Today, we had brunch with our travel group -- the first time we've all been together since Hanoi -- and with two families who recently returned with their new daughters.
It was great to see how the four kids have grown since August. Everyone's bigger with fuller heads of hair -- yes, good nutrition works wonders. The three formerly floppy babies are crawling and incredibly mobile. Everyone commented on how big Owen's getting and how much he's changed.
We posed the kids for a group photo just like the one we took on the couch in the lobby of the Somerset Grand in Hanoi. (Of course, we forgot our camera, so I hope I can get a photo from one of the other parents to post here.)
We also watched a short video that one of the dads put together from his trip footage. We all had cameos in it, and of course we all started groaning at the G&R footage, remembering how hot it was that day. Dan chose the most relaxing, soft music for the background, and we had to laugh at how that changed the tenor of the video, since we remember how hectic and stressed parts of the trip were (and don't get us started when the Halong Bay footage came on-screen). But it was so sweet, we were all wiping tears away by the end. Puts my little memory book that I made for Owen to shame -- I wish we had taken more video. Dan did it all with a Flip camera, and it looked terrific.
It was hard to find a weekend when all four families were in town, so I don't know when we'll all get together again, but we talked about an annual photo, on a couch somewhere, with all the kids in a line (Owen on the far right).
Showing posts with label at home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label at home. Show all posts
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Owen's Americanization: Part 1 -- Halloween
Part 1: Halloween
Okay, first off, we never did get him back in the pug costume. I got a larger size at Target, but no dice. He threw a fit the one time I was able to wrestle it back on him, and from then on, whenever I picked it up, he'd run. So for Halloween, we put him in his Redskins jacket and called it a costume.
I know, lame.
It's not like he didn't have a lot of Halloween activities to attend and opportunities to see kids in costumes. But he just wasn't feeling it this year. Maybe next year.
In addition to the Smith-Tucker 10th Annual Punkin Hunt -- a terrific day in a setting that surpassed Cox Farms -- Owen attended the Town of Vienna Annual Halloween Parade and spent Halloween night in Vienna, trick or treating and answering the door.
Despite the cold, he loved the parade, especially the firetrucks and Bolivian and Chilean dance troupes. He was jumping up and down in my arms, bopping to the music. A few of the floats were Halloween-themed, and he would say, "Pumpkin! Pumpkin!" when they passed.
On Halloween night, he helped Dad string up some Halloween lights on the porch, which showed us that Christmas is going to be a blast. Also that I will need to put a chain-link fence around the Christmas tree.
He picked up on trick-or-treating pretty quickly. He almost got the phrase down, and he liked knocking on doors. One of us would take him to 2 or 3 houses on Ray's block, then come back to hang at the house some and answer the door. Every time we got back, Owen would take his candy out of his bag and put it in a line on the edge of a chair.
He ate way too much, but hey, it was his first Halloween. He was up at 11 p.m., running around the house, crazed on the sugar and chocolate, but hey, isn't that what Halloween is all about?
Okay, first off, we never did get him back in the pug costume. I got a larger size at Target, but no dice. He threw a fit the one time I was able to wrestle it back on him, and from then on, whenever I picked it up, he'd run. So for Halloween, we put him in his Redskins jacket and called it a costume.
I know, lame.
It's not like he didn't have a lot of Halloween activities to attend and opportunities to see kids in costumes. But he just wasn't feeling it this year. Maybe next year.
In addition to the Smith-Tucker 10th Annual Punkin Hunt -- a terrific day in a setting that surpassed Cox Farms -- Owen attended the Town of Vienna Annual Halloween Parade and spent Halloween night in Vienna, trick or treating and answering the door.
Despite the cold, he loved the parade, especially the firetrucks and Bolivian and Chilean dance troupes. He was jumping up and down in my arms, bopping to the music. A few of the floats were Halloween-themed, and he would say, "Pumpkin! Pumpkin!" when they passed.
On Halloween night, he helped Dad string up some Halloween lights on the porch, which showed us that Christmas is going to be a blast. Also that I will need to put a chain-link fence around the Christmas tree.
