April 2010

We enjoyed a great family vacation at the Barcelo in Punta Cana. We travelled once again with Jon, Tina, Tianna, Lucas and Dave, and as usual, we shared a few good laughs. Our niece Alyssia and her friend Katherine also joined us for a few days. This resort had a wonderful children's waterpark and a large indoor kids club with every toy imaginable. Memorable moments:

Photo 1 - Reuben's mentor and bodyguard...always up to something.

Photo 2 - And why they invented Swimmers.

Photo 3 - These two are always hand in hand.

Photo 4 - Donkey Man. Had to have been there. Hee Haw Oink.

Photo 5 - Lucas always with camera in hand. If it wasn't for him or I, we would have had no photos.

Photo 6 - The 3 musketeers during lunch break.

Photo 7 - By the end of the trip, Reuben grew a love for the pool. When we put water wings on him, he would just get so excited.

Photo 8 - Reuben playing in the sand. The funny thing is that he's petrified of sand and wouldn't walk in in, therefore since he was ALWAYS taking off on us, we would lay a towel on the sand and gather toys all around him...and he wasn't going anywhere. Now if only we could find a solution to getting him to keep a sunhat on.

Photo 9 - Tianna and Portia got their hair braided

March 2010

Our little family decided to go on a mini-get-away vacation to Toronto. It didn't start off on a good note, since Reuben was quite sick and Portia and I were just getting better. Unfortunately, we weren't able to cancel since it had been prepaid and it was non refundable so off we went. We stayed at the Residence Inn Marriott in Vaughan Mills and coincidentally (okay, not so coincident) we were a hop, skip and jump from the Vaughan Mills Malls.

On Friday, we headed to Niagara Falls where Portia and Reuben both got to see the Falls for the first time. It was a perfect day and the fresh air and walking did us all some good. We took the children to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. It was a first time for all of us, and although it was a bit pricey, it was a wonderful experience. Reuben was loving every minute of it, especially the animals all around us, but Portia not so much. She's still quite sensitive to noise and didn't like the thunder and lightening that happened every 22 minutes. I must admit it was a neat experience especially with the live shark exhibit. We took a walk to the Hershey's store. It just reminded us how much we miss the Hershey's factory in Smith Falls. We walked through the Soda Shop (a 50s style soda shop) that serves ice cream sundaes like the did in the olden days. We made a pit stop at the Great Canadian Midway where some lady must have taken pity on us and gave Portia all her ticket stubs, which she cashed in for half a dozen plastic play rings. Our next stop was The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory where Portia was treated to Cotton Candy (one of her favorite candies) and Alex and I got a slice of Rocky Road Fudge.

Saturday, we headed to Little Italy. We stopped at a place called Grande Cheese where as you guessed it, there is every kind of cheese imaginable. We had dinner at a restaurant that caught Alex's eye. It's called Our Thai and we totally recommend it. It was delicious and if it wasn't for the rambunctious little man, we would have actually had a great dining experience. I finally had Bubble Tea with Tapioca balls for the first time and it was delicious.

February 2010

We were finally squeezed into International Adoption Clinic at CHEO to have Reuben checked. Overall, he's doing well. As per his bloodwork, nothing serious was found. He is low in Vitamin D and Iron (but not anything significant). They did find some lead in his system, but it's not accumulative. They did a urine and TB test and we will go back Thursday to get the results confirmed. As well, it was recommended that we up his calorie and fat intake (in other words, they said butter and cream....hmmm, go figure, the two things I'm trying to avoid), and will refer us to a dietitician. They charted his weight and he's on a good curve, albeit still under the American averages. If they go by his weight as to when we received our little boy and compare it to today, they said that he's actually slightly over the curve so hopefully they will continue to see this improvement at the next check up, scheduled 3 months from now. They found that his speech is delayed but felt it was due to the age that we picked him up and lack of stimulation. His head and face are all proportioned to his body and they found his lungs to be clear. We have to return with a 3 day stool sample....uuuhhh, nasty, as well as to provide all medical background information within our records. Due to Reuben's lack of history, they suggested a Genealogist which will likely do a blood test and review the chromosomes. Sounds interesting, and as much as it may answer some of our questions, I must admit, I have some hesitatancy. Maybe, fear of the unknown, not sure. Well, our little man is starting to learn more words and has added "hat" and "out" to his his list. Coincidentally, I believe he learned "out" from Portia, who continually orders him out of her bedroom. Too funny!!

January 2010 Update

Okay, I know I've been negligent in posting photos. One of the problems is actually getting a photo of Reuben not moving. Most of our Reuben photos are blurry. For every 1 photo we take of Portia, we usually have to take about 10 of Reuben and then it still doesn't come out, so this is all I have right now.

January 4th was our 5th Year Family Day Anniversary. Portia has been part of our lives for 5 whole years! What a blessing!

What's new?? Alex is on paternity leave and has been able to spend more quality time with the children. Okay so Portia is 3' 8.5" tall and 40 pounds now. She had her eyes checked and we found out that she's near-sighted, therefore will be getting glasses. Oddly enough, she seems to be okay with that. I was concerned that some of the children might tease her, so we rehearsed some lines she would likely hear, and what she could say back. There was no need, no one bugged her and infact she got compliments more than anything else. Go figure! Reuben had an appt. with a respirologist and he is definitely asthmatic. Unfortunately, asthma, allergies and eczema usually go together and he has all three. The good news is that they are all presently under control. We've tried so many creams on his sensitive skin and were extra careful in what we used to wash his body with. Believe it or not, vaseline came to the rescue once again. We went through the same thing with Portia and it was vaseline that soothed and restored her crocodile-like skin, although in her case it wasn't eczema. Reuben is currently on the orange puffer. Apparently children under 6 should not be on it, but it seems to be the most effective one and has less side-effects. Reuben is going through that lovely whinny stage right now and has mastered crocodile tears, and we are certain he had the best trainer in teaching him. No one other than the Professional herself...his sister. It's funny how life is. Portia is heading out of that stage and Reuben heading in. We just can't seem to catch a break. Reuben has started saying some words now, but believe it or not, he's gotten pretty good at la-la-la-ing and even singing some words to the Mamma Mia movie, on cue no less. Too funny!

