Doctors and Relatives and Social Workers, Oh My!

When we last left our hero, he was developing a cough that daddy thought was no big deal. Daddy was wrong! Turns out he had (has) a pretty bad ear infection. We discovered it on our first visit to see Dr Taylor, our pediatrician who helped us with Manu's pre-adoption screening. We were really impressed with her knowledge of foreign adoption and issues specific to foreign and institutionalized children, and we wanted her as Manu's primary physician. Manu began the trip to the doctor in good spirits, probably because he didn't know what was about to happen. Dr. Taylor poked, prodded and otherwise irritated the little guy as she carried out her examination. She was pleased with his development and overall condition, but wanted to run a series of tests to ensure he was in good health. We were warned that the lab was going to take a lot of blood from the little guy, and boy did they. After leaving Dr. Taylor with a prescription for Amoxil for his ears, we headed down to the lab, where a couple of gentle young ladies proceeded to take about 17 vials of Manu's precious blood. As you might imagine he was not at all impressed with the whole ordeal, though I believe he was crying more from being held down than any pain the needle might have caused (guess who had to hold him.) After we finished he had one more stop in radiology for a chest x-ray. Mommy and Daddy had to hold him still while they took the pictures. If he wasn't in a bad mood before, after being stripped down and bent into all kinds of positions, he was now! Poor guy had streams of tears flowing down his face. Finally through we stopped at a Starbucks kiosk to grab a quick cup of coffee before heading out. As usual Manu drew a crowd of admirers, as most of the employees and several passing customers comment on how cute he is (they didn't have to hold him down a few minutes ago, LOL.) After leaving the clinic we treated Manu to lunch at Mellow Mushroom, a local gourmet pizza place in Lexington. Manu really enjoyed the hummus with pita, and chewing on some of our pizza crust. Finally he was all smiles again!

That weekend we headed back to Whitesburg, Leslie's home town, for a welcome home party for Manu. There he was introduced to many extended family members and friends. There was lots of food, and Manu especially seemed to enjoy the mini quiche. Everyone that came was very generous, showering Manu with new toys, outfits and lots of diapers! Manu began the party very clingy and fussy, probably because he still wasn't feeling too good, plus being surrounded by "strangers", but after a bit he opened up as he was passed all around the room. We awoke Sunday to several inches of snow that made the mountains quite beautiful, but we headed back home early to give us plenty of time to deal with any bad roads. We made it back with no problems.

A few days later we had our first post-placement visit with our social worker Amy. She was very nice as we discussed our transition as a family and Manu's health, sleep and eating habits. This was much less stressful for Leslie and myself compared our initial home study a year ago. Not because that one was bad, but this time we already had the baby! We also learned that Amy was only a week away from flying to Ethiopia to adopt twin 3yo girls! They are so adorable and we are very excited for them! We will have another visit with Amy in two months and again three months after that.

The next day it was back to Dr. Taylor to have his ears checked in advance of a hearing test. Turns out his ears were still full of fluid, so no hearing test that day. This also explains the last few sleepless nights for Leslie and me! She checked him over again and gave us some really good news about his litany of tests: He's a healthy normal little boy; on the small side, but catching up. Unfortunately for Manu, it was time for some immunizations; three to be exact. We decided to give him a flu shot in addition to those, as Dr. Taylor informed us that Lexington is just now beginning to see the flu appear. We held him down as nurse Ratchet, ...er Elizabeth, administer the shots. He cried, but recovered pretty quick. We left with an appointment for next month for more shots, and a new Rx for Augmentin.

Since then Manu has received his "green card" (which isn't green), making him a legal resident of the US for the next ten years. Of course he will become a citizen long before that card expires. Yesterday we took a trip to Shelbyville to see his Nana, his Momaw and to meet his Uncle Matt, Aunt Tara and "Older Cousin" Maddie. She's four years old and happy not to be the youngest any more! As usual his curiosity compelled him to explore every shelf within reach, as he attempted to put anything and everything in his mouth. Again, bad weather was upon us and our trip home took longer than usual, but we got back to Lexington safe and sound.

Tomorrow is a big day for Manu: his first day at Day Care. Neither of us can believe that it has been six weeks already. It's going to be hard to let him go off on his own, especially for Leslie, as she has been with him almost every moment since we got him, but we have heard really good things about this place, and our two prior visits were very reassuring. Stay tuned for more on this monumental occasion!

What free time?

Where did all of our time go? What did we do with ourselves before Manu? These are the deep philosophical questions we're asking ourselves these days. That, and why did our grocery bill nearly double, and why does health insurance cost so much more, and is it legal to charge that much for day care? LOL. I've been trying to get an update posted for several days now, but Manu isn't ready for daddy to have any free time yet. I've managed to convince Leslie that I'm researching information on Manu's recent cough (he's fine) so I've got a couple of minutes to sum up our first few weeks back in KY:

Manu seems to be adjusting well to his new home. He likes his room, his animals and his parents, in that order. He likes us most at 5:00am in the morning, just before the alarm goes off, and least immediately after a bath, when he won't look at daddy for about 15 minutes. Actually we've had a breakthrough recently. Although his first few baths at home were as bad or worse than those in Delhi, he's recently started coming around. First Leslie got in the tub and held him in her lap for a sponge bath. He seemed to handle that OK, and then a few days later when he and daddy were home alone, he let me put him in the tub and, while he wasn't enthusiastic, he played with his ducky quietly while daddy got him all nice and clean.

Manu was also not impressed by the children's menu at Chez Jeff. Unfortunately, we've had to alter his diet several times in the last few weeks out of necessity. At Ashraya he was on 2 bottles of Cow's milk a day, plus a porridge of rice, lentils, greens, butter, sweetened milk and Indian spices; a hard act to follow while living out of suitcases. We had to switch him to formula and cereal while in India, and of course those brands aren't available here, so we had to switch him again. All of this played havoc on his little system for a few days. He's now tolerating a mixture of Enfamil and Lactogen and seems to enjoy it well enough. As for cereal, he let us know pretty quick that the brands available here we not up to his high standards. After tasting some of them I don't blame him. This boy likes spice, especially curry powder. We've taken to spicing up just about everything he eats. Lately we've just been blenderizing a little of whatever we're eating and he seems to really like most of it. He'll be a gourmet for sure; he's even fascinated watching us cook dinner every night.

