I'm SO sorry!

Tuesday 7/24 5:30 am

Guys, I've tried three times to load images up from yesterday and am having alot of connection issues. I know you don't want words but pictures and I am working on it. In the meantime I am going to give you words, just so that you know that everything is ok on this end!

To The Orphanage
We left to go to the orphanage around 9:00 am Monday and got there about an hour later. The inside of the orphanage was really pretty. Stone walls, palm trees, gardens. This particular orphanage is supposed to be one of the nicest and I can see why. We were greeted by a very smiling happy grandma type woman who was so excited to see us. She brought us into a lobby and we were served tea. Then a group of nannies brought the babies in. Jayden, the son of another couple, came in first immediately followed by Ilona. I recognized her immediately! She had a new cute outfit and matching hat. I reached up to take her and she went to me right away. No crying. Then in came Maia. She had a similar new outfit and went right to Al. She couldn't take her eyes off of him - just laid in his arms and reached her hands out to touch his face.

The nannies were all smiling but you could tell they were sad as well to be losing the girls. They called Ilona "Cuci" her knickname which means flower. They called Maia "Teeny" because she absolutely the teeny tiniest little girl you’ve ever seen. I was surprised to hear her nickname because as some of you know (right Mel?) Teeny is also a knickname of mine.

One nanny in particular was really crying a lot to see the girls go and I felt really bad for her. The work with the children so closely and get so attached. We are lucky the girls were in such a loving environment.

We then went out onto a covered porch and walked down the porch to another room where there were loads of fresh flowers under a statue of Ho Chi Minh and a banner. We were served more tea, signed a book and gave a gift of a huge suitcase full of toys to the orphanage director and assistant directors. They took lots of pictures of us for their records and then we were loaded back in the van to come back to the hotel for a few hours before our Giving and Receiving Ceremony.

Giving and Receiving Ceremony
We left the hotel to go to the official building for adoption ceremonies. We signed a number of papers around a big conference table, took pictures under Vietnamese banners with the officials and that was that. As far at the Vietnamese Government is concerned the girls are now ours.

Vietnamese Immigration Application
Al left with the other fathers to go to the Vietnamese Immigration Office while Carolyn and I stayed home with the girls. They were really happy and content on a blanky on the floor. They may be just stunned and confused but it really seems that they are pretty relaxed and interested in all of the doings.

Doctors Visit
Around 8:00 pm we had a hotel visit from the agency doctor who came to check the girls out for us. Ilona had just wakened from a nap and Maia was still sleeping. Ilona was weighed in at 19 lbs. We do not believe the accuracy of the scale as it involved Al standing on it with and without a baby and the needle was bouncing around. Ilona has a cold, which we noticed right away, so we are giving her OTC meds and watching her. She was not digging the exam and gave Al stink eye that he wasn’t rescuing her. We woke Maia up for her exam. She weighed in at 16 lbs which we know is not accurate. We think she is much closer to 12 pounds. She is so teeny tiny that she is still in 0-3 month clothes. Ilona is in 3-6 month. Maia was a good girl through the whole thing and both girls were declared in good health.

We fed the babies after the doctor left, giving them formula, yogurt and cereal. They had never been fed with a spoon before (the orphanage put everything into a bottle and then propped the bottles) so we are still learning how to work our mouths. But some made it down the hatch.

The girls went to bed at 10:30 pm and are still asleep now at 6:45 am. We can’t believe our luck with the sleep and are not counting on it continuing but are hoping for it. In the orphanage the girls were up at 9:00 pm, midnight and 3:00 am. We like our schedule better. Although I still have not slept more than three hours a night for some reason. The girls are still sleeping now and I’ve been up since 3:00 am.

Here’s what we know about the girls so far:

Ilona
- is very watchful and alert
- lets you know pretty fiercely if she doesn’t like something
- is said by the orphanage to have a huge belly laugh
- is said by the orphanage to be a very laid back baby
- is a good eater

Maia
- laughs an awful lot
- is very very teeny
- almost never cries
- is very content and curious

Both girls are rocking back and forth trying to crawl. Neither can situp on their own although Ilona is farther along than Maia. Neither have any sign of teeth yet. We estimate their development at around 6 months, instead of their 8 month chronological age, however we think they will catch back up quickly. There is absolutely no sign of any attachment issues. I can hardly believe it. Their eye contact is so great, and they are already bonding with us if you can believe it.

Both girls think their Dad is a total crack up. Ilona just stares at him until she can’t help but smile, Maia giggles and cracks up hysterically as soon as he starts talking with her.

That is the long and long of our day yesterday.

I think we are very lucky.

Pictures coming as soon as I can!

Love Tina