Day 56- Passport Secure... Griffin May Not Make It To Germany

Chris's View-

Man, this boy can sleep!  LOL!

Griffin fell asleep yesterday after we got back from the passport photo fiasco, and slept solid till around 5:30!  Goodness... I mean like a rock!  He woke me up clapping his hands.  We then played a little round of "Where'd Griffin Go?" with the blanket, so that may be his morning ritual... we will have to see.  He has a crib tonight, so I am going to finally SLEEP without having to worry about him rolling off the bed and busting up his head again.

So, we got up and I packed while Griffin watched Playhouse Disney.  He really seemed to like a show called Chuggerton or something like that.  It's about a train yard and he was so into it.  No, not Thomas the Train... this one is newer and, I think anyway, cooler than Thomas the Train.  I discovered that I am out of clean clothes, so guess what I get to add to my list of things to do today.

We went down and had breakfast... cheese omelets.  Again, he packed away the egg in his cheeks and was trying to squeeze out the egg bits every so often.  I think this is his way of getting more food.  I am thinking that in the orphanage, since they just shoved the food in their mouths, he may have done this to get more food, then savored the food throughout the morning.  Nonetheless, I have started forcing milk/juice/water after his meals to try to wash this down, then I will run my finger around through his gums to make sure he isn't "storing" food.  That's a behavior that if he has, we need to break quickly so he doesn't think that we are keeping food from him.  We want to assure him that he will always have a decent supply of food and liquids.

After breakfast, we took off to the Social Security Administration in Kenner, LA.  It was a rather nice facility for a government office.  I guess many of these places are fairly new since the flood in 2005.  Anyway, we were there right at opening and we were like 30th in line.  So, we settled in for a wait.  Finally we were called and the lady took all of our application and documentation.  Come to find out, we didn't have to do this appointment before the passport appointment, and it's going to take like 4 weeks to get his card in the mail.  Booo!  Was hoping to have the card in hand before we had to head back, but oh well.

We got done just in time, and we headed downtown to Canal Street in New Orleans, just outside the French Quarter.  It was really nice to be back in New Orleans.  I miss this town, and it reminds me of spending some of my early dates with my beautiful bride!  Walking down Pirate's Alley and things are some very special memories.  Anyway, the Regional Passport Agency is inside a high rise that is connected to a shopping mall where we always park when we go to the French Quarter!  How convenient!  So, we go in and are finally called up for our appointment.  I start handing the lady document after document.  I was prepared for this appointment, and as soon as she asked for the documents I was able to provide it.  She said she would overnight the passport to me when it was done, and that I should have the passport book on the 15th.  Uh, that won't work!  She asked to see my itinerary again and realized that it wouldn't work.  She asked where I was staying and when I told her Hattiesburg, she kind of groaned and said that would be too far for me & Griffin to have to drive back.  So, she changed the passport to a Will Call and told me to come back at 2:30!  Wow... same day service!  Awesome!  So, we have roughly two and half hours to kill... what better to do than to introduce Griffin to some serious grub!

I walked him right down the street, literally like 2 blocks, to Bubba Gump's Shrimp House.  Yeah, while there are other places to eat in NOLA that are more Cajun and typical New Orleans cuisine, but my family loves some Bubba Gump's!  I waited for a table like 25 minutes.  The guy who was the host was rather flamboyant.  He kept looking at me funny.  He looked at the other guy behind the merchandise counter and said I looked like a director from one of his "shows".  At this point, he made it obvious that he was talking about me, so I asked, "What show?"  To which he responded, "Oh, one of my shows."  "Your shows?" I asked.  He said, "Yeah, I do a few drag shows around the Quarter and you look like a guy who is directing one of my shows."  Great... so my twin is directing drag shows... how awkward to be confused as a drag show director!  At least the guy was nice and we were all able to get a laugh out of the situation.  We finally got seated and without even looking at the menu, I asked for my usual... Bourbon Street Mahi Mahi, an extra order of potatoes, and an unsweet tea.  They had no tea except raspberry for some reason... yuck!  Griffin enjoyed playing with the kids menu and drinking his apple juice.  He played a game on the slick topped table where he would push this sippy cup just out of reach, then he'd try his hardest to get it back using just his fingertips.  It was humid in the place, so as soon as the bottles started sweating, it became an impossible game!

The food finally arrived and I was able to catch Griffin's eyes as soon as they sat the food down.  He seemed amazed!  He ate the entire bowl of mashed potatoes, and ate nearly a quarter of my Mahi Mahi.  I didn't try the shrimp with him though... something about the shrimp kind of scared me with him.  It's been pretty easy as far as food and allergies, thank goodness, but I didn't want to push my luck.  He packed the mashed potatoes into his cheeks and I ran my finger around his gums and by pushing the juice heavily after he ate seemed to do the trick with washing the food out of his cheeks.  He absolutely loved the Mahi Mahi... this is a kid after my own heart!  The only way this meal could be better is if it were free!  I tried to give him a potato straw... he wasn't having it.  So he doesn't like french fries or any sort of hard cooked potato.  Interesting.