One of our biggest obstacles to overcome has been Manu's dislike of being strapped into anything: car seats, high chairs, grocery carts; you name it. I guess most little ones get used to it gradually without knowing anything different. We didn't see a single car seat being used in either Bangalore or Delhi, and we simply held him in our laps when traveling by car. At first this was a little bothersome, until we saw a child about Manu's age being held by the arm hanging off the side of a small motorcycle with three other passengers. Suddenly we felt much safer! For the first week or so he would cry every time we put him in the car seat. He literally screamed the whole trip home from the airport. Gradually he has gotten better, to the point that he doesn't fight us when we're strapping him in. He seems to have discovered that there is usually something interesting to see/do if we're taking him for a ride; same for the buggies and the high chair.

The bonding process is going well. After the newness of mommy and daddy wore off a bit, he seemed to be in a funk. He was still a pleasant little kid, but not quite as enthusiastic as before. We think it was probably a little bit of mourning for his aunties and the other children he left behind. But the last week has seen a return to his playful self most of the time. He's now constantly wanting to be held, and reaches for us when he's in his crib or playpen. He's becoming a momma's boy, as there are times when daddy cannot console him, but momma has just the right touch.

He has developed a dry cough lately that comes on every 30 minutes or so. Last night he woke us several times with what sounded like a dieing goose hacking in the bed with us, but it didn't seem to wake him. Otherwise he seems fine and has no fever. We have our first doctors appointment on Wednesday, so if he doesn't get any worse, we'll wait 'till then to check it out.

While the hardest part of the adoption process is now over, namely the waiting, we're far from finished. We'll have three post-placement visits with our adoption worker and then we'll go to court in Fayette County to complete the adoption, at which point Manu becomes a US Citizen. Right now he is a legal resident and we're expecting his green-card to arrive any day. Although we are looking forward to completing the formal adoption, to us it is simply a formality, as we are already an inseparable family.

Home at Last

Sorry for the delay, but as you might imagine, there has been a flurry of activity around our house since our return. Suffice to say that we're home safe, and Manu is adjusting to his new home and schedule just fine. Nevertheless, here is a little recap of our long trip home:

Our flight was to take off at 3am, and we were told that we needed to be at the airport at least 3 hours in advance, plus 40 minutes to get there, so we decided to stay up Friday evening and try to get some sleep on the plane. I thought that this sounded like a lot of time, but we had no idea what was in store for us. We had a fairly quiet evening of room-service and a last-chance viewing of Indian television; "Indian Idol" was particularly interesting. At 11:30 we headed downstairs to check out and meet our driver for the trip to the airport. After a fairly uneventful ride on unusually quiet Delhi streets we hit gridlock near the airport. When we finally reached the terminal, we were amazed to find thousands of people, in no particular sense of order, awaiting entry into the main building.

After finding our gate we noticed that everyone seemed to have an itinerary that they were presenting to the security guard to gain entrance. Well, our tickets were e-tickets and we didn't have a printout. The security guard didn't care for our explanation and sent us to a different gate, where we found a similar reception from the guard there. He said we would have to find the Lufthansa office to get our itinerary and pointed to a staircase to the left. We were starting to get a little nervous thinking we were going to get this far and then not make our flight. Leslie stayed behind with the baby as I went in search of the golden ticket. What I found was a long, dark hallway with non-descript, unlabeled doors. After walk-running for what seemed like an eternity, I found an open door with three sleepy looking men wearing Lufthansa name badges. They seemed to know why I was there (why else would I be there) and printed our itinerary. I ran back to Leslie and Manu, and we were finally admitted to the terminal. Baggage check took forever, as well as the security line, and by the time we were at our gate, it was only 20 minutes until boarding, so three hours was about right. This had to be the craziest, most disorganized airport I have ever flown through in my life. Bangalore was a breeze compared to this.

We finally board our flight where this time we are in the bulkhead row where they will attach a bassinet after takeoff. We were in the center row, with other small children in the left and right rows. There were a couple of single seats to the right and left of us, and we could see the deflated faces of the men who took those seats, as they realized the hopelessness of their situation! That would have been me a short time ago, LOL. This was an 8 1/2 hour flight, but seemed much shorter, as we all managed to sleep through the first half of it. Manu was very well-behaved, and only needed to be calmed down a couple of times. Landing in Germany we had a 3 hour layover before our next flight. For the first time since we got him, we were asked to prove that he was our's at the security checkpoint. While we had plenty of proof, it was still a little unnerving. Thankfully we are listed as his parents on the last sheet of his passport, and the questioning stopped there. This flight seemed much longer, for although Manu managed to sleep much of the flight, Leslie and I didn't get much rest. These bassinets are wonderful, because even though Manu wouldn't stay in it while he was awake, when he fell asleep it really gave mommy and daddy a break. On this flight we were seated next to an Indian couple with a small girl. It turns out they were also flying to Lexington. The difference between boys and girls could not be more apparent when we noticed that she would lay calmly in her mother's lap and play, while Manu was squirmy and always wanted to be on the move. But as it turned out, she became very fussy and cried continuously for the last hour or so of the flight, while Manu slept through the whole thing. After a very rough landing, through which Manu also slept, we were officially back in the states. We headed through Immigration with our still-sealed envelope. The immigration officer for our line was giving a foreign couple a really hard time for not filling out some form prior to entering the US, but when we got up to him, his demeanor changed completely and he was as friendly a person as we had met the whole trip. He pointed us to a different section of the immigration department where we handed over the envelope and Manu got his final clearance to enter the country. After another uneventful trip through customs, we re-checked our bags to Lexington and headed out into the main airport terminal.

