Bliss

I took a one hour nap today. Pure bliss. I NEVER get to take naps. Whenever Grace is taking hers I always have something that has to been done. Well not today. I napped. Try it whenever possible. I highly recommend Sunday afternoon naps.

We had a great weekend...just by doing nothing. The princess is in bed now. I am on my way to bed as well. However I wanted to share a few photos with you.

Grace is quite sneaky. I love her, but it's true. She is a mess. She was a little bored and looking for trouble this afternoon.

The boredom sets in.










Grace thinks the living room curtains would be fun to pull on. She decides to nonchalently make her way to them.











Grace thinks she is undetected. She gives reaches out to give them a tug.













Then she hears the phrase she has recently learned "no no Grace" and she makes a quick, well relatively quick, getaway.

A Small Gesture Can Bring Much Joy

As I have said before, the nannies at the orphanage loved all the babies tremendously. They were sobbing when saying goodbye to the babies that they had been taking care of for months. You could see the pain on their faces and in their eyes. Below is a photo of Grace at the orphanage. You can see the pain on the nanny's face as she gives her a bottle.
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My dear friend Susan is in Vietnam as I write, she is bringing home her daughter Lily Ana. Lily Ana was only 2 1/2 months old when I went to the orphanage to get Gracie. Susan took a small photo album of pictures of Grace to the orphanage for me. Kelly also sent one of Lucy. I really tried to send photos that showed how much she has grown and how happy she is. I did not add the photos of angry, sad or pouty Grace. I left the pictures of those three personalities here in Tennessee.

Susan emailed me that the nannies loved them! She said they laughed and smiled while looking at the photos of Grace and Lucy. They were especially happy when she told them the albums were for them to keep. I hope that I can continue to send them updates. Susan was also sweet enough to send me pictures of the ladies looking at the photos. One of them is below. Their expressions are so happy.

The Life of a Single Mom

It seems like everyone is posting about child rearing and motherhood in general. I thought I would add my two cents. I am a single mom by choice. I have no husband, never have had one. Still waiting on my prince charming. Mmmmmm, maybe that's my problem...I am waiting on something that doesn't exist. I digress.

I decided to adopt because I wanted a family, a child who I could love and who could love me in return. At least until the teen years. Girls tend to go crazy at age 12, so who knows what will happen then! Again I wander off point.

Becoming Grace's mom is the best think that has every happened to me. However the life of a single mom is guilt ridden. That is one thing I was not prepared for when I was waiting to be united with Grace.

I have to work. Grace likes having formula, diapers, etc. I want to send her to college someday. An income is necessary. But I still cry sometimes when I have to leave for work. What is particularly hard are the days when she reaches for me as I am about to walk out the door. By the way; this was not one of those mornings. Grace has a new toy with a mirror on it. As I said, she is captivated by that beautiful baby and she can't seem to get enough of her. I don't think she even realized I was leaving.

I am very fortunate that my 22 year old niece comes into my home to take care of Grace each day. My daughter is surrounded by family- my sister and parents are always in and out during the day. Even so; the guilt is all around.

I only see her for about 45 minutes in the morning. Then I have to leave and go to work. Roughly 10 hours later I return home. Terrible I know but when you add work, commute time, stopping to pick up diapers or groceries...sadly enough it's true. Then in about 2 hours she is ready for bed.

I feel quilty if I try to keep her up later. She gets cranky and unhappy. I feel guilty when we've had so little time together. I feel like I am letting her down. Sounds depressing I know. But she is the light of my life and my little blessing sent from God. What is great is that we make the most of our time together and make the daily tasks special.

My favorite time of the day is bath time. Grace loves her baths. She can splash the water and the floor will get wet four feet from the tub! As I have said many times she adores her reflection. She has recently seen the baby in the little chrome thing that closes the drain. She has fallen over in the tub looking at her. Bathtime is the greatest.

A close second is bedtime. Grace lets me rock her to sleep at night. Most nights I keep rocking long after she is asleep. She is growing up so quickly. We spend all weekend together. That is so fun. Especially when we do nothing all weekend but hang around the house and go to church. We make the most of our time together. Do I wish I could stay home with her? Of course I do!

Sometimes I wonder if I am cheating her somehow. But I can't imagine that a father or a stay at home mom could provide Grace with more love than she already receives. My entire family simply adores her and spoils her shamelessly. Everyone in our little town knows who she is, even people I don't know. She is a celebrity.

She is definitely a celebrity to me. I loved her in pictures before I ever met her face to face.

Waiting for News

Susan posted. We learned a bit about Lily Ana. But sadly there were no pics. Susan is having trouble uploading. I remember that. HCMC will be better for communication, it was for us. I keep checking for pictures. I want to see Lily Ana!

To pass the time until I check Susan's blog again, I thought I would share some more pictures. I know...I haven't posted this much since I was waiting to travel.

Grace's cousin Kayla did her toes. They are quite lovely and she admires them so.






