WE'RE COMING HOME

I can't believe after all these years of waiting, I am getting ready in a few hours to board a plane home with my precious son. He is so amazing. I sit in bed with him at night and stare at him and I am just so thankful. I can't imagine any other child for me(even when he wakes up at 2 in the morning). The visa interview at the US Embassy was painless. Zachary entertained everyone there waiting as he was quite loud. Not crying, just being his happy self babbling VERY LOUD. Everyone laughed at him and thought he was so cute. Our guide Haun(?? not sure of spelling) who is also with Children Hope and accompanied us from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, picked us up at hotel and we all decided to walk to the Embassy since it is pretty close. Throughout our journey,I had noticed that Haun seemed very fond of Zachary and Zachary with him. I never said anything. I just thought it was cute. Haun told me in his limited English on the way to the Embassy that he has known Zach since he was 3 months old. He took Zach to his medical appointments, etc. He showed me with his hand how small he was then and now how big he is now. I almost started crying. Haun girlfriend is currently attending George Mason University in the states and he said his girlfriend really liked Zachary as well. I got some good pictures with him and Zach. Well we are waiting for the little guy to get up and get him ready and then will go for breakfast and finish getting ready. I cannot believe this is our last day. We are so ready to come home but I am a little sad too. I really liked Vietnam(especially Ho Chi Minh) and hope to retrn someday when Zach is older(and when I forget what the plane ride was like). We have met some wonderful people and seen some wonderful places but also seen the extreme poverty and conditions people here live under as well. I will definitely be more thankful for what I have and .e freedom I have. Little Zachary is up. I have to go. We will see you all soon.

Yipee!!!! Young master Zachary has his US Visa! The final step in his going home process! We are ready to get this lump of sugar home! Since we will leave for the long journey home tomorrow, this will probably be my last blog. I know Melissa will continue to keep us all updated here with Zachary's many adventures, but my time as a part of this blog draws to an end. I must admit that when she told me her intent to blog as we traveled I never dreamed I'd enjoy adding to the updates and stories. I have come to enjoy sharing all I can about this amazing little guy and his wonderful mother's adventures. Telling our stories has helped me feel closer to home since we all know I'd me talking all the time if I were there! I am sure it is not possible to sufficiently document all the wonderful moments this journey and Zachary have brought into my life. It is my hope that our family and friends have felt closer and connected to our family's newest edition through our photos and stories. I also hope other families waiting for their adoption journey to begin or end will find encouragement in our postings. This has been the most remarkable trip/adventure I've experienced and I count it an absolute privilege to be a part of Zachary and Mommy Melissa's life. He is such a blessing. I am looking forward to all God has planned for his life, and am thankful God has purposed our sweet Melissa to be Zachary's mommy. Please pray for our last plane ride homeward...specifically pray for all passengers on our flight. Seems Zachary is a very good traveler, but also a VERY loud one. He has discovered his voice and is quite proud to share all his babbling with everyone within a 2 mile radius. Of course, we think its great.....but weary passengers, not so much:) Looking forward to home myself, missing you Scott, Steven and Ashley!
Teri

Okay...this is Teri. I feel I need to defend myself since Mommy Melissa disclosed my blowing the hotel fuse. After dinner we stopped by the lobby receptionist and inquired about an adaptor for our computer(we remembered from the last place they sometimes provide them) Well, embarrassingly the non English speaking Vietnamese hostess smiled and said "room 302?" yep, they already know us and our room by sight...guess when you blow fusses within 10 minutes of your stay you get a reputation. So she sent "house keeping" up to "help us" AGAIN. Now, keep in mind the whole reason I(we) blew a fuse was because Mommy Melissa could not get her computer plugged in and she said the outlets did not accept her adaptor....so I was simply trying to find an outlet which worked(so many holes, so little time) which resulted in total power loss and "house keeping" had to come open a hatch in the ceiling to set it back. So once again, "house keeping" came to the room. Smiling at us with that sweet "bless your heart" sort of smile we use in the states to mean"you stupid idiot" and promptly, effortlessly put the computer chord in a very obvious outlet designed to fit numerous plugs. Knowing cracking up at ourselves may be misconstrued as laughing at her, we had to stifle our laughter for what seemed an eternity until the door closed behind our new best friend, the "house Keeping" lady. Yep, 9 days in Ho Chi Minh and no incidents...less than one day in Hanoi and they are probably ready to send us home :) Love ya! Teri