He picked up on trick-or-treating pretty quickly. He almost got the phrase down, and he liked knocking on doors. One of us would take him to 2 or 3 houses on Ray's block, then come back to hang at the house some and answer the door. Every time we got back, Owen would take his candy out of his bag and put it in a line on the edge of a chair.
He ate way too much, but hey, it was his first Halloween. He was up at 11 p.m., running around the house, crazed on the sugar and chocolate, but hey, isn't that what Halloween is all about?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Bye-Bye Bling
There was a momentous event in our home last week.
Owen's little bracelet came off.
I was peeling him out of his getting-snugger-by-the-minute footie pj's when the bracelet popped right off and rolled across the floor.
Uh-oh, I gulped. We're not sure about the bracelet's origin, but he had it on in every photo and video we received of Owen, starting with the photos taken within days of his arrival at the Ham Tan orphanage. (You can see it in this photo that we received in March.) We believe his birthmother put it on him, and we hadn't intended to take it off until we had to cut it off.
And the only time he's bitten me in anger was when I once tried to close the hinge, and he thought I was trying to take it off.
So I quickly picked it up and slipped it back on his hand. But then he started fussing and trying to push it off. I took it off and left it on the floor within easy reach, in case he wanted to put it back on later. But he hasn't gone near it, he's shown no interest in it, he seems to have forgotten all about it.
I guess that means he's home.
Owen's little bracelet came off.
I was peeling him out of his getting-snugger-by-the-minute footie pj's when the bracelet popped right off and rolled across the floor.
Uh-oh, I gulped. We're not sure about the bracelet's origin, but he had it on in every photo and video we received of Owen, starting with the photos taken within days of his arrival at the Ham Tan orphanage. (You can see it in this photo that we received in March.) We believe his birthmother put it on him, and we hadn't intended to take it off until we had to cut it off.
And the only time he's bitten me in anger was when I once tried to close the hinge, and he thought I was trying to take it off.
So I quickly picked it up and slipped it back on his hand. But then he started fussing and trying to push it off. I took it off and left it on the floor within easy reach, in case he wanted to put it back on later. But he hasn't gone near it, he's shown no interest in it, he seems to have forgotten all about it.
I guess that means he's home.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
More on the Name and the Likes
Dad too thinks Owen is doing great. He certainly loves his Mom and jumps in her arms all of the time. I get my fair share as well. We have a very happy family.
As Bonnie mentioned (also here), we had a short list of American names and wanted to meet him before picking one. It wasn't like we walked into the orphanage and decided. His personality had to come out a bit and he had to become more attached to us. So in the days after the Giving and Receiving as he become more relaxed then he seemed like an Owen.
There is also a tradition in my family, my Dad says it is good Irish luck, to have initials that are a word. So my brothers and sisters are: PAD, LAD, DED, GMD, ADD and TAD. So Owen Loc Daly is right at home.
Owen likes remote controls of any sort. Like most households we have about a dozen and just got some more with the addition of FIOS for phone, tv and internet. So the remotes that we leave readily available are for equipment we don't use or have had their batteries removed. We're hoping that his favorite will be one from this group and not the Tivo.
He also likes our laptops. We've taught him to be more careful around these costly machines but he still likes to hit keys. So his first computer program, "Giggles Baby - ABC's and 123's", is a minor hit. He can see something happen on the screen because he hits a key. But expecting a "baby" to recognize that pressing the "G" key produces the letter "G" on the screen is a big stretch. A better program would be the "Baby Hit Any Key".
American fruit is also a big like for him. Owen will try almost any kind of food which is great. Though our notes from the orphanage said that he didn't like fruit, our experience is much different. In Vietnam he loved all of the dragon fruit, Vietnamese cherries and other local fruits we gave him. Coming home from the grocery story, he scarfed down blueberries, though he is less fond of them now. I think his favorite are seedless, white grapes. He smiles just pulling one out of the bunch. Fresh peaches have been all over his face. And sometimes watermelon. So glad he got to the States in August while all these fruits are in season.
