Halong Bay - pics of Quinn

Quinn & I in our room/cabin on the boat

Hanging out in the carrier

In the cave

After his bath

On top of the boat this morning (it was very windy so we covered him up w/ a blanket)

Trip to Halong Bay

We took an overnight trip to Halong Bay. We boarded the boat yesterday at noon & left today at noon. It was a 4 hour drive from Hanoi.

Yesterday the weather was perfect but today it was overcast & a little rainy. Our room/cabin was small but nice. The only bad part was no crib so Quinn slept between Adam & I. Therefore, none of us got much sleep.

After we boarded we went through the bay to a cave. We hiked through the cave...a lot of stairs & not very easy to do w/ a baby carrier on but it was still nice.

The food on the boat was unbelievable. We had lunch & dinner yesterday and breakfast & lunch today. Lunches & dinner were 6 course meals. We had a lot of fresh seafood which was very good.

The boat we stayed on

View from the boat ride

View from the top of the cave

Adam & others swimming off the side of the boat (Adam is on the far right). The lady in the small boat is selling things. They would row right up to the side of our boat to try to sell food, drinks, etc.

Sunset view from the top of the boat

Sunday

We didn't do much today either. We went swimming and went to dinner w/ 2 of the other families adopting. Tomorrow we are going up to Halong Bay w/ another family. We are staying 1 night. It's a 4 hour drive from here & we'll stay on a junk boat. Everyone says if you come to VN you have to go to Halong Bay. Here's a link to where we are staying, http://www.e-travelvietnam.com/tourdetail.asp?iData=2098&nChannel=News#2-days
Since we'll be gone the next post will probably be Tuesday night once we get back. We should have some beautiful pictures.

Quinn helping daddy w/ the computer

Quinn in his swim gear, the hat is way too big!

Lounging at the pool.

Saturday

We didn't do much today because it rained all morning. This afternoon we took a walk around the block. This evening we went out to dinner w/ another family & their baby boy. Below are a few pics from today. Quinn was really really happy as you can tell in the first picture! The last 2 are after his bath tonight.

Friday

This morning we took Quinn swimming for the first time & he loved it. Adam was in the pool w/ him, I sat on the edge. Unfortunately the pics I took are all foggy. I think it's because the lens was fogged up from the humidity. I still attached 1 of the pics from swimming. We'll have to get more to post.

This afternoon we went to Hoan Kiem Lake & walked around. It was overcast today but still really hot. I had Quinn in the carrier for about 2-3 hours & when we got back to the hotel my shirt & his shirt were both drenched.

I'm already getting stir crazy. It's hard to live out of a hotel room w/ a baby. We still have at least a week to go.

The other families were having dinner together tonight. We did not make it b/c we got lost. We took a rickshaw who drove us around forever acting like he knew where we asked him to take us. He then dropped us off at a hotel, not the one we told him we wanted to go to. By this time we were already 30 minutes late to meet & Quinn was getting fussy. So, we'll have to get together w/ them another day.

Pictures

Quinn slept until 6 am this morning. He also slept pretty much all morning & early afternoon...after diaper changes & formula of course. He was then up from about 3 - 8 pm.

We gave him a bath this morning which he did not like. He does not like laying down on his back for a bath or diaper change. He does ok w/ the diaper change as long as he has a toy he can hold so we'll have to try that for his next bath. For the bath we have one of those sponge things that lay in the tub. Hopefully the next bath goes better.

Adam went to immigration today to apply for Quinn's passport. We should get it next Thursday. We more than likely will not be flying out on Friday 10/3. It will probably be Monday (10/6) or Tuesday (10/7).

We went out to dinner tonight. We have been told that it's common for the staff at restaurants to want to hold your baby while you eat. It happened last night to the other 2 couples when we stopped for dinner in DaNang before flying back to Hanoi. I'm guessing they didn't try to hold Quinn b/c he was asleep in my arms the whole time we were there. However, it happened tonight. I kept him in the carrier thinking that way they wouldn't come up & ask. But, it didn't work. One of the waitresses came up & pretty much took him right out of my arms. She walked him around the restaurant & the other waitresses held him too. A few times I couldn't see him & I got up to check on him. Every time I did that they told me to sit down & eat, he was ok. I know this is normal here but I did not like that at all. I told Adam we should order room service the rest of the time we're here!

Walking back to the hotel Quinn fell asleep in the carrier (last picture). We fed him rice cereal tonight & also a bottle. He only takes about 3 & 1/2 oz. of formula every feeding. He also will not drink out of the bottles I brought. Luckily his nanny gave me the bottle he was drinking out of when we left the orphanage. We walked to a store close by today & bought another one just like it & he's been drinking out of it.

It sprinkled all day today. We're hoping it will be sunny tomorrow so we can go to the pool. Quinn has very cute swim trunks w/ a matching hat!

He is smaller than we thought he would be. The 6-9 month clothes are big on him. We have no clue how much he weighs but Adam's guess is 14 lbs.

One thing he absolutely loves is the mirror. He smiles & giggles at himself. It's very cute & entertaining. He has 2 bottom teeth & anything in his hands goes right into his mouth. I didn't feel or see any other teeth than the 2 bottom ones. He can't yet sit up on his own so we either hold him or prop him up to play w/ his toys.