We finally got Reuben's hair cut and he actually looks older and more like a boy (it was pretty long). He was so good about the whole thing and sat there in a quizzical state, as our family barber (Corrado) did his thing. He was treated to a lollipop in the end for being such a good boy. We learned quickly that he loves lollipops but also loves to rub them all over himself and in his hair. Ewww!

December 2009

It's been a very long time since we've posted. Life is anything but boring these days. It's been very busy with our family of four, and for those out there that have more than two children, I tip my hat to you.

REUBEN...Although he has only gained very little weight since our last update, (he's up to 18.2 pounds now), it's always a move in the right direction. He has also grown another 1/2 inch and is up to 2 feet, 4.5 inches tall. When we first held him, he was wearing 3 month sized clothing. He is now comfortably wearing 12 month clothing, so we consider that a huge leap. He started running (we'd like to say walking, but somehow he missed that step) the last week of September and hasn't stopped moving since. He has two speeds...1. Sleep and 2. Run. He has no fears and climbs up onto everything. If he can't get up, he finds a way. Everything somehow has become a step ladder to him, even drawer handles. He's a very determined big man in a little body. He doesn't take no for an answer and will try, try, try to accomplish his goal until he achieves. He has an absolute obsession with the toilet. YES THE TOILET!! He loves to climb on top of the toilet, sit on the seat cover of the toilet and even hug the toilet. He has discovered the toilet brush and now wants to clean his beloved toilet ALL THE TIME!! We have other stories, but they are not for the weak. Let's just say, he has likely developed a strong immune system. Yes, we will be going out and buying one of those thing-a-ma-bobbies that lock the toilet seat down, especially now with his ability to open the bathroom door and lift the toilet seat cover up, ALL BY HIMSELF! On a positive note, he can count to six, but won't do it in front of others, therefore making you look stupid. He has added other words to his vocabulary and has an amazing ability to mimic noises around him. I'm proud to say he loves dancing to Abba, but hands down, Abba has nothing on the Wiggles. It's amazing how children have the ability to want to watch/listen to the same thing over and over again, without feeling a need to smash their heads into a brick wall. For the rest of us, we are haunted by Wiggles songs constantly turning in our minds. Perhaps there is a support group out there, somewhere...we can only hope.

PORTIA...She is doing very well and on many levels has shown signs of maturity. She weighs 38.2 pounds and is 3ft 8.5 inches. She continues to progress in french immersion and feels comfortable having simple conversations in french with Alex. She is still too shy to speak Italian but understands simple tasks when spoken to. Her current favorite movie is Mamma Mia and she knows most of the Abba songs word for word. Alex (not an Abba fan) is thrilled. (That's sarcasm incase you didn't pick that up.) Portia loves her new bedroom and has become protective of it, well, mostly if Reuben tries to get in, and trust me, he's working on getting into Fort Knox. Sometimes Reuben will sit quietly at the door until Portia decides to come out and then practically knocks her over trying to make his way in. I'm not sure if Reuben just happens to like Portia's room or if it's because she just happens to be there. She is still his world and she has the ability to control many of his emotions. For instance if she's laughing, he will laugh, although he doesn't know why. If she's crying, his lip will quiver and pucker out and cry along side her. It's sort of sad and funny at the same time. I'm just so happy that he loves his sister so much. We'll see how well they get along in their teenage years.

The Rock

Since the first day of school Portia has been coming home and saying "I have a gift for you." She would have me close my eyes and put my hand out and once I opened my eyes, there in the palm of my hand was a rock. I'll admit I thought it was sweet and that maybe she had a new found interest in rocks. Or perhaps there was something pretty or sparkly about the rock that caught her eye. Finally tonight as I was putting her down in bed, she said "I love you mommy. Tomorrow I'm going to bring you home a rock." I smiled and thanked her and then asked her why she always chose a rock to bring home to me. This is the part that melted my heart and made me feel so loved, like I've never been loved before. She said, "It's because it's the only thing I can bring you. I can't draw you a picture." You see, since junior kindergarten Portia has always brought me something, even if it was a teeny tiny picture she drew, but now that she's in grade one, they don't have arts & crafts every day so she has nothing to bring me. She told me that she couldn't come home empty handed without having thought of me, so during recess, she'll stop from playing with her friends and actually tell them that she has to go get her mom something. Then she'll pick up a rock in the school yard and hide it in her coat pocket. Once back in the classroom, she takes it carefully out of her pocket and hides it in her desk since she's afraid if she doesn't keep it close to her, it will get lost. Then when the school day ends, she transfers the rock from her desk, and slips it back into the security of her coat pocket until the safety of it's delivery to me. I'll admit I've hung on to a few, but some sadly have been tossed into the garden, but as from this day forward I will cherish my new rock collection. I will never be able to look at a rock the same way. I LOVE my rocks and the little girl that was able to take something as hard as a rock to soften my old heart.

