I have been derelict in my posting duties. My Thesis is due next week so all my effort has been in that direction. I have most of it done and should be able to coast thru the last 25 pages or so.
When we first got Binh, I was not immediately “in love” with him. It was more like a fascination. All effort was spent learning how to go about meeting his basic needs. Binh is a quick study and adjusted very fast. Now it’s time to focus more on loving him and building confidence. We have a biological daughter; I know how to do that right… I initially tried to love / hold / cuddle Binh like Ava but that was more than he could handle. An analogy can be drawn with toys. We tried to give Binh a simple toy just after we got him but he was more interested in a clear plastic cup. Loving a child from an orphanage is a little like that. Binh just needs to be held, no complications, no fancy toys… I had it wrong, it’s my responsibility to teach him what love is and I now think that means starting with the plastic cup….
Binh likes playing pee-pie, we managed to catch him playing the other day. What a blessing!
We have some great photos from this weekend. We went to a sheep sheering festival and made our first trip to a sit down restaraunt.
This week was the first one that felt semi-normal since before we headed to Vietnam. The girls have recovered from the mysterious illness. I was able to get a little work done and head in to the lab and Char was able to herd the cats. Binh has gotten more comfortable cruising the house. Ava is on the path of understanding the whole thing. At first it was cool to go ”far, far away” to get her brother. Once we got home she was ready to help. After she realized that mom and dad had a finite number of arms the battle began. Luckily, Ava has a sweet heart and usually snaps out of her ornery spells. Today she said, “I love you daddy.” I just about melted. There is nothing like hearing your child say something like that.
We also learned something about Binh, he loves music with a beat. His favorite is hip-hop but we have to limit that poison. If all else fails, a short clip of him dancing will make the next Youtube Tuesday. He is still not sleeping through the night but can put himself back to sleep some of the time. He is generally a happy boy. He loves to roll the ball back and forth and likes being outside, life just keeps getting better.
I know it’s been a while. Char got sick on the way home, which ultimately lead to a trip to the hospital. We have all been pushing our selves to get back on an Eastern time zone schedule. Time to get to bed and lots to do but I thought I would post some pics.
The folks in Siagon / Ho Chi Minh City are very friendly. A nice girl volunteered to take our picture while we were waiting to catch the plane to Hanoi. Had to take the trip to do business at the US Embassy.
Meal decisions in Vietnam were one of the more complicated daily issues. Eating usually involved a risk assessment of seemingly familiar things. We ate breakfast at the Hotel. In Saigon / HCMC, breakfast was included with the room at the Tanmay Dinh and very good. In Hanoi we simply picked up cereal and fruit and ate in. Breakfast did not come with the room and cost $18 USD and not as good as the one in HCMC. This pic represents what our typical evening meal. We tried Vietnam prepared Thai which was a mild success.
Once Binh got more comfortable the whole family went out to see the the sites in Hanoi. We headed to the Ho Chi Minh Museum / palace /mausoleum. It was a good choice and we drew a tour guide wanting to practice his English.
I found one more video from Vietnam. I know many of these videos make Binh look like a crazy kid. He does not always act like this but is usually in a good mood just after waking.
I’m not sure when it started. It might have been while we were in Japan. There are a number of military installations in Japan but the only one we made a point to hit regularly was Camp Zama. Why?… Burger King! Being overseas with a limited number of dining options for an extended period of time just stirs the desire for 30+ grams of fat in the form of a Whopper. The same urge hit each time I deployed to the Persian gulf. If the ship pulled into the United Arab Emirates, our first stop was the Burger King. So today when we arrived at lunchtime there was only one thing on my mind, a Whopper just the way it comes! I think I’m good for a while.
We are home but not to the same one. This one includes a little boy. There were times while in Vietnam that we wondered if we were doing the right thing. All those questions were answered on the short hop from New York. Because the flight is so short the aircraft maintains a low altitude and you get the see the landscape. The air was crisp and clear. I got the chance to watch the neatly spaced single family homes and clear lakes pass by. Such a dramatic contrast to the last two weeks. While Binh was sleeping peacefully in my arms with no idea where he was going it became perfectly clear that we absolutely did the right thing. Looking down at my great country and realizing that he will now have the privilege to experience the two most wonderful things, unconditional Love and real Freedom.
Today was especially stressful but the bags are packed and we are getting on the plane in 4 hours or so. Keep us in your prayers. Two adults, two toddlers, and three seats for 24 hours of flying time does not sound fun. However, we have Binh’s visa, that is the real blessing, the rest we can deal with. BTW, sorry for missing YouTube Tuesday. Internet went amuck in my room.
North and South Vietnam resemble the North and South in the US in some ways. Warmer climate and people in the South for the most part. The folks here in Hanoi are all business but I guess that’s good if you are doing business. There is not the same level of growth but there are some new high-rises. I am saving the more interesting topics of driving and eating in Vietnam for post when we are not time limited.
As Char has already mentioned, Binh has a nickname already, bulldog. He acts like he is used to getting his way already and we haven’t even had time to spoil him. I’m not sure where he got it from but just before he gets really angry he will give you a serious look and grunt. That basically means that you have about 15 seconds to figure out what he wants or distract him with something else. For occasions like diaper or clothing changes… well he may bite. In all seriousness, he is a happy baby. As we learn to communicate we both develop more patience. I guess if someone took me from the only place I had every known, stuck me with strangers that smell funny, and bounced me around like a gypsy I would be a little put out. All in all, both our wonderful children are real troopers. We have a couple more videos but will post closer to Tuesday. Things are actually moving faster than expected. There is the remote possibility that we will be stateside by Tuesday! Yippee!
We have been really busy. Char was up a lot last night with Binh. The first couple of nights went fine but as you add parental love to a child that has not had all his needs met in the past you find some baggage. The nannies told us that he only cried when he was hungry or wet. I’m not sure the nannies had time to respond to much more. Now he is finding out that we will try to meet all his needs with love so there are some fresh boundaries to test. Unfortunately, Char was the one meeting those needs last night. Tonight is mine, pray that he lets me sleep some. Binh received his medical checkup and we bought tickets to Hanoi for tomorrow. Packing and preparing to fly with two children slithering into more trouble than you thought possible is a challenge to say the least but we are managing. We have been making our appointments with another adoptive family. They are wonderful, we look forward to keeping in touch with them.
We really are limited on time so today’s Youtube Tuesday is a short example of Binh and our current language barrier. We are not sure how many Vietnamese words Binh knows but apparently something like paper is comical. Gotta go find an experiment for dinner….
We have some great photos from this weekend. We went to a sheep sheering festival and made our first trip to a sit down restaraunt. 
