Happy Mother's Day!

Today was a very special day... not only was it Mother's Day and I'm so thankful for the 3 sweet blessings that allow me to celebrate this day, we also dedicated Eliza Hope.

Pastor Mark asked if I would share a condensed version of her birth story, a testimony of God at work, and this is what I shared:


***When I think about all the events and details that went into Eliza's birth, I'm reminded of how truly amazing our God is and what a blessing it is to be His child and serve Him. We chose her name because of it's meaning, Eliza Hope which means "My God IS, Hope" and that meaning is what got me through a very tramatic labour and delivery.

My labour and delivery went extremely fast and as quickly as the excitement built in knowing 'this was it'... arriving at the hospital led us into a quick spiral of fear and uncertainity.

It wasn't long after I had been admitted that I thought I'd lost Eliza. I thought I would be leaving the hosptial having given birth but no baby to take home. But in the midst of this fear came an unbelievable sense of peace, that could only come from God. I was reminded that God had given us her, that He had given us her name and that He would protect her... in my mind I thought how could He not with that name?

After being confident that God was watching over her, I thought that it was me that was on my way to meet Jesus. I remember everything going very fuzzy and then seeing Isabella and Isaiah with Mike and thinking, "I'm going to meet Jesus. I love them very much but know they will be well taken care of." And just like that, I again felt an overwhelming peace about death and an excitement about meeting Jesus face to face... something that has always been a bit of a struggle for me.

And then I felt a slap on my face and realized this was reality and I had just given birth without any real recollection of it. I was congratulated on a job well done and told how I saved myself from having surgery. I was still a bit grogy and trying to figure out all that had gone on but I knew that God was there and that He had been with me through it all. I've never felt so loved by Him, I've never know peace like I did in those moments, and I've never been more confident that our God provides Hope and that He IS and always will be.

After the fact, I was able to see His hand in many of the smaller things. Having my family insist that I call Emelda for wisdom on when I should go to the hospital. If I had waited much longer, it could have been much worse. The fact that my labour and delivery happened so fast saved me from having to have a c-section and gave me the desire of my heart: a natural delivery without an epidural. And a little thing on top of that, I had a terrible cough that I could only imagine how painful it would have made a c-section recovery. Having Tim show up in the operating hall, I knew that God was not just watching over us girls but Mike as well as Tim was able to keep Mike updated on what was going on. Reading Eliza's discharge papers and seeing that her Apgar score at 1 minute after birth was a 9.... I still think that's amazing considering she was under fetal distress and born with the help of a vacuum.

I've been a Christ follower for 11 years and I've always understood that God is alive and at work today. I've always known that He provides Hope. But the birth of Eliza is a daily reminder of His hope. And in choosing her name, our prayer is that she will be one who brings the Hope of Christ to others. Little did we know that her birth story would be such a testimony to the truth of what her name means.***


After church we came home and rested and in the evening we had our usual, relaxing Sunday evening... friends over for dinner and a movie. The kids were in heaven having Auntie Frances, Becky and Arthur to play with. I enjoyed the wonderful dinner Mike cooked for us... amazing steak and baked potatoes! And Mike surprised with me some foot scrub and lotion (from the kids) for 'making me run after them so much.' (I thought this was clever.) And by telling me he ordered a necklace I've had my eye on for months now. It's a beautiful hand stamped necklace... 3 circles with 3 different Chinese lanterns and each one with a child's name on it. I can't wait until it arrives!

There is nothing greater or more fulfilling to me that being a Mom. The hugs, the smiles, the pitter patter of little feet.... Not every day is easy and there are many challenges along the road but it's so rewarding to see your child develop and grow, learn something new... see them blossom. I never knew such little people could bring such great joy and now I have 3... I'm spoiled!

2 Weeks

Eliza is now 2 weeks old, though by looking at her... many think she is at least that many months. I still find her quite small and though just a few ounces smaller than Isaiah was, she seems so much tinier. She doesn't have the rolls upon rolls on her legs and arms... just a big belly and multiple chins. :)

This week we've fallen more into a routine and shedule and therefore has been much more enjoyable. She eats about every 3hrs on the dot though in the evenings, I try to feed her about every 2.5 in hopes that maybe she'll sleep a bit longer in the evenings. She's given us one night of 5hours sleep but most nights it's still 3hrs and occassionally 3.5.

