My last blog in Vietnam

This blog entry is bittersweet. I really can not wait to get home and see my beautiful children – Samantha, Codi and Carter. I know the kids can’t wait to meet their new sister and get some Mommy loving. But, honestly, I will be sad to say good-bye to Vietnam. This has been the most life changing experience I have ever had the privilege to go through. It turns out that my husband and I make great travel companions, and except for one little tiff on the day we went to get Maddie (so I’ll chalk it up to stress), we did not have any arguments and spoke to each other with love and respect.

The Vietnamese people are very proud of their country and they are sweet, kind and extremely accommodating. If we ever come back, I think I would enjoy staying in Vung Tau on the ocean or maybe in Ho Chi Minh again.

We did venture out in Hanoi today, once to go to the temple where we met a nice monk who we asked to bless the girls. He touched the babies and spoke softly to them. Unfortunately, he did not speak any English, so we are going to have to trust that he understood what I was asking for and actually blessed them. The temple was gorgeous and I finally got some cool pictures.

Jen was accosted by two women who chastised her for not having Addison completely covered up. It’s a Vietnamese thing. They always think the babies are cold – even though we were sweating like the fat kid sitting next to gravy! It was funny, it felt like we were more of a tourist attraction than the temple was, because everyone wanted to talk to us and take our picture and ask questions about the girls.

In the afternoon we set off to the nearest mall. It was a long walk and it started to rain a little, which caused all the dirt sidewalks to turn to muck – which I proceeded to kick up all over the back of my black pants. Can you say “Super Sexy?” NOT! We walked past appliance “stores” and high end jewelry stores, like Cartier, and then sandwiched in between was a place to buy toilet seats and street lights. It’s bizarre! To top it all off, a large portion of sidewalk had been torn up so we had to walk in the street. Talk about hair raising. I was rather glad when we arrived back at the hotel.

I had the best food ever for lunch - sweet and sour chicken with sticky rice. It was delicious! Between that and the Vietnamese spring rolls, I’ve been in heaven eating here in Hanoi. No con cho for me! Sorry John.

Maddie was not feeling well this evening, so we retired early and let John entertain Jen and Lisa and Addison. Then he went outside and got his ass kicked playing ping pong against some little kid.

All in all, I think we’ve really tried to embrace the culture and to find humor in what we didn’t understand and look for enlightenment wherever we could. Hope you enjoy today’s pictures. The next time you hear from me I will be home and our family will be complete. See you on the flip side!

Happy cows come from California, Happy babies come from Vietnam

Everyone remarks at how happy Maddie is, and they are so right! She belly laughs all the time and she is very ticklish around her neck and tummy and her little tush.

Well, Madison Hope Gregg is OFFICIALLY ours! We received her passport and Visa today and we are free to leave Vietnam with our little pumpkin. John tried to change our tickets to allow us to come home early, but the airline only flies out on certain days – so we will arrive home on Friday evening as planned. We said good-bye to our guide, Anna, tonight. I started crying when I realized this was it – the last time we would see her and the last piece of the puzzle.

Here are some photos of Maddie with her Vietnamese passport. Hopefully Customs won’t mind the slobbery pages.

John and I have decided we enjoyed Ho Chi Minh much more than Hanoi. It’s overcast and rainy here and the people are not as friendly. Also the shopping was much better in HCMC. Our hotel is roomier, but John hates hearing all of the traffic outside our window. It’s like New York City times 10. Coincidently, for you history buffs, our hotel was built on the actual site of the Hanoi Hilton where John McCain was held captive. There is a memorial somewhere outside the building and I will look for it tomorrow.

John had another run in with crazy Vietnamese food tonight. He saw a special for a meatball sub, so he ordered it for dinner. One bite and I thought he was going to hurl! I’m going to guess it was not beef and maybe “con cho” instead. (Translation: dog.) Why can’t this man to stick to the safe stuff? My spring rolls and spaghetti were great.

I haven’t really expressed what’s been running through my head through all of this – and I want to be able to let Maddie read this someday, so…

Madison, from the moment I laid eyes on your baby picture I knew I could love you. You were so tiny and perfect and I felt my heart swell up every time I looked at that picture. Then the day finally arrived and the Director of the orphanage laid you in my arms and I truly did FALL IN LOVE. I love your tiny fingers and thin feet; I love your small, perfect lips and your big almond eyes. I love how you light up when your Daddy comes in the room and how you play coy and flirt with all Vietnamese people who want to touch you and kiss you. I love the Angel Kisses on your foot, side and butt. I love your crazy Shaolin monk piece of hair. I love you little girl and I can’t imagine my life without you now. Okay...I'm crying again.

I haven’t mentioned it yet, so I want to clear something up before we get home and people start asking questions – Maddie has several Mongolian spots – one on her foot, a small one on her side and her entire buttocks area. They look like bruises – but they are actually areas of dark pigmentation and will hopefully fade in a few years. I choose to call them Angel Kisses and we will not be making a big deal about them. She is also covered with scabies scars – hopefully we’ve treated all of us well enough so we will not be bringing home any new “pets.” Maddie also has a lot of hair on her shoulders, back, ears and forehead – again, not a big deal and it just makes her even more loveable – so it would be great if we could refrain from drawing attention to this too. Thanks for your understanding.