We knew with ice cream that he likes sweets. So yesterday I snuck him two miniature oatmeal raisin cookies from the top of the fridge. Later in the day we are in another room of the house and he wanted to go out - the usual of tapping me on the chest and pointing. So I walk out of the room and put him down. Off he runs into the kitchen. He goes right to the fridge and points up. Mom wonders what he is pointing at. "Owen, do you want this kitchen magnet?" Nope. The secret was out and the smart little boy got a couple more cookies.
He'll probably wake up here in a few minutes, it is about 8:00 am, and want to go outside. So I better go get my shoes on.
As Bonnie mentioned (also here), we had a short list of American names and wanted to meet him before picking one. It wasn't like we walked into the orphanage and decided. His personality had to come out a bit and he had to become more attached to us. So in the days after the Giving and Receiving as he become more relaxed then he seemed like an Owen.
There is also a tradition in my family, my Dad says it is good Irish luck, to have initials that are a word. So my brothers and sisters are: PAD, LAD, DED, GMD, ADD and TAD. So Owen Loc Daly is right at home.
Owen likes remote controls of any sort. Like most households we have about a dozen and just got some more with the addition of FIOS for phone, tv and internet. So the remotes that we leave readily available are for equipment we don't use or have had their batteries removed. We're hoping that his favorite will be one from this group and not the Tivo.
He also likes our laptops. We've taught him to be more careful around these costly machines but he still likes to hit keys. So his first computer program, "Giggles Baby - ABC's and 123's", is a minor hit. He can see something happen on the screen because he hits a key. But expecting a "baby" to recognize that pressing the "G" key produces the letter "G" on the screen is a big stretch. A better program would be the "Baby Hit Any Key".
American fruit is also a big like for him. Owen will try almost any kind of food which is great. Though our notes from the orphanage said that he didn't like fruit, our experience is much different. In Vietnam he loved all of the dragon fruit, Vietnamese cherries and other local fruits we gave him. Coming home from the grocery story, he scarfed down blueberries, though he is less fond of them now. I think his favorite are seedless, white grapes. He smiles just pulling one out of the bunch. Fresh peaches have been all over his face. And sometimes watermelon. So glad he got to the States in August while all these fruits are in season.
We knew with ice cream that he likes sweets. So yesterday I snuck him two miniature oatmeal raisin cookies from the top of the fridge. Later in the day we are in another room of the house and he wanted to go out - the usual of tapping me on the chest and pointing. So I walk out of the room and put him down. Off he runs into the kitchen. He goes right to the fridge and points up. Mom wonders what he is pointing at. "Owen, do you want this kitchen magnet?" Nope. The secret was out and the smart little boy got a couple more cookies.
He'll probably wake up here in a few minutes, it is about 8:00 am, and want to go outside. So I better go get my shoes on.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Ow! Plus: The Trader Joe's Celebrity
Owen had his first pediatrician appointment today. He did really well. Okay, he cried a lot, but he was very cooperative during his exam, and considering he had three vials of blood drawn and three shots, he really weathered it like a champ. No need for the papoose during the needle portion -- we had a great nurse who drew blood with such skill that he never even flinched when the needle went in.
We'll get results next week. They're going to re-run all his known Vietnamese tests as well as check to see if he was ever immunized for anything. Then we'll know what we're dealing with and go from there. But the doctor, herself an adoptive mom who now specializes in adoption medicine, said he looked great. We're just keeping our fingers crossed on the bloodwork.
Then we went to Trader Joe's to stock up on provisions, and it was like we were back in Vietnam, drawing attention with our handsome little guy. We haven't gotten this kind of reaction at my local Giant, but we had a couple people come up to us and ooh and ahh over Owen and politely acknowledge our status as adoptive parents.
But it was kind of funny. Owen and Dad had selected a snack, some white cheddar "Buried Treasure" (cheese-flavored corn puffs), and Owen was holding the bag and trying to get into it when one of the admirers pulled her cart next to us.
She cooed over how adorable Owen is, but asked him archly, "What's that you've got there? That's not really a very healthy snack for you, you know."
