Bringing Jake Home: They are in Hanoi

I am finally back! It has been a very busy week and I am starting to feel the effects of being a single parent! Rick said they are doing great. They have had a very busy schedule but are having a blast. They finally received Jake's passport and got his medical exam completed. Just before they were leaving to take him to the doctor Jake tripped over Rick's shoe and busted his lip open! Rick said it looks better already. They said he is still the happiest little guy. Rick said he is very active but never cries and just goes with the flow. Mom has bought him quite a few new toys and said he is so curious and interested in them. She said he likes to get all his new things and place them in a "Jake pile" and hides them in a drawer. I think he must be use to having to compete for toys and is going to protect what is now his own.

We had one more incident the other day. Rick, mom and Jake were anxiously wanting to go see the "American War Museum" (better known to us as The Vietnam War) and Thuy told them to be down in the lobby at 2 pm. She said that instead of taking them to the museum she was taking them back to the orphanage. The caregiver was still having a really hard time and the director was wanting to see him again too. Rick called me because we didn't want to put Jake through this again and we didn't want him to go back from all the progress he had made. My mom absolutely did not want to go and we decided against it. Once Rick told Thuy our decision she seemed very distressed and told Rick it would cause a conflict and encouraged him to please go. I spoke with our agency and they said this was very unusual and really didn't recommend it either. However, after much convincing, mom and Rick agreed to go but for only 30 minutes. Once they arrived they were all waiting on him and his mama-nana presented him with a traditional Vietnamese silk outfit. Mom said it was very emotional once again. Jake did run to her and was happy to see her and I think it was a little hard on Rick(but completely understood). He didn't leave his side the entire time...so much so that he didn't even get to take any pictures. They all celebrated his return but after 30 minutes Rick decided it was time to go. Rick said they were really glad they went in the end because they had made it really special and it was so important for all of them to see him one final time. When it was time to go, Rick called Jake and not knowing what to expect....lots of tears or struggle.....Jake turned to Rick and ran to his daddy. When they told me this I cried. He knows who is daddy is and he was ready to leave. It is our hope that this provided some comfort to all the people who loved him so much. I have promised to send letters and pictures for a while as they go through their grieving process. We are truly grateful for the love they had for our son and we know it is the reason that Jake has transitioned so beautifully. He seems so happy and at peace with his new family just as we do. Thuy did promise to take them to the museum the next morning before their flight and they really enjoyed the museum.

They flew out of HCMC and are now in Hanoi. They said it is very different from HCMC. Obviously being North Vietnam it is much cooler, but Rick said it just has a completely different feel to it. He said there are a lot more police walking around on the streets and even hotel. He thought it looked even more poor than HCMC. They are anxious to get up tomorrow and explore. They plan on seeing the Water Puppets tomorrow night and a few other things. They will receive Jake's Visa on Thursday and fly out Thursday night. I have posted a few more pictures and Rick is going to try to download some more before they leave. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a flight from LA to Fayetteville Friday night so they will have to stay in LA until Sat and if everything is on schedule arrive home 9pm Sat night in Fayetteville. I will keep you posted as were get closer and closer to bringing Jake home. Natalie

Mom early in the morning with Jake