We slept in on Friday morning and went to breakfast around 9:30 AM. As we got off the elevator, we were greeted with shouts of joy, “The G&R is today at 3:00 PM.” At last, the People’s Committee had given its approval and Thao, quite possibly with Mrs Hai’s assistance, had worked magic with the Justice Department so that the G&R could still be scheduled on Friday. Not only had Thao been able to get the G&R set up, but she also convinced the local passport office to stay open past its holiday closing time so we could process the babies’ passport requests, which would greatly cut down the number of days we would have to remain in Vietnam.
Obviously, we were all thrilled at this new development and enjoyed breakfast that morning immensley. Thao had dispatched the minivan to pick up the babies and caregivers from the orphanage and they were due to arrive at the hotel at noon. We spent the remainder of the morning getting ready, making sure we had all the necessary items to care for Alyssa.
Promptly at noon, the van arrived at the hotel and Alyssa and her caregiver got our. It was wonderful to realize that she would soon be ours forever and that we wouldn’t have to say goodby to her at the orphanage, even if it were only for a couple more days. Alyssa and her caregiver, Nyat, came up to the room, where we were able to spend a few minutes together before Alyssa had to go with Nyat to have her passport photos taken. They returned in about an hour and then relaxed with us in the hotel room until it was time for the G&R.
The G&R was held in the local Department of Justice building, just a five minute drive from the hotel. We all climbed into the minivan, very excited to be taking this big step. The ceremony was held in an official looking room (see the picture below), but it didn’t last very long. An official from the Justice Department spoke for just a few minutes, explaining to the adoptive parents what a great responsibility they were taking on, asking them to always remind their children that they were born in Vietnam and requesting that the children be given every opportunity to learn about Vietnam and the culture of the country of their birth. Then, the parents signed a document and the ceremony was completed.
We waited in the ceremony room for 45 minutes while more documents were prepared and then hustled to the Security Department to apply for the babies’ Vietnamese passports. The office, with Thao’s urging, had stayed open past its holiday three o’clock closing time just for us and it was now close to four so we were pushing our luck in getting the passport applications processed before the long holiday. The Security Department was only a few minutes drive and was still open when we got there. After another 30 minute wait during which we signed more documents, the passport applications were complete and we were able to return to the hotel.
We took Alyssa to our room, laid her in the bed and had a wonderful time playing with her, knowing that she was now officially part of our family. Although the orphanage director had given us Alyssa’s feeding and sleep schedule, we weren’t quite sure what to expect on that first night. Everything would be so strange for Alyssa — new surroundings, different sounds and voices, a new bed, an air conditioned room, no other babies crying — that we were sure it would be hard for her to sleep. We couldn’t have been more wrong. She took some bottle around 10 PM and slept soundly until around 5 AM when she drank a little more bottle and went back to sleep for a few more hours. We certainly hoped that every night would be like, but we can only wait and see.
Sunday night seems to be the time when I catch up on your activities. Let us know, when you can, where you are in the process of leaving Vietnam. And say hi to Jessie!
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