In Chicago we had a 5 1/2 layover. This was particularly brutal considering how far we had come, and what a short flight we had remaining. We found a Chili's restaurant and sat down for a bite to eat. Afterward we headed to our gate where we found out that once again we would be taking a small jet and boarding from the outside. We took turns nodding off while waiting for our plane to arrive. After a slight delay due to our plane needing service, we headed outside where Manu was rudely introduced to the United States with 15 degree weather. Daddy was also a little cold, as he was wearing was a short-sleeve shirt and sandals. On the plane we slept through most of the 50 minute flight before finally arriving in Lexington, nearly 27 hours after leaving our hotel.

We were met at the top of the escalator by Leslie's brother Brian. Then we headed down where we were met by the rest of the family and friends. This was really special for us to have the people we love help us share Manu's first few moments home. After some tears and congratulations we loaded the bags into the cars and headed for home. Before we left the airport we ran into an airport employee who had checked us in 2 weeks earlier. We had told her that we were traveling to India to adopt, and she was so excited for us, and she hoped that she would be around when we returned. Well she was, so we introduced her to Manu, and she was very happy for us. That was a nice finish to all of our airport adventures. Back home the family stayed with us for a bit so that they could pass-around Manu. After a few hours they left for the evening and it was just us again. We were all wired from the excitement of the last few hours, so we unpacked our bags and played with Manu until he finally fell asleep soundly. I think we got to bed around 2:30am.

Since then we are adjusting well to being home again, jet lag not withstanding. We've made the rounds to introduce Manu to our friends and co-workers, and have taken a trip or two shopping. I'll go back to work next week, and Leslie will stay home for several more. Every day brings us closer together, as Manu gets more comfortable that we will always be there for him. It's hard to believe that our little adventure is over, but the fun is just beginning. I'm not sure how this blog will proceed from here; I'll try and post regularly Manu's exploits as the world's cutest baby! And while I have done all of the writing, the thoughts and feelings conveyed here belong to both Leslie and myself. And to her I would like to close out this chapter by saying, I can't believe this has really happened to us. All of the highs and lows of the last year have been worth it, and I'd do it all over again. I have never loved you more than I do right now. From now on and forever, it will always be me, you and Manu.

Last Day in Delhi

We can' t believe we've been here for 10 days. Our experience in India has forever changed our lives and outlooks, and not just because of Manu. India is a country of glorious contrasts. At once it is the dirtiest and most beautiful place on earth. At times it seems cold and cruel, at others it is warm and friendly. Indians are very proud of their country, but at the same time recognize that they have problems and are working through them. India has been good to us, and while we're ready to come home and begin forever with Manu, we leave here a little sad to say goodbye. We're going to try our best to keep Manu familiar with the life he's leaving behind, and we hope to bring him back one day to experience it for himself.

We started today by sleeping in a little. By that I mean, waking up at 5am to feed Manu, and then getting him back to sleep. It figures that after 2 weeks we are finally acclimated to the time and climate, just in time to head home go through it again! We woke around 8am, got ready and headed to breakfast for the last time in the hotel. Again Manu attracted attention, but this was nothing compared to later. After a savory and spicy breakfast of Indian curries, breads, exotic fruits and juices, we headed back to the room to pack a little, and then we went downstairs to hire a car for a last few hours of site-seeing. We began at the Lotus Temple. This is a multi-faith place of meditation and worship, named for it's resemblance to the lotus flower. This is what we've been looking at out out hotel window for 7 days, and it's even more magnificent and beautiful at ground level with its wonderful flower gardens and reflecting ponds.

After a few minutes there, we headed for Humayun's Tomb. The beautiful sandstone tomb houses the remains of Emperor Humayun, a Mughal leader, and was built by his wife after his death. The style of architecture is in the same style as the Taj Mahal we saw yesterday. The grounds here were also quite beautiful with a series of irrigation channels running throughout the complex. As usual Manu was a hit and Leslie found him and herself several times surrounded by curious admirers.

Next we headed to the Qu'tb Minar, the world's tallest brick minaret. This is the site of an ancient mosque, built upon be three different Emperors beginning almost a thousand years ago, and like Humayun's Tomb, it is a World Heritage site. It was fascinating to see the ruins and imagine what it must have been like back then. While we were there, so were many groups of school children, many of which took an interest in us and Manu. Some of the young boys also seemed to take an interest in Leslie. At one time I believe we were surrounded on all sides by at least a hundred young boys and men, all wanting to shake our hands and touch Manu on the cheek, apparently an Indian tradition. They were all very friendly and genuinely curious about us and Manu, but they kept coming and I thought this would never stop. At one point an older man, say mid-twenties, had others take his picture with Leslie and Manu, not interested in me at all, LOL. I had one young man ask me to say hello to President Obama for him, when we get back home. I told him I would and we parted friends. Eventually we had to say goodbye and walk rather quickly to lose the mob. Several small groups followed us around the entire complex until we left. While we have been approached by many people throughout our visit, this was the most overwhelming reception we have had yet. This must be what living with the paparazzi is like.

Afterwards we headed back to the hotel, stopping at a pharmacy to buy a little more food that we will use to transition Manu with to a product available in the US. Once home we fed him and then ourselves, and started to pack for our 3am flight tomorrow morning. We're still nervous about how Manu will do on the long flight, but we're about to find out. We'll try to keep him up a bit later tonight so that he might sleep a little more during the flights.

We'll see you all soon, our flight lands at 9:05pm tomorrow night. Thanks for following and participating in our adventure. We'll post an update after we get back. Take care.