I know it looks like Grace is always in her Jumperoo. You have to witness her jumping firsthand to understand. She is constantly on the move. Honestly she won't sit still. Her are some snaps of her in her favorite. The Jumperoo.

I am going nuts!!!

I understand how everyone felt when I was in Vietnam. The internet connection was terrible. I couldn't get online until we moved on to Ho Chi Mihn City. People were dying to hear what was going on in Vietnam. Well now I am dying to hear from Susan. She's killing me! I got a very short email saying she was having computer trouble and will email me later.

On the bright side-I have a couple of pictures. Grace adores animals. That is great since we have the coolest dog in the world. She will watch Ellie as she moves around the house. Sometimes just watching and sometimes she will just laugh. Ellie may just be sitting on the couch, but Grace will giggle. My sister's dogs and cats are always around too. When we are outside and the dogs and cats are around she will just sit there and giggle. It is the most adorable thing you have ever seen. The first picture is of her sitting outside with my mother watching the animals and laughing.

As a single mother it is often very difficult to get photos-the second picture proves that. I did my best to get a picture of Grace and Ellie. But you try coordinating a baby, a dog and a camera. This is the best I can do. Ellie really needs a haircut.

Playtime With My Girl

I can't think of anything other than Susan and Sarah. They are in Vietnam and I am dying to hear from them! They will be going to Grace's orphanage to get their daughters and I can't wait to see pictures and hear the stories of their visit. I am so happy for them. I got to see both beautiful girls when we were there in December. I can't wait to see how they have grown and changed. I am going to go nuts if I don't hear from them soon.

Grace is working hard on a fourth tooth. Sadly she is not feeling her best. She doesn't really want any food, just bottles. She also grits her three teeth alot. I wish I could take away her pain.

Even though she has not felt great, we have had fun together this weekend. Grace and I have had alot of time to play together. Great times like this really make up for having to go out to work each morning. Today we pulled out a ton of toys and played in the floor. Here are some photos of our playtime.

Fun in the Sun

It is a gorgeous day today! I thought it was a perfect day to have a little time playing outside. We took the Jumperoo outdoors. At first Grace wouldn't put her feet down and jump in the grass, she just held them up. It was hilarious.

We had a great time playing on an old blanket. Grace is quite enamored with her reflection right now. Check out the picture of my mother holding the little mirror. She just gets closer and closer until she is resting her head on it!! She must be trying to figure out who that truly gorgeous baby is.

After playing outdoors we went inside for some water and Grace's favorite new treat. Graham crackers. She loves them and gets furious if she can't manipulate the cracker quickly enough. She needs the next bite!!! Here are some photos of our morning.

We can't wait until Susan and Lily Ana come to visit and play in the grass with us! We are praying for their safe and speedy travel home from Vietnam.

My Calendar Girl

My mother has everything she could possibly want and if she doesn't she will go out and buy it herself. This makes her a nightmare to buy gifts for, truly awful. This year I decided to do a calendar with Grace as the star. Well I gave her the calendar yesterday. I simply couldn't help myself. She adored it. Here are the photos that have not been posted already.

February




















April




















May





















June





















July

Gracie Girl is Nine Months Old!

It is so hard for me to believe that my baby is only three months away from her first birthday. She is definitely NOT a little baby. She has three teeth. She loves to climb. She thinks her activity table would be much more fun if she were sitting on top. Grace is about 29 inches long. Exact numbers are hard, she isn't very helpful with the measuring process. She still wears 6-12 months clothing, all her growth is in length.

My friend Susan is leaving for Vietnam this week to bring home her daughter Lily Ana. Yeah!!! It has made me reflect on my time in Vietnam. We have only been home since the middle of January, but it seems like Vietnam was ages ago. I held Lily Ana when I visited Grace's orphanage. I can't wait to hold her when she gets home to Tennessee.

Grace's roomie at the orphanage had a big day recently. Lucy was readopted and is officially Lucy Huong Elise. What a great day for her family. After all I went through in adoption, paperwork makes us feel secure. Now Lucy has her Texas birth certificate.

Such exciting stuff. Congratulations to these two great families. Our love and prayers are always with you.

Pseudo Strabismus

As I am sure your have noticed, Grace has an eye that appears to be crossed. When I had a doctor review her referral photos, she said that it was a pseudo strabismus. That means that since the bridge of her nose is very flat and broad it appears as if her eyes are crossed.

Her pediatrician thought that it might be a crossed eye. If that was the case she would require glasses or surgery. She advised me to have it checked out by an opthamologist. We had the appt on Thursday.

She was such a big girl, she didn't even cry when the put in drops to dilate her eyes. The verdict is that her eyes are fine! I thought I was going to start crying right there. After that she got a round of immunizations, we went to lunch and shopped a little. All that and no fussing.

