A Perfect 8 Pound Thai Souvenir

Happy And Exhausted With Our Perfect Thai Souvenir

The Perfect Thai Souvenir

Souvenirs come in many forms. They manifest themselves as an exciting “I Love The Cook Islands” coffee mug. Could be a painting from Malaysia. Maybe it’s just a memory of skydiving in New Zealand. Our best souvenir comes from Thailand. That perfect Thai souvenir finally arrived from the N.T.S.D.I.B.A. (National Thailand Stork Delivery of International Babies Association).

It’s Game Time

How About Some Details?

So the trip that started in the Cook Islands, left Nadine pregnant in Thailand, and concluded in that great state of Texas finally came to completion August 3rd at 9:55 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. After twenty hours of labor, at 9:55 our Thai souvenir Sophie Christine entered the world and concluded that childless stage of our lives and started a new one. She entered the world stage with a head full of hair on her eight pound body and a set of lungs that would give Pavarotti a run for his money. Our only original hope, outside of being intelligent, athletic, and good looking, was that she be healthy, and that she was.

Ye Shall Meet Ye Baby Very Soon

Let’s Hear Those Lungs

Where To As A Family?

As we both sit here happy and fatigued in the hospital dressed in gowns, the next big adventure awaits, raising this child to be a responsible world citizen. Pretty big stuff. Lots of responsibility. After her first car ride home, and taking care of her basic needs like food, housing, clothes, and changing poopy diapers, where is Sophie going on her first trip traveling? It could be to New Mexico, but with the love we have for this child, we won’t do that to her.

Even more challenging initially, more so than crossing a Saigon road full of scooters at rush hour, is going to be and figure out how to correctly change a diaper. And not dropping those contents on the floor.

Love These Hospital Clothes

Getting Sophie Ready For The Milkshake

Bookend

So this officially and perfectly bookends our RTW trip 2006-2007. This doesn’t mean our travels will end, just a change in how we travel. I can only imagine that future travel will become even more adventurous and memorable as a trio.

With that, my next dream trip would have us traveling through the Americas. It would start in Alaska and follow the western spine of both North and South America to the tip of Chile and back up the eastern coast through the Caribbean to Nova Scotia. Now if I could only find a few sponsors. Or maybe the focus should be figuring out how to swaddle this perfect Thai souvenir first.

Peace
John, Nadine, and Sophie Christine