Saturday, December 06, 2008

Christmas Crafts



Sorry the pics are small but that's all I could get blogger to let me upload.

Yesterday, Izzy and I spent the afternoon making all sorts of Christmas crafts. We made reindeers from her hand and foot prints, we made our hand print ornaments again, and we made these q-tip snowflakes that I found on this blog...

www.flipflopsandapplesauce.blogspot.com 

She's got a lot of very fun crafts and activities for little ones and an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe too. Though I don't have a pic of that as we ate them too quickly. :)

Izzy had a lot of fun playing with lots of glue and glitter. I had to modify the craft a bit but I think it worked out just as nicely. We started Isaiah's reindeer too but I think I need an extra set of hands on that one.

We're starting to feel better but I still seem to get a mid-night fever. I stayed home from a Christmas party tonight in hopes that the 3hr nap Joan allowed me to take and getting to bed early will take care of it for good.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

The Dreaded Day

Well today was the day the family headed back to the states. We had a great two weeks... the only complaint being that it went too fast. It was fun to see my Mom's expressions and hear her thoughts as this was her first big overseas trip. I downloaded all their pictures too because they give a different perspective. It's been 3yrs now and a lot of things are normal to me... not so much to those visiting. I've got lots of thoughts to share from such a long time now but my blogging had really taken a back seat in my life. While I know it's not that big of a deal... I know that I'm thrilled to have a detailed account of the past three years and I'd like to keep that going. So maybe I'll have to do a 21 days of blogging to change my habit. :)

But for now.. I'm off to bed. I'm beat.

Blessings to all!

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Go Lycra Boys!

Mike heads out on his big 100K hike tomorrow morning at 9am. I'm very excited for him and the team in general. They've had a last minute guy join the team and I'm anxious to hear what he thinks. I get to run support for the 1st spot and am considering hiking the next stage with them but we'll see how the day goes... I really don't want to slow them down. Then I'll take the kids up to meet him the same place I did last year. It will be fun. I will keep the blog updated with hopefully some good pictures too.

Please pray for him and the team (Alex, Mark and Brian). Also pray for Tim (who is just running the course for fun) as well as Jill and ryan's team.. they begin at 2pm. Pray for good health, safety, and good relationships!

I'll be back in the am!

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Our story in pictures

This is Izzy with her buddies after Sunday School.  The little girl on the right is Kei Kei... a little girl who has become Izzy's church buddy... well girl church buddy I guess.  :)  Notice Isabella's fingers... a true Asian on our hands.

I'm feeling much better and am very anxious to get back to the fitness level I was before getting pregnant.  Mike has been busy preparing for the Trailwalker (a 100K hike) and I've been dying to go on part of this trail for awhile now so we tested out my abilities last week.  It was awesome and am so thankful that a hike like this exists out our back door.
And here's my handsome hubby
Halloween has become quite a deal over the past three years that we have been in HK.  Our first year, it was impossible to find costumes and pumpkins were about 100$ US dollars.  Now costumes are everywhere, decorations everywhere and pumpkins ranged in size and prices.  I had to take a picture of this... the big pumpkin is $1800 HK dollars which is about 230$ US.  Needless to say, Izzy will never have the pleasure of carving pumpkins while living here.
I've been dying to get back to Disney.  I just really like the atmosphere and the space to let Izzy run around and I always enjoy seeing her so happy.  She was happy but was not really interested in doing much.  She was even to shy to meet the princesses!  But she did enjoy her Mickey waffles.
A lady in the church has been wanting to take Isabella to the playroom at her club for quite some time now.  She's an older woman and I'm still feeling quite blessed that she thought to do this.  We had a great lunch and Isabella had a blast with all the new toys and gyms to climb on.  This picture is not of the playroom but a funny incident that happened there... she happened to get her pants all wet but the only clothes I had were Isaiah's.  The shorts she is wearing in the picture are a pair of his 3-6 month shorts!  The other amazing blessing in this picture is that kitchen!  Kitchen's here are either very expensive or very low quality and I actually was trying to get my mom to bring one with her when she came to visit later this month.  However, our church nursery was moved into the renovated office area and they didn't have any room left for the kitchen that was in there.  They were going to donate it to a playgroup but the group didn't need it so the nursery coordinator offered it to Isabella!  She LOVES it!
And this picture just makes me smile every time I look at it.  Our baby started to smile and they are so precious.  He is a happy baby... especially in the morning.  I snapped this picture right before I left for work last week.  Here's our little buddy.
Last week was quite crazy with the Reload lock-in, Awana camp, Disney, playdates, etc... I'm looking forward to a hopefully slightly less crazy week.  

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Bangkok and Hua Hin.... Here we come!!!

This next year is going to be awesome! We have plans for a family holiday in Thailand in January and I'm excited that we'll have 2 days in Bangkok... of which one is a Saturday and we can hit up the huge market! Then in April we'll be in Canada and the States for a quick visit and then the summer is our furlough and a possible missions trip back to Davao, Philippines! After a very long year, these trips are very much needed and appreciated. I feel very blessed on how God has provided. But I'm just so excited because we just finalized our plans to Thailand (I can already taste Dairy Queen) and to top it off in just 5 weeks we'll have 3 very special people with us! Wohoo!!!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

On the mends...

Dr Kelly was available yesterday morning for a visit so we all loaded up in the car and headed to her office and boy am I glad we did. It turned out that Isabella has an ear infection on top of her normal cough variant asthma issues that are being egged on by the changing weather. She walked out with 3 bottles of meds and singular. Isaiah definitely has a cold but Dr Kelly said he was much better off than Izzy or Mike and walked out with 2 bottles of meds. Mike won the prize for most meds though... 6 in total and advice to get more sleep. :) It's times like these that I'm quite grateful to be a generally healthy person.