On Friday she was in the greatest mood. Grace is a very social little girl. She is always happier when she had been out and about. The next day she is all smiles. She will also let anyone hold her. However she is very guarded. If it is someone other than family or close friends, she stares them down and will not smile. People say "she is such a serious baby." They have no idea the character I have on my hands. This week I was holding her close to my face and making some funny noise. She would laugh so hard she would spit in my face. But who cares about a little spit, her giggles are priceless.

As you can see in the photo above, Grace is very proud of her two teeth. She is working very hard to get a couple on top. The other photo is her with her (and my) favorite toy. Baby Einstein toys are so smart. I am posting new photos in Flickr. Click on the badge on the right.

No Longer a Baby

I brought home a baby from Vietnam. I now have a little girls who is into everything. The only time I get to cuddle is bedtime. The rest of her day is booked with plans of exploration and mischief. Here are some new pictures. Look how big she is getting!!

All Caught Up

Recently Grace went exploring. Here's what happens to nosy little girls.

I've Been Tagged - Part Two

Continuing on - here's 6-10 on my list of 10 odd things about me (see previous post).

6. Sometimes I sleep with my palm to my forehead - like I am dumbfounded. Strange I know. In Vietnam my sister told me that she thought her husband was the only person in the world who did that. Then Grace did it. It was great. Like mother, like daughter.
7. I drive better backwards than forwards. Enough said.
8. I am 5'2" and I wear a tall swimsuit. As you can imagine, my legs are quite short. Thankfully they get me where I need to go.
9. While we are on the height thing- my sister is 5'10" and five years older than me. However since her name is Terri people always ask if we're twins. Go figure.
10. Even as a child I loved high heels. As soon as I could walk well enough to get into my mother's closet, I was constantly coming out in a pair of her shoes. And I promise this next tidbit is true...I walked around in heels so much that I shortened my achilles and began walking on my tiptoes. My doctor had to give my parents exercises that helped me stretch it out.

Now I must take some time to recover from all these painful truths. More later...

I've Been Tagged

My friend Susan tagged me. She wants me to share 10 odd things about myself. Here are the first five, the next five to follow. I know you’ll be waiting with breath that is bated.

1. My OCD is pretty much limited to one thing – travel. It doesn’t matter if it is a short weekend getaway or a long trip to Asia. I become obsessed with checking everything – again and again. I don’t want to forget something that I might need! I drove my sister crazy in Vietnam. I was constantly checking our passports, airline tickets, money and things in general. But I was validated when I almost left my money is the safe at our hotel in Hanoi! I was checking out when I remembered it so I was able to rush back up to the room.

2. Much to the chagrin of my entire family I cannot tolerate tomatoes. They grow their own, they love them that much. I won’t touch them and you can forget about if they are mistakenly put on or near my food. The said food has been corrupted by the juice and the seeds. Oddly enough I will eat tomato sauce. Italian food is my favorite. There is one condition-no chunks can be visible. I think it is a texture thing. They remind me of flesh.

3. Like Susan I HATE going to the grocery store. But my problem is unloading the groceries from the car. Please see the next item for further details. (Don't worry-baby food can be carried in one load.)

4. I have never been married. I always wanted to be married and have kids. Now that Grace and I are a family marriage doesn’t seem so important. It would be great for her to have a dad. But as far as I am concerned – it’s just not that important to me anymore. I am almost 39 and have been taking care of myself for a while now. Priorities change as you get older. Some of the benefits of marriage are someone make sure my car is maintained, someone to drop me off at the door when it is raining, someone to UNLOAD THE GROCERIES, etc. My married friends tell me it just doesn’t work that way. Don’t get me wrong-I would be thrilled to meet Mr. Right. If you know where he is please let me know. Its Mr. Right Now I don’t need.

5. I am bad at continuing past work relationships once I have left a job. It’s not that I don’t value them. I will think – I need to call her. But it is either late at night or I get distracted. More about my distractions in the next five odd things.

The Life of a Busy Girl

Grace has been a very busy girl lately. Her sitter got sick last week, so she has been staying with her Nanny and Pappy since last Wednesday. Can you say spoiled? Her Pappy sings her silly songs and she just grins and laughs.

She said her first "word" last week. It was DaDa. As she has no DaDa I am chalking that up to a cool sound that she likes to make. My sister told me that she was requesting a father and I need to get to work finding her one.

On Friday, she rode to Gatlinburg with her grandparents (because of work I couldn't come until later in he evening). Each year my family rents a chalet in Gatlinburg and we all go up for the weekend. There are usually about fifteen or so that go. We don't get alot of sleep but have a great time together.

On Saturday Grace turned 8 months old! She also got her first tooth on Saturday!! Saturday in Gatlinburg is the traditional ladies shopping day. This time everyone bought for Gracie, what a surprise. She has a ton of new things for summer and even a few things for next fall!

We all had a great time and were so tired when we got home. However tiring it is, it is always great to make memories with your family.

Sorry for the Absence

I have become one of those "Mommy bloggers" that used to make me say - update already. What a disappointment huh? I have been chastised by friends Kelly and Susan. I pledge to do a better job in the future. That said, here's what's new.