On the road to Agra

This morning began at 5:00am as usual, but this time we were staying up. We had a car scheduled for 6:30am to take us to Agra and the Taj Mahal. We gave Manu a bottle and carried him around while we got ready, and we changed him and put on his outfit right before heading out the door. We were hoping that Manu would have a dirty diaper before we left, so that we could change it in the hotel, but alas he did not, and we set out on our little pilgrimage expecting to have to perform that task in the back-seat of the car. We met our driver and took off. He told us his name, but it was obvious that he spoke little English. When asked he said that it should take 4 hours maximum to get there, and he was right. This trip would probably be cut in half with any decent interstate system, but I digress. For almost the first 2 hours Manu slept soundly. As he woke we fed him some cereal that we had portioned out in advance in the hotel. This got him through until after we left the Taj. He only had one wet diaper along the way there, very unusual for him, but this is his first day off of antibiotics, so that could be altering his system too. The traffic wasn't too bad during the early morning hours, but as we got closer to Agra, and thus later in the morning, it became a three-ring circus on the road. I do not have the words that could ever adequately explain the traffic, roads and driving conditions in India. Let's just say that the worst day in New York or Los Angeles would be a lite day in Agra. About two hours into our trip, our driver pulls over in a sort of truck-stop and says he has to go pay somebody for something. So there we are, without a driver, and suddenly every peddler in the area is knocking at our windows wanting to sell us something. One guy wanted us to take a picture with one of his monkeys. Eventually a crowd gathered at Leslie's window and 4 Indian truckers were infatuated with Manu, making faces and waving at him. One asked if he was an Indian baby, and then nodded in approval when this was confirmed. Eventually our driver came back and we were off.

After we hit Agra we kept driving for what felt like forever, but was probably just 20 minutes. We pulled into the Mughal Hotel, a beautifully upscale hotel completely out of place with its surroundings. There we met up with our guide Afzal Ahmad Khan. This also allowed us a pleasant minute to freshen up ourselves and Manu, who had a wet diaper, but nothing more. We hopped back in the car and headed for the Taj. Along the way he dealt out little bits of Agra history, and some advice for dealing with the throngs of peddlers and beggars outside the gate. He said we shouldn't buy anything from them, and that we would have a better opportunity later. He also volunteered to purchase our entrance fee and bus ticket for us so that we wouldn't have to pull out any money in front of the locals. I figured the guy was just angling for a nice tip, so we let him and before long we were on a shuttle to the Taj. We had to walk the last 100 yards or so, and he was right, we were surrounded by multiple men and young boys trying to sell us books, snow globes, or other memorabilia, and they don't take no for an answer, and they hung on to us until we entered the security line. Once inside it was a short walk around a corner until the Taj came into view. I don't know if anyone can understand how moving and beautiful this place is until you see it in person; pictures cannot do it justice. Inside Afzal is giving us the history and legend of the Taj. As we got closer, he kept mentioning the white marble, inlayed with semi-precious gemstones, and how that was accomplished and how it was a dying art form. It was truly an impressive sight to behold. Not only the Taj, but the grounds and the side buildings make you feel like you could have been there hundreds of years ago when they were constructed. Afzal told us he was going to show us a demonstration of the art of inlay-work, so that we could truly appreciate it. Hmmm. After about an hour we left and headed back through the peddlers, more intent than before as this is their last chance to make a sale. We took a shuttle back to the car, and then found ourselves pulling into a marble factory or sorts. Here he said he would show us artisans at work. As we entered the building we noticed lots of inlayed marble for sale, and now it all begins to makes perfect sense: he comments all throughout the tour about the quality of the Taj marble-work, how we shouldn't spend our money with other vendors, and then brings us to a marble store! Once inside we were given an impressive demonstration by 4 workers creating inlayed marble table tops. There was a bench and we used this opportunity to feed Manu as we were getting the spiel. Then we got up and looked around. Eventually we found a small, round table with inlayed jeweled elephants. Well, I had to have it until I heard the price. So we walked away, and the further we got the better the price became, figure that. Eventually it seemed reasonable and we bought it, to be shipped home in a few weeks. We had the back chiseled with "Manu, Leslie and Jeff. Together 1/21/09" It was still a little pricey, but it seemed like the perfect way to remember this trip. After finishing up there we decided to forgo Agra Fort nearby, as we were worried that this day would be too much for Manu, and us. We headed back to the Hotel in Agra to drop off our guide, and to freshen up and grab some lunch before the long trip back to Delhi. The guide thanked me and offered to help again in the future or if we knew of anyone coming to Agra. He gave me his card. As he walked away I looked at the card and chuckled. On it was his name and his business "Marble Cottage Industries." So that's how our hotel arranged for a "complimentary" guide! Oh well, live and learn, but we are happy with our little table.

The way back was far worse with traffic than the morning trip. At one point there were thousands of cars on small roads with even more people on the streets. It was interesting though, getting to see a bit of rural India, away from the cities. Whereas we saw a working elephant on Sunday, we saw several working camel sharing the streets with the rest of us. This seemed almost surreal, but pretty cool too. The trip home took about 4.5 hours with all of the traffic, and Manu finally had his dirty diaper about 1/2 hour before getting back, but it wasn't bothering him, so we waited until we got back to the room to change it. Soon after it was bath time again, and he took it even worse than the last one, screaming the whole time and not letting up, even afterwords when we has being fed he continued to whimper between bites. Daddy tried to calm him, but Manu seems to blame daddy for all of this, and only finally stopped crying when Leslie took him from me. The day had been a long one and he was frustrated and fighting sleep. Finally, with tear-stained cheeks, he fell asleep. Leslie and I ordered some dinner and are now ready for bed. Tomorrow is our last day in India, can you believe it? We plan on going out the first half of the day to see a couple more sites, and then retire to the room to pack and relax before our 3am flight out. Neither of us can believe it's almost time to go home.

Embassy Day 2

Today is the day. Today is the day that Manu becomes eligible to enter the United States as a legal resident; assuming he passes his citizenship test, LOL. This morning started off like the last few mornings: Manu cries at 5am, daddy and mommy cry too! This morning we were actually better prepared, so things went smoothly. Instead of eating in the hotel restaurant we decided to order coffee from room service and eat some power bars that we brought with us. Manu was getting along fine, even allowing us to dress him without too much of a fuss. We headed out to meet our driver at 8am and headed to the Embassy.