So I stayed home with the kids today.. mainly to force Izzy to get some rest. We watched some videos, colored, and played with some new games that were passed down to her. They both have had a bad night... Izzy not wanting to sleep (now where does that come from?) and Isaiah wanting to eat constantly... hmm where would that come from? hehe All I wanted to do was exercise but instead I chose to wallow in pity and eat some candy corn that was sent (Thanks a million Mom and Dad!), drink a Coke Zero... and watch some current tv thanks to ninjavideo.net.

This week is going to be a bit crazy... I have to work two days, have a Dr's appt, need to get Isaiah's birth certificate now that we have our visas, we have a playdate and the Love Actually retreat is this weekend.

But alas... only 5 more weeks until family arrive. I can't even begin to say how excited I am! It's going to be a great two weeks!

Please continue to pray for the family, especially Isabella and wisdom for me. She's been clingy, whiny, etc and my patience is growing quite thin. I'm trying to think of some new ways to incorporate some new things and to make a schedule for our days with hopes that maybe having more of a routine will help us continue to adjust to life as a family of four.


Oh I forgot to write... at the Dr there was another little baby. My guess was about 5 weeks or so... it was tiny in my opinion. As we were walking out, they stopped me to ask how old Isaiah was. When I said 6 weeks they were stunned. They thought he was at least 3 months. They gave us the usual... on he's so big but so cute comments and then I asked how old their baby was. They told me 7 weeks! I couldn't believe it. As we walked out I'd wished I had taken a picture of the two babies. Isaiah at 6.1 kilos and this baby at 5 kilos. It would have been priceless. Yes I do have a big baby.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Isaiah's 1 Month

***Please pray for Izzy. She has a terrible cough to the point where she can barely get out the words she is trying to say. We kept her home from school as she was up all night and for the 1st time ever, she asked to rest and has constantly told me all day how tired she is. Please pray that she recovers quickly and that she will be able to sleep tonight.


It's continued to be a great few weeks as a family of four! It's hard to believe that today, Isaiah is 1 month old. Time just flies and I'm starting to dread signing my contract to teach in a few weeks. But I know it will be good for me and it will be helpful to our family and I'm thanking God that it's only mornings and that I didn't agree to teaching again at my previous school! Well... I've got some things to get done right now but wanted to post some pictures. Here's our little chubby guy... he's just wonderful and Isabella is such a good big sister!

what a little chubby man

he loves to nap on his belly

i just love how babies sleep like this

comforting Isaiah

this is how she fell asleep

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Awana Verses

I am so proud of Isabella... we've been working on her Awana verses and today as we were practicing, she said to me, "I can do it by myself!" and proceeded to quote two of the verses. Then I asked her to say the verse daddy has been teaching her and she begin to quote Psalm 23. And then as we were playing in the 'playground inside' (aka the gym in our clubhouse... she loves to walk on the treadmill) she began singing one of her school songs... in Cantonese. It was so fun to listen to her.

And last Sunday as we were eating our fruit and mooncakes with the Gliddons, we were trying to take a picture and Isabella leans over to Timothy, gives him a big hug and says, 'I love you Timothy.' And he says, 'I love you too.' Priceless.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Isaiah's Story

Saturday, August 23rd, I had to admit myself into the hospital for my scheduled c-section on the 25th. I was supposed to admit myself on friday but we had a Typhoon 10 that day and therefore anything elective was cancelled. So I checked in and waited for the Dr and Anesthesiologist to confirm all the necessary details about the surgery. I was on ward 7E and Mike wasn't allowed to come in with me (so he headed over to the rainers to hang out) and it didn't take long for me to feel alone and out of place. At one point, a nurse came in, said something in Cantonese and all the women got up and left... me, I just stayed there assuming if it was that important they'd come and get me. It was awkward. Their were 10 women in my area but a total, I believe, of about 30 on that ward. We all shared a bathroom with 3 toilets and 2 showers. We did have curtains to separate our beds but that was all. After several hours, I saw both ladies and was told I could go home and enjoy the rest of my weekend but to be back by 8pm Sunday night. So off we went... back home to celebrate Joan's birthday. I was starting to get a bit anxious, realizing that our life was about to totally change and wondering if we were really ready for this.

Sunday morning we went to church, VBS had their closing ceremony for the adults (of which Izzy refused to participate in... she loves attention but does not like being in front of people) and then we had lunch with the Gliddons, Lowthers, and Cheng's at Outback. I was slightly disappointed that my last good meal was Outback but I could barely walk and was tired and too uncomfortable to go much further away. We came home and I had hoped to have a little quality time with Isabella before heading back to the hospital but she was too exhausted. She fell asleep and slept until about 30 minutes before I had to leave.

I double checked my bags and the website that had a list of things I would need and then we hopped into the Taylor's car, they were very gracious to let us borrow it for the weekend, and off we went. It was surreal... thinking that this was it, tomorrow we'd have another bundle of joy. We parked, walked by 7/11 for some right before midnight snacks and back up to 7E. Again Mike was not allowed to come with me so he gave me a kiss and headed to the rainers again to hang out for a bit. I was so thankful it was the closing ceremonies for the Olympics because it gave me something to do. I couldn't understand any of it but at least I could watch it. :)

All night (as the bright lights were on until like 1am and surprisingly, I couldn't fall asleep), I kept thinking about how our lives were going to change, was I ready for this, what would the surgery be like, how will I love this one as much as I love Izzy, etc...