September 2009

Sept 21st - Reuben weighs 17.77 pounds. He's gained 1 pound in the last 3 weeks! He has a healthy appetite and has grown approximately 1 inch since we last checked, so he's up to 2 feet 4 inches tall. He's not crazy about drinkiing out of a baby bottle but seems to enjoy his Sipster cup. In the last week, he's started to take more steps and be more confident in standing and moving around. He's learned how to go up and down the stairs and say words like "Dad, Mum, Hi, Bye, Up, Down, Zia, Oh-Oh" etc., and absolutely loves to dance and sway to music. His hair has started growing in so he's startng to look less like a baby monkey. Actually his hair has gotten quite long and is considered a mullet by most. Due to the large soft spot, we've held back from shaving his head. The soft spot is finally starting to grow in, so it's just a matter of time.

Pictures from August 2009

September 2009

Portia started school full-time and loves it. There are now 24 children in her class so almost twice the size of last year. She wore a dress she picked out in Vietnam. Not only is it a bit too large for it, but definitely not my taste. Someone told me, sometimes we need to pick our our battles. So, she won this one. Tomorrow she is wearing good old jeans and a t-shirt. Reuben and I spent about 5 hours at an Emergency Clinic. The doctor there is not certain but is treating Reuben as if he has Asthma. After experience with Portia, I must admit it sure does sound like it, but I'm not fully convinced that it's asthma or that perhaps that is the only issue here.

Reuben woke up worse than yesterday so off we went to CHEO. After a few hours, we were told that he has bronchialitis. He's very stuffed up so they had to suction out the mucous and by the sounds of it, so far, he appears much better. We'll see how the week goes.

August 2009

It's been a busy month...adjusting to our new life and still living in the middle of renovations. So this is what we've been up to this month:

August 1st - Unfortunately we never made it to Jeremy & Anja's wedding (thanks to jetlag) and yes, we heard we missed out on great food and fun. Congratulations!

August 8th - My dad's new wife (Hiam) arrived from Lebanon and friends of the family held a reception for them. It was quite the spread with every middle eastern dish imaginable. We ended the evening with a good snack of fresh figs the size of small pears. The highlight of my evening was my cousin Krista. She arrived with her husband and two children calm and collected. She made her rounds to say hi to everyone, and within seconds of talking to her, her little guy was playing with her earring and it popped off. She screamed "EVERYONE GET ON THE FLOOR AND FIND MY EARRING!" Never a dull moment with my dear cousin that always has me laughing.

August 9th - Dinner with our dear friends, Dave & Marianne. What can I say, always relaxing and cosy. Oh no, wait a minute...I forgot the kids were there too!

August 11th - Packed up the kids and visited with Sarah. We had a great lunch and soon realized that Reuben's obsession with stairs is pretty excessive. Hmm. Maybe we'll buy him a stairmaster.

Jon & Tina's - We had a wonderful dinner with chicken that left me literally begging for more. It was one of those meals that you will remember for years to come. And if I'm lucky Tina will share the recipe...hint, hint.

August 15th - Portia spent the afternoon with her zia Stephanie. They spent their time having fun at Midway and then a good lunch at Pizza Hut (one of Portia's favorite places).

August 19th - Luau Kids Party - Portia & Reuben, were invited by Alina & Savannah for a Hawaiian party. They had fun splish-splashing away, playing games and hitting the Pinata but I know Portia's favorite were all the candies she got to bring home once the Pinata was broken. Yeah, Sylvie, I'll be sending you her next dentist bill.

August 21st - Luis & Chris' - Along with my in-laws, we enjoyed a wonderful Friday evening at the home of our close friends. A great meal, fine wine, good friends (Jonathon & Charlene were also there) and entertainment to boot! Luis has been learning to play the violin, and after 1 month of self-taught lessons, he impressed us with a mini concert. He also plays the piano and guitar. Imagine that. And imagine how I felt since I never even learned how to whistle. I've always wanted to sing, but by clear facial expressions, Alex has made it clear that it's just not my calling.

August 22nd - The Montgomerys - Our friends Bill & Sarah invited us up to Smith Falls for a visit with their
family. This is the 4th year we've gone and it just gets better and better every time. Bill's parents, Dave & Jean, have a cozy home right on the Rideau Lake with a backyard that leaves you at peace with nature and in appreciation for all things created. Simply put...it's beautiful! To top it off, the whole Montgomery clan are so good with children. Portia enjoyed our visit and Reuben was hands down, the guest of honour. Our day ended with a delicious bbq and gifts for the children. Like they need more gifts....Thank you dear friends once again.

August 23rd - Sunday dinner - We had a nice visit with Jasmine & Peter over an amazing Mushroom sauce my MIL put together. (For those that might be interested, she took 1.5 pounds of mushrooms and processed it in blender until fine. She added many cloves of ground garlic and fresh pesto and let it simmer over the stove. And voila, it was tossed with spaghetti and good to go. You can add Parmesan and a bit of hot oil over it for added taste.) Anyways, back to the visit...our friends also brought along their beautiful daughter Emma who's changed so much. You know when an adult would come up to you as a kid and say "I remember when you were this big." Well, it was sort of one of those moments.

August 25th - Mont Cascades - Carm was kind enough to invite Portia on their day trip to Mont Cascades. Portia spent the day slipping and sliding with Alyssia and was nicknamed "Kamikaze." (Like that is a surprise.) I must admit, it was amazing how much I was able to get accomplished around the house.

August 26th - Valleyview Little Animal Farm - Along with my mom and Pat, we took the kids to this great farm that caters to children. There was so much to see and do and we did it all...fed the little animals in the Little Animal Barn, toured the Old Farm Museum, visited the bigger animals, watched a puppet show and took a train ride around the farm twice. Portia and Reuben thoroughly enjoyed playing in the massive playground but hands down Reuben loved the puppet show. He danced and swayed through the whole time. This child loves music and dancing.