Hope everyone is doing well back in the U.S. (even though our stock market is in desperate need of help) – we will be home VERY SOON! Can’t wait to see everyone. Love and kisses from Hanoi!

Hello Hanoi

Today was all about flying to Hanoi and spending time with friends. Several families are leaving tonight and tomorrow to head back home, so we all ate dinner together in our new hotel in Hanoi, The Somerset Grand. It’s an extended stay hotel that is more like apartments, than an actual hotel. We have a two bedroom, two bath suite with a kitchen and living room. It comes with a microwave and washer/dryer. I still haven’t figured out how to use the washing machine, but from what I gather, it washes and dries the clothes all in the one machine. It also takes HOURS to do one load. My only complaint would be the ants in the kitchen - we are keeping all our food in the refrigerator.

Hanoi is a beautiful place. We saw lots of rice paddies as we came into town. I also saw a lot of gorgeous homes and buildings. I plan on taking the camera out and about over the next few days. We have Madison’s VISA interview tomorrow, and by the evening we will have everything we need to be able to leave Vietnam with our little Princess. We will arrive home on Friday at 5:55 p.m. – of course it will feel like 9 a.m. on Saturday morning to us – love that jet lag!

As I mentioned before, today was about saying good-bye and spending time with our new friends. We LOVE spending time with Jennifer and John and their daughter, Julia, and Shawn and Rene and their son, Tu Yen. We are always laughing and they have made our trip fun.

We had to say good-bye to our new friends Gina and Ramon and their babies, Grace and Christopher. We also met back up with Linda and Paul and their daughter, Audrey. Of course we are missing Jen and Addison and Grandma Lisa, but they should be joining us tomorrow afternoon. We plan on taking Addison and Madison to the Temple to be blessed – our version of a baptism – in fact, probably even more spiritual.

Miss everyone! We’re almost home! Love & Kisses….John, Jennifer and a sleeping Julia

Gina and baby Grace

This is Carter!!! He's 2 1/2.

Gina and Ramon's son - Christopher, sporting his new hair cut - handsome boy!

Linda, Paul and cutie pie Audrey

Shawn, Rene and Tu Yen - look at him sitting in the big boy high chair!

And of course....Princess Madison, looking like a rag a muffin in her huge sweater.

Our last day in Ho Chi Minh

John picked up Madison’s passport today, so tomorrow morning we are off to Hanoi to finish our VISA paperwork and then we are free to bring our baby girl home…FINALLY!

I spent most of the day trying to figure out how I was going to get everything back into our suitcases. I really wished my sister was here. She did such a great job packing us up to fly over.

Speaking of sisters…Samantha - notice the bib? I also want to give a shout out to Jen’s sister, Alison. Hey Alison! Thanks for following the blog. I thought you might like to see some pictures of your niece. Addison is the most adorable little girl. At dinner tonight we were discussing that Addison is a leader and Madison is a follower. We came up with a whole make believe story about how Addison would play weak and feeble for the nannies and then when they weren’t looking, she would try to lead a baby revolt in the orphanage…ooops – I mean the “summer camp” as your Mom insists we call it.

Addison and Madison were so good at dinner tonight. When we got back to the hotel, I took pictures of both girls and then Addison showed me how she crawls like a crab on her hands and feet…she doesn’t put her knees on the ground. I was laughing so hard it was difficult to take pics. It’s so amazing that Addison is three weeks younger than Maddie and she already crawls, stands up and is trying to scoot along anything she can hold herself up on. Maddie can’t even sit up unassisted. Each tiny little girl has such a big personality. Jen and I are so lucky to be their Mommies.

We also found out today that we will be flying together from Hanoi to Taiwan to Los Angeles together, so the girls will become American citizens together in the LA airport.

Well, I need to get some sleep because our plane leaves early tomorrow. Enjoy the photos!

Boogers for Breakfast

We had a wonderful night with the little Princess. She slept four hours, took a 4 ounce bottle (which is the very most she can possibly eat at one sitting) and then slept another four hours. I actually slept in this morning – it was great! Since we got up late this morning, we decided to eat brunch at Highlands Coffee – it’s like a Starbucks with food. I ordered a delicious Club Sandwich and coffee, but super adventurous Daddy decided to try a Malaysian curry beef dish from the Vietnamese menu. When it came to the table I tried not to laugh (and gag) because it looked disgusting! It was in a bowl and it had chunks of meat floating in a green baby poop soup. When he took a piece of the meat out, the soup dripped off it like phlegm, it was revolting! John actually made gagging noises as he tried to swallow his yummy breakfast. Two bites and he was done! In fact, he had to have the waitress take it away because the smell was making him sick. (I am laughing so hard writing this that I’m crying…it was SO funny!)