She is becoming more and more alert and when her eyes are open, she reminds me so much of Isabella. She's holding her head up for short amounts of time and when laying on her belly, she loves to look around. We've discovered that she doesn't like to be swaddled and when held, she holds her one arm up by her face.. just like Isabella did. One way she is totally different is that she burps incredibly well. Basically all you have to do is sit her up and out one comes. I'm terrible at burping babies so this has been such a blessing.

She is still adored by her siblings. Isabella jumps at any chance to hold her but Isaiah still seems a bit unaware of her... though he is does get curious when she cries or makes a sound.

She had her first major outing on Saturday for Isabella's Showtime performance. She did really well and was pretty alert for the whole performance. Isabella was quite proud to show off her sister and I think it meant a lot to her that Eliza was there. She had her follow up appointment at Ma On Shan clinic and they couldn't believe she was just 10 days old. She's gaining weight and slightly jaundiced but nothing to be concerned about. So no need to see a Dr again until 2 months!

It's been a long and yet short 2 weeks but I wouldn't change it for the world. We are very blessed!

Eliza's 1 Week Old

What an emotional week it's been but I've been reminded over and over of God's great love, compassion and care for not only me but my family and I'm continually awed by His grace and mercy and blessed by the hope that we find in Him.

Eliza you're one week and we can already get a sense of who God has created you to be. We know you're a fighter, you're curious and strong, beautiful and a delight. Similar to Isabella in some ways and in other ways, like Isaiah.

You're way more alert than Isaiah was... we've seen your beautiful blue eyes for minutes at a time. You're already beginning to hold your head up on your own, something Isabella did very early on as well. You're a pretty good sleeper as was Isaiah but not always the best nurser... similar to Isabella. You love to be held and like to sleep on your tummy too (though I'm only comfortable doing that during the day) as did both your siblings. You're darker skinned like Izzy but where did the dark hair come from? That was quite the shocker for Daddy and I.

Because you were started on formula, nursing has been a bit of a challenge but I feel that these past two days, we've established a routine that seems to work. I was concerned about you being jaundiced so was trying to feed you every 2 to 2 1/2 hours but you were just too sleepy. We've adjusted that to every 3hrs and you seem to do much better. You're pretty consisent throughout the day and night, though I dream of the day you'll give me a few more consecutive hours of rest like Isaiah did early on.

You are absolutely adored by your siblings. Izzy hates to leave you and wants to hold you all the time. Isaiah is still a bit unaware of what's going on though when you make noises or cry, he's always looking out for you and wanting to rub your head.

It's been an amazing week and I thank God everyday for you...

ENT Update

Last Friday, I had a much anticipated ENT appointment. The previous one occurred when I was in my early 2nd trimester with Isaiah and that's when they agreed to test for my balance/motion sickness issues. Though they wouldn't allow for testing until after I had him and it turned out that I didn't get tested until this past September. The testing reported all things normal and the way public health goes here.... if there's not something serious, you basically get put at the back of the line which is why it's Feb and I'm just now seeing the Dr about the results.

So I walk into the appointment and the Dr has this dumbstruck look on his face and the first words out of his mouth are, "You haven't given birth yet?" I think he was a bit confused until he looked at his computer and realized that it has been almost 2yrs since I last saw him. He begins to discuss my results and tells me that I struggle with motion sickness and that I need to take medicine and look out the window more when in vehicles. I looked at him and politely said that I do those things, that I have tried everything ever suggested and that it's not a simple case of motion sickness when I can't be in a room with blinds, when even a quick motion with my head makes me nauseous, or when a simple moving of my glasses causes me to stop in my tracks. I don't think he agreed with me but was willing to make me happy and sent me down to physiotherapy for an evaluation, with the warning that again I would get put on the waiting list and probably wouldn't get in until May or June.

So I must praise God for this... an answer to prayer! It just goes to show that God does answer prayer but not necessarily in your timing. (I've been praying about this for almost 2yrs now) But anyway.... I went down to phsyio and met with a man to discuss my issues and the treatment I've had before. He was a bit more concerned (saying it could be a bit more serious and related to the brain rather than inner ear) and hooked me up with an appointment 'before the new year!'

Today I went in for my evaluation and the lady was wonderful. She did some basic tests and agreed that I would need more than standing up/laying down training. She said we'd have at least 10 sessions and then go from there. But she is also concerned about doing too much while I'm pregnant because she doesn't want me to lose balance and fall or anything like that. So I'm starting with two basic exercises at home for 2 weeks and then I will see her again and schedule future appointments.

