Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day was wonderful this year. The weather was perfect after 7 or so days of rain. Isabel, Evan and I drove up to PA to see my parents. We met at Pen Mar Park on the PA/MD border. It was once a picnic area for the upper class from Baltimore / Washington. There are some beautiful Victorian homes around the park. Below are some picture of our day.

This is a picture of what I see in my rear view mirror every time I'm in the car. My two little darlings sitting in their car seats. Usually, Isabel is talking and Evan is either laughing at Isabel or looking out the window. They certainly make care trips fun ... and I must admit sometimes frustrating. However, on this Mother's Day, they were the perfect children.

Isabel is such a poser. She loves getting her picture taken and loves to take pictures. In this photo, she is holding a little purple flower.

Evan, on the other hand, wants little to do with getting his picture taken. He is much more interested in eating the grass. I captured him here for a second - right before he grabbed a handful of grass and put it in his mouth.

Evan is really grandma's boy, but he let grandpa hold him for a few minutes do I could take their picture together. He is actually looking at grandma in this picture.

Now, Isabel is Grandpa's girl - not that she doesn't like Grandma. She is really drawn to Grandpa and likes to talk with him and be with him. On Mother's Day, she and Grandpa went to the little playground at the picnic area. Isabel showed Grandpa how to slide and swing.

Here's my little model again. She asked me to take her picture so I had her lean against the tree. What a cutie!!!

Spring is here and life is good

Life for all of us is great, a little hectic, and incredibly fulfilling. Every evening after dinner we sit on the floor and play and try to keep Evan out of everything when he cruises - there are toys everywhere and lots of noise - I love it. For me, it offsets the crazy pace at work caused by the endless focus on the housing market and economy. My hope is that the pace will slow down by June ... that is unless the Treasury pushes out more housing programs.

Evan with his Doc Band - he has a moderate diagnosis of plagiocephaly (aka - he has a flat and lopsided head). He'll wear this band for 23 hrs a day for about 4 months. It's really a non-issue for him. He goes about his day and night without noticing that it is on his head. In the photo above, he had been wearing the band about 4 hours. Now, he has had it about a month and I can already see changes in the shape of his head.

The evening I was taking pictures of Evan's Doc Band, Isabel also wanted me to take pictures of her so she struck this pose. What a ham ... and a beauty!!

Evan is learning to self-feed, which is a messy endeavor, but he is trilled by it. He is eating more and more table food and I'm trying to teach him how to drink from a sippy cup and a regular cup. His favorite foods are sweet potatoes, carrots, rice, mashed potatoes, yogurt, any type of fruit, chicken, and pasta. Oh, and I cannot forget Cheerios, which for him is it's own food group on the food pyramid.

Isabel is an up and coming artist. She creates more art than anyone I know and she is very creative. Even though I am a proud mom, I must admit she amazes me with her ideas - she makes her own puzzles, paints all types of pictures (like the self portrait above), puts together books with her drawing, uses her imaginary friends in her stories, writes 'letters' to her friends & family, creates large murals (one was the Great Wall in China with stick figures walking on it) - and uses all types of materials. Her staples are colored paper, masking tape, markers, paint, stickers, and colors. Her typical themes are family, friends, princesses, flowers, and herself.

With spring starting to show it beauty around us, we'll start going outside more and more. There are flowers to plant, bubbles to chase, and playgrounds to explore.

Princesses, new school, sitting and coffee

It is March 1 ... how did that happen? Time just has a way of pulling us along in life. Well, I have to say that February was definitely a much better month than January. Evan and Isabel have both been healthy and full of life. That's why I haven't posted anything for a month. So, I'm making up for no posts in Feb by having lots of pictures in this post.


Evan is developing so fast. He is now crawling everywhere, sitting, has 10 teeth (#9 & #10 are just coming in) and has started to pull himself up to a standing position. All of this in a 2 month period. WOW - that's alot for a little guy. He is such a sweet boy, too. He loves to snuggle and I can tell he is going to have a good sense of humor. He is much more interested in the cats that Isabel was and chases after them with the fastest crawl that he can.

This photo was taken at the Asian New Year celebration that is held by the Adoption Center of Washington. Every year they gather all the adopted children and take a picture ... it's a crazy scene. In this photo, we are surrounded by children adopted from China and Vietnam. Most of the infants are from the same orphanage as Evan.