This time we knew the routine, so we went through security (the guard made me open two sealed power bars that were in our backpack; they were there yesterday and got by him with no problems.) We took our sealed medical information back to window 16 where we left off yesterday. They asked us to take a seat and wait to be called back. A few minutes goes by and we are called back to Window 17 (lots and lots of windows in this place) where we are asked for some more paperwork. We are then sent to Window 6, the cashier, to pay for his Visa, another $400...this kid better like me! Then we take our receipt back to Window 16 and are then told to go wait again. After about 15 minutes we hear over the intercom, "Manu, please bring your parents to Window 14." There a nice gentleman performed our Visa interview, basically wanting to know how the process went for us and if we had any concerns with either our agency or Ashraya. We had none. He told us there would be about a half-hour wait for the Visa, and to go wait in a different waiting room. Finally we were called to Window 21 where we were given back Manu's passport, now containing his US Visa, and a large envelope that says in no uncertain terms, "Do not Open. To be opened only by the US consular at the point of entry," Chicago I assume. It also says, "do not pack, hand carry only." Probably another fraud control measure, but if that envelope gets opened before we get back to the States, we have to begin the whole Visa process again, so it won't get opened! So that was it, Manu is now legal and we can leave the country with him whenever we want. The process was really quite painless, if a little confusing with all of the windows and different forms. We left the Embassy, relieved that the real work was now behind us, and that we can concentrate on enjoying our last few days in India. We called the driver and headed back to hotel to deposit this information in the room safe, change Manu, and we were back out with the driver in 20 minutes.

First we headed for the historic Red Fort, built by the 5th Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648, the same Emperor who also built the Taj Mahal. This is located in what is know an Old Delhi, the portion of Delhi that wasn't as influenced by the British during their control of the city. Bustling streets and shops, street vendors and traffic like you have never seen in your life. Our driver dropped us off about 2 blocks from the entrance to the Fort, so we walked through the people, along side donkeys and cows, and finally found our way to the entrance. Inside this fort are beautiful examples of ancient Indian architecture, with what would have been elaborate fountains, buildings, and grounds in their day. We walked around the complex for about an hour taking it all in. Of course like all attractions in India, someone is always trying to sell you something. I was approached by a man who handed me a "guide book" and then asked me for 100 rupees. Knowing that the first rule of street negotiation is, "you touch it, you bought it" I figured I would give in and take it. He also had a pack of pictorial postcards for 50 rupees. I told him I would take them and he said "200 for both." I told him I would give him the 150 that he quoted, and he smiled, as if he was impressed that I wasn't that stupid. I figure it was $3 well spent just for the experience. After we were finished we headed back to the streets of old Delhi and called our driver. Traffic was terrible, and it took him about 15 minutes to get back to us, meanwhile we patiently observed all that was going on around us. It's a strange feeling being on a foreign street surrounded by thousands of people knowing that if something happened to our driver, we would have know way of getting back or knowing anything about our surroundings. It is unnerving and exhilarating at the same time.

Our next stop was to be the State Emporium, where merchants sell Indian goods at government controlled prices, so no haggling. But on our way to the Emporium we were driving past the India Gate, India's answer to the Arc de Triumph in Paris. This one is to commemorate the Indian lives lost during WWI. We decided to drive up to it and get out. It was really impressive, and when viewed through one side, perfectly framed the President's house down the road. It was quite massive in size, and attracted lots of visitors. After we left we finally headed to the State Emporium where we bought a few things and headed back to the hotel. Traffic was unbelievable, and it took a long time to get back. Manu had about had it and was quite fussy. We discovered a wet diaper and changed him in the back seat of the car, and that seemed to settle him a bit. We returned to the hotel, unpacked our things, fed Manu, changed yet another dirty diaper and ordered a late lunch. Afterwords we headed down to the Lobby to inquire about a trip to Agra tomorrow to visit the Taj Mahal and other monuments in the area. We're planning for all Manu-related contingencies, and we think he'll handle the drive OK. The trip should take about 3 hours each way, and probably 3-4 hours while there. We'll have a driver take us, and a private guide for a tour. It turned out to be a little more expensive than we thought, but how many times are you in Delhi, and people spend a lot more planning vacations centered around the Taj, so that's what we'll be doing tomorrow. We're getting up at 5am, as if we haven't been anyway, so we're calling it a night!

Embassy Day 1

As I was in the Hotel Business Center last night, the lady who was making copies for me noticed our son's name on his passport, and we began a conversation about when, where, why and all of that. The gentleman watching the door was listening in and came over to me and thanked me for adopting one of India's children. He said something to the affect of "God bless the good people of the world like you." And while I know his words were sincere, I don't really know how to feel about such a statement of which we are surely not worthy. If anything Leslie and I strongly feel that we are the lucky ones to have been allowed the opportunity to find Manu, and any noble intent would be second or third to our simple desire to have a baby. But, after visiting India and the Children's Home, we are happy now that we were able to do our very small part to help a very large problem. I don't think anyone can grasp truly the enormity of the situation here until you see it for yourself.

We set the alarm for 6am, so of course Manu wakes up hungry at 5:30. I made a bottle and Leslie fed him while I tried to get a little more sleep. Truthfully I think I got about 5 1/2 hours of sleep last night, which is the most so far. At least 2 nights during the past week I think I have only got about 1 solid hour. Not because of Manu, just too many thoughts swimming through my head to fall asleep. Well this morning I decided to start taking some antibiotics that we brought with us. For a couple of days I have had a stuffy head and a sore throat, but this morning I could barely breath and my throat was on fire. We started Manu on some a few days ago for an infection he brought with him from Ashraya, and now I think I've got it too. I tried laying back down, but to no avail, so we all got up and started getting ourselves ready. Manu was in a pretty good mood this morning, I think he got more sleep last night too, so changing and dressing him went smoothly. At about 7am we headed downstairs for breakfast. Manu didn't want to go in the high-chair this time, so we took turns holding him while the other ate. Back to the room to collect our things before our driver was to pick us up at 8. About halfway to the room I realized that I had developed a case of "Delhi Belly", I think from some pickles I ate last night against my better judgement, and I was suddenly worried that I would be dealing with this while we were far from the hotel. Luckily I had taken the azithromycin a few hours earlier for my throat, and it can do double duty for this too. So I popped a couple of Imodium and we headed out.