I finally feel asleep and woke up about 7am anxiously awaiting 8 as that was when the 1st person was to have their surgery (I was #3). When 8:30 rolled around and #1 was still sitting next to me, I realized that this day was going to be longer than anticipated. When 11:30 rolled around and #2 was still next to me, I knew I wasn't going to have this baby by lunch time like they said. I asked the nurse, as Mike was patiently waiting to hear when he should come, and she said about 1pm. So I phoned Mike, warning him that I wasn't convinced this was the right time but that I wouldn't mind having some company. (I was allowed to meet him in the hallway and sit with him) So he got there about 1ish and we just waited together. 2 o'clock came around and we were still playing tetris and bubble wrap games on his phone. Mike wanted a snack and bathroom break, so I went back to my bed to rest for a little bit. As I rested (about 2:30-3:30), I started feeling some stomach pains but my stomach had been all out of whack due to nerves so I didn't think anything of it and kept sleeping. About 3:30, I met Mike again out in the hallway to chat/play games some more. After about another hour, I looked at Mike and said, 'I think I'm having contractions.' Mike says, 'How far a part?' So I timed them and they were about 2/3 minutes a part. Then I tell him that it figures... the only benefit I could think of to having a c-section is not having to deal with contractions and lo and behold, I still ended up with them.

I went back into the ward and told the nurse about my contractions and she said she would have to hook me up to the machines for about a 1/2hr to monitor the baby and check. All I kept thinking was... great I'm going to hit 10cm and then still have to have a c-section. But alas.... after about 10 min, the nurse came to check on me and she said, 'ah yep that's them.' Great... I thought now they have to put me on the emergency list and get me in. But I still had to wait for the 30 min of monitoring first. Once that was done, the nurse told me that I was next on the list but there was a c-section in process so I'd have to wait until that was done. I started being monitored about 5:00pm (I think... could have been about 5:30) so it must have been some time after 6pm that they wheeled me down to the operating theater.

It was at this point that I started to get really nervous about the surgery. We still didn't know if Mike was going to be allowed in the room but it looked hopeful. They took me and prepared me for my spinal anesthetic and my mind started to go crazy on me, I got really uptight and scared. I immediately asked if Mike could come in but they told me he had to wait until the spinal was done. Thankfully it didn't take too much longer.... and as my legs started going numb and my arms were tied down, Mike walked in. And then the tears flowed, I was so scared that I made myself sick which then scared me even more. The Dr (didn't get her name) said okay we're gonna start, you may feel a little tugging and pulling and it seemed that in seconds, I heard Isaiah's cry for the 1st time. It was 7:29 when he was born. I was so happy, so relieved that I began crying again... they probably thought I was crazy. :) They took Isaiah and didn't even tell us what the sex was... Mike had to ask.

I'm not sure what they did with him but as they finished stitching me up, they brought him to Mike and Mike did his very best to hold him as close to me as possible so I could see him. (I'm blind as a bat an couldn't have my glasses on so I couldn't really see him at all.) He held him for a few minutes and then they needed to clean him up and get me out of the room. They rolled me into a recovery room but it took quite some time for me to feel well. I got very nauseous and sick again... just wiggling my toes made me gag. Mike came in to sit with me but I told him to go home. I wasn't worth anything... I just wanted the room dark and to sleep. So he was able to go up to neo-natal (they put Isaiah in there for the 1st day because of his weight... said his blood sugar could spike either up or down with his weight being so high) and give him his 1st bottle and get some pictures.

We didn't name him immediately because we had two names picked out and I wanted to see him before naming him. I didn't get to really see Isaiah until Tuesday at 5:30pm but immediately, I knew he was an Isaiah.



I was quite disappointed on Monday afternoon that I was still waiting to give birth but as I've been learning quite a bit lately, God's timing is always best. I was so sick after the surgery that I know I would have been extremely disappointed had it been daytime and I couldn't focus on my son. Being that the surgery was late, I was able to rest all night and all morning before they brought him to me. In fact, I was able to rest until 5:30 that evening, when visitors were allowed and Mike came. That gave me a lot of time to begin recovering... it was perfect timing, as always.

I have so much more to write about what these past two weeks have been like... simply amazing. I never dreamed the joy, love, happiness that would come from this little man entering our lives. I feel so blessed beyond words and it makes all the struggles, the sickness, etc of this pregnancy worthwhile.

Thank you God for this amazing miracle!!!

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Some Pictures

resting together

we finally got to see those eyes

Izzy loves her brother

look at those rolls

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Last day as a family of 3

Tonight I have to be at the hospital by 8pm. Tomorrow I'm 3rd in line to have Baby Bob. I've got so many mixed feelings right now... nervous about having the c-section, a little freaked out about our lives changing again, sad not to be taking Izzy to school, scared of being in a hospital surrounded by people I don't know and where they will only speak English when they're talking to me.... you get the idea. It will definitely be an experience but I will be anxious to get home.

I had high hopes of spending some quality time with Izzy before I head to the hospital today but she was just too exhausted after church and needed some rest. She'll wake up with just a little bit of time to spare before I leave. Her world is about to be turned upside down with a new sibling and school all at the same time... I'm sure this all affects me more than her but I can't help worry about her.

On a side note... a friend at church told me today that she just knows this baby is going to be a boy. Her reasoning.... "No girl would ever cause this must trouble." I had to laugh. We'll find out tomorrow!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Given Up

Today I tried exercising, cleaning, spicy foods and a trip to the mall with Izzy and.... nothing. But that's okay. I've given up trying.... Baby Bob will come when he's ready or on Monday... whatever comes 1st. :)

I decided last night not to be frustrated anymore so I made plans for today, tomorrow and friday. I'll just do my best to enjoy the next few days and keep my mind occupied with other things. Monday will be here before I know it and while it's not my idea of perfect timing.... God has never failed me before so He won't now. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to write such sweet and encouraging emails. They've really helped me to let go and just enjoy the last few days as a family of three.

