Bringing Phoebe Home

After five days in the hospital, Hòa is recovering nicely and we brought Phoebe home for the very first time. We’re spending most of our sleepless nights staring at our beautiful baby girl.

Everyone in the hospital said Phoebe looks more like me than she looks like Hòa. I didn’t really think so until I saw her make this face:

It’s a girl!

Phoebe Vi* Warnock

Born September 16 in Halong Bay, Vietnam at 8:55pm (9:55am EDT), 3.5 kg.

*pronounced “vee”; We originally named her Phoebe Victoria Warnock, but we found out that at least one part of her full name should be a Vietnamese name in order for Phoebe to gain citizenship in Vietnam (as well as her US citizenship). We chose “Vi” as her middle name. “Vi” doesn’t mean anything specific in Vietnamese, but to us it means “Victoria” 🙂

May Update

Next month I’ll be back in the US on some job interviews. Hopefully Hòa will be able to travel in June. The baby is getting bigger and bigger, and from I can tell she has her Mom’s lips and maybe Dad’s nose, but it’s hard to tell just yet 🙂

I’m going to miss the relaxing day-to-day in Ha Long, especially the constant supply of juice and tea from Hoa’s Mom. Even on days she can’t be here, she comes over early in the morning and makes us a bunch of juice and tea. We woke up to this one morning:

Bà bầu ơi

“Vợ ơi,” I said to my Bà bầu.

“I’m bored Bà bầu,” we’re packing our lives, readying for a new life. There’s nothing fun to do today.

“Take your vitamins Bà bầu,” get lots of rest, and drink lots of water. I can’t wait till we are in our new life. I can hear it.

“Listen Bà bầu,” the wind whispers the soft secrets of our future. Listen, and you can hear it too. Dance, and the wind will dance with you.

“One day Bà bầu,” one day we will look back at quiet boring Manila with endless gratitude.

“Anh yêu em, Bà bầu,” let us never forget these beautiful boring moments.