... not from the crazy driving, although that is anxiety-provoking as well, but from the realization that this little guy that we've loved for so many months was going to see us and...WHAT? perhaps not care for us so much? Who knew? Mom and Dad and Brian and Zoe and I all held hands and said a prayer as we made the short trip there. Mom and I were crying, and then....we met him.

He is the sweetest, most mild-mannered and pleasantly happy little peanut in the whole world. He was totally loving us holding him (all of us! Even Zoe!)He was giggly and seemed to take it all much better than we were!

What an amazing experience, seeing everyone's children that I recognized in an instant! Drew, Sadie, Dillon, Joseph, Layne Nhi, Payton, Bennett, Trung..they were all there! I have pics of all of them and stories to go with them.

The nannies were sweet and loving, and somewhat reserved...until I got out the pics of kids who have come home. They went crazy when they recognized pics of Isaac, Izzy, and Alex; they were all so happy that their little charges had gone on to happy lives. It was such an humbling experience being able to witness their love and dedication.

We came home emotionally and physically exhausted. Not so terribly entertained by the really, really loud Vietnamese karaoke going on at the pool outside our window, but we slept pretty hard.

I woke up at 2 am (again) and tried posting some emails and pics to moms, but apparently none of them got through. Please know, girls, that I've got lots to share with you...I'm not sure what's up with my email, but I'll keep trying. Lori, Nadra, Vietmoms, I have so much to tell you!!!

We got to love on Sam again today (guess what? he's STILL A SWEET PEANUT!) and handed out gifts to the kids. (note to future traveling moms: raisins and bubbles will make you an instant hit with all....) We're taking it easy this afternoon, but are excited about the G & R in the morning. We'll make the long trip back to HCM (with our son! did I mention that?)and get back late in the evening.

Just an amazing, amazing last couple of days. I know in so many ways the starting line is right here, but the finish line to GETTING him is so very very sweet.
Thanks for everyone's love and support. We'll keep you posted!

3 am and all is well...

 
You know, when we collapsed into bed last night, we thought we'd sleep forever. But Zoe woke me up at 2:30 telling me that she couldn't sleep anymore, and that she'd already been next door to visit my parents (!), and that she was enjoying wearing her new hot pink slippers she'd bought yesterday at the Tax Center (one word for the Tax Center: WOW.)

So here I am, knowing that today is the day we SEE our son...not in pictures, or in video snippets, or via updates provided by our agency...but in real life. There have been times in this process that Sam seemed very abstract..the paperwork, the delays, the frustrations, often seemed quite removed from a real living PERSON. Yet now, I know we're occupying the same country and the same time zone (although obviously not the same sleep schedule). Pretty heavy stuff. Obviously not the kind of thoughts that lull a mom back to sleep. So as in the case of any mom, I'll occupy myself with minutiae... until the 4 hours pass until we load up the van and head to Ninh Thuan.

Tricia and Rob and Ben have been terrific travel partners! Their previous trip to get Ben has benefited us immensely! Both kids were real troopers, and there were no unanticipated delays with any of our flights. We met up with Betsy and Nathan when we landed at Hong Kong. Nice, nice people--their Caleb is gonna have some neat parents! We also visited briefly with the Cooks (also very nice!), who have apparently taken in Vietnam for the last week or so. They'll all head towards Vinh Long and Can Tho this morning, and we'll head to Sam's province of Ninh Thuan. Then after our G&R ceremony on the 19th, we'll all meet back here at HCM and continue on together to Hanoi.

I love these 2 pics: bookends to a thrilling 2 day journey to get here..early on, Zoe and my parents, fresh and wired up on ice cream, awaiting our departure from LR. Then the last one: the setting is our beautiful rooftop restaurant at the Rex. Zoe would have been so thrilled with this huge plate of french fries, had she only been awake. Who would have thought this "becoming a sister" business would be so EXHAUSTING?

get set.....GO!!!!!