Well... no basketball on right now so I'm off to bed.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Perfect Bruising

I have felt absolutely huge since like 2 months of being pregnant. :) Mike always yells at me saying, I'm pregnant, I'm supposed to gain weight, etc... But I never expected my body to be so sensitive to the weight gain or to be so heavy that sitting down causes bruises.

Several weeks ago, I took Isabella to the playground in town. The playground is one with a metal bottom with little holes all thru it. We were pretending to have a tea party and therefore sitting on the bottom. When I got home, we went for a swim and I noticed all these bruises on my legs. At first, I couldn't figure out what it was but then I remembered the playground. Well Monday at Disney we sat down (for a max of 10/15 min) on a metal bench, with little holes, just like the playground. I told Mike that I'd probably have those bruises again but I was just joking.... I didn't really expect to. Well I was wrong... I had perfect little circle bruises on my legs.

It scared me the first time... now I just think it's really funny and I just can't believe how sensitive my body is. I tried to upload a picture of the bruises but my bluetooth isn't working. Maybe another day. Just one more weird thing about this pregnancy. :)

Monday, August 18, 2008

What else to try?

So we headed out to Disney today. Partly because I wanted to take Izzy before Baby Bob arrives but also hoping the walking might help get labor started. But to no avail... still quite pregnant and uncomfortable but that's okay. At least I know there is an end in sight. It was unbelievably hot and crowded so we only stayed a few hours but I'm glad we went. We didn't even take many pictures but here are two I really liked. The 1st, Izzy is making a wish... she gets wishing coins for good behavior/doing what we ask/etc ... she loves making wishes. The last picture is how she has decided to sleep the past few weeks. Mike has been working late the past few weeks so we think this is her way of making sure she sees him each night but it just makes me laugh. If you can't tell... she is sleeping on the floor in her bedroom doorway. :)

Tomorrow Sarah arrives! We are anxious to see her... please pray for her safe arrival and that Baby Bob will make his appearance too!





Friday, August 15, 2008

Just in case...

You read this but don't get our email updates...

The Dr said that Baby Bob is just big... 4kgs to be exact (about 8.8lbs) and has an unusually large tummy. They are concerned about the tummy getting stuck so they highly recommended a c-section. I'm torn about this because I feel if I were to go into labor within the next few days it would be okay to try naturally (as I've just read about a few women delivering 9+ babies in the past few months) but they still want to do a c-section but obviously if the baby does not arrive before the 25th (when they want to do the c-section) then I would be too nervous to try on my own. But alas... I'm not having any more contractions so I doubt the baby will come on it's own which means... Baby Bob will arrive some time on August 25th.

I do ask for prayer though that I would go into labor on my own sometime this week as Isabella's 1st day of school is the 25th. I really wanted Mike or I to take her (an adult goes with her for an hr that 1st week to help with adjustments) and if the baby doesn't come on his own... neither of us will be able to go with her.

So that's the update. To be honest, I'm quite frustrated and discouraged and not really interested in talking about this much right now.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Ultrasound tomorrow

You never know what to expect with public appointments. I expected to wait at least 2hrs today and was in and out of there but oh well. I think they were somewhat prepared for me and knew exactly what they needed to do but alas.... they agreed that I was 'quite large' and want to determine if it's because:

1. my fat (that's exactly what they said...lol)
2. the baby's just big
3. there's too much fluid

So tomorrow at 8am, I'll have an ultrasound to determine the cause of my large stomach. Then we'll go from there. If the fluid is something to be concerned about, I'll be admitted and will have the baby though I'm not sure if that means being induced or c-section (forgot to ask that). If it's just a big baby, they'll send me back home to wait. The baby is engaged and ready to go so they don't seem to be too worried. This Dr was incredibly nice and was quite sympathetic towards me having to carry this baby around too much longer.

I just pray that:

1. the baby is healthy and there's nothing to worry about and
2. that they will make this baby come out tomorrow!!!! can you tell I'm ready??

Bless Joan though... I called her immediately and sent her out to buy baby detergent and asked her to wash all that I would need for the hospital. The Dr told me to have all my bags ready just in case and well.... I actually planned to do that tomorrow. But Joan was very gracious and I'm off to pack my bags now.

Hope Mike can post tomorrow about the birth of Baby '**********' And YES we finally have at least a girls name all set! We have a few boys names but nothing set in stone.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Making an Appointment in Public Hospitals

One of the negatives to using public hospitals is that you cannot call and make an appointment... you must go to the hospital itself to make the appointment. Well today, I had Mike drop me off so I could get there as early as possible, arriving around 9:15ish (it opened at 9). I was number 9 and was excited about a rather calm, relaxing day. (I had to meet Mike at 1 so I had decided to make my appointment and then just enjoy some time to myself.) However, after one hour of waiting, I got a bit frustrated and nervous that maybe I'd missed them calling me. So I go to the registration desk and they say, 'Oh I'm sorry. We're waiting on your Dr's referral letter.' After wondering why in the world they needed this, I sat back down figuring it wouldn't be too much longer. Over another hour later, I was still sitting and waiting... unbelievably frustrated and uncomfortable. I finally got up and asked what the problem was.... told them I'd been waiting over 2hrs just to make an appointment. They asked me my number... which was 9 (the ninth person arriving from the start of the day) and they were like 'oh' and handed me my appointment slip. My appointment... next Wed. Ugh!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell I'm a bit annoyed, frustrated... ugh. I cannot wait to have this baby and be done with these clinics. Never have I felt so stressed about attending Dr.'s appointments. I will be very happy to travel a distance to have the sweetness, genuine care, etc of Dr. Kelly.

