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....