WTF? We just smiled and nodded. Of course, I never think of anything to say at the moment, but I wish I'd said something like, "'Oh yeah, lady? Well, a couple weeks ago, he was eating food off a Vietnamese orphanage FLOOR, so let him have his damn cheesy puffs. Oh, and MYOB."
Trader Joe's Buried Treasure have no trans fats, only 1 g of sugar per serving, and 3 g of protein. And Owen scarfed them down on the ride home.
We'll get results next week. They're going to re-run all his known Vietnamese tests as well as check to see if he was ever immunized for anything. Then we'll know what we're dealing with and go from there. But the doctor, herself an adoptive mom who now specializes in adoption medicine, said he looked great. We're just keeping our fingers crossed on the bloodwork.
Then we went to Trader Joe's to stock up on provisions, and it was like we were back in Vietnam, drawing attention with our handsome little guy. We haven't gotten this kind of reaction at my local Giant, but we had a couple people come up to us and ooh and ahh over Owen and politely acknowledge our status as adoptive parents.
But it was kind of funny. Owen and Dad had selected a snack, some white cheddar "Buried Treasure" (cheese-flavored corn puffs), and Owen was holding the bag and trying to get into it when one of the admirers pulled her cart next to us.
She cooed over how adorable Owen is, but asked him archly, "What's that you've got there? That's not really a very healthy snack for you, you know."
WTF? We just smiled and nodded. Of course, I never think of anything to say at the moment, but I wish I'd said something like, "'Oh yeah, lady? Well, a couple weeks ago, he was eating food off a Vietnamese orphanage FLOOR, so let him have his damn cheesy puffs. Oh, and MYOB."
Trader Joe's Buried Treasure have no trans fats, only 1 g of sugar per serving, and 3 g of protein. And Owen scarfed them down on the ride home.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Toddler Adoption Rocks
We've been home for a week and two days. In some ways, it feels like we just got back; in other ways, it feels like we left Vietnam a month ago. Our days are so chock-full.
Owen is doing great. He's a different kid every day, getting more and more comfortable with his surroundings and with us.
In the past week, he's:
- Had his first Maryland blue crabs -- but perhaps not his first crabs. He was sucking meat out of cracked claws like he'd been doing it all his life.
- Learned to blow kisses. Grandma was a goner on that one.
- Visited Norm's Beer & Wine, where his parents found Tiger Beer, which they enjoyed so much in Vietnam, and he enjoyed his first Old Dominion Brewery product (don't worry -- root beer).
- Been to Target -- three times.
- Started sleeping more through the night and having fewer night terrors.
- Learned to love bath time.
- Started playing jokes on Mom, like jumping out from behind the car, or offering a bit of food and then pulling his hand away at the last second.
I'm learning to live with food on my clothing at all times, constant backache from picking him up and putting him down 367 times a day, and very little sleep, but I wouldn't have it any other way. There are times when I'm positively giddy with happiness.
I can't believe I was ever concerned about adopting a toddler instead of an infant -- you get to so much good stuff right away. I love watching him figure something out, even if it's how to get into something he shouldn't be getting into or how to work the Tivo remote. I love hearing him pick up new words -- he got "moon" right away last night. I love how he threads his arm through mine when I pick him up. He laughs a lot, and it's the best sound ever.
He's come such a long ways from the frightened little boy he was just a few weeks ago. He hardly seems like the same kid.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Got the Pronunciation!
BIG thank-you to Titi! She helped me learn to finally pronounce "Loc" correctly today. Now, I can say it, and Owen Loc gets a huge smile on his face and laughs at me. It's so cool. Before, he wouldn't recognize my botched pronunciation at all.
Owen had his first playdate today, with Danny Phi and Brian, and moms Titi and Cilla. Then we all went to lunch at Udupi Palace, where Owen chowed down on Indian food. He had a great time on the playground equipment, but it was a big day with a lot of new faces. He slept most of the afternoon, and then watched the Olympics opening ceremonies with us. He started singing during the Chinese national anthem. He didn't actually sing the anthem itself-- that would have been wild -- but just his own song. Who knows, maybe it was his national anthem.