I made it in time to meet Mike for a quick lunch and then off to look at our pictures that we had taken on Monday. When we took Isabella to see the musical Mulan, a photography studio was selling sessions for about an 1/8th of their normal cost with a free 8X10 photo. It's VERY difficult to find reasonably priced photographers here and so we opted to buy a session knowing that we most likely would not be able to afford any more pics aside from the freebie. But of course, they're never clear on how much the photos are until after the session. YIKES!!! The cheapest picture was almost $1000 dollars. Granted it was big and framed and all that but geesh... We went for the viewing today... trying, hoping that maybe we could make something work so we could at least get a couple of the shots (they were SO cute and so different) but in the end we just took our free photo and left. It was disappointing on top of what I experienced this morning but that's okay. We knew that we would love the pictures but probably couldn't get any.

I'm starting to get quite emotional.... I'm still not feeling well and just so ready to get back to normal life that everything is just getting to me. I'm praying very hard this baby will come very soon... would love it if it came before even having to go to my appointment next week. :) I had a mini-holiday planned (at home) with Izzy and camping in the backyard/Disney/the beach but the T8 has temporarily killed that... maybe next week will work.

But we have an exciting Saturday planned... two of our youth group girls want to be baptized!!!!! I'm super excited for them and looking forward to watching that!

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

T8 Again

We woke up to some strong winds this morning. When I looked outside, I didn't think too much of it but it turned out to be another T8... our second one this year! That means everything closes down. I was slightly disappointed because it meant I couldn't go to the hospital to make my appointment but it was nice to have Mike home with us today. We played in Izzy's room for quite a bit and then I decided to check out the damage to our backyard. In the course of the morning, we lost two trees, our grill, and a potted tree. We praise the Lord we've not had much leaking and that nothing happened to the cars that are parked at our place and that we were warned on Monday with a T1 so we already overturned our table and we didn't have any more broken glass. It seems to have settled now but we'll still just chilling inside watching movies. 


 



Mike and Joan assessing the damage





Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Baby coming soon?

I had my appointment today. The 1st of weekly visits until the baby is born. These appointments I actually get to see the Dr but that stressed me out because this Dr is the one who's made the biggest deal about my weight but alas.... I thought I was going to be checked for progress but it was the same type of an appointment... only done by the Dr, herself. Anyway, she asked me if I was sure about my due date and then said she was referring me back to the hospital for my visits. I asked why and she said I was measuring big. I get to keep my records so when I got on the bus, I was reading the notes and it turns out I'm measuring 39 weeks! I'm praying very hard this means the baby will come early but we'll see. So tomorrow I have to go to the hospital to make an appointment to see the Dr there. I'm also praying that maybe they can squeeze me in while I'm there so I don't have to make another trip another day.

But anyway... this made me very excited and anxious. I guess I really should get my hospital bags together.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Meal Time funnies

I am so far behind in my posts but I just had to write what happened at dinner tonight. Izzy was happy eating her veggie/fruit face but wanted nothing to do with the meat. I told her she needed to eat a few bites and I would get her some more eyes (grapes) and so she agreed. She ate 2 bites and then I put a third on her plate to eat while I got her some more grapes. When I came back the meat was gone so I gave her the grapes. A few minutes later, I went to use my napkin and low and behold... there was the meat. :) I looked at her and asked, 'Did you hide your meat in my napkin?' And she replied with the biggest grin, 'Yes!'
I guess I should have been upset but it just made me laugh. She's been a real ham lately...

Last night she pulled out the raft for the pool, climbed to the top of the steps and slid down. All I kept thinking about was Home Alone when the boy sleds down the stairs. She was having a blast.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Sweet Izzy Story #7808

As Izzy is looking at a Barney's Easter Stories book...
"Once upon a time, Jesus came into this book and saw a big goldfish... a big, big fish."

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Izzy Stories part deux

Once upon a time, Jesus was in Hong Kong
And Dora was in Hong Kong
They said, 'Eseybody, come, come, come!'
Jesus said, 'Come too Dora'


I LOVE listening to Isabella tell stories! She's so creative. She loves to look at her books and tell us what's going on and I'm always impressed with how much she remembers about the different books. She can pretty much quote her Dora books and she loves to tell us stories about Jesus.

So after a great day yesterday, today was quite frustrating at school. So I treated myself to a Vanilla Coke and some ice cream when I got home and then took Izzy out for a swim. I swear if Baby Bob doesn't turn into a water lover than no baby will. :) While I'm not particularly enjoying the heat and pregnancy... I'm loving how much better swimming makes me feel. I may not look very pretty but it's so comfortable! LOL And we had a great time in the pool... we practiced all our numbers in every language and our colors in Cantonese. She was really excited about repeating what I said so it was fun to try new things.

Well... I've got lots of papers to mark so I better stop procrastinating.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Hap Mun Beach

Burying Auntie Joan
Only in HK will someone swim with an umbrella and yes he was with us
Izzy at work

What a fun, fabulous day we had today! It was another public holiday so we had intentions of going cliff jumping/to the beach and while we did all that... we separated as a family. Cliff jumping is a bit of a hike and in 36 degrees I was a bit hesitant to go. I know how tired one can get after a full day in the sun and swimming without being pregnant and I didn't know how Izzy would actually do at the beach so I opted out of that fun adventure. Mike on the other hand took about 18 people with him and had a blast jumping, swimming and hanging out.

Joan invited Izzy and I to go with Aff (alliance filipino fellowship) to a different beach and since it was just a ferry ride... I figured if Izzy ended up hating the beach it would be a lot easier to head home. Plus Izzy loves these ladies and I thought it would be a fun opportunity to get to know them better.

(Just some background info... Izzy has been afraid of the sand since well since birth pretty much... she is just now getting used to sand, dirt and grass... ah the joys of HK. But alas... she did awesome!)