Driving through the streets I begin to notice a contradiction of sorts. All along the way there were ads and billboards for luxury and leisure items, "Green Delhi" campaign signs, and other trappings of a stable, affluent economy. The problem is, looking around, beside, or below any of these signs and you are bound to see half-dressed and/or filthy children, homeless beggars or other indications that real life in Delhi is not how they want it to be portrayed. There surely is a priveledged class here, but you have to look hard to find them.

We arrived at the Embassy at about 8:30 to long lines of Indian nationals applying for American Visas. After we passed through security we headed to line 4, for the USCIS. It looked at first as though we would wait for hours, but soon a guard pulled us out of line and escorted us directly into the USCIS office. Apparently the idea is that Americans shouldn't have to wait to utilize the services of their own embassy. Me and my irritable stomach were happy to hear that! Once in the waiting room I noticed the picture of President Bush still hanging on the wall. President Obama is so admired here that I guess I thought that picture would have been changed on day 1. But this is the government we're dealing with. After a short interview with Mr. Patel, our I-600 was approved and we were sent to the Visa office. Once there we were given a list of local doctors, from which we should choose one to take Manu for his clearance exam. Not being given any opinion as to which we should choose, we let the driver take us to the closest one. This was a little 3 room clinic apparently run by a husband and wife Physician team, and appparently they do this all of the time. The female doctor basically looked over all of the previous medical information we had on Manu, gave him a quick looking-over and left the room. The nurse fingerprinted Manu on a 2x2 passport-style photo that was attached to the front form, and to a couple of the forms themselves. We think this is to prevent someone from fraudulently using one child's exam for another child's Visa. We were given a sealed envelope and told not to open it, but to give it to the USCIS office; another fraud control measure. We did notice that Manu is now 15.6 lbs. We'll head back to the Embassy tomorrow morning to return the envelope and to finish his Visa process, at which time he will be officially able to enter the United States. We called the driver and headed back to the hotel, stopping at a pharmacy along the way for more diapers and some ibuprofen, 600mg, no Rx required, for this or anything else I think. I notice I could buy 10 cipro tablets for about $5 and considered it, but I think we have enough to last the rest of the trip now, even if we both manage to get sick.

Back in the room we feed Manu, order room service and take a little nap. Well we wanted to take a little nap, but Manu had slept enough during the car rides and wouldn't go down without a fight. So, instead of sleep we headed back down to the pool area where we sat on a swing and enjoyed the mild weather. After a couple of minutes Manu was out cold, so we carefully brought him back to the room and we all took a little nap. After waking, we decided that we would just stay put for the evening, so we played with Manu and organized more paperwork for the Embassy tomorrow. It's about 10pm local time now, and I'm headed to bed for what will hopefully be a full night's sleep. Take care.

Bath Time for Baby.

Today is Republic Day, the day India declared its independence and became a republic. As such, most of the shoppes and tourist attractions are closed, as are many roads in and around Delhi. Since we didn't want to get out in the mess of things, we opted for a rather leisurely day at the hotel. We started by waking Manu for his morning bottle. As soon as his eyes were open the nipple was in his mouth...no time for fussiness! No wait, that wasn't how it went at all. Actually he woke up crying at about 5:30am, and was not too patient while I stumbled around in the dark without my glasses trying to make a bottle. After feeding him I rocked him for about 30 minutes before he would return to sleep. So back in bed I go, only to repeat this episode again at 8:30 when he wanted his cereal. So we feed him and he turns back into happy baby, and we are groaning from lack of sleep. We spend the next hour getting ready before heading down to the bufett. He was a little more squirmy than yesterday, so I took him for a walk around the lobby while Leslie finished her breakfast. Back upstairs Manu falls asleep as soon as we get in the door. This allows Leslie and I time to watch some news coverage of the Republic Day parade, as well as other current events around India. Eventually we drifted off to sleep too. Later, after we all woke, we went outside and relaxed by the pool for a bit. The water was a bit too cold to let Manu put his feet in, but he seemed to enjoy being outside in the sun for a bit. Back to the room for lunch, and then we set out on foot to find Manu some more cereal and diapers.

The area across from the hotel is called Nehru Place. From our hotel vantage point, we can see a multiplex and a McDonalds. The sign on the building also advertises a 24/7 convenience store. So we walk across the street and around the corner only to discover a rather run-down alley of shoppes, most of which were closed, with lots of trash blowing about and people gathering in different spots. It looked harmless enough though, so after discovering that the convenience store did not have baby items, we decided to walk down the alley and around the block looking for a pharmacy or another shop for Manu. About 3 steps down the road we are met with two small, rather neglected looking children who are asking for money or food; a little boy who looked blind in one eye, and a little girl maybe 8yrs old. We told then we had nothing, but they wouldn't take that. The little girl suddenly saw Manu and got excited and started grabbing at his legs. This made Leslie, and myself frankly, a little uncomfortable and we quickened the pace and they finally gave up. Now from our position it seemed like we could take a left at the end of the street and simply go around the block, but when we made the turn the conditions of the street got worse and there was no clear way out. But rather than go back down the previous path we continued on in this direction. Now if we didn't stick out enough at the Temple, we must really been a sight to behold in the back-alleys of Delhi. People stared at us from the time they first saw us until we were out of sight. While there were people around, there weren't enough to make us feel comfortable. After running into several dead ends, we finally found our way back to the main road and headed back to the hotel, without anything for Manu. Just to be clear, at no time did anyone threaten us or say anything unkind, we were simply out of our comfort zone, and were ready to get back to our room. Funny thing is, we were very comfortable on the streets of Bangalore, but there were always hundreds of people at any given time. I think it was the setting, and the lack of many people, that made us feel vulnerable. Don't worry about Manu, he took it all in stride, and when we got back to the hotel, we discovered that the concierge could send someone out for our needs, and now he has plenty to eat!