Greetings from Hanoi

We made it to Hanoi. Ionly got sick on the landing but felt completely fine afterwards so all is well. If Zachary does on the long flight home like he did on this flight, we have a world class little traveler on our hands. He did FANTASTIC. We gave him a bottle on takeoff and he fell asleep shortly afterwards and woke up when landed. When we were waiting to take off, Zach found the laminated instructions on what to do if there was a crash and that kept him occupied until takeoff. The hotel is right next to a lake which Teri and I already visited and 3 little Vietnamese girls practiced their English on us. It was very cute. I also had a young boy come up to me begging for money with his hat held out. Very heartbreaking. We are not suppose to give them any money but it is so hard to see that. I thought we got the stares in Ho Chi Minh but here in Hanoi, it is even worse.We sat on a bench at the lake and everyone stared that went by and several people stopped and were curious about Zach. We didnt understand everything they asked but we knew they were asking about him as they pointed to him. The sales lady at the shop in hotel held him and asked about him and where we were from. When we told her the United States, she said he is a lucky baby but I am the lucky one. Teri and I both lliked Ho Chi Minh better than Hanoi. People seem more friendly in Ho Chi Minh and better able to communicate. Teri managed to blow a fuse in the room and when I called trying to tell them what happen, it was almost hilarious as they totally did not understand what we were trying to tell them, but eventually someone came and got the lights working again. We laughed so hard.
Tomorrow we are going sightseeing and I have my appt with the embassy in the afternoon and then will get his Visa later in the day and we will head home on Thursday. Everything still same as far as our arrival in Pensacola Friday morning. Teri and I ate at a restaurant in the hotel and was very good. The fried squid was delicious. As soon as we entered, a waitress took Zach from me to watch while we fixed our plates(was a buffet) and ate a little. Had I not known that this was common practice in Vietnam I would have been a little distressed but he was in our site the whole time. We love you and miss you all and will see you at end of the week.

Off to Hanoi

Hi everyone, Zachary , Teri and I have just finished breakfast and will be meeting our representative down in the lobbby in about an hour to go to the airport. We have finished up everything we need to do in Ho Chi Minh (getting Zachary, having his Giving and Receiving, getting his medical checkup, and obtaining his passport)and now I need to fly to Hanoi for an interview with US Embassy and obtain Zachary visa so he can enter into the United States. As soon as we have his visa, we are free to leave. Does not look like we can return any sooner as interview not until Wednesday since Tuesday is holiday for United States and that is when they usually do the interviews. I am sad in a way to leave this place as this is where Zachary was born and lived for the first nine months of his life. I guess a part of me feels guilty for taking him from his homeland and culture. We will try to hook up the computer as soon as possible when we get to Hanoi. Teri and I and Zachary love being able to talk to and see our family on skype. Dont know what we would have done without that as that contact with you all has helped us not feel isolated and so far away from home. We will try to post some pics when we get there. I know we have been bad about posting pics lately but the connection here is so slow and spotty. We love you all and can't wait to see you and for you to meet Mr Zach.

Saying goodbye

Baby room(Zachary's crib was probably the empty one in center)

Nannys were quick to wipe his little nose...still caring for him!

Nannys were happy to see him and love on him!

Yesterday Zachary, Aunt Teri and I went back to the orphanage. I really struggled with that decision as he seems to have transitioned so well and did not want to do anything to confuse him or cause a setback. Everything happened so fast when I first saw him and we did not have any time to see his room or his nannies as we were off to another orphanage to pick up our travelmates daughter who is 1 year old and such a cutie also. I would watch him closely and if he showed any signs of distress, we would leave immediately. As soon as the nannies saw him, they started calling him by name and wanting to hold him. He kept looking back to Teri and I but he seemed to be ok. There were quite a few nannies about in the room feeding and taking care of the babies. I was sad to see his nanny that was always in his pictures with him that were sent to me while I was waiting was not there. Our guide Haun that took us(is with Childrens Hope) told me how to say thank you for taking care of my son and apparently I said it ok as they smiled and nodded. I am glad we were able to do that for Zachary as he will have many questions when he is older and I wanted him to see how loved he was before his mommy came to get him. We will try to post a small snippet later from the water puppet show. Zacharys calling. Today is our free day and we are going back to the Ben Thanh market and do more shopping. Bye for now.

Marina, if you are reading this, I was able to see your son and my sister in law held him and gave him some love while I took a few pics. He looks good. We told him his mommy is coming for him very soon.We tried to email them but had few problems, Will try again today.

Hello ...Mommy, Aunt Teri and I had a good day today. We went to see a water puppet show this morning. It was quite exciting for the many local kids and Aunt Teri was pretty excited too! No worries if you missed it....mommy had Aunt Teri video tape almost the whole thing! We went back to my orphanage today (Picasso). Mommy wanted to get photos of my nannys and video of my first home. I think my nannys were happy to see me so clean and happy and loved. They liked my mommy. I was okay with visiting...but I was really happy to leave again with my new mommy. I am glad my mommy is taking such care to record stuff for me. That was the last of many scheduled trips we've gotten to go on. Having so much to do has made the time go by faster according to mommy and Aunt Teri, but I can tell they are glad to have more down time. I even got to play a lot with my toys today since we could stay in the room longer. Mommy and aunt Teri are talking about how nice it will be to sleep in tomorrow...they are silly, we all know they will want to join me around 5am for a little snack and snuggles. Uncle Scott took me to his Sunday School class today! Sort of...he took his computer to class and we used Skype to video phone each other...it was early there....but late here. I tried really hard to stay awake for them, Aunt Teri has told me all about them. I was awake, but definitely not too perky...but I did it! Now I can go to sleep. Nighty Night from Vietnam, Love Zachary

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHERINE!! (click on photo to see Zachary's message)

Hope you had a wonderful birthday! We love you and are thinking of you here in Vietnam. Zachary is blessed to be getting such special cousins!

