Today was another busy banner day.
We picked up M's brand new Hong Kong passport and Hong Kong permanent ID today. Now, she's officially a dual-national and can stay in Hong Kong visa free.
As we picked up the passport today, SAM said something very true and powerful to me about how lucky M is. US and Hong Kong citizenship are some of the most highly sought after statuses these days and there are people who would pay or sacrifice mightily for either of them. Just because of who her parents are, M gets both. We feel very lucky to be able to give this to her through no actual effort on our own.
At the same time, I feel somewhat strange because the passport does say, "People's Republic of China" on it. My father sacrificed much so that we could be American citizens and never came to peace with the communist takeover of China. He was proud to be an American and felt that he did his part to fight communism during the cold war by being a defense and space program electronics contractor. I do wonder what he would say.
After that, we ran to the doctor's office where M got a whole slew of vaccinations. Actually, the visit was a family affair. I got a Chicken Pox vaccination because I've never had it and the doc strongly recommended it. SAM had her six week check and M had her host of inoculations.
When it came time for M to take her medicine, It was hard for SAM and I to take. Two injections and an oral inoculation left her with a band-aid on either thigh, a bad taste in her mouth and screaming so loud that her face turned a shade of purple I have never seen before.
I can only imagine what the people in the waiting room were thinking.
The nurses also weighed and measured the little one. Turns out she's 4.5 kilos / 9.9 pounds (with the diaper) and 56 cm / 22 inches long. I'd take the length one with a grain of salt since everyone measures differently (though it agrees with the midwives measurements) but apparently she's firmly in the 50th percentile. Our daughter is perfectly average!
Not sure whether to celebrate, but at least we're glad she's healthy.
Finally, now that I've had my vaccination, I'm firmly convinced in my neurotic, hypochondriac mind that I'm going to come down with the Chicken "Bocks" and am feeling every slight skin irritation, itch on my head or under my shirt tag as a glaring signal of impending illness.
I have visions in my head of spending Christmas in my bed with angry pox all over my face and hands wrapped in gauze while everyone else (including M), wearing red and green reindeer sweaters, drinks eggnog, carols and enjoys Christmas happily without me at Joy's house!
I'll keep you posted.
3 comments:
I sympathize with you John, as I too have never had the Pox. I suppose I'll have to get the vaccination before little Brads and Sylvias are running around...
What a banner day!
And if you get the chicken pox, ENTER the MIL (or Mother-in Law) But of course, you won't. You HAVE to be at Christmas!!
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