My angel is all better. After about a week all l traces of the flu were gone. Thank you Lord. I prayed so much over my little girl. I felt so helpless, that's when it's comforting to know that He is in control. I want Grace to know the power of prayer. I know she doesn't understand now, but I have started praying out loud while I she is having her bedtime bottle. This way we won't have to start praying when she is old enough, we'll already be doing it.

Terri, my niece Kayla, Grace and I went to Nashville Saturday. Shortly after getting on I-40 we ran into a horrific traffic jam that was caused by a terrible, fatal accident the night before. They were attempting to move the semi truck that had fallen down a steep hill. It took two hours to travel three miles!

However all was forgotten when we reached our destination. We were going to Nashville to see Lucy! She has changed so much since we left Vietnam. This girl has a ton of hair! I have truly missed seeing her. We also got to see her mom Kelly and my dear friend Susan. Next time I see them Lily Ana will be with us! Susan will be traveling to bring her home any day now! Come on travel approval. Lily Ana is ready to come home! We also got to meet one of Kelly's sisters who was just as sweet as Kelly. And she is obviously crazy about her niece. We missed seeing Justin, but hopefully next time. It was so good to see the girls together. I have pictures. However I have misplaced the cord that downloads them to the computer. Soon - I promise.

Grace just absolutely thrives on action. After visiting Nashville, she has been talking nonstop. She just loves going to crowded places where she can watch people.

This concludes my long winded post. I will do better in the future.

Baby Grace is Sick

On Monday Grace woke up with a very stuffy head. She woke up from her afternoon nap with a temp of 101. The poor baby battled fever all night long. Tylenol and Motrin would get the fever down, but it would go right back up when the medicine wore off. She didn't sleep much that night. My baby just felt so bad.

She had a well baby appointment scheduled with the pediatrician on Tuesday. I showed up with a sick baby. Her temp was 101 when we got to the doctor's office. My poor baby had to go through all kinds of tests, one including a huge vial of blood. The diagnosis - Grace has the flu.

She did much better last night (thanks to the huge shot of antibiotics). Her fever stayed down for the most part and she slept well. She even woke up for a bottle. She had not had anything but juice and Pedialyte all day.

This morning she woke up free of fever. She had cereal and juice. Around lunch she had a bottle and then another this afternoon. Grace is on the road to recovery.

I felt so helpless, all I could do was pray. Having a sick baby is the worst. I thank God that she is better. Right now she is napping peacefully.

Happy Birthday Grace!!

I cannot believe that she is seven months old today. Her birthday actually ended fifteen minutes ago. The late post is due to the fact that we leave for Atlanta very early in the morning. I am going to Atlanta for a week on business and I cannot bear to leave her. Therefore Grace and Nanny Kristan are going with me. I have been running around like a crazy person packing. She has alot of stuff!!

I'll let you know how it goes!

A Look at How Far We've Come

I was going through some of the video from the trip to Vietnam. I wanted to share my most special moments. They are too precious to keep to myself. Grace is such a blessing. I hope that you enjoy.

Celebrating the Baby

Last weekend was wonderful. Some friends threw a "Baby Celebraton" so that the community could meet Grace. It was a baby shower in the form of a bridal tea. Two hours of friends dropping by to meet my girl and wish us well. So many people have been praying for us all during the adoption process. It was great for everyone to meet her in person.

She was such a good girl. She didn't fuss the entire time. Everyone wanted to hold her and she didn't mind. She was a real charmer. More than 70 people were there!

It was overwhelming to see the gifts people brought for Grace. She got her first piece of fine jewelery, a ruby (her birthstone) baby ring. Someone gave us a handmade baby quilt, stitched especially for Grace. She received so many outfits, we'll have to play dress up one day just so she can wear them all. We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful friends!

She had aunts, uncles and cousins that drove more than 2 hours just to be there for the day. Everyone was so excited to meet her, they have been hearing about her for so long. It's hard for me to imagine that she has been with me for less than two months. I feel like we have been together forever.

Earlier today I was looking at the footage from the first day we visited the orphanage. It seems like so long ago. And she looks so different. It is amazing how quickly she changes. I will work on getting some video up soon. Meanwhile I have posted some new pics. Click on the Flicr badge on the right of the page.

Growing Closer: Getting to Know Each Other

Grace and I are still learning about each other. She has such an amazing personality. She is happy and easygoing (except when she is hungry, all bets are off when hunger is involved). She is a sweet, sweet baby with the nicest cheeks I have ever seen. Gracie is very social and she will let anyone hold her. I have been waiting for the day when she would hold out her arms to me. Today I got something just as good. My sister was holding her and I walked up. She leaned for me. It's a good thing that Terri has good reflexes or she might have gone tumbling. Instead she dove right into my arms. A great mommy moment. Another great thing. She slept all night last night! 8pm-8am, that's two nights in a row.

A little tidbit about Gracie - she loves to sleep on her stomach. Her cradle in the orphanage was small and there was no way to turn over. She is digging her crib. She has the rooom to sleep however she chooses. Watch this and find out some other things about Gracie.