I'm SO excited! Just the thought of riding the bus into town without the need to throw up is very exciting. I must thank everyone for their prayers and would ask that you would continue to pray that these sessions will be as effective as they were in the past.

Full Days and Goose eggs

Buddy chasing the recorded birds, wondering where they went.

Isabella's first full day went really well. I was a nervous wreck all day but was so grateful to see her smiling and the teachers so eager to tell me about all that she did and how much they enjoyed having her.

I was worried that she wouldn't eat lunch (being it's a Chinese school the food is obviously all Chinese and Izzy can be quite picky) but her teachers eagerly told us she ate 2 bowls of the rice dish (which happened to be black bean and tofu) and when I asked her, she said she liked it.

I was worried about 'nap time' as Izzy does not nap at home and they don't allow looking at books. She loved rest time. She loved the little cots (her exact words were, 'They were hard beds Mom but I liked it!') and actually slept. One of the other worries was that she would sleep and then take forever to sleep at bedtime.... but she was asleep at night within 15 minutes of putting her to bed.

I was worried about what children she would play with as I didn't know if she would be kept with the students in her class. She came home telling me about a little girl (who couldn't say her full name) who was very nice to her that she played with.

I was worried that she would complain about the day being too long, I was worried that she would beg not to do that again... I was just plain worried and at the same time sad to realize that in such a short time, she'll be in school all day, everyday. But alas... she didn't complain about anything. In fact, the only remotely negative comment was when I asked her if she'd like to do it again she said, 'Only if it's dress day.' But after explaining to her why we chose that day (they help her with her Chinese homework) she was totally okay.

I was SO proud of her... I can't even express how relieved I felt when she was smiling and joyful and anxious to call Daddy and tell him about her day. But my heart was sad to have her gone all day so I think for now, we'll just stick to one day a week. :)

After we picked her up, I took the kids to the playground where Buddy chased birds (and birds on recording) and Izzy ran around like a crazy girl. Then we came home and played in the bathtub, had dinner and then all crashed.

Today was a normal day... work/school in the morning, playing in the afternoon, dinner and something new we've started with Izzy... Izzy time (after Buddy goes to bed doing something with just Mommy and Daddy.) We are still pretty concerned about her confidence so we are trying to find ways to build her up and let her know how special she is to us.

The evening started quite eventful as Mike and Isaiah were playing catch and in an attempt to beat Daddy to the ball, he took a plunge off the couch. His teeth are still in tack (something I always check first after Izzy's incident) but he has a golf ball sized goose egg on his head. He seemed pretty shook up at first but soon calmed down to let us ice it, while he soothed his achy gums on some ice as well. After we got him settled and back to himself, we put him to bed and pulled out Zingo to play with Izzy. She's actually had this game for quite a while but she is not into playing games so we've never played. Tonight however was a different story. She had a blast and really enjoyed it, as did the adults. :)

I'm thankful that tomorrow is Friday because it means one week closer to meeting Princess Lily Bob... I'll be 33 weeks tomorrow! I also have an ENT appointment in which I'm hoping they'll discuss my results from my tests in September and offer me some physical therapy for my balance/motion sickness issues.

Buddy's goose egg.

32 Weeks and Counting

It feels SO good to say that I am 8 months pregnant and to know I've only got 2 more months max, to go. This by far has been the easiest and most enjoyable pregnancy. (Izzy was easy up until we found out that we were moving across the world. Then chaos set in.) I've loved being able to stay active and to continue running, though our gym is not being renovated so I've stopped running (too embarrassed to run on the road this big) and instead am walking about 2 miles everyday which has been great anyway because I'm starting to have some lower back pain and loosening issues that make getting around later in the day fun to watch. I've enjoyed watching my belly grow and be relatively normal size though I am still self-conscious in comparison to the Chinese women.