Well, it was a touch decision, but I decided to move Isabel and Evan to a home daycare. Here's a picture of their new caretaker ... teacher as Isabel calls her. They have been there for 3 weeks and all is going well. Evan hasn't gotten sick - yeah - and Isabel is already attached to the children and caretakers. Everyday she had new lesson papers and crafts.

Isabel is such a fun girl. She is becoming more and more independent and full of stories and opinions. Yesterday, she decided that she was going to wear a purple princess gown and tiara to the grocery store, and then to grandma & grandpa's. She wore the outfit all day long.

March came in like a lion. We woke up to snow and a cold blustery day. Here's my little guy and mommy - just out of bed this morning - do I really look that that in the mornings ???!!!??? The picture was taken before I had my coffee - that must be why I look so rough. These days, coffee has become a definite staple for me.

March looks to be a good month, too. Isabel will start back with her Chinese classes on Saturdays. I should be able to get my taxed done this week .... need that refund. We may tag along on a short trip to FL with grandma & grandpa. I think Evan will be cruising and maybe taking steps by the end of the month. And, my hope is that the warm, spring weather will be with us, too. I just love spring!

January was tough

Sorry no pictures this time. I do have a few more to post and will do that soon.

Wow, I'm glad it is February today. January was a tough month, especially for Evan. The poor little guy got the stomach flu twice and cut 2 teeth all at the same time. It wasn't until the last week that he actually got back to normal. Now, he'll need to catch up on his weight because he lost 2 lbs vs gaining weight. Although, he did achieve one big thing ... he learned to sit!! Yeah!!

Isabel also had the stomach flu, but it wasn't as hard on her. And I, thank God, I was spared. My neighbor tells me that mothers are somehow given a special immunity to disease so they have the strength to take care of everyone else. I hope that stays true because I started back to work on 1/23 and don't want to take any additional time off. It is a very busy time for the company.

Now we go into the month of February. At this moment, my father and most of PA are rooting for the Steelers in the Super Bowl while Isabel and I are watching Cinderella. Evan is asleep in his crib and I will probably not hear from him until about 4:30 AM. Although, I think he has a few more teeth trying to pop through so he may be restless tonight.

This coming week will be the last week Isabel and Evan will be attending their daycare center. I made the decision a few weeks ago to move them to a home daycare. The lady who will be watching them is very nice, has great references and is much less expensive. She will have lessons for Isabel and will also do crafts, teach dance, teach Spanish, and help her with the ABC workbook I'll send with her. There are 2 other children around Isabel's age. There is 1 other infant there, a 10 month old, so Evan will have a friend to play with, too.

I will also continue Isabel in Chinese lessons and expose her to the Chinese culture. Today we went to a Asian New Year party - the year of the Ox. All of the families there adopted children from an Asian country - primarily China. The families would like to continue to get together monthly so the children can form friendships and also to have a support network. Evan will also learn about China and as he gets older, I'll find ways to expose him to Vietnam, it's language and culture. Fortunately, I know several Vietnamese families who can help me.

You know, I really like this life my children and I are building together. While it has it challenges, I love everything about it and I love both of my children endlessly. They are beautiful!!

Family Photos

After we returned from Vietnam, I scheduled an appointment to have our photos taken. I think they turned out great. My 2 babies are beautiful!!!! I am so blessed to have them as my children.

Isabel and Evan have so much fun together and it is great to watch them interact. I started Evan in daycare last week for a few hours every day. He'll be going to the same center as Isabel. He has taken to his class caretakers and other infants very well. There is a little girl about the same age as him, Alexa, that he really likes and plays with her a lot. They tell me that the two of them go around the room seeking out the toys and getting into things.

I'll start back to work next Friday - after the inauguration. So I have about a week to get all the things I wanted to accomplish around the house complete.

Christmas 2008

We have been home almost a month and Evan is adjusting very well. We have finally gotten into a regular schedule now that the holidays are over. He is sleeping very well - goes to bed around 7:00 pm and sleeps until 5:00 am, and then has a bottle and sleeps until 7:00 am. He plays for a few hours, and then takes a 2 hour nap at 10:00 am and also at 2:00 pm. He is eating very well and I have been introducing new foods into his diet every 3 days or so. He loves sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas and pears. He's not too hip on apples or yogurt and, of course, he loves his bottle.

Our first week home, Evan had a pediatrician appointment and had to have blood drawn. He was given a clean bill of health and all his labs came back good. He has a minor iron deficiency and is taking extra iron every day for the next month, and will then be retested for his iron levels. Isabel went back to daycare that week and was back into her regular schedule. She really missed all her friends and teachers at school. She also could not wait to show off her new little brother to everyone. She is a proud big sister.