August 27th - Mother/Daughter Day - Portia and I got to finally spend some alone time together. We started our time at Starbucks/Chapters and read some books together as she sipped on a children's size Vanilla Creme and I on a caffe latte. My MIL treated Portia with a monetary gift so she bought herself 2 books and 1 for her brother (I thought that was sweet). We then headed to Ritchie Feed and Seed to buy a bag of cracked corn for the ducks we feed almost daily at a nearby pond. We then headed to St. Laurent Shopping Centre and within a few minutes Portia said "I'm just having the best Mother/Daughter day ever!" I know she meant that she was enjoying the shopping. Spoken like a true girl. We managed to find her PJ's with feet, which she's been begging for since she first saw Reuben in a pair. Then we went to get this darling white sweater for her at Gymboree. I had hoped the price would have gone down from the beginning of summer, but nope. I do love that store, but I must admit, I find it too expensive. Mind you, when they have sales, you can get a real good deal. We hit Ardene (one of Portia's favorite stores) and bought hair bows in just about every colour imaginable. What can I say? She's got an obsession with hair bows right now. Next month it might be a mohawk, who knows?! We stopped at Laura Secord for some Bubble Gum icecream. Yuck! Have you ever tried that flavour. It really is made only for children. Portia wanted to thank my MIL, so she asked if we could bring back an orange sherbert cup home for my MIL, so we did. I'm glad to see that she's starting to think of others around her. When I don't have to prompt her, it makes me feel like maybe, just maybe, she might actually be listening to us when we counsel her. We came home and were soon off to feed the ducks. Portia starting throwing some cracked corn and at first the ducks wouldn't budge. As she threw more, they started coming closer and then a back wind, blew the feed back towards us and the next thing we knew, we were all covered with cracked corn in our hair.

August 29th - Easy Dinner with Dave & Marianne - Mmm. Chicken Wings, Salad, Oriental Beef & Beer. Let's not forget the amazing cheesecake.

August 29th - Took Portia & Reuben to get their photos taken at Loblaws. Good prices. You just have to be creative yourself in how you want the poses. The pictures turned out pretty good but was a bit dark in the background. Live and Learn. Regardless, they will be hand delivered to our relatives in Italy next week. We had a wonderful Family Anniversary Dinner. Man & Carm, Branko & Franca and Alex and I, celebrate our anniversaries within weeks of eachother so we have one big celebratory dinner every year. And as family tradition regulates, we ended it sweetly with Mocha Almond Fudge Icecream Cake from Baskin Robbins. Nope. Never get tired of it.

August 30th - Met my dad, Hiam, my sisters and Aaron at Mr. B's (excellent Italian food). Everything was going pretty well, until Alex asked me if I thought Reuben's lip was swollen. It was hard to see under the dim light so we took him outside for a quick look and then my heart started pounding. Although my son's lip was significantly swollen, my sister Stephanie suggested that perhaps it was a cold sore, however my mother's instinct took over and I started racing Alex out of there. I apologyzed and excused ourselves in a blink of an eye as we raced to the Childen's Hospital. In transit, my little man's hands, eyes and feet swelled up. I started begging Alex to drive faster and soon the wheels of our mini van were screeching as we drove up the wrong way to the Emergency doors. I ran in with Reuben to find a parent in line, casually asking about his daughter. It took miliseconds for the administrator to look at me and ask if we were together. I started crying as I said "No, my son is having an allergic reaction." He quickly told me to go to Triage 2 where one of the nurses was quietly sitting and writing. She looked up and before I could completely tell her what was going on, she whisked Reuben out of my arms and starting running. She must of pressed a button since within seconds the room was full of hospital staff, each with a clear-minded task on what needed to be done. I stood there crying as my little boy was stripped down and wheezing. First came the epinephrine shot in the thigh and countless other things that haunts my memory. The doctor confirmed that he was going through anaphylactic shock but that he would be okay. Alex, with Portia in his arms crying, ran in and were pulled aside to answer some questions. After 6 hours of IV drip, Ventolin and a watchful eye, we were told we could go home. Unfortunately, they aren't able to confirm exactly what caused this reaction, but we are leaning towards the spoon that Reuben grabbed that was used to serve the Calamari we were enjoying. We are currently waiting for an allergist appt. I went home realizing once again, just how precious life is. The good news is that the doctor felt that since we were waiting around, we might as well go for an x-ray to get a better idea of what is happening inside Reuben's little body. The results came back clean with confirmation of some of his pre-existing medical issues.

August 31st - I took Portia for a yearly medical check-up. And with Reuben, well, I addressed some of his medical issues since we will have to wait until November 3rd to see an Adoption Specialist. Reuben now weighs 16.7 pounds. I know it's not much of an increase but regardless, it's a step in the right direction. Portia starts school full-time tomorrow so we ran around getting last minute things off our list, organizing what she will wear, eat...I can't imagine what she will be like as a teenager.

Finally Home (A little belated)

We arrived into the Ottawa International Airport to find our families waiting with eagerness to meet the new addition to their family. Reuben handled it pretty well and Portia loved the extra attention that was doted on her. On the way home, Reuben made it clear that he wasn't a fan of car seats and cried himself into a stupor the whole way. The tears rolling down his face made me feeling like he knew that some changes were happening...afterall he is 17 months old. He kept trying to grab and hold me as tight as he could and get out of his seat. I felt like he thought perhaps we were handing him off to someone else and made me want to cry along with him. He regained his compure when we finally arrived home, but looked around hesitantly and clung to those he knew. Within an hour or less, you could feel him starting to relax, perhaps even realize that he was safe. There were some gifts waiting for Portia and Reuben so of course the toys were a great distraction. Reuben is definitely a man's man. He loves to be held by men and loves cars and the Little People garage. Yes he occasionally would reach out for Portia's play tea set or some girly toy, but only to bang it around and make noise. He's finally home and moves around like he owns the place. We wouldn't have it any other way. We thank God for getting us home safely and allowing Reuben and Portia to sleep many of the 15 hours on that last leg home.