But today was not an exciting one for me... I had my usual appointment and while I knew I snacked on sweets a bit more than normal over the past 3 weeks, I wasn't expecting the weight gain (I weigh myself every morning in hopes of controlling it) that the Dr's scale showed. So I knew I was in for a lecture on eating habits. But while that was depressing, what upset me more was that in a 3 week period, my stomach went from normal size to measuring 2 weeks ahead. Yikes... all I could think about was: did that happen from the extra sweets or is Princess Lily Bob turning out to be a big one too? I DESPERATELY do NOT want to have to undergo another c-section. The thought of 5 days away from my babies, months of recovery and not feeling like myself, and the 1st time you sit up after the surgery... literally make me want to cry. The nurse said not to worry yet, that she didn't feel my stomach was too far off to be concerned and that at 36 weeks, I'll have a more thorough exam with the Dr to discuss the baby's size. But she did suggest watching my diet and not eating sweets. Be pregnant and not eat sweets???!!! She must be crazy... oh no wait, she's Chinese and they don't like sweets. No problem for her, me on the other hand. Ugh.... but I will do anything I can to prevent a big baby and necessary c-section so Mike was a very gracious and loving husband and went out after dinner to by one of my favorite desserts as a 'last dessert' until Princess arrives. I went 40wks without Coke with Izzy... I can do this, I CAN do this... oh please let these weeks fly by.

So here I am at 32 weeks... wish I had a comparison to 32 weeks with Isaiah but I don't think I even want to go there.

Like my new hair cut? It's really nice to have something so simple and easy to do... many think curly hair is easy and to some degree it is but I really enjoy not having to mousse up my head each day and waking up looking somewhat normal.

I'm starting to get a bit nervous about the arrival of Princess Lily Bob. We've been struggling a bit with Isabella... a bit of willful disobedience, fighting with Isaiah, being demanding, etc... She doesn't want to listen but then when we have to discipline her, she's terribly sensitive. She's begun to run and hide in her room or constantly apologizing for little things. My heart just aches because I feel like I've failed her in some way and have hurt her confidence. Her personality is becoming a bit more like mine and thus we tend to butt heads a bit. I'm trying to be extra sensitive to her needs while building her up. We did adjust her bedtime and she now goes to sleep after Isaiah which has seemed to help... I think it helps her feel like a 'big girl' staying up later than him and we got her a CD player in which she listens to 'Indescribable' on repeat all night. Gotta love your child's favorite song being one that praises God.

We've also begun piano lessons and I'm trying to do some special things with just her but I worry how she'll respond, especially the first few months, when the baby arrives and I have to nurse and tend to her. Please pray for wisdom for Mike and I as well as for her. I pray that she would commit her life to the Lord and that her confidence would be in Him, even at her age.

The weather's been a bit crazy here the past month.... hot, cold, very cold, rainy.... This was a warmer but rainy day and she and Buddy went out to play in the puddles.

Isaiah is just as crazy as always. He is such a boy... not interested in anything but balls, wheels and tires. Well that and food. He's recently started undressing himself during nap time. We find him with arms out, socks off (and often tucked away in his shirt), sleepers unzipped, and on occasion diaper off (though I learned my lesson quite quickly on that one). He's such a helper, always wanting to sweep and vacuum. He likes to fold and put away his clothes too. He's not into getting his hands dirty though... doesn't like to finger paint or crumbs left on his hands. He's signing quite a bit now and climbing everything. Today I caught him on the ladder to our little loft library area. We have to keep an eye on him at all times. He loves to be outside and explore and he LOVES animals and will just sit on the ground next to a dog or cat and watch it. At times it's so hard to believe that he's not 18 months yet but at the same time I can't believe that he'll be 18 months at the end of the month. I hate to see him and Izzy growing.... if only they could stay small forever.

Here he is after his morning nap.... the sock is indeed tucked into the onsie. Though he always makes me smile when I go in to get him and I'll ask, "Isaiah, where's your socks?" He just looks at me with a big smile, then turns his hands palms facing upwards as he says, "I don't know Mom, they just disappeared." I imagine we've got some fun, fun days ahead.

Tomorrow we are starting Izzy in a full day at school. Just once a week is the plan but we'll see how the day goes. It was suggested that we get her a Chinese Tutor if we intend to keep her in local school for a few more years or she'll behind already so when we discussed it with her teacher.... we found out it costs about 10$ US to add the extra afternoon or about 25/30$ US for a 1hr private tutor... hmmm easy decision. At school they will help her with her Chinese and Chinese homework, plus she'll be exposed more. We've been talking it up all day and she seems quite excited about eating lunch at school. Please pray it goes well!

See this is what happens when I take a month hiatus on blogging... I've got too much say. Well off to bed!

Rooftop Lunch at the Taylor's

Back to school today... didn't start off so well but that's to be expected on 1) a Monday and 2) pants day. But we picked up a happy, cheerful little girl which again is the norm. Isaiah learned to climb Izzy's ladder in her room (now we really can't leave him anywhere for a sec) while Izzy was at school but while I know it means more craziness at home, it was cute to watch him.

