feeling definitely fortunate

Thanks for all the emails and congrats.  I no longer feel the necessity to check email every hour...or spend hours on the computer just to be close to it  :-)  so I'll answer a few of your questions here rather than individually.

Yes, she is in Vung Tau 1.
No, we don't have any medical info beyond that she is HIV negative.  The Canadian medical won't be done until she is at least 6 weeks of age, from what I understand.
Yes, we are being optimistic to think we might travel before Tet...if that happens she will be younger even then when we received Nathaniel...but a little optimism never hurts.

Her photos - my first impression (well, after I saved the photos and reopened them...they were VERY distorted in the email...her crazy hair looked even MORE crazy since the image was stretched vertically and it looked like a big triangle on top of this stick baby) - my first impression was that she was BIG ... and when I realized by her birthdate that she was only 3 weeks old I thought there was no way.

But after consulting with some others (one of whom even called her 'petit'...how sweet) I am accepting that it is possible she is 3 weeks...her hands are still in a fist and her legs still tending to the fetal position, her eyes aren't completely tracking (up to a month the eyes can still cross a bit)...and until she has more mobility the baby pudge isn't unusual.  I guess I still have this bit of a tendency to be skeptical about things being optimal.  How fortunate to be referred a true infant, from the orphanage and province where there is the best chance her paperwork will
be treated as expediciously as possible.

So I drug out my 'what to expect book' to try to figure what was best to send in her small care package.  I dug through what we have here, and the few things I had already picked up.  I took a trip to Toys 'R Us, alone, this evening and indulged myself browsing through the baby stuff.  I think I have decided what to send.  Tomorrow I will wash what needs it (in my NEW baby detergent) and hopefully line dry it outside.  Then off to F. to take on her journey.  Again, how fortunate!

So all in all, feeling a little more settled this evening.  Looking forward to launching into really starting to get ready and not just potching around.  With Christmas to prepare for as well I am sure the time will pass, not easily, but with lots of industry and excitement.

So...funny boys stories...we got three pictures of thier sister...they love flipping between them and watching her 'dance'.  And this morning we all sat down and looked at her pictures and said good morning to her.  I printed the pictures today.  I will need to find a frame and create a scrapbook page.

And Nathaniel is very worried that we only have 2 halloween flashlights...so we will have to go shopping for one of those, although it may need to wait for next year.