What a Girl!!

Grace went to bed at about 7pm last night. She didn't nap much at all yesterday and there was a lot going on. She was very restless, fussing for no reason. At 11pm she took about 3oz of bottle and fell asleep. She slept until 8am!!! I kept looking in to make sure she was still breathing. I guess it was a combination of not much napping, a busy day and lots of whining and fussing before bed. Whatever it was, I am very appreciative.

She is such a good baby. She only cries whe she is hungry or sleepy. Hunger is a big deal for Grace. She does not like to wait when she is hungry. When she sees the bottle coming she stiffens out, starts shaking and makes a perfect O with her mouth.

She is doing great with food. I don't think that they even ate cereal at the orphanage. She eats cereal, applesauce and green peas now. She loves the food. She also does the shaking and O thing with food. She just cracks me up.

Last Post From Vietnam

We are leaving Vietnam in 4 hours!!! Yea!!! We have arranged flights home a day earlier and are thrilled to be heading to America with our new little American.

We Got Gracie's Visa!!!!!

We got Gracie's visa and are ready to come home! We are trying desperately to get out of here early, but I am doubtful. However, we are all packed and ready to leave at a moment's notice. I know this is hard for Terri, she has never been away from her James and the kids for this long! No matter what I know that I will be home in Tennessee on Saturday morning! I can't wait until Grace meets the rest of the family.

I hope that she rests on the flights. I know that it is going to be difficult for her. She did very well on the two in country flights. She slept the entire flight from Danang to HCMC and was a good girl on the flight from HCMC to Hanoi.

She is very fussy today. I think she is kind of over all this travel too! We have also stayed in all day, waiting on visas and hoping for a positive email from the travel agent. That might also be a factor, she is very social and loves to be out among people.

One of my favorite things about Vietnam is the politeness of everyone here. The level of customer service is amazing here. When you call for a bellman to come to your room and get your bags, they are coming down the hall by the time you get to the door!!! It would take forever in the states!!!!! I have NEVER been called Madame so much in my entire life. They are very eager to make you happy. Go Vietnam!

Since hotels have been my life, here's another tidbit. All the hotels we have stayed in have had a complimentary breakfast buffet. Not continental breakfast consisting of coffee, Fruit Loops and stale danish. We are talking real breakfast buffets with omlet and waffle stations, twelve kinds of juices, a variety of Vietnamese foods and strangly enough - baked beans.

My daughter is wonderful, the shopping has been great, but I am ready to come home!

Wild Friday Night in HCMC

Wild night consists of dinner and running back to the room to bath baby, feed her cereal and a bottle until finally she sleeps. She just doesn't want to sleep. I think she and I will stay in tomorrow and have a calm day. I have been spending too much money anyway.

I went shopping again today. I have been working on buying gifts for Gracie. I have 15 gifts. Some more expensive than others. I bought a great Asian Barbie, a jade necklace, a few ao dais/dresses, musical toys, etc. Even if she doesn't appreciate them when she gets them, I know that she will someday.

We had coffee at a little Starbucks-ish coffee shop by Saigon Center. There was a man sitting at a table with a couple of other men, very business looking. He got up and came over to where Terri, Kelly and I were sitting with the girls. He asked to hold Grace and he held her and told her she was a very beautiful girl and kissed her on the cheek. Then he handed her back to me.

I am ready to head on to Hanoi and get her visa. Everything has run very smoothly, just alot of waiting. But hey - that's nothing new. And I have Grace to keep me company.

Shopping Day!

Today we went silk shopping. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! We found all these silk dresses, scarves, etc. at INCREDIBLE PRICES. Terri and I went nuts and found lots of stuff for friends and family.

We are having so much fun in HCMC. There is so much to do that the days go by quickly. Gracie loves the hustle and bustle of the city. Until now her entire life was lived in a little country orphanage in Que Son. She hates to go to sleep now. In Danang I had angel baby and here I have a little one that FIGHTS to stay awake. She will kick her legs, flail her arms, pull her hair and rub her eyes. Anything to avoid sleep! I think the babies are all so stimulated by the new experience and they don't want to miss anything!

This evening we went to a great Italian restaurant. We went with Justin and Kelly who adopted their Lucy from the same orphanage that Gracie was in. Gracie and Lucy slept in cribs side by side for their whole lives! Sometimes it seems as though they look at each other like "I don't know what is going on but you're here too so I guess it's ok!"

When I first met Grace it felt as if I was meeting a movie star - I had looked at her photo for so long and now I met her in person. Now it feels like she has been with me forever. She has three cries. One when she is hungry (it is very angry and demanding), one when she is sleepy (very whiney) and one when she is having a hissy fit (very shrill, almost like a little baby's cry). What a blessing she is.