Home Sweet Home

Hong Kong

We arrived a short while ago and will have to wait about 4 hours to catch our connecting flight. Portia fell asleep a couple of hours ago so she's down for the night. I wish the same could be said for Roo. We gave him some Tylenol at the Vietnam airport since he seemed so out of sorts. At first he fell asleep but after about two hours, he got his second wind and is very hyper. Note to self: Do not give Reuben Tylenol on flight from Hong Kong to Toronto.

We had a nice breakfast today with Rennie & Lia. Rennie finally got some good news that she should be heading home in the next two weeks. She's been in Vietnam waiting for finalization of their paperwork for about 2 months now. As we said our goodbyes, we noticed that Christine, Sebastien, along with Dorinda (agency director), Thuy (Northern Adoption rep) and Loan (Southern Agency rep) all were arriving back at the hotel. We were happy to see Christine holding her bundle of joy. Xavier is finally going home where his older brother will be awaiting his arrival. We took a group picture to mark the occasion and what that day represented for all of us.

As we headed towards the airport, I tried to memorize all the little details I wanted to share with Reuben. I'm also so glad that we brought Portia along. I believe she has a better understanding of how her story came to be and will be able to share some good stories with Reuben as he gets older. She loved Vietnam and didn't want to leave. We all didn't want to leave but knowing all the love, friends & family that await us pulls our hearts back home. And not to sound sappy but as they say "There is no place like home." Afterall, "Home is where our story begins".

This is Katie Couric signing off for now in Hong Kong. Now back to you...

Hotel : Somerset HCMC

Things to see and do:

1) Zoo and Botanical Gardens

2) Mui Ne

3) Mekong Delta

4) Vung Tau

5) Water Puppet Show

6) Quai or Quay (seaside or port)

7) Vietnam History Museum

8) Negoc Anh Spa and Massage (Cheap)

9) Le Van Tam Park

10) General Post Office

11)Reunification Palace

12) Trio Cycle

Shopping:

1) Thong Xa Tax Market

2) Ben Thanh Market

3) Backpacker's area

4) Dong Khoi and Le Loi streets

5) Tan Dinh Market

6) Saigon Square (Market)

7) Vietnam Quilts

8) Diamond Plaza

9) Saigon Centre

10) Thanh Thuy Children's Boutique - 93 Le Thanh Ton

11) Tailor Shop

12) CD Kiosk at Tax Department Centre

Restaurants:

1. Quan An Ngon (Open Air, NY Times recommended)

2. Pho 24

3. Dragon Jade Palace

4. Highland's

Friday, July 31st

Sorry no pictures. Alex is unable to upload from the camera.

It's our 15th Year Anniversary today and how appropriate to be heading home with the greatest anniversary gift we could have ever received...our son (next to our daughter of course). We will be leaving the hotel late this afternoon and our flight from Ho Chi Minh to Hong Kong is scheduled to depart at 6:55pm. After a 25 hour journey, we should arrive at the Ottawa airport on Saturday, August 1st (EST) at 9:10 am on Air Canada flight # 442. For us it will feel like 8:10 pm so expect us to look like death warmed over.

We look forward to seeing you all and catching up.

Love
Alex, Letizia, Franca, Portia & Reuben

Thursday, July 30th

Portia had a swimming lesson at 7:30 am this morning so Alex was kind enough to let us stay in our jammies while he whisked her away downstairs. I took the time to continue packing. One thing is for sure, packing for four is alot harder than for three. After breakfast, we hopped a cab and Franca, the kids and I got off at Ben Thanh market, while Alex continued on to the tailor's shop. I don't know if the heat was getting to me or if it was the constant cattle calling "Madame, Madame, Madame." but I just knew it wasn't the place for me today. If you listen to vendors saying these words often enough, it starts to sound like a flock of birds. After a couple of successful buys, we decided to take a trio bike. It was one of the many things I still had hoped to do. As the guys wheeled us around, we sat almost regally, feeling like an old time empress/emperor. Unfortunately there was no red carpet and our ride was cut short. Poor guys, they probably never rode someone as heavy as us, and probably used their paid money for an ambulance ride to the hospital. Regardless, it was so much fun and Portia had a blast. We made a pit stop at a popular ice-cream store. We asked for coconut ice-cream and instead got ice-cream in a coconut. The translation here sometimes just has us in tears howling. With the heat, the air conditioning at Thong Xa Tax (aka The Tax Department Store) was welcoming. One of the first things we did was go to a recommended store and rummage through their fine selection of movie and music CD's. We would tell you how much we paid, but you would cry and rock yourself to sleep. We bumped into Rennie & Lia and made plans for breakfast the next morning. So glad, since we haven't been able to connect forever. After that we looked at some luggages. We haven't fully decided if we will need an extra one, but wanted to know where we could get one and what type of pricing. FYI, you could buy an amazing quality luggage for peanuts. It's a shame when you know how much things are marked up at home. Alex bought some special Vietnamese cars and trucks for Reuben in the coming years. We looked through some of the lacquered pieces, literally works of art. I had another go at the Obesed & Mammoth section and came out smiling. We rode home with our bags upon bags of bought items with thoughts of the refreshing pool mentally rewarding us. We needed something as an incentive since we had the stinkiest cab driver in the whole world. Normally they put pieces of a plant in each cab, which smells like corn chips or smelly feet, you choose. Everytime I thought I could handle it, it left me flailing for air. Finally home. We were off again at about 6:30 for one last dinner at the Dragon Jade Palace (across from the Rex Hotel) and enjoyed every little morsel. We hoped that we didn't do to much damage since we had a last fitting. Christine & Sebastien, a couple we met via e-mail, had officially arrived and came up for a quick visit. They would be adopting Xavier, one of the little babies in Reuben's orphanage room. Xavier is adorable and with his hair, Alex can't help but call him Jon Bon Jovi (from the 80's). Loan also popped in to hand off some official documents and say goodbyes incase we would not connect on Friday. About an hour later the tailors arrived and left as quickly as they came. We stayed up running around trying to get everything ready. I totally understand why some people just throw all their stuff in a luggage and leave. And if it wasn't for weight restrictions we would have done the same. As the day turned to night, feelings of bitter-sweetness overcame us all. To ease my mind, I told myself that I would be back to this wonderful country that welcomed us with open arms, and would have us leaving complete, with our beautiful boy in arms.