In the afternoon, we were invited to the Taylor's rooftop for lunch and an afternoon of relaxing. It was a beautiful, warm day and nice to spend with the AIC staff. Joan, the kids and I decided to walk home and shortly after we got home, Hannah arrived!

We've had some great days to start off 2010... looking forward to what lies ahead!

Enjoying our lunch

Buddy liked the dogs but they were just after his food...

Auntie Dorie and the kiddos

Stage 3 at 23 weeks

I'm really grateful that I've been able to stay so active during this pregnancy. It has made such a difference in how I feel both physically and mentally. It was really hard with Isaiah to hear how fat I was and being compared to the Asian ladies.... I know that I'm still not small this time around, nor will I ever be, but I would be surprised to hear many Chinese pregnant ladies say they are still running and hiking so my confidence is much higher this time around and I'm able to enjoy this pregnancy much more.

My legs though, well mostly my calves, have felt like dead weight the past few weeks... I've still been able to run but they just feel tight. So today, I opted for a hike and convinced Mike to come with me. We hiked the beginning of Stage 3 of the MacLehose Trail (where Mike does his 100K hikes each year) and cut out before the last climb where there is a trail that leads right back to our house. It's about 10K and it always frustrates me that I can run a 10K in about an hour but to hike this section it takes 2. But I had a lot of fun and it felt great. The only negative was just shy of the end of the trail, I tripped over a rock and fell. Thankfully, I just went straight down and landed on all fours. My main concern as I was falling was my glasses ... and thankfully they were okay. I cut and bruised my knee but nothing serious and nothing that stopped me for too long.

I was so proud that I didn't have any major problems and was even able to run a bit of the trail, that I treated myself to a calzone at our new Pizza and Sub shop and a gingerbread cookie from Starbucks. So I probably didn't end up burning any calories but it was fun. Just hoping my knee isn't too bruised so I can go for a run tomorrow too.

Here I am at the beginning of the trail... not a very flattering picture but I wanted proof that I at least attempted this hike at 23 weeks. :)

Here I am at the top of the stairs. I survived! I didn't do as bad as I thought I might. I always seem to doubt my abilities, especially when hills are involved so it was a great feeling to reach the top and push on from there.

This is just the last climb to the top... the beginning of this stage is about a full kilometer straight up. They don't do switchbacks in HK so it's straight up but I actually kinda like the challenge.

That was our hike. Afterwards, we met Joan, Izzy and Buddy in town for lunch and grocery shopping. Got myself 2 more shirts for less than 3$ US dollars (to wear while pregnant) and we got two movies to watch this evening.

It's been a fun and very relaxing day.

Thanksgiving Feast

We had a great day today celebrating Thanksgiving with our Hong Kong family. It's fun to introduce people to a new tradition/holiday! Many of our American friends were unable to attend this year, so the majority hanging out at our place today were Filipino. They commented on why I had cooked so much and very few actually ate like a normal American would nor even had dessert. But, we get the benefit of that as we've got LOTS of leftovers! Wohoo!

We had 2 turkeys, homemade stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, veggies, cranberry sauce, oreo turkeys and 5, yes 5 pies and a pumpkin cake. Everything was delicious but even better was the company we had.

One of our Thanksgiving traditions is to share what we are thankful for and as I woke up this morning and thought about last year.... the first words out of my mouth last year were... "I'm SO thankful NOT to be pregnant!" Maybe I shouldn't have been so strong with my words... hehe. But God blesses in amazing ways and I was thrilled to be able to say how thankful I was that this pregnancy has been so fairly easy.

There are a million things to be thankful for if I really sat down to think of them and I need to get back into my habit of "Thankful Journaling" because it's so easy to get into a routine and find myself surviving life rather than living it. But I am so thankful for a God who loves and forgives and teaches and grows... for a God who 'loves me just the way I am but refuses to leave me that way." I'm thankful for an amazing family who supports, prays, loves... even though we're miles a part. I'm thankful for Mike who puts up with my insanity moments and pushes me to be more like Christ. I'm thankful that I have a husband who loves God and is committed to Him. I'm thankful for my sweet babies and the one on the way. I'm thankful that Isabella has a heart of gold and daily teaches me about loving and caring for others. I'm thankful that my boy shares my love of food and teaches me to smile and be joyful. I'm thankful for Princess Lily Bob who has made these past almost 6 months bearable... and allowed me to experience a normal pregnancy. I'm thankful that God has a plan for our lives and therefore I know that Princess Lily Bob was not an accident... that God has something amazing planned for its life. I'm thankful for Joan who helps me to stay sane by taking some of my dreaded homemaking responsibilities but more importantly cares for my kids like her own and allows me to be involved in ministry.