While I want to keep getting Owen used to his own name, now I want to call him Loc as much as I can so I retain the pronunciation, and to see that little smile. I hope I'm not confusing him! I've tried using "Owen Loc" all afternoon.
Owen had his first playdate today, with Danny Phi and Brian, and moms Titi and Cilla. Then we all went to lunch at Udupi Palace, where Owen chowed down on Indian food. He had a great time on the playground equipment, but it was a big day with a lot of new faces. He slept most of the afternoon, and then watched the Olympics opening ceremonies with us. He started singing during the Chinese national anthem. He didn't actually sing the anthem itself-- that would have been wild -- but just his own song. Who knows, maybe it was his national anthem.
While I want to keep getting Owen used to his own name, now I want to call him Loc as much as I can so I retain the pronunciation, and to see that little smile. I hope I'm not confusing him! I've tried using "Owen Loc" all afternoon.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
It's Sunny in Mommyland
Last night went MUCH better, and today has been an absolute delight. We did a couple things to help with Owen's transition.
We kept the lights on in his room all night. He slept in there part of the night, part of the night with one of us holding him, but at least he slept, with no screaming hysterics. He was still up from 2 to 4 having dinner, but it was a vast improvement over the past two nights. He didn't get up till 8:15 this morning.
We kept things low-key today. We left the house a couple times, but didn't have any visitors or otherwise intense situations. Okay, we did take him to Toys 'R Us, which he LOVED. Grandma and Pop-Pop, head's up. We were desperate; he's obsessed with phones and has figured out how to get various sounds by pushing buttons on my cell (he called Aunt Gail today) and the land-line. And once he gets one in his hand, you can't get it away from him, so we went out and got him a Fischer-Price toy one that does the alphabet and counting and songs.
But all in all, today was a great day. He was a happy, affectionate kid today, with a good appetite. He took a long bath and loved playing with his bath toys. He was charming and well-behaved and just wonderful all day, and went to be at his pre-trip bedtime of 7:30.
I'm trying to decide about continuing this blog, which I started primarily to document the adoption process and trip. I don't want it to degenerate into "Owen did the cutest thing today...." zzzzzz. ALL kids are cute, and it seems self-indulgent if that's what it starts being.
But I do want to keep writing about the transition, and I have some things I want to write about Vietnam and what an amazing experience it was to be there. So, we'll see. Maybe the blog will evolve into something else when I've wrapped up those two threads.
Or maybe I'll just be a typical smitten and besotted mom and fill up the blogosphere with posts on "Owen did the cutest thing today"....
We kept the lights on in his room all night. He slept in there part of the night, part of the night with one of us holding him, but at least he slept, with no screaming hysterics. He was still up from 2 to 4 having dinner, but it was a vast improvement over the past two nights. He didn't get up till 8:15 this morning.
We kept things low-key today. We left the house a couple times, but didn't have any visitors or otherwise intense situations. Okay, we did take him to Toys 'R Us, which he LOVED. Grandma and Pop-Pop, head's up. We were desperate; he's obsessed with phones and has figured out how to get various sounds by pushing buttons on my cell (he called Aunt Gail today) and the land-line. And once he gets one in his hand, you can't get it away from him, so we went out and got him a Fischer-Price toy one that does the alphabet and counting and songs.
But all in all, today was a great day. He was a happy, affectionate kid today, with a good appetite. He took a long bath and loved playing with his bath toys. He was charming and well-behaved and just wonderful all day, and went to be at his pre-trip bedtime of 7:30.
I'm trying to decide about continuing this blog, which I started primarily to document the adoption process and trip. I don't want it to degenerate into "Owen did the cutest thing today...." zzzzzz. ALL kids are cute, and it seems self-indulgent if that's what it starts being.
But I do want to keep writing about the transition, and I have some things I want to write about Vietnam and what an amazing experience it was to be there. So, we'll see. Maybe the blog will evolve into something else when I've wrapped up those two threads.
Or maybe I'll just be a typical smitten and besotted mom and fill up the blogosphere with posts on "Owen did the cutest thing today"....