Wednesday, July 29th

Lazy morning...decided to have a nice breakfast and swim & relax by the pool until early afternoon. The sun was shining and it was probably one of the nicest days we've had since we've arrived (aside from the time in Mui Ne). Around 2pm we headed out to see some of the sites that we wanted to check off our list. We saw the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace, Le Van Tam Park (Children's park and not really too exciting unless one of their festivals is going on.) One thing we've noticed is that some parents are not shy to change their sons clothing in public and yes that means stripping them right down to the bone, even if you happen to be, oh, let's say 10 years old. We noticed most people at the fairly busy park would take off at least one of their shoes and hold/play with their foot. I've never seen this before in my life, but here in Vietnam, it's all around. These people LOVE their feet. Infact we went to a restaurant the other day and on each TV screen randomly place around the room, the Vietnamese Shopping Channel was selling a special device to trim the corn off your feet. I'm all for people taking care of their feet but dinner and a demo, I think I'll pass. Anyways, lastly we went to the Tan Dinh Market. The Tan Dinh Market is a smaller version of the Ben Thanh market with the main focus on textiles. If you can manage to take the smell that emenates from that place, then you could probably squeeze a deal to have a suit tailor made for a steal. We couldn't take the smell. And that wasn't the only thing. The aisles were likely about 1.5 feet wide and that is being generous. Some of these people work so hard under such hot and cramped conditions, you almost get the illusion that you are walking through a prision. After 5 minutes, if not less, we decided it wasn't the place for us and headed to the Backpacker's area. We were pretty hungry by then so we ate at Good Morning Vietnam. Like the same restaurant in Mui Ne, the food was delicious and satisfying. Portia was so exhausted she fell asleep in her daddy's arms so Alex felt it was best to get the kids back home. Franca and I had a fitting at 8pm so we had no choice but to stick around. We did some window shopping until about shortly after 7pm, where we took a much needed break and headed for Highland's coffee shop. We sat in 2 cozy chairs by the front window and couldn't help but observe the people watchers. Here in Vietnam you could park yourself anywhere, whether its to sit around on your bike or to sell something, no one seems to care if you decide to do it outside another business' front door. So there you have it, we had about 4 guys right in front of us on the other side of the window doing their thing. One slept (on his bike of course), 2 chatted while one of the two took off his shoe and freed his foot and the other, well we aren't quite sure. Finally at 8pm we crossed the road to the Tailor's shop and tried on our new clothes. It's amazing what a difference clothing can make when it's made to fit you. If I could, I would have all my clothes tailor made, but in Canada we'd be paying an arm and a leg, it not the whole torso along with it. After some noted adjustments, we headed home for the night and fell quickly asleep.

Tuesday, July 28th

Our camera broke. It was in its case, but the zipper had been left opened and out came the camera and with a small impact onto the ceramic floor, it was over. Alex was still able to upload the photos on our memory card, but worked on the camera for a good while in hopes of repairing the damage. In the meantime, our little man had the runs. You could tell he wasn't himself as we cleaned him up for the 100th time. We've been so concerned about getting enough fibre, fruit and vegetables into him that it took its toll. We finally decided to head out and see if we could find a camera repair shop. Should be easy since there are about 5 for every block. With every repair man we spoke to, they told us they couldn't fix it. We then decided, hey, we're in Vietnam. We should be able to buy a camera for cheap, right? Wrong. The cameras cost more here than they do back home. It's funny everything else is cheaper so then we went to plan C and decided we would use our iPhone camera. The clarity is not the best, but it will have to do. We ended up at the Tax Centre by coincidence, okay, it wasn't coincidence. As Alex ran into the supermarket to buy some diapers for Reuben, the rest of us sat in the chairs all facing the centre of the whole department store (so you could see everything going on....The Vietnamese love, Love, LOVE to watch what is going on and it is clearly their favorite pasttime) and I turned to Franca and in Italian said "Does the man beside me know that he's still in his pajamas?" Franca then said "Is that a man or a woman?" So we turned around and we did what we do best...analyze the situation. We concluded that it must be a woman since the person had nailpolish on their toenails. The "woman" then turns to me and looks at my bundle of joy all dressed in "Blue", in "Boys" clothing and asks "Man or girl?" Trying to hold onto my laughter, I told her Reuben was a boy. Then Franca asked me to ask the "woman" the same question. As Franca sat beside me killing herself laughing, I held on to the giggles with the occasional slip and continued a lovely conversation. She was such a sweet lady (albeit looked like a man) and if I could have, I would have slipped her into my luggage. Alex soon returned with bags and we said our goodbyes to the lovely "woman". And then, what was supposed to be 5 minutes turned out to be a few hours later and we walked out of bursting at the seams with shopping bags. I even managed to find clothes to fit me in the Overly Obesed and Mammoth section. Sometimes we'd come across things that were even cheaper than the Ben thanh market and realize we'd been had. Oh well, it's all part of the experience and it's never much more than a couple of dollars at worst. So this is how it works. For every US dollar, you get about $18000 dong. So for every $100 US, you get $1,800,000 dong and become a dongonaire, mind you with all the conversions, I just become a ding dong. Some things are so cheap. For instance we were able to buy Reuben some suits for like $54,000 dong or $3 US. Crazy huh? Regardless, we have luggage weight limitations so we are trying to make the best of every kilo. We got caught in the rain but still managed to get out to a children's store, recommended by Heather, called Thanh Thuy Children's Boutique. And yes, Heather, it's still fairly cheap. We were able to get some things that we had our eyes on in other stores for about 1/2 the price, so thank you once again. We made a quick stop back at the hotel, dropped off the bags and headed out again to see the infamous Vietnamese Water Puppet Show. Portia loved it! (www.goldendragonwaterpuppet.com)
We headed home for a super late dinner and Franca and I stayed up until midnight chatting away. How we managed to stay up that late is beyond me since our regular bedtime is 9pm on a late night.

