ah...ma ma!

AT 6 months old, all he wants to do is crawl. He gets up on all 4's and makes monkey noises, and says mama! He sounds frustrated but that is nothing to the squacking he lets out if you try to stop the man!

What we do when Dylan is sleeping and we are alone!

Last night while we were waiting for our friends to come over for dinner. We had a few moments to ourselves.

Bailey quickly located the cheese platter. He is trying very hard not to be noticed.

But try as he might he is just a dog.

And he is up! That cheese really looks and smells great! Maybe just a taste, no one would notice.

Daddy did I ever tell you how much cheese means to me in my life. Cheese would make me a better person, I mean dog, I'd do anything for cheese. Cheese would complete me!

He's as sweet as tupelo honey...

What is everyone looking at?


Bailey helping to clean the baby!


Making dinner tonight my favorite Van Morrrison song came on. I scooped up my little man and we had our first slow dance in the kitchen. I was choked up because I remember dancing with my girls to this tune when they were babies. Claire was always "My Brown Eyed Girl", Em was my Tupelo Honey Girl. Life is such a sweet circle and I feel so incredibly joyous to be able to raise one more child. As I started to sing, Emily told Dylan, "Welcome to the crazy house, she dances too!"
Oh well, he is young enough.
Other observations today:
- As I was running to change the 4th major poopy diaper I stepped in dog vomit with bare feet, through my toes!
-One of the kids has atomic poops that clog up the toilet and have to be manually removed. Happened today as well. Lucky me!
-Someone has a book report due in 2 days and has 100 pages more to read. I almost encouraged lying to the teacher, but caught myself.
-Chris went to a job interview at 9am to find out it is for NEXT tuesday.
-My 100 dollar coffee pot exploded over the weekend.
But who cares because I have the cutest little boy in the world, who I love to hold and kiss. Did you check ou the thighs?

I am blessed!

I am blessed to have in my life wonderful friends, and family. Yesterday my good friends Rita and Judy threw us a beautiful shower. They put so much time and effort into it planning and decorating and COOKING! (The food was terrific and I am still full 1 day later.) Thank you everyone who was there, I am so lucky to have you all in my life. These woman are my friends AND their daughters and sons are friend with my girls. We all know each other through the grammer school, and our children, and through the years have become so close. I never worry about getting stuck and not being present when school lets out. One phone call and anyone will stand in for me.
It was a great time and Dylan was the life of the party. Claire got a new camera for her 9th birthday and took pictures of every detail. The kids and adults had a great time.
After the party Chris and I took a drive into a local town with lots of cafes and quaint charm. We got some coffee and sat on a bench to people watch. Dylan woke up in the sling, big smile on his face. He reached out and put his baby arms around my neck, hugging me with all his might. In the background a man was playing "Somewhere over the rainbow" on the violin. I look over at my sweet husband, with this little man nestled into me. I will never forget that moment. All the dreams that I have dared to dream, really have come true!

I know I am home because...

I am so home and I love it. Up all night with a poor baby who has his days and nights mixed up. Up all night with a stinky farting dog glued to our side! I don't mind, just need some sleep, just maybe an hour or 2. My husband could sleep through the apocolypse on a bed of needles. RIght now the kid who has been moaning all night was just put in his bouncer and is staring at me and crying, it is 5am. The happy calypso music coming from the rainforest bouncer should make us all happy right? Kind of like Pan skipping through the woodland forest, playing his flute, putting smiles on all the mythical creatures he charms, right? Yeah I know get some rest girl.

Okay the kid is happy now, he had a bottle, had a big bad diaper change, a book and is now scraping the netting on the pack and play! Must go soon, Emily is up for middle school. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Dylan has his first official Dr's appointment with vaccines!! Woo hoo!! The poor kid. I will be in the wardrobe looking for Narnia.

To the moon and back...HOME!

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Claire's new duds

Feeding baby brother

We decided Dylan needed a snuggle toy, we call them woobies, so he got two, one for each cheek. Thanks Aunt Jen for my Bumpo!
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Scary tired mom and her Mr America
Our good friend Judy
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Uncle Chris that "airport guy"

Auntie Jen

Dylans new passport and Citizenship!


I had a 2 hour window on Wednesday to get a flight home. Visas in hand at 4pm. cab to airport 5:30pm, then to Bangkok then to JFK, NY, and 26 hours later we landed on American soil! I only had time to send out emails to let everyone I would be home.
Chris my husband had to work so my buddy Chris D picked my sorry self and sweet happy kid up at the airport. My awesome friend and Dylans godmom was waiting at the house with the girls. I was happy inside to my core. Thes looked so sweet so beautiful, I love them with a pang in my heart. To see them with their brother was an answer to our prayers.
We rested, hung out, I took a fabulous shower, kiled the chin hair, while everyone played with Dylan. I took him to work where my friend Arnie checked him out and gave him a clean bill of health. We then went to babies are us where Jen spoled him some more. She bought him a bumpo seat and tray, a rear view mirror and lots of other cool stuff. Thank you Jenn, we love you.
Daddy was home at 6. THe good news is he has his son, and we re all fine, but sadly the home mortgage market sucks and he was just laid off today! What a day! HE left VN early to come back to work, go figure!
So in a nutshell that was our day. I kept the phone off because I really wanted to keep it low key, so I am sorry I didn't call everyone. I still feel like a 400 year old zombie. My back is screaming from carrying all the stuff and the cute kid. It is now 4am we have been up for 2 hours, had a meal, played and now here we still are! Bailey is curled up with us, I love that dog (who REALLY needs a bath).
Now life begins for real. Watching NY come into view from the airline window, I was telling Dylan about his family. "Dylan this is where we live. Today you are going to meet your sisters for the first time. They are going to love you and hold you and play with you all the time. Even when mommy is tired. They are never too busy to play, never bored of playing peekaboo. and can read the same bok over and over again. Their hearts are full of love..." This is when I became choked up, because I remember bringing each of them home. The story is always the same. Some of the charactors have changed. I know that I helped put the love in their hearts simply by loving them! This child completes our family gives us joy, has brought us all closer together. To watch the girls play with him marveling at every coo and smile brings their childhood flashing back to me. All the soft warm baby kisses, all sweetness and innocence...it all comes back. These kids are a product of their parents love for them, and they will pass it on. Emily, Claire and Dylan, mommy loves you, and always will, to the moom and back.