Evan's second week home he came down with the illness both Isabel and my dad had in Vietnam. The poor little guy was very uncomfortable with a fever, hard cough and congestion. That was a very tough week for both of us - especially me because I had to hold him a lot to get him to sleep. Fortunately, he didn't loose his appetite so I didn't have to worry about dehydration. At the end of that week, my sister and family arrived for the holidays and all the festivities began. Somehow during that week I was able to find a few hours to go Christmas shopping. Isabel was getting more and more excited about Christmas so we had lots of conversations about Santa, what presents she wanted and I tried to balance the commercial by discussing the birth of Christ. I think I made a good impression on what Christmas means to me and I hope it takes hold in her heart.

We celebrated Christmas with my parents and my sister and her family this year at my parent's home. It was a very nice time with everyone and both Isabel and Evan were the center of attention. Isabel was thrilled to see all the presents and started to count how many she had. Plus she loved playing with her cousins, Jackie and Jesse. Evan was just happy to have someone holding him or playing with him all day long. With 5 adults and 2 teenagers, there were plenty of hands around to help out. He also started to crawl on Christmas day. My brother called from over seas several times and took part of the gift opening over the phone. My oldest nephew, Sean, stayed home because he had to work and we missed having him with us ... the first time since he was born 20 years ago.

Now, it is 2009. Evan will start daycare next week - a few hours each day until he is there a full day by the time I return to work. I am planning to be back at work on Jan 22. Until then, I'll use the few hours I will have alone to complete some projects at home. I need to get Evan's room organized and painted. I also need to go through the house & garage and purge things. I also hope to get ready for my taxes and take a hard, long look at my budget. With another daycare bill every week, I need to cut back on some things. Ahhhh, the holiday festivities are fading away and reality is settling in.

Home at last

It is good to be home. We landed on Saturday morning around 9:30 and it took 2 hours to get through the customs & immigrations checks so we didn't arrive home until around 12:00 noon. We were exhausted and hungry. Fortunately, one of my wonderful friends, Pam, had stocked my refrigerator with food so all I had to do is warm up lunch for everyone. Also, my sister flew up from FL to help me adjust with life at home with 2 children and also to help us all adjust to the time zone.

The past few days have been hard for us all as we adjust to the time. Both Isabel and Evan have been tag-teaming me with their needs so I have had little sleep, but I believe we've turned a corner today. Other than their regular naps, both children have been awake and active all day. I've also been able to get Evan back to his regular schedule, which he desperately needed. Isabel will go back to daycare tomorrow and see all her friends that she has been missing and Evan and I will work on getting his room organized. My sister kept everything else going as I attended to the children, which was a huge help. My hope is that we all have a regular 8 - 10 hour sleep tonight and are refreshed tomorrow morning.

Overall, I think this trip and the adoption went very well. My adoption agency, Adoption Center of Washington [www.adoptioncenter.com] did a great job managing the adoption process. Their in-country coordinator, Thao, is a terrific person and anticipated every issue and need we had. I met several families in Vietnam who were amazed at how smooth and organized my process has been. Also, my travel agency, Professional Travel in Hagerstown, booked us great flights and made sure we had the best seats available. We had no complications or issues with any of our flights.

Vietnam is a beautiful country and the people are very friendly. Someday I hope to take Evan back to see the country in which he was born. The culture was established long before the Americas were discovered. Yet, I am amazed at how much US influence there is. Obama and US politics are everywhere. Kentucky Fried Chicken is very popular, as well as, many western foods. The US dollar is accepted almost everywhere and almost everyone knows English. If it wasn't for the "ant-like" motorbikes, Pho noodles sold on every corner, the thin people, and thick smog, one might think they were in a US city.

So, now, a new chapter in our lives begins. Based on the past 2 weeks, I think we're going to have a blast.

We're on our way home

Dec 5 12:24 pm

Well, our long trip is almost over. We depart at 11:50 tonight about 11 hours from now. My dad is doing better and the rest of us are healthy. Thank goodness.

Evan has been doing really well in the past week. He is a happy baby with a streak of determination when it comes to eating and sleeping. He loves Isabel and usually giggles when she is around. My parents tell me he watches me when I come and go from the room and fusses when I leave.

On the flight from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi he was fussy because it was his nap time and he wanted to lay down. I'm hoping we'll get bulkhead seats on the flights home so I can lay him down on the plane. If not, well, I guess I'll be walking a lot during the flight.