Morning all...once again welcome to our 5 o'clock feeding :) Zachary slept from 9 to 5 last night! What a sweet baby. Today is another early day for us as we will visit the cu chi tunnels. I am pretty certain there will be no snakes or monkey issues! Yesterday was perhaps the most uncomfortable weather day we've had...very hot and humid. We visited the Saigon history museum and zoo. Zachary slept through most of his first zoo experience...and I did not provoke any monkeys. Later in the day we went to the War Remnants museum. This is not like our museums in terms of quality of exhibits, but the capturing of their understanding of history was very clear and poignant. There were many sobering statistics and photos of Vietnamese whose lives were lost or forever impacted by the tragedy of war. One definitely left with a feeling of war of any kind is senseless. Zachary on the other hand discovered he really likes his voice...really, really, likes it! Imagine a cavernous room of a sparsely filled museum with echo friendly concrete walls and a very happy and loud baby...lets just say he was a wonderful bubbly contrast to the depressing displays. The best of humanity being heard in the midst of the worst of humanity:) We love you all and are enjoying your reponses to our blog. Melissa is going to try and post a video soon of the Mekong River trip...we captured some beautiful footage.

Cool hats...dual purpose, shade and "snakes slide off when fall from trees" according to guide

speaking of snakes....yuck...what I do for my sister in law!

Zachary and mommy pay close attention to our guide...

Look who is peeking out from his mommy's hat...
(click on photo for a better view of cutest Mekong traveler ever!)

"attack monkey of the Mekong River" (Okay, actually just a gibbon who is fond of grabbing tourist)

Hi everyone, it's Melissa. It's 5 in the morning and just got the little guy back to sleep so thought I better take this time while I could to tell you a little bit about Zachary and our trip yesterday to the Mekong Delta. I know Teri already posted some on that and some pics and am posting more pics from our trip yesterday. First of all, I want to thank Teri so very much for keeping everyone up to date with this blog. When I first started this blog, it was my intention to document every little detail for everyone while we were on this journey however little did I know that Mr. Zach would have other plans for me during the day. When Zach falls asleep at night, I am pretty much right behind him. I am so exhausted by the end of the day but I can't wait for the next day to do it all again. So if it wasn't for Teri, this blog would not have many postings so thank you Teri. Zachary is such an amazing little guy. I am in awe of how I love him so much. He loves to be held and cuddled and has such an amazing little personality already. When he goes to sleep, he has the thumb in his mouth and grabs on to a little piece of my shirt . It is so cute. Teri and I have had Zach out in the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh and the busy marketplace and yesterday the jungle. He just soaks everything in and is so good. Yesterday was great. We were up early and out the hotel by 8 a.m. as had quite a little road trip to our destination. Zach is very good in the van and just stares at everything going on around him. I have to remember that all this time, his world consisted of the walls of the orphanage and his crib so everything is so new to him. There are no seat belts in Vietnam so Zach just sits on my lap. Dont worry mom and Steph, I hold on to him for dear life as the traffic is crazy and there have been couple instances where we had to brace. When we arrived at the Mekong, our guide was a Vietnamese woman name Kim(speaks 5 languages). Very sweet and was a wonderful guide. We first went to the island where they showed us how they make coconut candy and other candy as well and we also got to sample the various candy. Needless to say as long as Teri and I can get it through customs, we brought some back with us. We then got back on the boat and traveled to another island. As soon as we got off the boat, there were some monkeys in cages. We were warned not to get too close as they would grab for us. That was all I needed to hear but for some reason, Teri must have missed that particular warning. We had seen the monkey trying to grab the backpacks from the family ahead of us so I walked pretty far around since I had the baby. Teri was filming and all of a sudden I hear a mixture of screaming and laughing at the same time. Yes people, Teri was attacked by the "killer monkey of the Mekong Delta" as she likes to tell little Zach. It is so hilarious, whenever she tells him that he just busts out laughing. She actually has 4 scratches but it did not break the skin. Of course she documented it with pictures and video to show whoever will watch of her encounter. It was pretty funny. Afterwards we all sat at a table and they brought us out delicious fruit to eat that is representative from that area. Very good. There was a bride and groom there who just got married and one of the customs is for them to cross what they call a monkey bridge which if successfully crossed will bring luck and happiness. We were watching to see if they actually crossed it but they were just getting their picture taken by it. Our guide told us they were actually pretty tricky to cross . Our next encounter was with the islands resident python. I wish those of you who who are reading this who know Teri could have been there to personally experience the sounds and screams that emitted from Teri as they placed this python around her. I am hoping I captured it on video but believe I was only able to take pics. Of course I had the baby in the carrier so was not able to hold the python(Teri says I am using Zach as an excuse haha) but Zach and I were able to stand next to Teri as I will post in one of the pics. Afterwards it was on to sample the local teas/wines. The rice wine was very interesting(translation-pretty yuk) but some of the teas were nice. After that , a nice ride down the canals of the Mekong which was pretty interesting getting in and out of with a baby, but we are ok and no one fell into the river which was my main objective. I will post more later as Zach is up and we are getting ready to go to a couple of the museums and zoo. One more thing, on the way back from the trip, Thuy was telling us some things we could get from their birthcountry for our children and one of the things was earrings to get for Zach to give to his wife on his wedding day when he marries 30-35 years from now. Teri and I looked at each other and literally burst into tears. Note to self: earrings for Zach's future wife. Love you all and we miss you all tremendously. Gotta go. Zach crying. So long, will do another post with pics.

