Vung Tau 1 orphanage Photos

Vung Tau 1 orphanage has 3 floors. Most of these photos were taken on the second floor where there are 3 baby rooms. One for the premies and two others for mostly under a year old babies.

















































































































Matteo asleep in his orphanage crib with babies on the comforter in the background





Matteo and an older boy who helps out with the babies



Matteo on the comforter on the floor



My first big kiss for Matteo on our first meeting.

Vung Tau 1 memories

Well I guess being sick does lend itself to reflection.....in my previous post I mentioned how being sick brought me back to when we were sick as children and what my mom would do. It is so wonderful that my mom seems to be teaching me about mothering even when she can't be around. I had forgotten about that stelline and milk comfort food, so very nice...

Also leading up to, and the baptism, etc. I had been thinking about Matteo's birth parents, his stay at the orphanage, and my experience with first meeting him...and those few days before the G&R that I visited him there, as they would not let me take him home just yet. I especially was worried about the baptism water and how Matteo would react. He has not been a fan of water since I met him.....and during bath time he was still using his bath ring. Interestingly last week before the baptism, he tried to get out of his ring and so I put him in the bath. He was still cautious but at least was starting to play a little with water. So the baptism water did not intimidate him..usually hates water on his head. Last night, even though he has been sick, was the first time I can say that he was fearless in the water. Playing, moving and then splashing quite a bit and laughing....so we have turned a corner where water is concerned.

Again this brought me back to Vung tau 1 and the first water experience we had.. Anyhow I have been going through the photos of the orphanage and I'm going to start posting more of them here, so that I won't forget that experience and record my memories so that one day Matteo will read them and he can understand it too. At the church when the priest asked all of Matteo's family and friends to join us at the baptisimal urn, a whole bunch of people got up and proceeded to come to the front. The priest commented to me as he watched the procession that Matteo now has a lot of people to care and love him, a very big family. I was so happy that many came to the church and were able to support us. Again I thought of the other families he has, his birth family, where one day maybe we may know more, and his orphanage family.

I want to therefore make sure that I remember the orphanage family at vung tau 1, where Matteo was cared for by many as well. So this little boy as with other children who have come to Canada or been adopted by others in different parts of the world, are in a way blessed to have 3 families and to have had so so many people involved in their lives....as I am writing I am now changing my mind and realizing that they have 4 families...the 4th is made up of all the individuals who participated in the paper work to bring us together, from the adoption agency, to the fingerprint person, to the ministry of children, social workers, and everyone who wrote letters of reference etc. etc.but for now, this blog is for the family at vung tau 1 orphanage....

Stelline...

Little stars.....Well one of my worst fears came true this week, I was sick with a bad cold and then passed it on to Matteo, so it was very very hard to take care of him when I wasn't well myself....being ill and cutting out all activities allowed me to think about my mom and when we were sick as children....I remembered that she used to make us this pastina, little stars, and use warm milk as a sauce. When we were sick we were usually eating pretty bland foods and the warm milk with the pasta was very soothing....Matteo has only been drinking his formula, has not had much of an appetite for food and even when he has eaten a bit, when he coughs and gags...he has been throwing up.....so I tried the pastina and his formula and he was able to keep it down a little bit. This afternoon was the first afternoon he was more like his smiley self, though he is still stuffed up and still coughing....I felt like I turned a corner this afternoon myself with my cold, and have more energy, but am also still stuffed up and coughing....so unfortunately Matteo spent a lot of time in his exer-sauser, the tv. was open more often than usual and I was a grumpy person...Matteo; however, despite being sick still had energy to play at times but not his usual, and he was definitely more cuddly...crawling to me and wanting to be held more....I am really glad this week is over and we are getting a wee bit better, yet very scary to be sick and being responsible for a little one....did not feel it was appropriate for me to call a sitter or my sisters to take care of a sick little boy who would pass on to them his illness....so we muddled through and maybe even bonded a little bit more.... The upside was that I found myself thinking about my mom a lot (and how much I wish she could be here to share with raising Matteo) and how she cared for the 4 of us and sometimes she was as sick as we were, but she got through it too, so I could too, with only one little boy.

Here is a photo of Matteo this afternoon when the tylenol was doing its job and Matteo was feeling better....he has 4 teeth but there is a 5th that has sprouted in his top gum and another one ready to cut through as well...so he has been dealing with a lot this week, his first bad cold, and more teeth, and a sick mommy.

Happy 9 month Birthday Matteo !!

Well as February has flown by, my little boy is now 9 months old and baptized. It was a special day that flew by but took a bit of planning....I am now sick, and Matteo has a small cough. Last night he threw up his supper, so not a great way to move into his 10th month but pretty normal I guess....feeling too ill to go out to get the requisite 9 pastries, but will do that in the next few days and celebrate this milestone too.... Matteo continues to amaze me with his little personality. He is so curious and playful. He was overwhelmed at the baptism but did not want to go to sleep!! so we had a rough day yesterday, but today we are back to our more normal routine and I am especially enjoying that he is falling asleep in my arms more readily. Because he sucks his thumb he is very capable of going to sleep on his own and he does that most of the time, but lately he wants to be sleeping in my arms...so I am thrilled with that....anyhow just wanted to wish my little boy a happy 9 month birthday and will post photos when I'm able to...