So, this is the last post until we return home. We'll arrive on Saturday morning. It will be good to be back in our own place.

Staying until Friday

Wednesday, Dec 3 4:10 pm

We decided to stay until Friday, which is our original departure date. My father isn't feeling well and although the cost to change the flights was nominal, he thought he wouldn't be able to travel until Friday. I think he caught what Isabel had on the trip over. Otherwise, everyone else feels well and I hope no one gets sick before we leave. So, since we have a few extra days we are doing some sightseeing. Today, we went to the Hanoi Hilton, and then we walked around Hoan Kiem Lake, which is in the center of Hanoi.

The Hanoi Hilton or Hoa Lo Prison is now a museum. The prison was originally built by the French in the late 1800's and was intended to hold Vietnamese prisoners. Since then it was used by multiple warring factions to imprison people who opposed the ruling government. Most of the information in the museum was about the French dominance of the Vietnamese and there was a small section about the American pilots captured in the Vietnam War.

I found it interesting that the information and photos presented were very positive about the treatment of the American prisoners held there. It showed them celebrating Christmas, playing volleyball, getting medical treatment, and other "luxuries" like tooth brushes. There was no mention of any of the torture we hear about in the US from the priosoners. John McCain was prominent in the photos and had a display of his personal items while he was a prisoner. There was also a large display showing the protests in America against the war.

Only part of the prison is still standing and the hotel we are staying in was built on the remaining site of the complex.

The Tortoise Temple is built on a little island in the center of the Hoan Kien Lake. The photos below are from another temple built on the northern edge of the lake. I thought the red doors were brilliant against the grey stone building.

This lady below is in a garden along the lake filled with statues that all seem to represent mothers and children. I thought her face was beautiful and calming in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. Just like in Ho Chi Minh City, the traffic noise in Hanoi is very loud. Every driver must honk their horns at least 100 times a day. I'm not a fan of the traffic noise and the dust & smog.

This afternoon, we are relaxing and taking naps. We'll probably go out again before we turn in for the night. Tomorrow we will go shopping and see some more sights.

Evan has a visa

Tuesday Dec 2 7:15 pm

A quick update. The interview with the Immigration Officer went well. Evan's visa was issued today at 4:00 so, if we can, we can leave early. We'll look into flights and see if it is possible. If not, Hanoi has many interesting things to see ... and great shopping!!!

We're in Hanoi now

Tuesday, Dec 2 11:35 am

We spent Saturday and Sunday relaxing in Ho Chi Minh City before we left for Hanoi early Monday morning. I've copied a short video of Isabel and Evan playing together the night before we left Ho Chi Minh. They really get along very well and they are so cute together. I hope the video works for you to see.

I took this picture of Isabel at the Marriott because she had discovered all the bowls of candy the hotel had in the lobby. Every time we went by one she would say, "Mom, wait a minute, I'll be right back." She would go over to a bowl of candy and take one, and then come back to show me what she had found. Then she would say, "I'll save it for later." However, within 5 minutes, she'd pull it out of her pocket and eat it.

I'm glad my mom is with us because Evan really likes her. She is able to care for him so I can get some things done or look after Isabel. He likes Grandpa, too, but he doesn't like grandpa's beard ... neither does Isabel. She says it scratches her.

We went to see this temple on Sunday afternoon. It is called the Jade Pagoda and is very old. I don't remember how old. Typical to other temples I visited in China, there are beggars outside the gates looking for money or food. Once you pass into the gates, there are various statues and symbols of the religion. Inside, it is dark and the air is filled with the smell of incense. There are people praying to their gods in the different chambers. I'm not sure what gods were in this pagoda but there were many people praying to them.



On Monday morning, we arrived in Hanoi. We are staying in a resident type hotel on the edge of the older Hoan Kiem district. When we arrived, the Hanoi Hilton was pointed out to us next door to the hotel. From my bedroom, I can see part of the complex from the window. I took a picture of it, but it's not the best. My window has some sort of dark film on it and the picture looks dark. Hopefully, we will go and see it later today.


But, before we go anywhere, I have an appointment at the US Embassy with the Immigration Officer. He/She will interview me for Evan's immigration visa. I was told the interview should be routine, but I'm still a little nervous because the Immigration Officer is the person who approves the visa. Since he was abandoned, I don't have any information on his birth mother or family. The interview should be pretty short.


Once Evan's visa is issued, we are free to return to the US. It is possible we could get the visa this afternoon. If we do, we may try and see if we can return on Wednesday or Thursday. It would be nice to get home early.