More pics tomorrow!

Rachel

G&R

Ninh called us at 3 pm yesterday to let us know the G&R would be yesterday. We had to rush down to check out (the cab driver was already waiting for us when Ninh called!). We went straight to the city building. Ninh, the nannies & babies met us there. We initially were told we would go to the orphanage first & be able to change the babies into the outfits we brought. But, because the G&R was so late we didn't have time to. Quinn's nanny was crying & kissing him. After the G&R we all went to the orphanage & were able to ask questions. His nanny got to fee him one last time. We got her mailing address & her email address so we can send her pictures. All the babies did very well on the car ride to the airport. We stopped for dinner on the way (last picture). We changed Quinn's diaper there, on a table, and put a onsie on him. The flight was good. Quinn fussed a little but I gave him a bottle & he fell asleep. Our flight was at 9:40. He probably fell asleep at 10 pm and didn't' wake up until 6 am this morning! He didn't budge getting off the plane, into the cab, into the hotel room...he must have been exhausted from the events of the day.

This morning he woke up at 6 am, chugged a bottle & is now sleeping again. Once he wakes up we'll give him a bath & maybe venture out if it's not raining. The typhoon that hit the Philippines & Hong Kong has caused some rain here.

Hopefully tonight I'll post some more pictures!

Rachel

The nannies with the babies

Quinn with his nanny

At the G&R once they handed Quinn to me

Me, Quinn & his nanny

The restaurant where we stopped for dinner (and a diaper change!)

Video of Quinn laughing

Here he is.....

We drove to the orphanage today. There are 2 other families adopting from the same orphanage as we are. Bev adopted from an orphanage in DaNang & had her G&R late yesterday. We got to meet her little girl, Ginger, this morning at breakfast.

The drive was about an hour. When we pulled in some of the older kids came to the door & were very excited to see us. We walked in and waited for the caregivers to bring out the babies. When they were walking up w/ Quinn I recognized him. He doesn't look much different than his referral picture. I only cried for a few minutes! His caregiver walked up to me & handed him right to me. He did not fuss, he was very content w/ me. He was the same when Adam held him for the first time. We got to spend about 2 hours w/ him. He fell asleep in my arms...very sweet. At one point they did take him from me to try to feed him but he was still sleeping & would not eat. They laid him down & tried to wake him. That's the only time we heard him fuss. We got him to smile & even laugh.

Ninh is going to call us tomorrow around 3:00 to let us know if our G&R will be tomorrow or Thursday. If tomorrow we'll have the G&R and then fly back to Hanoi tomorrow night. We will pick him up at the orphanage, change him into the outfit we brought & then head to the G&R.

The first time I held Quinn

Quinn with daddy

Asleep in mommy's arms

Family picture

He's too cute!

Monday - trip to Hoi An

Today after we got checked into the hotel in DaNang we, along with another couple, decided to go to Hoi An. There is a market where they sell pretty much anything from food to fabric. We walked around, bought some things, had lunch & then headed back to the hotel around 5 pm. It's now after 8 pm. We're going to bed early since we are still not on VN time. We're leaving for the orphanage tomorrow morning (Tues.) at 7:30. We'll upload pics tomorrow of Quinn!!

Monday - we're in DaNang

We flew into DaNang this morning at 7 am. We're staying at the Sandy Beach Resort. It is beautiful here. The resort is right on the beach. Below are a few pics I took this morning. Ninh is picking us up tomorrow morning at 7:30 am & we're driving to the orphanage to visit the babies. There are 2 other families w/ babies at the same orphanage. So, tomorrow night (Tues. morning OH time) we'll post pics of Quinn!!

~Rachel

more pictures from today

For some reason I can only upload 5 pictures in each post so below are more from today. We went out from about 8 am to 12:30. We had a map & walked everywhere. Got a little lost but found our way back ok. It is so humid here. We've been to Vegas in June, which is really hot, but here it is much hotter and much more humid. This morning I blow dried my hair, put on make-up & this will be the last day I do that. Within about 15 minutes of being outside we were sweating. Today we went to the Temple of Literature, the Museum of Art and walked to the Army Museum but it was closed.

Tomorrow Ninh is picking us up here at the hotel at 4:15 am & we're heading to the Hanoi airport. Our flight to DaNang leaves at 6 am. On Tuesday we will head to the orphanage to visit Quinn. On Wednesday we will have our G&R ceremony and head back to Hanoi on Wed. night. This is what Ninh said on our drive to the hotel yesterday. So, unless things change, this is our schedule for the next few days. Once back in Hanoi we wait for Quinn's passport which takes about 7 days. Once we have that, Ninh will set up a medical appt. for him. Once that's done a visa appt. will be set up. Once we have Quinn's visa we're ok to head home.

Here's a family on a motorbike/moped

A man taking a nap in a hammock on the street

Wooden masks at the Museum of Art

A woman on the street carrying fruit

Another woman on the street

pictures from our first venture out

This is the view from our hotel room.

Pictures below are from the Temple of Literature

There are motorbikes & bicycles everywhere...on the streets & sidewalks.