Interview, Physical and Passport

HCMC is much better. Lots to do. It is getting difficult to get Grace to go to sleep. Once she is asleep she is fine, but she fights it because she wants to see everything! We had the first interview yesterday and it went great! The lady was very nice and just a few general questions like if we were ask to pay additional fees, did we see the orphanage, when we got referral, when did we find out about travel, etc. They are trying to make sure that you had at least 2 mos. between referral and travel approval. Then just general like are you still employed, how many live in your house, do you have health ins., etc

Physical was fine - height, weight, head circ, look in the ears and ask if you have seen any problems, she has been pulling at her ears and they checked them. No infection!

By the way, she weighs 18.5 lbs and is 69 cm long! What a girl. I have cut the feet out of her 6 mo sleepers. They fit, but she is so long!! She did good for passport photos, got it on the first try. Then we went to Saigon Center to buy supplies - diapers, bibs, M&Ms.

She was very tired last night after all the days activities. Her nose was stuffy again when she got up for 3am bottle, gave her some triaminic and she slept better. I can tell how much she has grown since we got here!

HCMC is great, there is so much to do and you can walk anywhere. The sidewalks are bad, but it is so great to shop and walk around. We leave for Hanoi on January 7, until then we'll enjoy the city!

What a Great Day

It's 9:30 pm in HCMC and my two roomies have been asleep for AT LEAST an hour. Gracie is a baby, I don't know what Terri's excuse is. I am a bit bored at night after they go to sleep.

Today was a great day. We had breakfast here at the hotel and Terri was in heaven! She has been dying for "American food" and she hit the jackpot at this hotel - hashbrowns and waffles. It is a very nice hotel and a change of pace. The thing that strikes me most is the exceptional customer service here in Vietnam. Everyone at the hotels has been so nice and helpful. They have all been so polite and genuinely want your stay to be comfortable and enjoyable. It is completely different than in the US. The crib in our room at this hotel is great. Grace has been sleeping in it just fine.

Today Terri and I took Grace to her first mall! It is called Saigon Center and is more like a giant four-floor store that has everything. The fine jewelry was beside small kitchen appliances. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason. My goal for the day was to find something fun for Grace to play with, I know she is tired of playing on the bed with the small toys I brought from home. On the short walk to the mall, we walked past a store with baby stuff. I found the most wonderful thing. It is a thickly padded blanket (very thickly) that is about 3 feet by 5 feet. It has a pillow that looks like a puppy dog head and a round pillow (paw) at each corner. I also came across a Fisher Price toy at the mall and she lovesssss it. She lays underneath it and it has music and lights and things hanging down to play with. It was great to see her having so much fun, I will post pictures of her with them tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will have our first interview with INS/Homeland Security. Grace will also get her physical that the US govt requires for her Visa. After those things are done, we will just be hanging out here until we head to Hanoi for the second interview. I am very tired of just hanging out, I am ready to get the show on the road and head home! It is a shame that the govt can't do some of this while we are in the states. It would make things so much easier on parents and the babies. Not to mention all the hotel/food/airline expense just to do two interviews with the US govt.

A few things about Gracie:

She is very active and loves to jump around - she is constantly kicking her legs or something
She has verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry long legs, I had to cut the feet out of some of her sleepers!
She gets very mad if you don't feed her quick enough, she will dive for the bottle when she sees it coming
The only other time she gets mad is if you are ignoring her
She is a very good baby, really easy going and fun
She loves taking a bath

More later.......

Hooray for Ho Chi Minh City!!

It is so good to be out of Danang. The G&R was on December 28 and all we have been doing is sitting around the resort. Sandy Beach was really nice and the staff was great. But the weather was terrible. It was too windy to even walk the beach and forget about taking the babies out in that.

Here in HCMC we are withing walking distance of food, shops, you name it. We will also be getting all the babies their physicals and then we have our first INS appointments!!! It is great to feel progress.

Gracie is an absolute joy. I am continually amazed at what a great baby she is. Tonight was here first plan ride and instead of leaving Danang at 6pm, we were delayed until 8:30pm. She slept the entire way, I couldn't even get her to take a bottle during takeoff.

The ride from the hotel to the airport was great. There were lights EVERYWHERE on the drive through town. She couldn't stop staring and she just kept smiling. She is so inquisitive.

I want to go out tomorrow and find her a swing, jumperoo or some other toy for here in the room. She got so bored at the hotel in Danang. She always wants to be doing something. It would be better than me trying to occupy here with the handful of toys that I have.

She is smart, funny, strong, beautiful and loving.

Finally-I can get on the internet!

What a trip!! We had the G&R on the December 28th and are hanging out at the hotel until New Year's Day when we will fly to Ho Chi Minh City. We are all getting a little stir crazy. Internet and phones here are horrible due to the earthquake in Taiwan. Doesn't make sense to me but that is what they say!

About Gracie...she is such a good baby! I can't believe how blessed I am because she is so healthy, easy-going and inquisitive. She will sit and look around at the people and the lights. Ceiling fans captivate her and she is not scared of loud noises. It is a new world for her. She is very active. She will stand in your lamp and jump. I always wear out first. Earlier today she wore me out and I handed her to Justin. She wore him out and was still ready to jump. I must have a Jumperoo!