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Rocky Start
We're still sleepwalking. The jet lag is pretty awful. We've had only a couple hours of sleep the past two nights. Owen Loc is really struggling with his new environment, so many new faces, and his own jet lag. The first night home was tough, but last night he pulled an all-nighter of terrified screaming with some sleep but only on our laps, plus a 3 a.m. binge-eating session.
I know we're asking a lot of the little guy, and we've probably overdone it with introducing him to his new family, but we've also come to hypothesize that he's terrified of the dark. Our hotel room in Phan Thiet was all teak and poorly lit, and he was frightened every time we set foot in there. He did much better in Saigon and Hanoi. Here at home, it's a lot darker than the hotel rooms we were staying in with all the city ambient light. Last night, he was screaming and signaling to me to take him outside, and when I opened the blinds to show him it was nighttime and not a good idea, he visibly flinched at the dark.
So tonight we tried putting him to bed with all the lights on in his room, instead of just a nightlight, and he didn't go into convulsions when his head hit the pillow. Of course, that was only 15 minutes ago. Last night, we got a whole 20 minutes out of him sleeping in his room before we had to give up and take turns holding him while he slept.
So, we're dead tired but having fun. Thanks to the required classes we had to take before adopting and all the reading we've done, and all the other adoptive families we've met who shared their own homecoming tales with us, we were prepared for rough days. In many ways, it's better than we expected, because when he's rested and well-fed (and his appetite is definitely improving), he's a complete joy. He's a very happy, very active little boy who will run into my arms and give me a kiss. He loves playing in the water, and taking toys or blocks out of a container and putting them back in. Tonight he helped me put all the bottles that had accumulated into the recycle bin. He's even getting used to the car seat, and he spent a good portion of today without shoes on -- a major accomplishment, since shoes are one of his comfort items.
Ray uploaded all of his photos today -- all 1500 of them. We promise we'll do some editing before sharing the link. There are some great ones there that really capture what Vietnam is like.
While I happy to be drinking drinks with ice again, and I had a cheeseburger on the grill last night that tasted like heaven, I am missing the food in Vietnam. It's just amazing.
I'm hoping for an easier night and a happier day tomorrow. We're being patient and trying to help Owen through this rough time. We get enough smiles from him to get us through this patch.
I know we're asking a lot of the little guy, and we've probably overdone it with introducing him to his new family, but we've also come to hypothesize that he's terrified of the dark. Our hotel room in Phan Thiet was all teak and poorly lit, and he was frightened every time we set foot in there. He did much better in Saigon and Hanoi. Here at home, it's a lot darker than the hotel rooms we were staying in with all the city ambient light. Last night, he was screaming and signaling to me to take him outside, and when I opened the blinds to show him it was nighttime and not a good idea, he visibly flinched at the dark.
So tonight we tried putting him to bed with all the lights on in his room, instead of just a nightlight, and he didn't go into convulsions when his head hit the pillow. Of course, that was only 15 minutes ago. Last night, we got a whole 20 minutes out of him sleeping in his room before we had to give up and take turns holding him while he slept.
So, we're dead tired but having fun. Thanks to the required classes we had to take before adopting and all the reading we've done, and all the other adoptive families we've met who shared their own homecoming tales with us, we were prepared for rough days. In many ways, it's better than we expected, because when he's rested and well-fed (and his appetite is definitely improving), he's a complete joy. He's a very happy, very active little boy who will run into my arms and give me a kiss. He loves playing in the water, and taking toys or blocks out of a container and putting them back in. Tonight he helped me put all the bottles that had accumulated into the recycle bin. He's even getting used to the car seat, and he spent a good portion of today without shoes on -- a major accomplishment, since shoes are one of his comfort items.
Ray uploaded all of his photos today -- all 1500 of them. We promise we'll do some editing before sharing the link. There are some great ones there that really capture what Vietnam is like.
While I happy to be drinking drinks with ice again, and I had a cheeseburger on the grill last night that tasted like heaven, I am missing the food in Vietnam. It's just amazing.
I'm hoping for an easier night and a happier day tomorrow. We're being patient and trying to help Owen through this rough time. We get enough smiles from him to get us through this patch.
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