And those are just some of the people in my life.... I could go on and on and considering the past few weeks I've had... I should go on and on but I am teaching Lil K in the morning and I need my energy aka sleep.

It's been a great day and it's always a great reminder to remember the things that God has blessed you with and give thanks for those things. Sometimes it's even good to reflect on the challenges that you've had because God also allows for those things to make us stronger and more focused on Him.

Now we can begin to prepare ourselves for the birth of our Saviour! I'm so excited for Dec 1 because I've got lots of special things I would like to do with Isabella to teach her what Christmas is all about. Just praying that she'll be as excited as me.

Happy Birthday Mike

Mike got to spend his birthday doing what he loves.... hiking! Though I'm not sure hiking 100K is exactly how he wanted to celebrate. Last year's weather was unusually hot, this year it was unusually cold. Notice Mike all bundled up from the beginning of the hike.

I ended up having to sub in the afternoon so I missed the support stop 1 birthday party for Mike. We had hats, stickers, cupcakes.... and it was arranged that at the top of every hill there were birthday shouts... to the point where random people starting wishing him a Happy Birthday. We did thankfully get to see him at support stop 2. Izzy was there to cheer him on too.

Here he is in his fancy new red shoes. Notice the big smile.... they were making GREAT time!

Here's the team about to hit Checkpoint 3 and begin the big climb.

Mark, Mike, Lun and Brian (the same team as last year)

Unfortunately... the cold and wind won out. Mark physically got sick and quit. Then Lun's knees were bothering him too much and he quit. At this point, Mike was incredibly cold and unable to keep warm, which led to stomach problems and not being able to keep any food down. They still approx 40K to go and Mike knew that his body would not be able to physically handle those 40K without any fuel. So at 60K, Brian and Mike left the course.

I know it's incredibly disappointing for them... but I'm still proud. 60K is still a LONG way to hike in about 17hrs! And it was FREEZING too...

So that was how Mike spent his 32nd birthday and now he's paying for it with a cold. :) But we also celebrated during Sunday School with a Transformers themed party where they gave him a giant check for Starbucks. And at Nomads, the trailwalker celebration dinner, we celebrated with carrot cake.

So I hope that he's had a memorable birthday! We certainly look forward to what God has in store for the year ahead. I pray for good health and answers to his stomach problems and a passion to serve and know God more deeply than before.

I know we weren't with you very long on your birthday but you were thought about and prayed for and missed. We love you, Mike, and wish you the Happiest of years ahead!

Awana Picnic

Last Saturday, Awana held their family picnic at Clear Water Bay Country Park... on what turned out to be quite a windy/chilly day for Hong Kong. It was so nice to bundle up a bit and get outside. We BBQ'd and then had some kite flying contests. Izzy had a really good time and tried really hard to fly a kite but it was so windy that many of the pros were even struggling to keep the kite up and out of the trees. The park was gorgeous and we look forward to going back. Most BBQ areas are along the road without much space but this place had nice BBQ sites and lots of yard to run around too.

Here's Buddy waiting for the Awana crew to arrive

Izzy being Izzy and waiting as well

Mike helping to get the fires started

look at those blue eyes... they just melt your heart

Isabella trying her best to fly a kite

The only negative about this picnic is that it's impossible to keep a hat on Buddy and I he ended up with an ear infection. He didn't quite seem himself Saturday night and Sunday morning before we headed to church and I thought to just stay home... but I didn't want to and I paid for it! :) He was miserable all morning.... tired, runny nose and hurting ear. He wouldn't go to anyway and wouldn't let me put him down at all. He just cried and cried so loud that I couldn't even stay within the school grounds because he would've been heard during the service. So (and of course of all days, I chose to wear heels this week) I ended up walking all around Whampoa for 1.5hrs. He did manage to fall asleep for about 20 minutes and was much happier but still not quite himself. We came home and rested and then went into town for a little walk. The evening was much more enjoyable!