She was worn out last night. All she is used to doing is eat and sleep. When we were at the orphanage the nannies would stick a bottle in their mouth and swing them in their cribs (swing them high) until they fell asleep. When they woke up, they did the same thing all over again.

We went to bed at 7:30 (when I say we I mean ALL three of us) and she slept until 11 pm when she woke up and whined for about two minutes. She woke up for a bottle at 3 am. After giving her a bottle, I was up for the day. That is how it is for Terri and I, in bed at 7 and up at 3 or 4. We are getting plenty of sleep, we are just really messed up on time. After her bottle she slept until 7:30. During the day she takes 15 minute power naps all throughout the day. It feels like she is always taking a nap, but it never lasts for long. Again, she took lots of naps at the orphanage.

Kelly, Justin, Lucy, Gracie, Terri and I went into Hoi An earlier today. We were so glad to be out of the hotel. It was great. So many quality silks and handmade crafts for such small sums. And you can bargain for the price. I am doing quite well at that, Daddy will be proud.

It is 7pm and Grace has had her bath and is sleeping on the bed like an angel. She is so beautiful. I will post pictures whenever I can. We will be leaving for Ho Chi Minh City on Jan 1 and internet will hopefully be better there. Love to all. We are doing good.

Hello from Danang

After lots and lots of flights, we are in Danang! We arrived in HCMC and had about three hours to shower (we were so stinky)before we flew to Danang. We are staying at Sandy Beach and it is lovely. There is a large terrace that overlooks the pool and the ocean. It is just a couple of doors down from our room.

After a year of emailing, I finally got to meet my friend Kelly. She is just as sweet as I knew she would be. The orphanage where our girls have been living is very small. Quoc (our guide) told us today that there are less than 10 babies in that orphanage!

There are two other families traveling. One is a single woman adopting a baby girl who is at the Hoi An orphanage and the other is a couple adopting a 5 month old boy from the Que Son orphanage where Gracie and Lucy have been living.

HERE'S THE BIG NEWS - I will be meeting Gracie in about 14 hours! It is 8pm here and we will be leaving for the orphanage after breakfast. This is the moment I have been waiting for. I can't wait to post tomorrow and tell you all about her.

My body is tired, but my heart is full.

It's Almost Time!!!!

I can't believe that I am leaving for Vietnam tomorrow. I am going crazy trying to get packed. I am taking so much for her, I have to because you all know how I have been shopping for her. And it is doubtful she will be able to wear these clothes in the summer. Also, who knows what size she will wear.

I am worried that I am not taking enough for myself. I need to check with my sister and see if she has any room in her suitcase. But knowing her she hasn't begun to pack, even though we will be leaving home at about 6am tomorrow and we are having our family Christmas today. I still have to wrap!

I cannot believe that I will be holding Grace in my arms on Tuesday (Monday night here). I have waiting for this moment so long!! This may sound weird to many, but I am trying to prepare myself for the possiblity that I may not hear angels singing and feel immense love for her the moment I see her. Many have told me that they had built themselves up before they saw their child and felt that something was wrong when they didn't feel these things instantaneously. I know I will love her, I have been waiting for so long. But I don't want to ruin this by having unreal expectations. I hope this doesn't make me sound like an unfit mother.

Keep us in your prayers. I can't wait for you to see pictures of Grace!!

The Countdown - Seven More Days

Grace is five months old today. On her next birthday she will be at home with her Momma, sleeping in her own bed (assuming we stay on schedule). This time next week I will be on an airplane heading to Vietnam and my daughter.

My daughter. Doesn't that sound wonderful? This week a coworker's daughter came by with her baby. I asked the baby's age and she told me that he is five months old. Without thinking I replied "my daughter will be five months old on the 17th." I realized as soon as I said it - I said "my daughter." It felt so good to say!

I am trying to finish packing. I still don't know what I am wearing for the G&R. I also need to pack a pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt. I keep reading that people are getting cool in the evening.

I received the visas. I still haven't gotten an in-country itinerary. I can't wait until I can see where we'll be staying. One week more.

I can't wait...

Finally, I have booked my flights. I thought this would never get done. I leave Nashville on Christmas Eve morning! Two weeks from tomorrow is my G&R. Grace and I will officially be a family!!!

My mind is always thinking of things I need to pack or pick up or finish arould the house. I wake up every couple of hours. I think God wants me to get used to sleep deprevation!

This is a bit surreal. It's hard for me to believe that she will soon be sleeping in the bed that has been empty, just waiting for her to come home. I try to imagine what our first days at home will be like. I can't wait to see her smile for the first time. She wasn't smiling in any of her photos and I try to imagine what her smiling face looks like.

I can't wait to hold her in my arms and kiss her sweet, chubby cheeks.