After lunch, we walked back toward the Passport Agency.  We stopped in a gift shop and I almost bought the kids some matching outfits that looked like Thing 1 & Thing 2 shirts, but they said Trouble 1, Trouble 2 & Trouble 3.  They didn't have the right sizes though.  I'll have to keep my eye open for that one!  We got back for our appointment at 2:30, and wouldn't you know, the passport wasn't ready.  It actually didn't get finished until nearly 4:00.  We then made our way out of NOLA and headed North to the great state of Mississippi!

We headed to Baxterville first.  Griffin loves to ride in the car, but unlike most kids, he doesn't go to sleep.  I think he is still amazed at the scenery and such.  He did learn that he could use his sippy cup as a pacifier... I have always been told it's not good for kids to suck air through those thinks, so it looks like I will have to watch that behavior.  We go to Baxterville and got to see an aunt & my cousins and their kids.  They all wanted so badly to love on Griffin, but due to the forced bonding, we are having to limit who holds him.  We need to get him totally bonded to us, and it hurts when we have to tell the people who supported us so much through money or donations or even prayer that they can't love on the boy they helped deliver to a forever family.  It's what is best for our son though, and I do not think I can apologize enough to those who supported us.  So, please, accept our sincerest apologies in this matter & we really do appreciate your understanding... soon, you will all be able to cuddle our dude!  It was good to see my family again... it has been since Christmas since we got to hang out.  They loved seeing all of his mannerisms and even seeing GM!  Sorry Leigh, I totally forgot to bring that in!

After the time in Baxterville, we headed to Hattiesburg.  I knew Griffin was getting tired at the end of our visit in Baxterville, but I didn't know he was that tired... he finally fell asleep in the car.  He slept the 15-20 minute drive to Hattiesburg.  We got to Maria's mom's & I pulled him out of the car, and no sooner did I get him out than the entire family had congregated outside to greet Griffin.  He seemed a little disoriented and maybe even a little overwhelmed, but within a minute, he dove for Maw-Maw's arms!  So sweet!  He propped up on her shoulder & the whole family surrounded them.  One of those perfect moments.  Yes, Maria... I am driving a white VW Beetle... the newer body style beetle... and it's still just as small and still not as manly as any other car I have ever driven!  Oh yeah, so far, everyone has said that they don't think Griffin can leave!  They all want to keep him here!  LOL!  I told them they'd have to fight Maria for him!

We got in and he got settled and I fed him some beans & cornbread.  He ate a good bit, but was so tired that he got a little fussy.  I put him into his crib and he was out like a light.  We'll see how he does tonight, since it's his first night back in a crib since the orphanage.  He may actually enjoy being back to something that is a normal thing to him.  It will be nice for me to not have to sleep with one eye open so he doesn't roll off the bed!

After he was put down for the night, I ran up to Wal*Mart to grab some juice & essentials for his breakfast in the morning.  And now... it's time for me to crash!  Plus, there is thunder & rain... I may not wake up tomorrow!  LOL!

See ya'll tomorrow!


Maria's View-

Well, I think it's safe to say that my Little G is on the mend.  She still has her rash but it is slowly fading and she is happy again!  Her appetite is getting back to normal as well.

This is the last week of school for Big G.  I can't believe that she will soon be a 2nd grader.  Where does the time go?

I took a much needed trip to the chiropractor today.  It has been since March since my last visit and it was much needed.  I feel better already. :-)

I went out to eat with my friend, Ashley, after the chiropractor appt today and it was a much needed outing, as well.  A huge thunderstorm happened right as we were about to go inside so we waited it out for awhile before heading in.  Thunderstorms are very rare here, it seems, so it was so nice to hear the thunder again.  I wish it would happen again tonight!

I'm so ready to get my guys home.  No matter how long my hubby is away, whether it is only a few weeks or a year, toward the end of it, it always feels the same.  I miss him.  I really hope that their appts went well today so that there will be no delay in making it home on the 16th.  We are really looking forward to it.  I managed to get a few things done today but there is so much left to do.  A lot of it is just just making a central location for things that I want to sell, donate, and trash.  I've started upstairs in my children's bedrooms and slowly working my way down.  So right now, everything is just kind of hanging out on our landings of the stairs and it's driving me nuts.  I'm definitely nesting, can't you tell?  :-)

Tonight, Griffin will meet my family and I'm so excited about that.  I wonder if he will like fried catfish and boiled crawfish, too?  We will just have to wait and see!! ;-)

Goodnight!