What's with all that honking???

We're in Asia....We're in Asia....I still can't believe we have traveled to the other side of the world!! Me...who gets nervous just going camping in New Hampshire...is in Asia. Unbelievable!!

Can I just say that everyone in Hanoi looooves to 'honk the horn' I've never heard sooo many horns in my life, good Lord!! We made it...22 hours and a few sedatives later, we're finally here. The flights weren't too bad at all and I HATE to fly. We almost missed our connecting flight from Seoul, Korea to Vietnam because I couldn't drag Chrisfeeney away from the pork dumplings at the food court in the airport!

We had a really fun day...we walked around the lake and all the little shops in the Old Quarter. We also went to a restaurant called Mediterraneo for a drink and ended up talking to the manager for a while. She was from Australia, but has lived in Vietnam for 15 years now. She recommended some jewelry stores and other shops for us to visit. She was awesome. Our G&R ceremony is scheduled for Monday. So we have one more day to run around as a twosome before we become a threesome.

A girl can never have enough pairs of knickers!!

Knickers...underwear...whatever you call your undergarments...I'm panicking that I don't have enough. Am I crazy or what??? I think this adoption process has finally caused me to go mad!!! You would think that with all that I have to do in the next couple of days, I would stop obsessing over something so silly.
Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know that we will be leaving Thursday for Vietnam. We are flying Korean Air from Dulles International to Seoul, Korea and then on to Hanoi, Vietnam. Not looking forward to the long flight... but I can finally see the light at the end of this long, dark tunnel and I am going to bask in the sunlight that is baby Maeve! Wooohoooo!!!!

Time to pack!!

We have finally received approval from the U.S. embassy to travel to Vietnam to meet baby F. I suppose it's time we stop referring to her as baby F. We certainly don't want her to think her parents are freaks!!!! Of course, I've been called Chook my entire life and well...I call Chris by his first and last name, Chrisfeeney, so I suppose if we did continue to call her baby F, it wouldn't be that unusual....my God, we are freaks!

I'm just kidding, we do have a beautiful name picked out for baby F. We are going to call her Maeve. It's a Gaelic name that means 'intoxicating' and it's pronounced (Mayv). The name really is perfect for her...she really is intoxicating, I swear every time I look at her picture I get a buzz!! Not sure yet when we're traveling, I'll let you know when we find out.

The realization that we are actually going to bring Maeve home is a little overwhelming. I can't even describe it. I'm serious, I mean....I've never been able to find a word that has come close to describing the sadness I felt when I lost my twins. There just isn't one. And now, I can't find a word to describe how truly happy I feel to become Maeve's mommy. So, I won't even try and I'm rarely at a loss for words....
I would like to share a letter that I received from my friend Andria. Andria is mommy to Sarah, who is an angel in heaven with my twins, and to Caroline, who will get to enjoy lots of playdates with her BFF Maeve! This letter is beautiful and means so much to me. It's a source of inspiration that has helped me keep the past and future connected...to keep my children connected...which is so very important to me!

Dear Chook,
Although we have only been close friends for a little over a year now, it seems as if I have known you forever. We are members of a club no one wants to be part of, yet through this club I have met some of the most wonderful, loving, and deserving women.
Know I think of you, Margaret & Catherine ( and Chrisfeeney, of course!) every single day. I know your angels are giving you a precious gift...searching for and finding the most perfect sibling out there! Maeve is that priceless gift for your family, and the comfort of your loving family is a priceless gift for Maeve.
Maeve will be loved, spoiled and appreciated more than most people will ever realize nor understand. She will bring hope back into your lives, give you comfort, and will show the world what a wonderful mother you are - something I witnessed the day we met at the Olive Garden for our first dinner. Margaret, Catherine and Maeve are so very lucky to be able to call you their Mommy!
I am so proud of you, Chook. Your strength, courage, and loving ways are incredibly obvious in everything you do. I am so lucky and honored to be your friend! I look forward to sharing this next chapter of your life with you. I love you!
Love, Andria