Less Than 3 Weeks Left

In less than three weeks I will be in Vietnam! Our G&R is scheduled for December 28 (but we all know how things can change).

I got new pictures today. How do you like her little hand? In this photo she is on her belly and supporting herself quite well. She has her little fingers out as if she is saying "just three more weeks Mom."

Leaving on a Jet Plane??

I am beginning to doubt that I will even be able to find a seat on a plane?!? We are supposed to be spending Christmas in Vietnam. However, I still don't have a definite date for the G&R. I am afraid that I might have to rob a bank to buy plan tickets. Even worse than expensive tickets, what if I can't get a seat on ANY flight! My agency's facilitator told me that wouldn't be a problem. THAT DID NOT MAKE ME FEEL BETTER. He can give me a date and that will make me feel better. I just need to chill and remember that the travel agents have extensive experience with adoption travel.

Now I must put my selfish whining aside and attend to more important business. Tonight I am sending up special prayers for three lovely little girls - Lucy Elise Pollard, Lily Ana Hamilton and Olivia Grace Puckett.

Baby Lucy is Grace's roommate, they have been friends for quite a while now. We haven't seen Lily Ana's face yet, but we know that she is somewhere in Vietnam waiting on her mom. Lucy and Lily Ana are very fortunate, they both have exceptional mommies who love them more than they could ever imagine. I am very thankful to call them my friends.

I pray that somehow these girls can feel the love that their mothers have for them, how we carry them in our hearts. Bless the girls and keep them safe. Bring us together soon.

Where Grace Lives (for another month)

I really wanted to know more about where Grace lives, so I posted on the internet. I was looking for any information about Quang Nam province. A lovely lady answered my post. She and her husband traveled to Vietnam a few years ago to bring home their daughter. She has graciously allowed me to post some of her photos of Hoi An.

Many of the buildings look burned, like they were still in disrepair from the war.


I love this picture because it depicts how old and new mesh in their culture (or at least that is my perception). There are ladies in conical hats and a man transporting ice by bicycle. In sharp contrast there is a woman riding a motorbike. I can't wait to see their culture with my own eyes.

Finally, I leave you with a photo that is very typical of what we know about Vietnam and a huge source of livlihood for many families there...boats in a fishing village. Linda - thanks for letting me share your photos.

I'm Thankful For...

Thanks Jenn for sharing your blessings. It was a great idea. God has blessed me so much, here are a few of the things I am thankful for:

1. Thank you Lord for loving me, guiding me and for all the blessings you have given me.
2. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am surrounded by the most wonderful family and friends who love and support me no matter what happens. My fabulous sister Terri is going with me to Vietnam.
3. Thank you for all the wonderful friends I have made on this journey to Grace. Most I have never laid eyes on, but I feel like I have known them forever. They are all so caring and supportive. This road would have been so hard without them.
4. I am thankful for my dear Ellie. She walks on all fours, but she has been my baby for almost six years and loves me no matter what.
5. I am so thankful for Gracie's birth mother. I cannot imagine the pain she felt when she left her baby girl. I pray that she finds peace and that her life is comfortable.
6. Thank you Lord for my Grace. I can't believe that I am her mother! I am so thankful that she is so healthy and well taken care of and that her caregiver looks like such a sweet person.

Happy Birthday Gracie!!

Today Gracie is four months old. I got new photos today. What a great way to start the weekend! She has the longest toes I have ever seen. She also has little dimples in her hand because she is so healthy. I can't wait to kiss those chubby cheeks.



Last month there was a photo of her laying on her belly. She really looks like she is concentrating hard to keep her head up. Not this time! She looks like she is ready to break into a crawl! My girl is strong and healthy. I am so thankful for the ladies who care for her. The same lady has been holding her in a couple of the pictures. This must be her nanny and she has the nicest, sweetest smile. My baby is healthy, well fed, and being taken care of by nice people.

Gracie - on your next birthday momma will be on her way! Not much longer.

Christmas in Vietnam!!!!!!

Last Christmas I never dreamed I would be spending this Christmas holding Gracie!!! My agency told me that I would be spending Christmas and New Year's in Vietnam! I still can't believe it, less than 40 days (thanks for the counter Kelly) and I will be holding her.

I am so glad to be traveling with Kelly and Justin. Lucy and Gracie have been roommates all their lives and they will spend their first Christmas together. I can't begin to explain to you the emotions I am feeling.

Less than 40 days!!!!! Thank you Lord. I am richly blessed.

It's Football Time in Tennessee

LaLa this is for you - check out Gracie's uniform!

University of Tennessee football is a big deal here in Tennessee. I have been going to games all of my life. You keep up with the schedules of ALL the SEC teams. You have to because each game matters.

We are playing #11 Arkansas (Kelly, I love ya but this is football) this weekend and we already have two losses and both were to SEC teams. We've got to bring it this Saturday. If we lose we have no chance of getting a decent bowl game.

It's to bad that UT's newest cheerleader won't be home until the season is done. She would be lovely in her uniform. It is waiting in her closet for her.