It took her about 20/30 minutes to convince her to go into the water with her tube but once she tried it, I couldn't get her out for hours. After about 2hrs I forced her to get out and sit in the shade for a bit but after about 20 minutes she was begging to go back in. It was a gorgeous day and it was just so much fun.

It's very difficult for me to get to know many people at church because we only see each other on Sunday's and often I'm running after Isabella or doing something for Children's Church but this group (aff) is awesome and I love these ladies. They are so supportive, encouraging, helpful, willing, etc... Their lives always amaze me (things they've dealt with, sacrifices they've made, etc) but their hearts for the Lord and passion for serving Him are incredible. I was talking with one lady and I was commenting on how the only day they get off is often filled with church activities and how I often wonder if that bothers them or is disappointing that they can't explore life in HK more and she said she wouldn't trade it. She loves being involved and she loves being at church. She's even told her employer that she cannot take away her Sunday's. It was the day promised to her and she needs to be at church. How many of us would willingly spend our entire day off at church.. and not just fellowshipping with friends but having responsibilities?

It was just another slight reminder from God of blessed I am. I feel so honored to be living and serving Him in such a diverse cultural setting. While I miss my family... it's hard to want to give something like this up.



On a very funny side note... this is a picture of what we've begun growing in our bedroom. Mike said he wanted to start an herb garden but I guess we'll settle for this! LOL No actually, please pray that we can get this problem of dampness and mold out of our house as we have two very sensitive people to mold and a baby on the way.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Oh the Places You'll Go

Angela, Nancy and Brett (3 of our grads... Brett is Izzy's buddy)



Today we said good-bye to our grads but thankfully, we'll have some of them sticking around for the summer. However, Isabella's best bud leaves this Wednesday. We usually do a junk boat trip but we decided to do something different this year and it was a good thing as it stormed all day. We just had everyone over for a BBQ. It was great and we had a pretty good turn out... about 30 people total. So today seemed crazy as we had a final fellowship party in Children's Church and it was also Pastor Ed and Sharon's last Sunday and I didn't even get to say good-bye... plus our party in which we left right after the service for. But it was a good day and several students are still hanging out which I love.

Last night we had a friend and his son over for dinner and a game of monopoly. It was fun but the best part was seeing Tim and Mike on the couch sharing a blanket! :) The sayings about women always being hot while pregnant have run true for me and I guess I froze them out. It was too funny though.

It's a long weekend for me thanks to Hong Kong SAr day so I'm looking forward to Mon and Tues off. We're hoping to go cliff diving on Tuesday and I think tomorrow's just going to be a relaxing day. Only 7 more days of school for me! Wohoo!!!!

Friday, June 27, 2008

Mulan Musical





It's no lie that Isabella loves all things Disney... well at least most things so when I saw an ad for a children's musical production of Mulan, I decided that I HAD to take her. :) I thought it would be a really fun 'Mommy and Daughter' date... with dressing up, having dinner, and seeing the musical. And then Mike had to cancel cliff diving due to the rain and I thought it would be even better if could join us! So after Mom Time we headed out to Wanchai for dinner at the flying pan (an American breakfast place that Mike loves) and then off to the play. Izzy really enjoyed it and I was quite surprised at how well she sat and watched. Now all she talks about is going back to the 'me-ater' to see Mulan. It was a very fun evening and it was so nice to try something different with her.

And to top off a great night... a photography company was there giving out discounts so we signed up for a 1hr photo session! I was so excited because all photographers here are outrageously priced and with the discount we're getting an almost 400 dollar session for 50! Wohoo! The only negative being that while we will get one free 10X8, I know I'll love and want more and I'm sure that will be a bit out of our price range... but that's okay. We'll enjoy it. I was hoping we could extend the discount 1 more month so we could use it as a family photo with the new baby but it expires on the 26th of August and the guy felt it would be more special to have the photo while I was still pregnant. :)

It was just a really special day all around... hope yours was too!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

T8

Well I'm experiencing my first T8 warning (typhoon) and I must say I'm a little disappointed. I expected more rain and stronger winds but that's probably a good thing considering the leakage problems in our place at the moment. Though I did wake up this morning to our overturned table, shattered glass from the table top, a broken table umbrella and a few of Izzy's toys thrown about... so maybe it was worse in the middle of the night. I won't complain though as this means I get an extra day off to spend with my cutie. Once I find my camera, I'll post a pic.




So we've enjoyed our day at home. We've had tea parties, read books, talked to Grammy, watched some cartoons, took a long nap, ate some brownies, and made some crafts. It was a fun day and now the weather has calmed down and we've settled back into a T3 which is not that serious.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Summer fun pics


This is the mini-sermon yesterday. Izzy looks like she's really into it. :)


relaxing in the pool




Well my interview went really well and since they still want to find a full-time teacher who can start in August, they offered me a substitute position. So that was cool and I hope they will call on me since I live so close by. :) I was really impressed with the school and wished they offered Cantonese because I would so send Izzy there but alas... However, I came home, found three more positions on-line that sounded like good potentials and have already heard back from them! How great is that! So I guess I shouldn't worry too much about finding something but I hope one of these will work out. One is teaching Music, one is Tutoring and one is teaching phonics in a Kindergarten. All very part-time but fairly close by. So I'm excited at the possibilities.

I had my Dr's appointment today and to be honest, I was stressed all day. The last thing I wanted to hear was how fat I was especially when I've been so careful over the last two weeks. Well I still gained but they didn't say anything. In fact, the only real thing that was said to me was that the baby is in good position with it's head down. Though the one nurse actually showed some compassion when she asked if I was still dealing with vomiting and I said yes. That was a nice treat. So despite what the clinic says about my weight, I had three people say something to me within the last week that I took as very nice compliments and made me smile. One of my MN girls told me I was the cutest pregnant ladies, a lady a church said she had no idea I was pregnant until I turned around, and a teacher at school told me that I walk pretty fast for a pregnant lady. They're little comments but they sure make a lady feel good. :)

Well I'm procrastinating... I have lots of writing papers to mark so I should get busy.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Izzy Conversations

Izzy: I'm scared Daddy.