Whew...what a loooong day! Mommy and Aunt Teri set their alarms so they would be up early for it...no worries, I helped them get up early enough. Today we went on a really long van ride to the Mekong Delta. Mommy and Aunt Teri were trying to take in as much of the scenery and local culture as possible...but I was being super cute and distracted them a lot. I was pretty good if I do say so myself...I like to look out the windows and chill leaned back on my mommy. At the Mekong River we rode in a nice boat to the small island where we toured the local coconut candy making shack and went on a ride down a very skinny river in a very tiny boat paddled by a very tiny lady. Mommy and Aunt Teri wore funny hats. My homeland sure is pretty in some areas...and very diverse. I am glad my mommy is getting to know all about it so she can help me treaure my heritage as well as grow in my new culture and life. Mommy is sleeping. Shes really tired. She carried my all day long in my front carrier...it was hot for us both, but I like it. Aunt Teri is going to try and post a few pictures from today before she goes to bed. Mommy said she will write you guys a post later...I think she is surprised by how tired I make her...I'm not surprised, I don't let her sleep as much as she is used to and I require just a bit of her attention hahaha...she is soooo good to me and I love her more and more each day. Today i got cereal, formula and boogers on my mommy...Aunt Teri said it looked good on her...my mommy seemed to love my mess...I will try to keep her shirts looking that good all the time. ..I think mommy will only wear formula colored shirts from now on :)...night night, Zachary

Just a few photos of market...more to come when we have time!

okay...first a disclaimer as I have just reread the last posting. "please disregard any misspellings or illogical wording found on any blogs posted in the wee hours of the morning"

Melissa and I are both up early today. Zachary was up a little more last night, but each time he went back to sleep pretty quickly. We are getting an early start so we will not need to rush later this morning. We leave for the Mekong by 8am and that is a bit earlier than our other adventures have been. We want to get to the hotel's buffet before we go. We have enjoyed very relaxing breakfasts there and Zachary likes the yogurt too. Last night after a full day at his medical check and market shopping we had dinner on the hotel roof top. Beautiful lights and gentle breeze...nice change from the gasoline fumes of the city streets. We'll post more later...hope you all are enjoying our journey with us. We apologize for any excessive postings, but we often say "wish ____could see this, or wish____were here" and to be honest...as Zacharay & mommy Melissa's personal chronicle maker I do not want his Aunt Steph or grammie to kill me for missing a moment hahahahaha, Just think, those of you who are casual observers of this blog only get to see snipits...they will need to endure hours and hours of footage of our newest family member! Betty Kay Uncle Henry...Melissa said to send a special thank you for the infant carrier you see she and Zachary enjoying. It was perfect and made the excursion much more enjoyable and safe for mommy and baby.

Good morning, welcome to the 1am feeding here in vietnam....once again Aunt Teri is adding to the blog while mommy and Zacary do their thing. Note: when sharing a room with an infant and new mom, when they wake up, we all wake up:) We went to a local market yesterday and experienced a new kind of Vietnam. We will try to get photos up later. Kathi, tell the students I said hello! I am thinking of them often as this journey has really heightened my appreciation for all the hope their futre holds and the many choices they have in life. Today we will go to the Mekong Delta...a trip down this famous river on a boat that, as our gude has said, "is very very tiny, very very safe, no mosquitoes" hahaha night for now (it's 2am here)

Video of Zachary's first bath. (if you get a jumpy,buffering effect when it plays...let it run

to completion, then hit play again and it should play smoother) He loved it!