After our interesting brunch we walked around the shopping center for a while and then headed back to the hotel room. We are on the third floor and the elevator doors close quickly and HARD! Both John and I have gotten our arms caught in the door already. Well, today Maddie and I got caught. I had her in front of me and the doors closed on my shoulders, squeezing me like vice. I think I looked like that joke – “Please Mr. Bus Driver – Open up the Door.” John and I were laughing so hard he forgot to hit the button for our floor and we stood in the elevator for at least a minute before we realized we weren’t going anywhere.

We took turns getting massages at the hotel this afternoon – it was AMAZING! The best $23 I EVER SPENT!!! I also took some pictures of the koi pond in a courtyard of our hotel. It has the biggest darn koi I’ve ever seen! I’m pretty sure they weigh more than Maddie. I took the pictures out the window of the third floor – John was afraid I would drop the camera.

We had dinner with Jen and Addison, and poor Daddy did not fair well with his dinner choice either. He picked lasagna, which we thought would be safe, but it came floating in bowl of very cheesy white sauce. Interesting sauce choice. Needless to say, I’m sure he will stick with a safer bet tomorrow. I think we are going to try and find the KFC in one of the shopping centers across town.

We talked to the kids back home today…they are having a tough time and I feel horrible. Every time we talk to them they start crying and it breaks my heart. I can’t wait to have all my babies in my arms and under one roof again. This is the most incredible experience, but I hate the cost to my other children. Sam – I’m so proud of you! Codi – I can’t wait to come home and play with you and Carter Bug – I want to squeeze you so hard your head pops off! (Just kidding!)

Maddie slept a lot today – enjoy her Sleeping Beauty pictures. She really is a Princess!

Friends Forever

Addison giving Madison a hand so she doesn't fall over - what a great friend!

Jen and Addison and Marlo and Madison going out to dinner.

Daddy's little Princess

Mommy's Lovey Girl

We had a slow, relaxing day with our little Energizer Bunny ON CRACK!!!! We didn’t sleep last night because Maddie woke up a lot during the night. So, this morning John said, “Don’t let her sleep so much during the day.” Well, Princess Madison must have heard her Daddy’s request and she decided to stay up ALL DAY LONG! She was talking and playing and flirting. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a very good little girl, but a little nap would have been nice.

We met up with several of the other adopting parents and went out to a beautiful dinner at a Vietnamese steak house. It was a little pricey, but delicious food and gorgeous atmosphere. It honestly could have been a high end restaurant in Las Vegas or New York City. All of the babies were so good and we had a chance to just sit back and chat with everyone. All of the families are really neat and we enjoyed their company.

When we got back to the hotel we took some photos of our Forever Friend and Vietnamese “sister”…Miss Addison. Both girls were in the same orphanage in the same room and are about three weeks apart in age. Addison is a pistol and is giving her mommy a run for her money. She already crawls and can stand up. She is very mobile and curious and wants to grab EVERYTHING! She is such a doll and so cute – as you can see from the pictures. Jen and I want the girls to stay in touch with each other as they grow up – it will probably be the only “family” from Vietnam they will ever know.

I have to tell you what I did to my poor baby today. John and I went to have lunch at this quaint outdoor café close to the hotel. I decided I wasn’t really hungry, but the ice cream looked really yummy. I ordered a small chocolate/vanilla sundae. I had Maddie strapped in her carrier in front of me and she was being very good. I started eating the vanilla ice cream and it was awesome! Of course we were sitting outside and it is sweltering and the ice cream started to melt, so when I scooped a big spoon of chocolate and tried to get it in my mouth over Maddie’s head…I dropped it on her! Yep! Chocolate ice cream went all over her new pink dress, bib, carrier and her little head! BAD MOMMY!!!

Not sure what we have planned for tomorrow, but we are ready to come home. Love you all!

Such a good girl

Daddy's & Maddie's hands...so big...so small

Happy girl!

I’m sure many of you will say, “every parent thinks they have a good baby,” but let me tell you…Maddie is a good baby! Since we don’t have anything to do until next week, we spent the day shopping, walking around and visiting with our buddy Addison and her mommy, Jennifer. (I will post pictures of Addison tomorrow once I have Jen’s permission.)

There are several shopping malls close to the hotel, so we hit two today. We needed diapers that actually fit – we wear the smallest they make – and I had to find a few more outfits. Only in Vietnam can you purchase a cotton PJ outfit for $1.50! No joke! I even managed to find a 3 month-old Carter’s outfit.

Maddie was so good! She loved walking around in her Baby Bjorn carrier. I had her facing outward and she tried talking to every person that passed by us. EVERYBODY wants to see her and touch her. I got chastised for not having something on her arms while we were in the mall. The girls told me she was cold and I should put a sweater on her. Now mind you, it’s like 90 degrees and super humid – but they all walk around with sweatshirts and pants on, like it’s the winter.

John got his hair cut at a salon today. It was quite the experience! He had three girls and one guy working on him. One was massaging his scalp and the other was rubbing his arms and hands. The other wanted to give him a facial and pedicure, but he said no. Geez! All that to shave the sides of his already bald head!

When we got back to the room we put Maddie on the bed and let her play with her toys. She played alone, and with us, for a long time and was just so happy! I took several pictures of her today…hope you enjoy them.