Little Notes on Portia & Reuben: Portia is learning better swimming techniques with every lesson here and is enjoying the one on one lessons, rather than the group lessons we usually put her in at home. Reuben has changed considerably. When we first got him, he would drink about 2 - 4 ounces maybe 3 times a day with a little bit of rice cereal in between. His sucking ability was like a newborn child. His strength and crawling ability were weak and he was quiet when he cried or said the few things he says. Now he wakes up and drinks 8 ounces staight, holding his own bottle, in as little as 5 minutes flat. And this is only as an appetizer before breakfast. We have started him on some solid foods which he is quite enjoying and is learning how to chew on foods with the 8 little teeth that he has. He crawls everywhere and is into everything. He can be quite loud sometimes but we're enjoying his constant determination to talk. He also mimics Portia sometimes in things she does. His laughter brings such joy to our hearts. We are learning all of his tickle spots and sometimes he's in the mood and sometimes he forcefully pushes our hand away. When he sits beside Alex's shoe (which btw, he's obsessed with anything Alex) he's as long from back to heal (when sitting up) as Alex's size 13 downhill, ski length shoe. As well, we've also noticed that the soft spot on his head is growing in and is more firm. He loves sucking his thumb and when he has to get cozy or sleep, he needs to have a blanket or will grab his shirt in hand. He even sometimes likes to sit there feeling his inner palm with his finger. He has bonded well and he still hasn't had a moment where he didn't feel at home with us. I still believe though that Portia had a lot to do with that and I'm grateful for the bond between the siblings right now.

Things We've Noticed

The people in Vietnam use bikes to get around. Albeit, some are motorized, many are still manual and are put to good use. We noted the following things people do on their bikes: Eat, Sleep (I kid you not)...lying flat across, read, text, drive, transport, and the list goes on. I've never seen so many bikes..ever, EVER. They say there are over 5 million bikes here on the road, not including other vehicles. It's quite the thing to see. When you get to an intersection, the herd (as we call them) of hundreds and perhaps thousands of bikes are all around. It looks like a motorcycle gang from a movie. People here also wear masks on their faces and long gloves on their arms. Some are used to keep the pollution, exhaust out, but many use it to keep their bodies from tanning. Infact bleaching creams are very common here and white is the preferred colour. If they only knew what we would do to have some color on our skin. It is very common to see people walking around with no shoes, yes, even in the rain. Many also where a one toed sock so they can wear their flip-flops. I'm big on flip-flops and am desperately looking for a pair of these special socks. Maybe I can start a trend back home. It's also very common to see people wearing the special cone shaped traditional Vietnamese hats. They are everywhere. They are specially shaped so it covers their narrow shoulders and protects from the sun and rain. One thing we've noticed were people walking around in pajamas but it's not pajamas but rather traditonal Vietnamese clothing. They are sold everywhere and still worn by much of the population. Black electrical lines are everywhere. They are so dis-com-bobulated that we figure air traffic controllers have nothing on the suicide rate of these poor men they call upon to fix a cable. It's beyond belief and pictures will never do it justice. On our day trips and trip to Mui Ne we have noticed that they have rest stops everwhere. This is where you can buy a drink and sit in a lounge chair (always facing traffic so you can keep up with what is happening) or sleep in a hammock. Also there are always cows, bulls and oxen roaming near the shoulder of the roads, where many of the cyclists drive. As a whole population, they love their feet. They love touching their feet, walking around in bare feet. It's also common to see construction men working in no, not construction boots but bare feet or flip-flops. Brooms here are not the brooms that we use in Canada. They are made out of straw and bundled up. This is your common everyday broom. When it rains, everyone wears a poncho. If you don't have one, you can just stop by the side of the road and buy from one of the many vendors selling ponchos. Flowers and gardens are all around and they are impeccable. The flower arrangements are like nothing we've seen before and are literally works of art. They have the stinkiest fruit on this planet. It's called a Poly Jack Fruit and tastes just as bad as it smells. We have found that there are a few here that like to color their hair and that's pretty normal, right? Except for the men that also color their hair purple but only on the crown of their head. Perhaps it's a new fashion that hasn't hit Ottawa yet?? Toilet paper and napkins are at a premium here. Even in the hotel, you only get one roll at a time and have to call housekeeping if you need extra. In public bathrooms there are either no toilet paper or if you are fortunate, you may get 4 squares allotted to you by the Toilet Paper Monitor.

And these are just of the things we've noticed.

Saturday, July 25th - Monday, July 27th

Sorry for all the blog entries, but just trying to catch up. Scroll down for previous.