While I've been writing this post, Isabel has been telling me (1000 times) she needs scissors and tape so she can make something. So, we are off to the grocery store next door to find them before we can do anything else. My sanity depends on me finding scissors and tape!!

Scenes from Vietnam

November 28 4:43 pm

We left Phan Thiet very early on Thursday morning to drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, which is about a 3.5 hour drive. The photo above is Evan playing with Grandma's buttons. He and Isabel did great on the drive. The other family with us got a crash course of Dora the Explorer and Diego the Animal Rescuer. But, before I tell you about our trip, let me tell you about my mommy time on Wednesday afternoon.

Grandma & Grandpa watched the kids (the kids ... I love saying that), and I had a 60 min massage, had my hair colored and cut, manicure, pedicure & a facial. You won't believe how much it all ended up being ... about $46.00. Unbelieveable !!!! I love Vietnam. If it wasn't for the 31 hours of travel, I'd come here all the time. Of course, the place I went wasn't Elizabeth Arden ... it was more like a barbar shop.

Anyhow, on the trip back, I took some pictures of homes along the road. The homes in the photos are the norm. I did see a some very nice and modern homes, but they were few and far in between. Many of the homes had mom & pop shops in the front and the back were their living areas. You can see in the last shot, there are people eating food in the front of the home. Dogs, chickens and cows are typical animals each family owns.

This morning my parents, Isabel, Evan and I walked around Ho Chi Minh City. We saw the Saigon Opera House, the Notre-Dame Basilica, and the Reunification Palace.

This is the Saigon Opera House. What I love the most about this photo is the guy on the moped with the pipes. This is actually a typical scene here. Yesterday, I saw a man with about 4 times more of a load of pipes. Anyhow, the opera house is an example of french colonial architecture in the city.

This is another typical scene ... families on a moped. I even saw women holding infants smaller than Evan and driving their mopeds with one hand.

The Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica was also built by the French colonist in the late 1800's. It is a beautiful building.

The Reunification Palace is a symbol of the fall of Siagon in the Vietnam War history. There are some famous photos of tanks coming through the front gates in 1975 to end the war.

Here's grandma and grandpa taking a break with my little son.

The Christmas decorations are coming our everywhere as the city prepares for the holiday. Our hotel has Christmas trees everywhere. Isabel knows what they represent, but Evan doesn't. He just likes the light.

My dad just came buy to tell me that Evan is hungrey so I need to go. Tomorrow I have some paper work to complete, and then the rest of the day is for shopping. I saw a Louis Vuitton shop around the corner and I want to check it out to see if the prices are better here. syke!

Phan Thiet, Vietnam

Wednesday, 11-26-08 12:00 noon

I don't have a lot of time to write today. So, I'll just comment on the photos. As you can see, the 3 of us are in 1 king bed. I get the top right corner ... they don't get who's paying the bills on this trip. There is a crib in the room, but we all sleep better when Evan's in the bed with us. I'll work on separate sleeping when we get home for both Isabel and Evan.

Evan is adjusting to us very well. He is eating, sleeping and doing his business with no issues. Those are all good signs. I do think he misses his caretaker because he is always looking at women who look like her. He watches them like a hawk to see if they are her.

This is a view from our hotel room. We have an ocean view at the Ocean Dunes Hotel in Phan Thiet, Vietnam. The hotel has everything we need onsite. Fortunately, we have one of the larger rooms so we can spread out.

This is the sunrise from our balcony. Every morning, the fishing boats are out and scattered along the horizon. The photo is nice, but it doesn't do justice to the real thing.

The fishing boats here are very colorful. This scene is what you see when you enter the town. They are all lined up along the little harbor and the people are working all around them.

The coast of Binh Thuan province is noted for the it's sand dunes. My parents and the other family we are with went early this morning to slide down the dunes. There are children waiting for the tourist to rent boards to slide down the dunes. You have to watch them because they are street smart. My father was taken for 100,000 dung, which is about $6.25, by a very smart little boy.

It's noon here and I have a 1:00 appointment for a massage - yeah!!!! Then we are going out to dinner this evening at a local seafood restaurant, which I have heard is excellent. Tomorrow morning, very early, we drive back to Ho Chi Minh City to have Evan's medical exam and apply for his passport. Then, we'll have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to see the city. I'm looking forward for that.

Tomorrow is also Thanksgiving ... I don't think we'll find any turkey around here.