Mike: You don't have to be scared, God is with you.

Izzy: Where Daddy, I don't see him?


A quick, funny Izzy story: Today was our Sunday School graduation and so Mike had all the children up front for a mini-sermon... Izzy included. I was actually surprised she stayed up there without me (she refused to do so at Christmas time but alas). I guess when she saw her friends she was fine. But anyway.... she was being a little bit noisy so I looked at her and did the whole finger to mouth, shhhhing thing. So she immediately stopped and began to sit quietly until the girls around her started talking. And then she became the teacher... shhhing anyone that said anything. :) It made me chuckle but I think it's something I'm going to have to keep my eye on... she has done this before and I don't want to raise a bossy little girl.

It's been a long day... a long few days actually so I'm looking forward to not having a lot on my plate for tomorrow. It's supposed to be incredibly hot as well so I'm looking forward to a swim. :) Anyway... we had our farewell lunch for the Manghams this afternoon. It was a nice time to listen to stories of how they touched lives here in HK. They were headed out for a cruise to Vietnam late afternoon before finishing out their last week in HK. They head back to the states July 1st... hard to believe the time is here already.

Nick came over for dinner and shared that the house they intended to buy in Canada fell through at the last minute. Secretly, I keep hoping they will stay in HK so I was happy but I'm sure this is a huge disappointment and frustration for them. I just keep praying that they will seek what the Lord has for them and that maybe it would be for them to stay another year or two. LOL

I'm down to 3 weeks of school left and I'm really looking forward to not making that commute anymore. I will miss the job and the students/co-workers but I will not miss dedicating 3hrs of my life each day to a bus or train. I actually have an interview in the morning for a potential position at a Kindergarten just up the street from us. They've already told me that they most likely will not have a position to offer me at this moment because of the baby and my due date but they asked me to still come for a possible substituting or part-time position in the near future. I have to be there for a hands on interview (so for the whole 3hr kindy session) and I'm not crazy about that but it's hard to pass up on something that is so close by. So I'm praying that they might have something part-time to offer me.

Well... I'm a bit tired so I'm headed to bed.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Morning sickness

Well it seems as though the morning sickness has returned in full force even with the medicine I have been taking. I'm trying to think of what else it could be but the ride to church today was not good nor was my day yesterday. The one thing I have noticed is that I get hot even quicker than before. Poor Mike and Izzy... I've been freezing them out because the instant I get a bit too hot... is the instant I feel the need to throw up. Our poor electric bill but I just can't take the heat. So if you wouldn't mind praying for me, I would greatly appreciate it.

At my last appointment, the Dr so kindly told me that while morning sickness ends for most women at the 2nd trimester... for some it will last all pregnancy. Well I guess I'm one of those lucky few. But while I don't feel the greatest... I'm trying really hard to be joyful. We are doing an overview of the New Testament in Sunday School and today we talked about Philippians. I was convicted on how joy-less I've been in regards to this pregnancy and life since Jan. I feel really guilty that I haven't taken in everything as much as I did with Isabella and for being so frustrated when I know there are many women out there who would do anything to be in my shoes... so as we talked about in our group... I'm choosing to be joyful in the midst of frustration and not feeling well. Sickness is no excuse... I have a lot to be grateful for.

I'll have more to write tomorrow but I wanted to ask for prayer. Thanks!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Happy Ministry Anniversary Dad!!!!


Today (or maybe it was yesterday, I'm a little confused on my dates today) my father-in-law celebrates 25 years in ministry!!!! What an exciting day to celebrate and look back upon how God has worked in your life as well as how He has used you in ministry. I haven't always been around (hehe... that just sounds funny to me) but I've been around since their life in Dover began and it's been so cool to see how they've become such a part of the church and how much the church has grown under his leadership.

His testimony as to how he ended up in ministry is impressive to me as he went back to school when Mike just a wee one after being successful as an accountant. I'm always super impressed with those who follow God's calling when it seems so much easier to continue to live the way you are. I think it takes a lot of faith, trust and willingness to sacrifice.

I've learned a lot from him over the past 8 yrs and it's been a blessing to be his daughter-in-law. So I wish you the happiest of anniversaries!

You can check out the Dover Alliance Church web-site here.... where you can also read his blog and listen to his sermons.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Pregnant in Hong Kong

I had another Dr appt yesterday and as I was sharing some details with a friend this morning, I realized that while so much of life has become normal that there are still a lot of things that most people would find unusual or at least different from what you experience in the states. So anyway... I decided that I would share what my appointments are like in the public health system of HK.

1st thing is that the clinics only do appointments for certain things on certain days. The clinic I attend only accepts Antenatal re-visits on Tuesday afternoons from 2-5pm. Secondly, I don't actually have a time appointment, I'm given a date that I need to come back (for ex. June 10) and I have to come on that specific date or earlier (like the Tues before.) This means that unless I want to wait hours and yes, I mean hours, I need to be at the clinic about 1:20ish to line up. Thankfully, I have managed to get there early and I've always been in the top 15 patients. :) And the final thing in regards to the appointment arrangements is that you only go every 6wks, then 4 wks, then 2wks and weekly. You don't even get in to see a Dr until you are pretty much into your 2nd trimester and because of how my visits fell, I've only had 3 appointments in 7 months of pregnancy.