Hi everyone. My mommy has told me all about my new family and friends. I am sure I will like you, but for now my new mommy is my most favoritest person! She gives me lots of kisses. I like to feel her face and hair. She's a good fit too...my legs go just right around her waist and her shirt and hair make good handles for holding on. She is very patient with me too. Sometimes I like to rock myself to sleep(in my orphanage my nannies loved us all, but we could only be held during feeding and changing so I often had to comfort myself to sleep) this makes my mommy very sad, but she still holds me bunches and lets me rock a little too if I need it. I'm getting the hang of this mommy/baby thing. I think I like it:) Mommy and Aunt Teri complained a bit when I woke up at 5 am....but I reminded them I let them sleep almost all night. Speaking of 5 am...I need to sign off for now and wake them up! Love,Zachary

Hi everyone! My mommy has been telling all about everyone i will see when I get home. I'm sure I will like you all...but for now I definately prefer my new mommy. I like her face and

this is a statue of Uncle Ho Chi Mihn for whom the city is named...this is in front of hotel

this is the view from our room in the back of hotel

the room is nice, clean and spacious...a bit dated though

greetings from the 3am feeding :) Zachary just woke up and drank his bottle in record time! He fusses at his mommy a bit to let her know to get up and feed him, but he is very patient about waiting. Well, that is until she changed him before he had his bottle and she was not getting his pjs back on him fast enough:) Lets just say young master Zach had his 3am feeding while only half dressed :) Looks like he is going back to sleep, we will too. Good night...I guess for you all it is "good day"
Teri

mommy makes me giggle

on the way home from the orphanage...I like my new mommy

Okay...so every now and then I get that, "what's going on?" look on my face...i'm still adorable!

My aunt Teri sure

likes to hold me!

This is the end of the giving and receiving ceremony. After lots of

stamping and signing they posed below this banner which says Giving and Receiving Ceremony.

ITS OFFICIAL

Hi, its Melissa. Sorry I haven't posted in couple days but I have been just a tad busy. Zach is sitting in my lap trying to help me post. We just got back a little while ago from our Giving and Recveiving Ceremony. It is official. Zachary is my son. It was pretty neat while we were signing paperwork, Teri was there also filming and taking pictures . I glanced over and saw my file there with 3 years of paperwork.I am leaving here at 3 to go aply for his passport and Zach will stay here at the hotel with his aunt teri who he absolutely loves. We took Zach to the restaurant breakfast buffet this morning after we gave him a bottle and some yogurt in the room. He just sat in my lap and chilled the whole time at the restaurant. One of the Vietnamese women who works at the restaurant came up to the table to talk to Zach and one of the first things she asked was if he would be able to go to college. We take so many things for granted in the US. She seemed very pleased when I told her he would. At the Giving and Receiving ceremony, a man waiting in the lobby asked if he was Vietnamese and where I lived. He gave the thumbs up sign. When we were leaving the ceremony, a Vietnamese lady waved and pointed at Zach and was happy for him. Tomorrow we go for his medical exam and thursday we will be going to the Mekong Delta. Friday we will be going on a few sight seeing ventures. We hope to visit a few of the museums I have heard a lot about. We do not get to travel to Hanoi for his visa until Tuesday, so on Sat. and Sun. we will travel to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels (hand dug by Viet Minh and Viet Cong fighters over 23 years of conflict) and the water puppet show. We will have Monday free to attempt local shopping. Tonights big event is his first bath. So far he has had only wash cloth baths with us and bucket baths at the orphanage. We will take lots of photos. I am trying to post photos, but am having a bit of a hard time...I'll keep trying. Zachary is going to grow up thinking his aunt teri has no hands as she seems to constantly have a camcorder or camera at all times, sometimes one in each hand! Hey...finally got one photo up. Will work on sending more in a bit.