It's the simple things in life

Today we found coffee that you can get "to go". We were in heaven. Kari and I got a cappucino and a latte to go at this little place called Little Hanoi. The conainers were the kind that Dunkin donuts gives for cold drinks, but we did not care. To walk arround with a coffee was pure heaven, no matter that it was burning our hands.
I picked a teeshirt from the drawer that was clean soft and fresh, smelled like home. Made me happy. Made me pine for my washer and dryer. Dylan only likes 2 nipples. I wash those nipples to death, I love my dishwasher and local target store, where everything you need is just and easy scooter free drive to fulfill you every whim. Heck... I even miss Comcast and my car payments. I even miss shoprite on crazy crowed weekend before a major holiday...can I say it, I still don't miss work! Not the company, just the 12 hour shifts, when I miss going to work over being in Hanoi, you know it is bad.
I have scabies , yuck, I creamed myself up and tomorrow will boil my clothes (I still don't miss work). I have just a bubble on my knuckle, but I feel nasty and supercharged itchy. I may feel yucky for the rest of my life. Claire and I survived head lice so I guess a little bubble of scabies can be dealt with.
All in all The kid is worth everything. He is a gift from God that I cherish and am truely thankful for. I am blessed!
Now when you say I would cross a crowed street in Hanoi for you, it has a whole new meaning.

Tis is Dylans buddy Eylia. They are the same age. Dyaln stole the food!



Peek a boo!

Eylia shoping with cash in hand!

My little bowling ball of fun.

Someone is growing.

I noticed this after slinging him around for the past few days solo. I love to carry him, to never put him down, but my back is screaming. The heat is also like walking about in a steamroom. Sweat pours everywhere, and I feel cruel sweating all over this poor kid. Not to mention the diaper bag! He is always drenched in my sweat after our long walks. So I found the coolest 3 wheeled stroller for 28 dollars. It is very lightweight and durable. I can pick him and the stroller up when crossing the horrific streets, he seems to like it, I just bought it last night, like something snapped in my head or back! Other than having issues holding him all day, he is just wonderful, an sweet easy baby. I tok him to the art museum, he was fun. He loved loking at all the colors. There were guides and small groups having serious discussions about art history, painterly style, function and form. Our take on fine art,
"Dylan look at the fish, fish, fish, fishy face, are you my little fishy face. OH LOOK a pretty purple water buffalo, oh we love big stong buffalos," and on and on...




Our balcony and view

Our new stroller...

There is a child in this bubble playing

Swan boats

Check out these crutches Chris D. Bet they are a ton of fun to size up. See how easy you have it. I wonder if they come with instructions not to use them on stairs?

I Carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart) ee cummings

Today Chris left for home. We were both crying like small children, our parting was like a lifetime drama. As the cab pulled away I felt so alone. My heart was aching. To part over 9000 miles away from home is hard. I know I will see him within 1 week, but he is my best friend. He is the one who makes me laugh until I can't stand up, the one who hears all my secrets and fears and loves me no matter what. We had this poem as one of our wedding readings because we loved it. When you have kids the entire meaning of these words changes. It becomes more real. "The wonder that keeps the stars apart"...I see it every day when Dylan's little face looks up and smiles at me.

Dylan's hat is evidence that we have been watching the Discovery channel 24/7 for almost 2 weeks(only channel working!) Kid vs the Wild Streets of Hanoi! Can cross the roads while balanced in a sling, living on bottles of formula only, sleeping in a crib! One tough dude, one cool hat!


It really is wonderful to see Chris as a father to his son. He has a fear of poopie diapers, and Dylan prefers me for night time bottles (thanks kid, what did your dad teach you when I went shopping?). Chris also can play with Dylan, hold him, and rock him to sleep for hours. He did not put him down for last past few days.

So Chris be careful, be safe. We carry your heart with us, we carry it in our hearts. Your love has made us complete!

15 pounds of perfection.

Dylan had his clinic appointment to get cleared for his visa. He is 15 pounds, ad 64 cm long. The Md there loved him (he is charmng with the ladies). He does have a left ear infection which explains the vomiting and a mild wheeze. So he is now on some meds. This could also be why he has been so fussy at night. Poor man. he had some new tricks. He has this moose toy, and when you say kiss the moose he does and then cracks up. he is now on his tummy singing to his moose and firefly! Such an easy kid to please, effortless to love unconditionally with all your heart.




We were clipped today crossing the street by a teen girl on a bike. She ran into my leg and arm and narrowly missed Dylans head! I of course yelled at her and then burst into tears. I mean the traffic is crazy. All the scooters on my right thundering down the road and she is going straight into the mess from my left. This is the only thing I hate about Hanoi.


Dylan can scoot across the bed, he lifts u his but, and then propels himself forward on his face. We call him the bulldozer.




Chris is leaving tomorrow. I feel lonely already. I enjoy my best friend. We are waiting to hear form the Us gov. From 12-3 we are sent to our rooms to wait for the call.