As far as the actual appointment... there is a room for everything and you feel like you're a part of an assembly line. We start with our urine test where I have to bring my own (saved from the morning) and stick two little pieces of paper in it. Then I make my way to get weighed. I take my little slip of paper and have my blood pressure taken. Then I move into another line for my turn to hear the baby's heartbeat with my own tissue (that I had to bring with me) to wipe the cream off. Next I wait for them to call me into another room where I meet with a nurse to go over my weight gain and any other details. She stamps my card for the next appointment date and I leave. Unless I absolutely need to see a Dr (which they will do anything they can to prevent you from seeing or at least it sure seems that way) in which I go back out to the waiting room and wait again to be called into yet another room.

It is very impersonal and because I don't speak Cantonese... I feel like an inconvenience to them. Like at my 1st appt when I didn't know exactly what I was to be doing and they just lectured me like I was a moron instead of just explaining the process. Or when I was trying to convince the Dr that i needed something to help the vomiting and all she would say was 'its just a part of pregnancy,' or when I was concerned about my fainting issues and they said, 'Stay away from cloudy areas,' or yesterday when I was lectured over and over about my weight gain and was told that 'imagine how much you would weigh if you weren't having your vomiting issues.' Yeah... can you tell that I'm having a bit of a hard time with the impersonalness (yes my own word) of the care but for no cost... I can deal with it.

It does make me a bit nervous about what the birthing experience will be like but I'm thankful that I know 3 Dr's at the hospital that will help me if need be.

So alas... I've reached the 'every 2 weeks' stage now and I was told that they would be looking closely at my weight gain because it's just not good and most women gain what I have during their entire pregnancy. Please let me note that while I have gained... I'm on target to gain less than I did with Isabella and within the recommended 25-35lbs that all my books say. But alas... I'm glad it's getting close to the end. I'm anxious to meet this little one and feel better.

And I told Mike that I'm not going to have any sweets or sweet drinks... anything that could add to my weight gain for the next two weeks and see how much I gain. That way at least I don't have to listen to how fat I am. :)

So I'm 28wks... still measuring 2 weeks ahead (which I still know means nothing but I have hope that maybe it will...lol) still not not knowing the sex. Next appt they'll check to see what position the baby is in. Not sure how they'll do that but I'm praying maybe it'll mean an ultrasound.

So that's life in the public hospital system. My appointments last about 1 to 1.5hrs by the time I get through everything.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Out of the mouth of babes...

Izzy stories:

'Once upon a time, a big, giant Jesus.'

(After looking at the cover of her Bible which has Moses holding up the Ten Commandments...) 'That's a bad man, he's throwing rocks.'

She's also able to read us the story 'Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear' perfectly by what she has memorized and by looking at the pictures. It's so adorable because she's so proud that she can read.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Sweet Prayers Cont.

A sweet little conversation between Izzy and Mike the other night...

Izzy: "Daddy I prayed, by myself."

Mike: "Did you talk to Jesus?"

Izzy: "yes"

Mike: "What did you talk to Jesus about?"

Izzy: "I talked to Him, just me 'to feel better, for mommy, and daddy, and ouffie (her beloved stuffed dog).'

Mike: "Do you want to ask Jesus to help you use the potty?"

Izzy: "The big potty?"

Mike: "No the princess potty."

Izzy: "okay"

Mike: "Do you want me to pray?"

Izzy: "No I'll pray. Help jesus princess potty."

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Swelling and Heartburn

Ah the joys of pregnancy... and today my calves feel like dead weight. It literally hurts to walk, especially up stairs. So many weird and unusual pregnancy issues this time around but alas.....

here are the latest pictures... they're not the most flattering but the bump is visible.




Today I went swimming and it felt SO nice. I'm looking forward to doing that more often and it will be a great way to spend time with Izzy too. A little easier than getting down on the floor for a tea party. LOL

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Happy 3rd Birthday Isabella!!!







Well my baby is 3! I can hardly believe how fast time has gone and how quickly she is growing up. What a delight she is to have and I feel so blessed that God has placed her in my care. She has such a loving and tender heart. She's smart and curious, adventurous and outgoing. She makes friends with anyone and loves people. She's creative and lively and while she tires me out... I love that she loves to keep moving. I love that she loves being outside and being with people.

Each day I'm amazed at something new she has learned... whether it's something in Tagalog from Joan (she's been teaching her body parts), to a new song, or learning what the words 'Hong Kong Disneyland' look like. (haha) She can count to ten in both English and Cantonese and even higher in English with a bit of prompting. She knows her ABC's. She can usually tell me what she's learned at church and I'm constantly blessed by the songs she sings. Her conversation skills astound me on a regular basis... the words and sentences that come out of her mouth always make me smile. I love to listen to her stories and I absolutely love how she responds to my growing belly.

She starts school at the end of August and we just paid for her books, bags, uniform, etc and it brings tears to my eyes that it is time for that. I remember moving to HK and learning that even at just a few months, I needed to be researching schools and putting her on waiting lists, etc.. and I just refused. I always said, "I have plenty of time for that.' And here it is... 3yrs later already.

I wanted this year to be special for her. She understands what a 'birthday' is and I don't know what life will be like with 2 little ones so I wanted to celebrate big this year. We had a little birthday party with her friends on Sat morning and on Sunday we took her to Disney for two days. It pretty much rained the whole time at Disney but we made the most out of it and she got a lot of attention since there weren't as many people. She got to swim with Goofy, Mickey got her some special goodies at dinner, she met Prince 'Charlie' for the 1st time. Sleeping Beauty remembered her and her grandparents spoiled her with princess goodies. She loved every minute and had this expression of joy on her face all weekend.



It's exciting to me to think about the year ahead for her. She'll have so many new experiences that I'm anxious how it will change her, the things she will learn, how she will be as a big sister, etc. But I certainly do not wish for her to grow up too much too fast.



With Mickey at Dinner

With Cinderella and Prince 'Charlie' (her favorite princess)

Her Castle Cake