The First 48 Hours

Sorry, all, who have been waiting for updates. There is so much to tell but with only nap time to do it (which is also my time to shower, clean up, get the bottles ready, etc.), it's hard... So, I'll try to do all the updates in one big post.

For starters, there was a challenge getting a time slot for the first of my two government interviews. I was told my first interview would be 12/21 in Hanoi, which definitely would put my return after Christmas (my flight is booked for 12/23). The agency team here has been working on an alternative - for me to fly to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) for the interview. The good thing is I can also do the required medical exam there at the same time whereas doing it in Hanoi requires Evans passport first (which I applied for yesterday, Tuesday - my agency rocks, by the way - the agency person had everything prearranged so despite the mob scene at the office, we walked in, I sat down and fed Evan, and 10 minutes and 10 signatures later, we were out of there). Anyway, today, I got a call to see how soon I could be in Saigon. I dashed off the Vietnam airlines office and got a flight out Thursday morning at 7 a.m. and back on Saturday morning. I decided to splurge on the return and spend the extra $3 for business class (since Evan is Vietnamese, I get Vietnamese rates on tickets, I guess???). Anyway, so I'll hopefully get the early interview and things will be back on track. It also means that I may not have access to be able to update the blog for a few days. I plan to be back Friday night if at all possible.

I'm a Dong (Vietnamese Currency) millionaire today...I withdrew 70 bucks at the ATM...

Ok, on to Evan. Yesterday he was unhappy. With a small cold he's fighting and teething pain, he cried most of the morning. Some teething medicine seemed to help but what ultimately did the trick was taking him outside (to get the passport). Perhaps he was just bored in the room. I'm also getting him into a schedule (read: I'm slowly learning the schedule he wants), so that's probably part of it. I had a big headache and did not get to eat anything for most of the morning. I decided that out was better than in and took him to a cafe for dinner. He's happy as can be in the "hip hammock", which lets me carry him hands free. The ladies at the restaurant were more than happy to help me with him, but I'm a bit reluctant to get him too confused on who his parent is. We both napped for about 2 hours after dinner then played for a bit. Evan finally started "cruising" around the room:


Today was much better. His nose is drying up a bit he seems to be getting used to the new tooth or teeth. I already knew he did not have a fever since I had checked. He ate like a horse at breakfast (bottle, rice soup, a few noodles, some banana bread, some mashed banana). He pooped like horse (anybody who is a parent can appreciate how good this made me feel). I decided it was bath time. I had bathed him quickly when he first got here but he had really protested. Today, full of food and feeling sleepy, he did great. I finally got to wash his hair. Here's a picture of him and me after the event (not a great shot of me but I had to do the self portrait):


He really loves the bottle. Here he is with his death grip on it (by the way, the kerchief is traditional Vietnamese, so I decided he could wear one).


The bottle is the one from the orphanage - nothing special at all. He's also just as happy with the expensive Avent bottles I have. Generally, he has been a great eater. No fussing, no spitting. If it's food, he's into it. He'll eat with his fingers, my fingers, from the spoon, and from chopsticks. He can even take drinks from a glass if I hold it.

We did a lot of walking today after stopping at Vietnam Airlines. I had lunch at one of the many impromptu streetside stands, with stools that are about 6 inches high. Had boiled rice noodles, fried tofu, different herbs, chilis, and sauce that could strip paint. Evan had a few noodles (there are HIS feedings and there are MY feedings, after all). I think Evan got over tired, though. I thought he would definitely pass out after his bottle and clean diaper but he did not want to. He cruised around the room, played with things, and helped me find out the best place to get Pho:


It took about 30 minutes of crying before he finally went down. The little guy just LOVES to be held (and he deserves it). At the same time, I want him to go down for naps. I've taken to sitting next to the crib and caressing him even though he makes it clear he wants to be picked up. Anyway that brings us to the present as he's taking that very nap right now.