8 months old

The little prince is 8 months old and what a month he has had!

Just a few short days after he turned 7 months old I met my little man for the first time. It was a cool day by Vietnamese standards, jackets and long pants, as 4 families met in the hotel lobby to begin the 90 minute ride out to Hai Duong. So excited I was nearly bursting. Not teary, just reciting a silent mantra...finally...the day is finally here.

We came upon the orphanage quite suddenly, the gate hidden amongst rows of shops on a busy city street. It opened and in we went. 30 or 40 minutes of formalities later and the babies were brought to us. And again, the mantra, finally...the day is finally here.

Benjaminh was bigger than I expected when he entered the room (just moments after 2:45, January 8th, 2009- only the paparazzi would think to take a photo of the clock!). He came to me easily while cautiously watching his nanny. She clucked her tongue at him, making him smile, just a bit. Through a translator she told me he never goes easily to strangers, that he must know I'm his mother and that we were perfect for each other. I held him close in a small room filled with other families meeting their sweet daughters. Auntie Kristen played photographer, capturing each and every moment for us.

The wee one squawked a tiny little squawk and the nanny FLED from the room returning in 2 minutes with a tiny little bottle, about 2 ounces of thick formula mixture and a nipple with a 4 mm hole. He guzzled it down while I heard about his eating habits...one ounce per hour. Every hour. Around the clock. Sweet Benjaminh was apparently weak and sickly with a terrible sucking reflex. I felt the ominous rattle in his chest. It worried me while at the same time he was cooing and LEAPING about on my lap. 19 or so pounds of 7 month old leaping on your lap does not make you thing weak...sickly...poor sucking reflex.

I held him, and stared at him and sat in such a way he could easily see his beloved nanny and simply I stared at his beautiful face. The time seemed so short but it must have been an hour or so because he made a tiny little squawk and off his nanny sprinted...for his next serving of piping hot formula goo...

I carried him about for an hour or so as we went on a guided tour of the baby rooms (guided by Loan, a darling junior nanny of about 9 years old)...so many baby rooms and so many sweet little babies. I saw Benjaminh's room and toured about getting photos for the 6 families waiting to travel and I was struck by the beauty of that place. Certainly it was sparse and poor by Canadian standards. The walls were bare concrete and the rooms were crowded. It was chilly. It was damp. But I was struck by the gentle loving care I saw everywhere I looked. Nannies held babies, fed babies, cleaned and changed babies, rocked them in hammocks and cradles. Lovingly, talking to them, clucking their tongues to grab a wee smile, eagerly showing them off to us. Hovering over the littlest, the sickest, the babies needing the most loving care.

And then suddenly it was time to go. And I went willingly. Knowing that sweet Benjamin would be safe in the loving arms of his nanny for one more night. That after 7 months they needed time to say good-bye. He would be fed on the hour. Every hour. I figured he should enjoy that attention for one more night because hourly feedings were about to become a thing of the past...

The next day he greeted me dressed for warmth in hooded sweaters and layer upon layer upon layer.

Nearly a month later and sweet Benjaminh is not always a patient boy. He still likes his formula piping hot at the exact moment he wants his formula and not a moment later. Sometimes I move slowly (on purpose) and get to hear him speak baby Vietnamese. I'm sure his nanny didn't teach him THOSE words. When I make bottles they contain 6 or 8 ounces and most of the time he finishes them. He drinks using a standard fast flow nipple and he can suck but he does in fact have a bit of sucking problem, he is tongue tied...and that will eventually be repaired. The little dude is eating and enjoying some solid foods now, rice pablum, bananas, sweet potatoes and when necessary, prunes. The chest rattle (bronchitis) is gone and at nearly 21 pounds he is not sickly or weak.

The little prince is really quite an easy little guy. Happy almost all of the time, smiling and cooing and babbling away. He has come to prefer his momma and loves to be held, loves rubbing his face against mine, holding tight to my ears so I can't escape the open mouth kisses all over my face (though I wouldn't try to get away anyways!). Loves, loves, loves his pup Boomer who also enjoys the two fisted face hold and endures the sloppy kisses with a wag of a tail.

When Benjaminh is angry (hungry or strapped in to a car seat or simply tired of the current toy or game or song) his cry is not at all offensive but rather sweet and young sounding...sounds a bit like a newborn in some ways. The tired little man likes a little cuddle and a minute or two of back patting and he is off to slumber land. Often startling himself awake during the night a bit more cuddling and patting and he is easily calmed. He is developing a reasonable sleeping, eating, playing routine and momma even gets to sleep and eat and play enough to keep momma very happy.

A month of firsts...first diaper, first toys, first paparazzi, first van ride, first soft mattress, first bath, first exposure to sunlight and rain and wind, first regular bottle nipple, first time sitting unattended, first face plant, first restaurant, first busy street, first waitress whisking him away, first time rolling back to front, first highchair,first solids, first spoon, first stroller and first straps,first time sucking his fingers as well as mine, first 4 piece string quartet, first fancy dining experience, first boat ride,first birthday party invite, first airport, first customs and wand search, first flight, first bassinet, first airport greeting party, first snowsuit, first carseat, first pet, first crib and playpen, first extreme cold alert, first dog walk, first bedroom, first hand knit blankie,first doctor's appointment, first mall walk, first Canadian haircut, first lunch date, first wedding, first needles, first time licking a dog (and being licked by a dog)first momma photo shoot and second and third and so on and so on and so on and so on...