Rainy, lazy days....

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Hello again from Ho Chi Minh. We made it back to the city last night around dinner time and we are settled into our room at the Rex Hotel. The drive went very well-Sarah and the other children all did extremely well. You can tell the kids were all on a pretty consistent routine as they eat and nap at consistent times. Thus the drive was either a bit active or very quiet as most were awake/sleeping at the same time. Sarah was fabulous on the 7 hour bus ride (hoping the same will be true on our flight home). We could see the China Sea off and on for the first 90 minutes of the trip, but then turned inland for the rest of the way. As for the description of the landscape...I would have to say it is similar to Northern Arizona? In other words, there were hills in the distance to the west and even some desert-like plant life, cactus, etc. Kind of odd considering the extreme humidity that is usually prevalent here.

We loved the beauty of Ninh Thuan, but it is exciting to be back in the hustle and bustle of the big city. We are staying in a part of Ho Chi Minh city that is really quite cosmopolitan. Except for the fact that everyone is Asian, you would think you were smack dab in the middle of New York City or Chicago. There are department stores, nice hotels and restaurants, street vendors, etc. Did we mention that the primary mode of transportation is the scooter? They are everywhere, and people are often stacked 2-4 deep on each one. It is quite remarkable...

As I write, Daddy and baby are napping in the room. It is dark and rainy outside right now. Michael and I have both been feeling a little on the ill side today and have laid pretty low. Not sure what we got into to make our stomachs upset, but it could be the fact that we downed a ton of pizza last night. Oh, it tasted so good! I've learned I can only do rice and noodles for so many days before I want some sauce and cheese. Sarah has been extra tired, fussy, and clingy with me today. I think we all just needed some extra sleep and quiet time. I'm quite certain that she is expending more energy than ever by just exploring the world around her. She is coming alive more and more each day and we are seeing all kinds of sides to her. Lucky for her, she has the most adorable smile and a way of snuggling that makes up for the tired tantrums. We've quickly learned to have a bottle ready at all times, because if another baby gets a bottle and she doesn't, she busts out the attitude.

Sarah seems to have discovered her voice today and has been talking non-stop! She is already beginning to imitate sounds, and we heard "Ma-ma-ma-ma" for the first time, to go along with all the "ba-ba-ba's" and the "motor" sound made when she puts her lips together and vocalizes the "b" sound. (that's michael's phonetic description) :-) We made an additional discovery yesterday on the trip to Ho Chi Minh city: both of Sarah's ears are pierced! Yep...we even poked an earing through just to make sure and she didn't fuss one bit. We'll probably pick her up some new earrings later this week. Wow, who would have thought we would be accesorizing already!

Today we filed our I-600 forms to the government and had Sarah's visa photos taken. That is about the most we have done today. We are hoping to get out and explore a little more tomorrow, as we don't think we have any appointments.

Thanks for all your prayers and support! We give priase to God for the blessing He has given to us. She is one amazing baby girl and we can't wait for you to see her in person.