Recap of Giving and Receiving Day

Hello,

Here's the recap of Monday - our Giving and Receiving day.

We were told the G&R would be late Monday or Tuesday, then suddenly at 8:15 we get a call that is it in the morning and we must meet by 9:00 to get the bus to Bac Ninh. For all the couples absolute panic as nobody was ready and showered!So mad rush to get going and get out. We arrive in Bac Ninh only to be told the G&R will now be at 4:00 but we can go and visit the babies. We visit for 1 1/2 hrs and are then told the ceremony is at 3:00 and we should go and have some lunch. (we just want our babies). We have lunch and then return to wait in the orphanage courtyard for 1 hr and then are told it will be at 4:00, so we wait another hour!

Finally it is almost time and we load onto our tiny 12 pax van and head to the provincial buildings. We wait and wait and finally the babies arrive at 4:30.The ceremony went very well and we were last called up, all the couples took pictures for each other. Emily fell asleep in my arms on the bus ride home, she was wonderful. All the babies pretty much fell asleep, lots of stress for them. We got back to the hotel about 7pm and gave her the bottle they gave us, then changed her diaper (first one) then put on her Canucks sleeper and Daddy did storytime. We all cuddled and rocked and cuddled and walked and she was out like a light, didn't like the crib so we placed her in the middle of one of the beds.

We all got about 2 hrs sleep then she woke up hungry about midnight, so checked the diaper it was dry and made up our first bottle. Very nervous - will she eat the formula ... is it too hot ... put it in the mini bar fridge to cool down! She took the bottle very well with just a few spitty coughs. The swaddled and back to bed except now I couldn't sleep. I kept listening for her breathing (in between hearing Daddy snore... I think she likes that sound!). Poor thing has quite the body rash going (likely very dry skin) so we will moisturize her!

I'll post more pics later tonight after she goes to bed - I hope!
We're loving parenthood and just starting to realize how much time one little girl takes up ... and here in the hotel I don't do laundry etc. When we go downstairs for breakfast in the morning one of the restaurant staff is kind enough to hold Emily for 20minutes while we eat ... that won't happen at home! They are treating us like royalty here, I hightly recommend the Hanoi Elegance 4 Hotel to anyone coming here, it's in the Old Quarter.

bye for now,
ruthie