Back in the room it was time to give Manu a bath. We have done this twice before, once in a sink in Bangalore, and once in the tub here, both times being a pleasant experience. So Leslie draws the bath and asks me to test the water; it was just slightly warm, so it was perfect for Manu. We undressed him easily enough, and then I picked him up to place him in the water. Manu had been a happy baby most of the afternoon, but from the moment his toe touched the water he screamed. And screamed. And screamed. He started flailing about so much that we was turning himself over, face-down in the water, all with us trying to hold him in place the whole time. Leslie decides to get in with him to try and soothe him, but it didn't work. All she could do was hold him in place as I washed him down. Tears were pouring out of his eyes, and I was waiting for a knock on the door from the management wanting to know why we were beating the child! We finished as quickly as possible and wrapped him in a towel. He stopped crying instantly, only to start again as we dressed him in his sleep outfit (FYI, Manu HATES to be dressed. He doesn't mind wearing clothes, but the act of putting them on sends him straight to the third level of the dark side.) After the dressing was over he stopped almost immediately as Leslie held him. I think he blamed me for his pain and suffering, because every time I'd try and touch him, he would turn his head and look the other way. Luckily this silent treatment was short lived and he was back to his old self again.

Tonight we fed Manu and ordered in room service for us; spicy dal in gravy and curried spinach puree with bread! Have I said I love this country? We have spent the rest of the evening organizing our paperwork for our first visit to the Embassy tomorrow. Leslie and Manu are in bed, and I'm headed there shortly. Take care everyone.

"Out on the Town" or "Everbody Loves Manu"

Today began pretty well. We had Manu's bottle prepared, his diaper changed and his outfit on him before he woke; This boy sleeps hard! He's still sleeping with us, as even though we have a crib in the room at this hotel, it's not really deep enough to be safe, and the first time we put Manu in it, he stood up, threw his leg over the side and would have fallen to the ground if I wasn't watching him. Safety standards in India seem well behind those of the west. After then getting ourselves cleaned up we headed downstairs to have breakfast. This was a complimentary Indian buffet. No western omlettes or biscuits and gravy here, but rather spicy indian curries and breads, exotic fruits and juices, and even smoked salmon with capers; I love this country! After taking turns watching Manu while the other went to the buffet, we sat down to eat. An unusually complacent Manu sat quietly taking in the experience. We tried him on a little home-made bananna yogurt. He liked it and it didn't seem to upset his stomach. After a few moments another couple sat down beside us, and we imeediately hit it off; Manu has that effect on people. They were Eleo and Maria from Venezuela. They were completing the second half of an around-the-world trip to 15 countries. After a few minutes of pleasant conversation, Eleo asked if we would like to join them and split a private car to visit the Akshardham Temple. Since we had wanted to go anyway, and a group is always more fun, we took them up on their offer, and 10 minutes later we were on the road.

The traffic here still continues to amaze me. I'm not sure how anyone survives a trip across town. It took us about 25 minutes to reach the temple. We parked, checked our bags and electronics (almost nothing is allowed on premisis) and approached the again-segregated security queue. But before we could enter we were informed that all admission to the Temple had been halted due to the arrival of a foreign President. We were told that things should resume in about an hour. No one wanted to waste that time, so we headed for Humayun's Tomb. Unfortunately it didn't open to the public until 2pm, so still nothing. All of this worked out for the best, as we were near the Birla House where Muhatma Gandhi lived out his last days and it is also the site of his assassination. This was a very informative and moving tribute to the man who changed India. Afterwords, Eleo and Maria wanted to visit the Oberoi Hotel, so we stopped in for refreshments in the lounge. Did I say WE were staying at a luxury hotel? This place makes the Intercontinental look like a Super 8 Motel. This must be how the other half lives. It was here at the Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi, on January 25th, 2009 that Jeff made his first solo attempt at changing a dirty diaper. We'll almost solo, as the bathroom atendant did help me place him on the black marble changing table...can you believe it! All in all it was a sucess, with Manu only squirming a little bit. I think he's getting more used to us now. Back to the table: Turns out that our new friends are wine and food lovers too, so we visited the kitchen and the wine cellar. The Sunday buffet being served was something out of a gourmet's fantasy. But we didn't have time for that, and soon we were headed back to Akshardham Temple.

Unfortunately, anyone interested in pictures of this place will have to visit their website, as we had to once again surrender our bags and cameras, and that means all of our baby supplies as well. I did grab the tube of orajel and a diaper just in case (see, we're learning) and went in. This place is enormous! It was built as a tribute to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a respected Hindu teacher. The temple was built in a mere 5 years and opened in 2005. The intricate marble carvings are a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the newness of the Temple, along with the touristy-ness of the place makes it seem more like a Hindu Disneyworld rather than a holy site. But it is spectacular to behold nonetheless. Throughout this visit we discovered what a spectacle to behold we really were. Two white American's with an Indian baby is bound to draw attention. Many people stopped to ask us about Manu, and almost universally the comments were positive regarding our adoption. Also, both Leslie and I had families of Indians come up to us just to say hello, or to shake our hand, especially the younger kids. As we were ready to leave and Eleo and I were returning from the baggage claim, I noticed that Leslie and Manu were surrounded by at least a dozen curious Indian women, all playing and making faces at Manu. Everyone said he was a most beautiful child. I have never felt as much like a minority as I did today, the only white male surrounded closely by tens of thousands of Indians. This type of experience forces you to reevaluate your perspective on the world. BTW, did you know that there are more Indian children than the entire population of the United States? By the time we finished, we had walked probably 3 miles throughout the complex. At this point Manu was heading back to the dark side, so we all hurried back to the Hotel. Maria had said that one of the things she wanted to see in India was an Elephant. We'll, on their last day in India, and on our way back, we saw a work elephant sharing the road with all of the vehicles. It was a pretty amazing site. I had been hit in the face with a roaming cow's tail back in Bangalore, but I never thought I would be passing an elephant on the highway! After returning, feeding and changing Manu, we went back to the restaurant from this morning for dinner, and Eleo and Maria were also there. They must have noticed Manu's need or constant attention and, after they had finished their meal they offered to hold Manu so we could finish ours. They are our first babysitters! Too bad they live in Venezuela. Also, the all-male wait staff at the restaurant got a big kick out of Manu, and they gathered around me as I was walking him about and admired him. They too passed him around for a bit, and he loved every minute of it!