We made it here to Vietnam! We are in Ho Chi Minh City, checked into the Rex Hotel. We made the little jumps between Little Rock, Dallas, LA, Hong Kong and HCM without any real problems...plus our luggage made it, which is nice! Zoe and Ben needed extra exercise at the airports (30-plus hours just wasn't enough to wear them down)..so those moving sidewalks provided that little bit of fun!)
We'll check in soon...just wanted everyone to know that WE MADE IT!
We head out in the morning for the journey to Sam's province!

On your mark...

We're finalizing our packing--well, actually, squooshing things into side pockets, rooting around checking to see if we remembered to pack that "whatever" we meant to pack, and trying to remember all of those things that we said, "Hey, don't let us forget to take (blank)."

These last few days have been a happy blur. We have had two wonderful "surprise" showers that have got us stocked up with all things "boy." Our friends, who have been such a sustaining force through all of this, continue to amaze us with their generosity and support.

Pictured here is one of the thoughtful gestures of my wonderful friends, the Vietmoms. It is a "boy box," assembled by donations from all of them to help prepare me for the challenges of raising, from what I've been told, a totally different creature from our Zoe. Boy, oh boy! I must admit we were woefully under-prepared. Not a Barbie or a fairy or a pink plastic anything in that whole box...but many other strange and wonderful things. We are armed and ready now! Spiderman underwear, balls to sports I'm not even sure I can name, and even a genuine bug jar (thanks, Seth, for your donation!)

We have been overwhelmed and humbled by the kind gestures of our friends. Sam is truly blessed to come home to a community who is so warmly welcoming him. His life thusfar may have been less than stellar, but sunny skies are ahead, buddy.

We're flying out tomorrow early evening. We'll meet my parents and the O'Connors at the airport, and off we'll go. Vietnam won't know what's hit it! Thank you for your prayers, and Zoe would like to add her request for anyone who has traveled before: where are some restaurants with french fries? ha

Spaz mode

We are bouncing around like jumping beans, getting everything ready!
Our flights are scheduled..and amazingly, our dear friends Tricia and her family received the SAME G&R date, although their son Liam is in a different orphanage. SO, we'll all leave out of Little Rock on the same flight, and travel together! She and hubby Rob, her 2 year old son Ben, my parents, Zoe, Brian and I will all get to enjoy the 30+ hour journey together! There may be moments, I expect, that "enjoy" may be a little too strong a word...some moments of the 15 hour LA to Hong Kong flight, perhaps...

We'll leave LR next Saturday evening (June 14th) and arrive in HCM City on Monday the 16th. We'll drive to the orphanage at Ninh Thuan (about an 8 hour trip east)the next morning and meet Sam that afternoon. (WOW!) We'll get a chance to spend time with him and the other dear children all the next day (Ninh Thuan mommies: I've got my list to keep my head straight--I'll take lots of pics and make lots of deliveries!)

Our G&R is Thursday, the 19th, and we'll head back to HCM right after that. Appointments and obligations there for a couple of days (and meeting Liam, who will be returning with his parents) and we'll all fly to Hanoi, for our visa interview. Hopefully we'll all head home on the 1st of July, arriving home to LR the morning of Wednesday, July 2nd.

This is all under the category of "best case scenario", of course. Any one of those steps could hit a snag and such, but...did I MENTION WE'RE LEAVING NEXT SATURDAY?

Hard to take it all in, but happy we're finally moving. Now: Lori, Nadra, other waiting moms...let's get you guys going, too!

Hallelujah!!!

We got it!!! Our I-600 approval arrived last night--we have permission from our government to travel and bring Sam home! We are just elated...more to follow, but just wanted to let everyone know. There aren't enough exclamation points on this keyboard to let you all know how we feel right now--but all of you who have followed with us thus far or journeyed a similar path totally understand or know this feeling. Wow. Just wow.