We spent a fabulous 3 days in what felt like heaven. We took a walk down the beach and came across some hard working Vietnamese rummaging through their catch of the day. They had those little round boats that you see in story books. We took quite a few pictures and will share. Again it was like going back in time. Every morning, we'd start off with a wonderful buffet breakfast...5 star the whole way. Believe it or not however, the coffee still wasn't good. Maybe the Vietnamese are not big on coffee or perhaps they like it light and cold. I'm not sure but that's one of the things I miss from home. Alex & Franca finally treated themselves to a massage and enjoyed it just as much I did. We met a family that had travelled throughout asia together. The wife was a dentist and was kind enough to take a good look at Portia and Reuben's teeth. She could see that Portia's love of Apple Juice has taken a bit of a toll. Needless to say, we've already had to pay big bucks for her teeth due to the lack of nutrition and sickness in the earlier stages of life. Reuben didn't want to show his pearly yellows so Portia got him laughing. The dentist could see that he was lacking fluoride and would need drops. We made the mistake last time. Many may think it's too early to bring a child to a dentist at 1 or 2 years, and infact Portia was about 2.5. She had to have alot of work done but much of the damage happened way before we came in picture. She had to get a few caps put on and told her it was "teeth jewellery" and that others would be jealous because they couldn't afford it. We apologyzed to her since we couldn't afford the gold or the diamonds. I kid you not, this is what we told her and she smiles proudly. Anyways, this time around, I'll be booking an appt. for Mr. Reuby, as soon as we land. Anyways, while in Mui Ne, we also met another wonderful, down-to-earth family while we were there. Their daughter Becka and Portia became instant good friends. Within hours they were walking hand in hand talking about favorite characters on their favorite shows. Lisa and Craig also had a 3 year old son that was absolutely adorable. They live in England so everything they said sounded so classy and intelligent. We shared some chuckles and even managed to have our last dinner out with them. We started off at an Italian restaurant called Good Morning Vietnam so the kids could eat while we enjoyed some drinks and pizza. It was like being in Italy. We ate there the night before and I tell you the food is absolutely delicious and their Tiramisu is one of the best I've had. Totally recommend it to any future travellers. After Good Morning Vietnam, we moved to an Indian restaurant right next door and our palates exploded. It was phenomenal! We tasted a bit of everything. Thank you Christine and Craig for sharing your food experiences with us. We had many different plates and shared amongst ourselves. I've never had such a good Indian meal. By the time we left, we had to roll down the street. Another experience Alex had was going to the bar with Portia and asking for a Coke Light (that is what they call Diet Coke) and within minutes he received a coconut. You could see how there could be a mix up and I tell you we had many such instances. Infact, Franca and Alex have had to become my interpreters since no one seems to understand a word I'm saying. Actually it works both ways. Franca always laughs when someone tries to talk to me, since she says I always give this dumb, lost look. It comes to me naturally. Also another thing, since we were sleeping in huts and lets face it, there and nooks and crannies, little geckos and friends would get into the huts. Franca told me she couldn't sleep well since she kept hearing things and was afraid a snake would come in. Of course, Alex was making fun of her but on the last night, he was like a baby. I was heading into bed and was about to turn off all the lights and he started begged me to keep some of the lights turned on. One of many stories I hold over his head.

Okay, so the Big Burper (driver) came back with a vengeance. A vengeance I tell you!! He came to pick us up at 7:30 am on Monday and within moments he started. Every time he burped, Franca and I had to look away from each other since the giggles would overcome us. Even Alex had to look away. As well, time and again, he would raise his hand and wave. We didn't know what he was doing or who he was waving to, but we took the time back to Ho Chi Minh to analyze the situation. After much thought and discussing the many different scenarios, it was a unanimous vote and we all finally agreed that his hand must of been going numb, due to constant honking (oh, yes, there are HUGE HONKERS here in Vietnam) and that he had to wave it around to shake some life back into his poor hand. Along the way, we saw an individual on a moped with a cage full of dogs. The driver explained in his broken english that they would be killed and eaten. I know it's hard to wrap your mind around these things, but you know there are countries out there that wouldn't even think about eating beef, let alone killing a cow, like India for instance. Anyways, it gives a new meaning to Hot Dogs, I know. We finally arrived 4 hours later. Apparently we took a short cut this time.

Within moments of arriving Alex was raring to go. We packed up and off we went to the Backpacker's area of Ho Chi Minh. Alex had a fitting, while Franca and I chose some some styles of clothing to have tailor made through one of their many extensive catalogues. I loved the whole experience and the costs were ridiculous. Depending on the material chosen, you could have a suit made for as little as $50 US. I know, it's beyond comprehension. You could tell these teeny, weeny women perhaps never came across a western girl before. They took one look at me and you could tell they were contemplating on getting a second measuring tape. After our fittings we walked around aimlessly and stumped upon a knockoff store where Alex did some damage. We also found and bought some Vietnam hand made articles which we stocked up on. We then decided to hit the Tax Centre again to stock up on more baby food for Reuben who is eating us out of the hotel, but not before stopping at the donut place. Heather, I have a fitting with the tailor on Wednesday so if doesn't go well, you will be held partly to blame for sharing your suggestion! LOL!! We ended the day at this amazing, did I say amazing, Chinese restaurant for dinner. They had about 3 people waiting on us. The manager, or we assume the manager, wore a name tag that said Captain. We thought that was very noble of him to take his job so seriously and wanted to ask if he ever met Captain Kirk. We received our plates lickety-split. The Saigon Beef Noodles, Barbequed Pork, and every other plate were delectable. The plates reminded me of the good foods that we had in China and only wish we had a restaurant like this back home. We came home and all passed out early. A full day but a good one.