yes...it is only 5 am here....Mommy is giving Zachary his middle of the night bottle! How amazing that it is almost morning....he was supposed to have a 3am bottle, but he slept through it! This is pretty close to his 6am scheduled bottle so he may be trying to drop his middle of the night bottle! YIPEE He was SOOOOO good last night. Praise God for answered prayers. He cried out a few times at night, but then fell back asleep on his own. He drank his entire 60z bottle before bed and fell asleep in mommys arms. It was beyond precious. of course we watched him sleep before we went to bed! He was a sound sleeper and we could talk quietly and enjoyed a late night dinner from room service of spring rolls and fruit. By the way...pardon any type-os as I am in the dark typing only by the light of the screen. Zachary has downed 2 oz. so far and is taking a break I can hear hime talking to his mommy. He is not drinking as vigorously as last night...mommy is experiencing her first baby trouble shooting as she wonders why he is not as relaxed as he drinks...shes brilliant, she had me change the bollte to the one he had at the orphanage(different nipple) and sure enough he is is sucking it dry! He has been good to fuss when he is hungry or full and is communicating with his mommy pretty eficiently! He is so funny, he sometimes just stops and talks to her. He rubs his head when he is going to sleep and reaches for mommys face or hair. He sucked his thumb while he slept a bit and rolled over in his crib(baby cot) several times. He is doing great and Melissa is falling gracefully into her new role as mommy, no surprise to all of us, but I think it is a releif to her as most new moms worry if they will do everything alright. We don't know yet if Zach is up for the day, or if he'll let us sleep a bit more. He is just babbling away with his mommy. Today we go to his giving and recieving ceremony. He will wear his new outfit and officially be a Miller! I guess an early start to the day may not be so bad since we leave here for his ceremony at 9am. Hey, for those mom types out there...Melissa just changed his morning diaper and he was really wet...yeah! Systems are functioning:) Okay, so this long blog makes it obvious that Aunt Teri is keeping busy while mommy and Zach do their thing hahaha OKAY...I promise this is true...as I am sitting here he is fed, dry and lying on mommys bed and rolling over and babbling to her and saying mamama! Yes folks, he is amazing. Thanks to obviously sweet gentle care from his nanny at the orphanage. apparently they call their nannies mama. SO he is babbling mama and babab.....oh my word! he just pushed up on all fours and is rocking!.....he just crawled! (well, not like crawl across the floor...but he is moving forward) We did not think he could do that! Mommy is pretty excited. Okay, gotta go if those too keep their playing down Aunt Teri may get a little more sleep :)...just kidding, gotta go watch them being cute. Love to all. Thanks for the prayers as God has indeed allowed Zachary to feel safe and comfy with his new mommy and strange new world for now!

WE HAVE ZACHARY

YEAH!!!!!! We have Zachary! and yes, we all cried! Except Zachary! He has been so chill throughout the day. This is Teri by the way...mommy Melissa is busy changing her first diaper. Zachary is babbling to her as if he is giving her instructions...he has such a sweet coo. going to the orphanage today was surreal. We went with another couple also adopting, but from a nother orphanage. We went to Picasso first to get Zachary. It went really fast. We went into a formal room and had tea and waited a bit. The director and assistants joined us for a bit and then the nanny came in with Zachary and the director handed him to his very thrilled new mommy. He did not cry or look distressed...a bit confused maybe. He stayed very quiet as we rode to the other orohanage to get the other family's little girl, but he was very alert and interactive with us and with others in the van. he just totally relaxed in Melissas arms! He is already very attached to her and looks for her around the room when she is not holding him. He is simply the sweetest little guy! very loving and funny. We can already see his personanlity start to show. He had his first little meal with us, rice cereal they recommended at first. Loved it and finished it up. Tonight may be a bit difficult for him. I can not imagine how different this room is compared to the room of other cribs and babies he was in just last night. He is yawning though and rubbing his eyes, so hopefully sleep will come easy to him. Pray he continues to be comfortable and not fearful. He seems to be very secure. We had read that sometimes the little ones struggle with transtion and tend to not welcome cuddles or close physical touching for a while...while she was prepared to be patient if that was the case it is a sweet relief to see her snuggle him and him lean into her face for more love and kisses! he is going down fast and is almost asleep even as i type this....i'll log of for now, i want to help Melissa attempt one more feeding before he goes night night so we can hope for a little bit of sleep tonight :) thanks again for the posts and support. We'll try to get photos and video up soon.
Teri

Prayers please

Teri and I just got back from the famous breakfast buffet at the Rex hotel. It was very good. We are still being a little cautious however on some of the things we are eating. The Vietnamese people are very gracious and friendly. I spoke with Thuy this morning and the other couple will be arriving this morning and we will now all meet in the lobby at 1:30 and travel with the other couple to Tam Binh to pick up their daughter after going to Picasso to get Zachary. Please everyone say a prayer for Zachary and the other baby as their little worlds are getting ready to be turned upside down and they don't even know it. Yes, we know they will be well loved and cared for however they will not know what is happening to them and will definitely miss their nannies and their little friends who are around them sleeping beside them in their cribs at night. It will probably be a very rough night for Zachary and us so keep us in your prayers. Please everyone keep the comments coming on the blog. We do not have time to answer everyone but know that they are being read and it makes us feel connected. We are on our way to exchange some money and do some exploring before we meet Thuy. We love you all and it is so nice to be able to have contact with you all on Skype. The next time I post I will have Zachary. I will post as soon as possible. Love you all.

*Steven, when you go to the school Monday, could you please let the students know about this blog sight if they're interested. Miss Kathi has the adress too and has pulled it up at work, but i did give the site to the students and some might enjoy it. Love you all!