Well now we're back in the room. Manu has had another bottle and has proceeded to spit up much of it. No article of clothing was exempt from the abuse, including Leslie's night gown that we just got back from the cleaners about 2 hours earlier. The little guy seems to not be bothered by it, and insists on our attention every moment. As I write this, Leslie has just got him into bed after about 45 minutes of rocking him to sleep. Luckily we don't have any hard plans for tomorrow, and plan to sleep in a bit, or whenever Manu decides to get up; 5:30 this morning!

Mom, regarding sizes, he's a little guy, 15.5lbs but he's long. 3 month just barely fits, 6 months is about right so 9-12 would probably be the best sizes to buy right now. He looks really good in bright colors.

They gave US a baby?

Well we're here safe in Delhi, though getting here was a little challenging, and I think we learned some lessons along the way!

We were awakened at 4:00am by the front desk informing us that our ride to the airport would be ready to go by 4:30. Any plans we had for not waking Manu were now history. All we had to do was get dressed and go, but we still managed to take the whole half-hour, and the manager at the front desk was still half asleep, so checkout took a few extra minutes, but we were soon on our way. The air quality was noticeably better than the morning we arrived, but traffic was heavier and a couple of times I though our driver might fall asleep at the wheel. Although we were nearly run off the road a couple of times, we managed to make it to the terminal unscathed. We paid our airport tax and headed to check-in and security. Indian airports segregate men and women during security, with the women entering a concealed area for searching. Leslie said nothing different happened to her and Manu in there than happened to me (wanding and patting down), but I think Indian culture is more sensitive to women's privacy and take extra precautions to prevent an invasion of such. A quick cup of coffee and it was time to board.

Up until this time Manu had either been asleep or mesmerized by all of the commotion. It wasn't until we loaded on the bus to take us to our plane that he became fussy. After we boarded and found our seats, Manu started to cry. We had planned on feeding him during the take-off, but we decided to go ahead and calm him down, so I made a bottle. This is where the comedy of errors begins. First, it turns out Daddy packed the wrong nipple in the carry on. This one was a slow-flow, and we have a hungry baby with a big appetite. As he was turning red trying to get the formula out, his eyes began to tear up and he started screaming. After it was apparent this wasn't working we got desperate. In an attempt to get things going Leslie, lacking any sharp instruments, tried to bite off a little hole in the nipple to increase the flow. Did it ever. Now formula was gushing out all over his face and he WASN'T happy. An Indian Lady in the next row was all but shaking her head in disbelief of this child-rearing circus. After a few more minutes he cried himself to sleep, surely to the delight of all around. Instead of bothering him, the roar of the engines during take-off seemed to sooth him a bit, but we knew that a hungry baby wouldn't stay asleep the whole trip. Then we remembered that we had packed a partial box of cereal in the bag in the overhead compartment. Luckily the airline had a cup and plastic spoon to give us, so we mixed up a bowl and as soon as he awoke he was fed and happy, for a moment. He remained restless throughout the duration, insisting on being entertained the whole time. As the plane landed he became happy baby again and everyone around seemed to enjoy him. As we departed the plane for the bus to take us to the terminal, he fell asleep hard...of course. All of this does not bode well for us next week. We collected our bags, found our driver and headed for the hotel.

The traffic in Delhi is simply breathtaking. Cars, buses, motorcycles and bicycles all share the same congested roads. And the people. All of the people! Delhi is a city of 22 million with a relatively poor infrastructure by western standards, so everywhere along the route was severely congested. Our driver told us that, because this was a Saturday, the traffic was pretty light. Sheesh! As we waited at the stop lights, young children hawking cheap souvenirs would knock on the window and call to us, persistent until the light changed and we drove away, with them still in the middle of the traffic. Soon we reached the the hotel, and this is where the disparity between wealth and poverty in India could not be more apparent. Although we were traveling in a hotel car, we were stopped and inspected before being allowed to enter the parking area. The Mumbai attacks have heightened security throughout the city, especially at luxury hotels. Leslie and I decided when planning this trip to spend a little more on the hotel in Delhi to ensure a clean and safe environment for us and Manu. What we found was truly amazing. Upon entering the lobby we were impressed by the up-scale nature of the place. And because we are "long stay" guests, our room was upgraded and extra amenities included. Cool! A concierge showed us to our room; as opulent a room as you could expect to find in a US 5-star hotel. Fine furniture, linens, marble bathroom and a beautiful view of the Lotus Temple; quite a departure from Manu's previous diggs. Initially a welcome relief from the harsh realities of Bangalore and Delhi, I can't help contemplating the ridiculousness of such a place, only minutes from the abject poverty that plagues most of the country. Nonetheless, we got settled in, fed Manu and headed down to the lobby to check the place out. As we walked down a hall that contained several shoppes of fine rugs, silk and artifacts, we were implored by the proprietors of each shop to enter and take a look. Interesting the persuasive techniques similarly used by street vendors being practiced in a 5-star hotel. We were "convinced" to take a look in a couple of them, Leslie buying a Kashmir Pashmina in one, and we picked up a couple of elephants for Manu in another, haggling the price at each. But as soon as the other shop-keepers saw that we bought from one, they just upped the intensity of their attempts to get us into their's. We promised profusely to visit them all at a later time. Afterwords we headed to a tea lounge for tea and coffee, then back to the room to order dinner, bath Manu and wind down.

Did we mention that Manu had been fussy lately? Well as it turns out, he now has 4 little teeth just breaking the gum line. He'd been slobbering a lot and chewing on anything he can get his little hands on. Luckily we packed some baby Orajel, which seemed to help instantly, putting a smile back on his face. Ruth had also given us a pack of teething tablets for him, so we gave him a couple of those too, and he finished off the evening just fine, finally asleep! Poor little fellow has had a rough couple of days. I'd be fussy too!

We have a couple of days before we have to head to the Embassy, so tonight we're deciding on what to do. Before we close we want to thank everyone for the nice comments. It really helps to have your support, and it makes us too feel like you are here with us.