Monday, July 20th

Today we took Reuben to see Dr. Halevy for a follow-up visit. Reuben fell asleep right before we got there so it was probably a good thing, since he's not big on anyone poking and prodding him. He got a clean bill of health and the doctor noticed in less than a week the many improvements. It's amazing what some good nutrition and some tender, loving care can result to. The many rashes and some lesions on his skin have started to disappear. He even looks like he's starting to gain some weight and grow in height. Big smiles, laughter and play are all part of a regular day now and he's starting to eat more and more everyday. At 2:30 pm we had our G & R (Giving & Receiving Ceremony) at the Department of Justice. Portia made it a point to get dressed up and chose a new white dress we just recently bought her at the Ben Thanh market. It looks like a simple, miniature wedding dress and she asked if Reuben could wear a suit. Too cute. We went along with our adoption rep and met up with the Director of the orphanage. We waited a while and trust me, there were many things around to entertain us. Franca went into her own little laughing fit and finally after about 5 minutes was able to explain what was so funny. A man had entered the room wearing a helmet that said NASA. That just sent her over the edge. The people here are interesting. It's not uncommon to see someone take off their shoes and touch their feet. Infact I had to do a double take, for in the corner of the room sat a fairly young man who laced his hand around his toes and was obviously quite comfortable. We just hoped he wasn't going to want to shake our hands. We finally got called in and after signing about 4 pieces of paper and a registry, Huynh Tuan Vu officially became Reuben Tuan Vu Dipietro. He slept through the whole thing and woke up at the very end for some photos. The offical, a friendly, jolly man, was quick to point out to us that he had the same first name as Reuben, "Vu". We thought it appropriate. As we left the building a Vietnamese woman who spoke some english followed us and had many questions. Outside she asked to speak to our rep privately. We found out that she knew someone that was expecting and she was wondering if the rep could find some adoptive parents for the child. The rep explained that it was illegal here in Vietnam to do that. A child must be left to an orphanage where supporting documents proving the existence of the child would be compiled. We ended the day with a celebratory dinner at SenViet for some authentic Vietnamese food. Reuben is really taking to the noodles and just about everything else we give him.