We crossed the street! (this is Teri) after taking about 30 minutes to find our way to the hotel's rooftop restaraunt, we felt confident enough to

WE MADE IT

Hi everyone, we made it safe and sound to Vietnam and are in our hotel. It has been quite an adventure. We arrived this morning but Teri and I made the mistake of laying down on the bed when we got into the room and fell asleep we were so exhausted. We will be going to the orphanage tomorrow at 2 to get Zachary. The traffic here is insane. We will be getting pics and video of that. On our entire way here from the airport to the hotel, I cannot believe we did not see any accidents. Motorbikes and people constantly running right in front of the van. It was CRAZY. Our hotel room is on the 5th floor right on the street side and there is constant noise and honking but I am already use to it. It was a LONG trip. The longest flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong Teri and I were sandwiched in between 2 guys on the end and it was miserable and of course I barfed my way from Pensacola all the way to Vietnam. After I get Zachary home I will never set foot on another airplane again..haha. The fruit below is called

Dragon Fruit and was waiting for us in our hotel room. I heard it is the best and we cannot wait to cut into it. Gotta go for now, We are going to venture out to the rooftop deck and get something to eat. Love you all and will post more later.

Scott: My cell only gives me promps in Vietnamese and says the numbers I am calling are"not in the directory" could you call 611 on your phone and ask them if I need to enter a code of some type? Oh, and note to ALL I totally agree that when we get back to

Fl. Melissa ahould NEVER get on an airplane again...she was amazing and handled feeling ill much better than I would. Funny, it sounds like we have our windows wide open in a New York hotel...but it's actually just that loud...or more likely our walls that thin :) Well, we're off to our first meal in country...wish us luck! Teri

We're coming Zach

Teri and I will be getting ready to go to the airport in a little bit so this may be my last post for a little bit. I will try to post a message when we get to Hong Kong if I am able. I am amazed I was even able to sleep last night I was so excited, but I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
We went over to Teri's mom and sister's house last night for dinner which was very nice. Gloria(Teri's mom) said a wonderful prayer before dinner and said there would be another member of the family(of course I lost it). Teri also gave me a card that her coworkers had given for her and I which had a gift card and the cutest pin that said "I am a new parent". Thank you all for the sweet messages in the card. I am amazed at the number of people who do not even know me but are so supportive and interested in Zachary and this journey. Zachary also received the cutest socks from Gloria(the box they came in was so cute, it said PRINCE on the box). The socks have crowns all over. Too cute. His cousin Ashley sent him the cutest stuffed elephant that goes perfectly in his nursery. Thank you Ashley. I am so very thankful for all my family and friends and for all their support.
Mom, you have been with me from the very beginning of this journey 3 years ago this month. You went through all the highs and lows, the joy and tears and thoughout it all, you always encouraged and supported me. I will never forget it. I seriously could not have made it without you.
Steph, you are a wonderful sister and I will never forget your words to me during one of the hardest times of this journey several months ago and all of your love and support throughout this amazing journey. You will be a wonderful Aunt to Zach.
To all my family and friends, once again, I am just overwhelmed by all the support. It means alot. Thank you all.
Finally, to my brother Scott and my sister-in-law Teri, I would not be sitting here typing this post and getting ready to leave to get my son if it were not for the both of you. There is nothing I could ever give you that would even come close to what you both have given me-the chance to be a mom. If I had not been able to start this process when I did, I would never have made it before the shutdown. I promise you both I will raise him to be a fine young man and Christian. Thank you both. I will never never forget what you have done for me and Zach.
Well I better get ready. I will try to post as often as possible. There is a place at the bottom of the posts where you can leave comments if you wish. I love you all and we will see you in a couple week. Mommy's coming for you Zachary.

I finally feel like I can relax a little bit. Wednesday was a great day. I received my Visa which relieved a lot of my worry as without that Visa, I would not have been able to get into Vietnam.I also received my plane tickets in the mail. I almost started crying when I saw little Zachary's plane ticket. It came in his Vietnamese name Nguyen Thanh Nhan. Packing is pretty much done, just need to pack the backpack. My sister came over last night in the midst of all the chaos and there so many clothes all over the place and she wanted to know just how many children I was expecting to bring home. I think she was trying to tell me I was packing way too much which I probably am. I had a conference call Wednesday as well with the Vietnam director at Children's Hope. She said there will be someone to meet us in Vietnam when we get off the plane and take us to our hotel. We should also be able to go to the orphanage the same day and see Zachary. I can't believe in just a few short days I will be holding him in my arms. I will not be able to take him with me Sunday but when I go back Monday, he will go with me back to the hotel and then Tuesday we will have our Giving and Receiving ceremony and it will be official. We will be staying in Ho Chi Minh probably until the following Monday as there will still be other things that need to be done while in Ho Chi Minh such as getting his medical done. When we fly to Hanoi, I will have an interview with CIS and get his Visa probably the following day. Once we have Zachary's Visa, we will be free to leave. There is another family that is also adopting a 12 month old girl from Tam Binh 1 orphanage also in Ho Chi Minh. We will meet up with them Monday when they arrive. They also have a blog http://www.familysalmagundi.blogspot.com/. I have been in email contact a couple times with Mindy and look forward to meeting her. Well gotta go, my sister in law Teri(the best sister in law ever by the way) is arriving today and we are meeting her and her family for dinner. I will try to post tomorrow before we fly out.

Um, Houston I think we have a slight problem

Oh my gosh, I started packing and I have no idea how I am ever going to fit everything that I need. I think there is alot of stuff I will just have to leave behind and get while I am there. Besides waiting for my Visa to come, I think packing has been one of the more stressful things trying to make sure I have what I need and knowing what I can leave behind and get when I arrive in Vietnam. Not sure if I will go straight to the orphanage when I arrive or if I will have time to get supplies first. My mom and I also went to the police department today in Gulf Breeze , Fl to get the Britax carseat installed. The certified technician was Vietnamese and arrived in the states when he was 5 years old. He said they left the day before the fall of Saigon. It was so interesting to hear his story. He brought the carseat inside the police station and went over all the parts and how it worked and then we went outside and he showed me how to install it. He told us so many things that I never would have thought of such as never put your child in a carseat with a jacket on, just their regular clothes. If child squirms around and jacket may become bunched up or move around and could change how the straps are on the child and how tight the straps are on the child. The carseat was installed rear facing which he will need to be until he is 1 yr AND 20 lbs as even if he is 20 lbs and not 1 year, his bone density is not as strong yet. I saw a video before of a crash showing the effects of a child in the rear facing position and the front facing position and I will keep him rear facing for as long as possible. Gotta go, more packing to do...

Baby Shower

Today my mom and sister threw me a baby shower. It was so nice. Boy did we ever cut that one close. If we had planned it 1 week later, I would not have been there for my own baby shower. My mom and sister did a great job and I think everyone had a great time. Zachary is so lucky to already have so many people who care about him already. Throughout the adoption process, my family and friends have all been very supportive. There have been alot of twists and turns, joys, as well as heartaches during this three year journey, but I know that everything was for a reason and was suppose to happen the way it did as God had chosen Zachary to be my son. I can't believe that the journey TO my son is almost over and the journey WITH my son about to begin. I saw this on a fellow blogger's website:

"A child sat on Jesus' lap in the splendor of heaven.
The child asked, "Is it time?"
Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said,"No, not yet child.
"The child asked "When will it be time?
"Jesus replied, "When lessons are learned,hardships endured, and
loneliness lived,then it will be time.
"Time passed.
The child asked, "Is it time?
"Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said,"No, not yet child.
"The child asked, "When will it be time?
"Jesus replied, "When maturity is reached,self-worth affirmed and
spirits strengthened, then it will be time.
"Time passed.
The child asked, "Is it time?
"Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said,
"Their love is strong and their hearts are open.
Yes, now it is time-Your parents are ready."~author unknown

Making Preparations

Today was my last day of work. I will be off 3 months with the baby which will be really nice. I also spoke with Todd the travel agent and tickets have been bought. As it stands now, my sister in law Teri and I leave Friday Oct 31 at 2:35 PM and will arrive in Ho Chi Minh Sunday, November 2 at 10:35 AM. We are currently scheduled to leave Hanoi to return to the States on November 13 and arriving in Pensacola, Fl November 14 at 9:35 AM. I saw on the tracking screen that the Vietnam Embassy in Washington D.C received my Visa request Friday morning. I think alot of my stress will be relieved when I get my Visa as I cannot leave without it.

I AM GOING TO VIETNAM TO GET MY SON

I can't believe I am finally able to say these words but I AM GOING TO VIETNAM. My mom and I were up very early this morning and out of the house before 8:00. I never even bothered to check my email as I thought it was too early to receive approval as USCIS in Ho Chi Minh City had just started up their investigation again with my case after receiving updated paperwork from the local USCIS. I did not get home until about 2:30 and listened to the answering machine and it was Nicky from CHI saying I had my approval and to get with her for travel. WHAT!!! I ran to my laptop to look at my email and called Nicky. I could not even find a messaqe from USCIS at first but it had been sent to my junk mailbox. Of all places, something as important as this and it was sitting in my junk email box. Nicky wanted me to get my Visa off in the mail today so I completed my Visa form, raced to my bank to get money order and then raced to the post office with minutes to spare. What really blew my mind was when Nicky told me I would be leaving 11/1/08(later that night it had been changed to 10/31/08-9 days away. I called my sister-in-law Teri who is traveling with me-she and my brother were going to Hawaii that week and she is giving that up to travel with me halfway around the world to Vietnam. I have the best sister in law ever. More later. It is late and I have been spending all night trying to get things ready. I will never sleep tonight. I am so happy I will have my son by Thanksgiving and for his first Christmas.