Yesterday was quite a fun day for me... I baked Pumpkin muffins, chili, lunch, went for a run and decorated some more. Today we're just chillin at home ... it's just too windy and chilly to be outside. I'm actually sitting by the heater right now! :)

Time to Exercise

We had an exciting time with our Moms this afternoon, exercising to Walk Away the Pounds. We had a large group squeezed into a smaller room with 2 of the little ones joining in the exercise... it was fun to see 2yr old Karen walking/kicking, etc. We then moved to the playground and wished Lisa well as she moves this Saturday to France.

Tomorrow's my big scan and I pray I can find out if we have another Princess or Prince on our hands.

Not much to share this evening.... :)

Oh forgot to add.... I got sick on my way to pick up Izzy from school so I decided to take a cab to mom time. When the driver pulled up and saw Izzy and Isaiah, he hopped out of the car and grabbed a plastic bag out of his trunk. It had 2 buses and an airplane toy in it and he proceeded to give them to the kids. I thought he was brilliant to have toys for longer rides and the toys totally entertained the kids the majority of the way there. When we arrived, I paid and handed back the toys and he said, "Oh no, those are for the children. For them to keep." Wow... so thoughtful and it was a great opportunity to talk to Izzy about sharing and giving just because. I was really blown away with his generosity.

I tend to get easily frustrated with people here... mostly because they're either in a rush or just strolling around at the slowest pace possible or because their idea of queuing is different than mine, etc... but I have had many moments when I've been totally surprised by the kindness, generosity and helpfulness of the people you would least expect. It makes me stop to think about what simple things can I do to make someones day a little brighter.

NOV 11

My appointment went quite well today. Gained less than a 1lb! One nurse remembered me from before (couldn't believe this!). The Dr was awesome and while warning me about the concerns of a VBAC she was all for it and didn't see any problems with me trying for one. Her only concern was Isaiah's weight and keeping an eye on this baby. She set an appointment for a 20wk ultrasound on Nov 11th!!!

The only problem is that I won't get the scan at the clinic but at the x-ray department. Which means that I'll have the scan and then will have to come back to the clinic a week later to get the results. So not sure if that means we will be able to find out the sex or not.

Got some shopping done for Friday night and our Tuesday costume party but ended up getting sick on the bus ride home. Did not make for a fun evening for myself and the kids as I was cranky and not fun to play with. I hate it when I feel this way and even more so when I lose my patience because I don't feel well. Something I really need to work on.

So because today was my appt (and I won't be weighed for another 6wks), I treated myself to a nice Oreo Cheesecake dessert and now I'm heading to bed.

Thanks for your prayers! I didn't have to push very hard to get my scan!

Please continue to pray for Mike as he finalizes details for this weekend and as they go. Please continue to pray for Izzy's health (she is improving and will go back to school tomorrow) and for my Dad. Also, this Friday night we're doing a special prayer labyrinth type event. Please pray all the details come together and it goes well.

Magical Day

Our Magical Day

Isaiah was okay with Mickey as long as Daddy was holding him

On her favorite ride... the spaceships

Isaiah enjoyed pushing the buttons

Since we moved here I've been wanting to get pictures of the random cows that we find... this was mid afternoon as Izzy and I were waiting for the bus

there were quite a few of them but by the time I got my camera out several had already climbed down the hill

Izzy in her new dress from Papa and Grandma... she loves it and loves the pockets

Just got one of those dreaded phone calls from my mom... my Uncle passed away Friday night. Had a heart attack while he was driving home. This was quite a surprising one and I never know what to say to my family when this happens and I'm so far away. Please pray for my Dad (it was his brother and one that he spent a lot of time with) and for his family. The brothers are to play a polka at the funeral which I think is a really fun idea.

Also, tomorrow is my appointment at the hospital. Please pray that they will set up an appointment for a 20wk ish ultrasound and that if they don't, I will push to get one.

This weekend Mike heads to China with a group from the International School. Please pray for him and their time there.

Resting Up Before the Weekend

What's he up to now?

Isaiah's latest ideas of fun are climbing onto this bench (actually anything that will allow) and dangling his feet. He looks like a little old man sitting there just watching the world go by. He also likes to grab the phone and walk around saying 'Hi.'

He also colored his first picture... he did this all by himself.

Izzy really wanted to play 'chalks' (cracks me up the names she gives things) and she was teaching Isaiah how to color as well.

He's a pretty quick learner. :)

She then thought it would be fun to see how dirty she could get her hands.

She always has really good intentions... though he doesn't always appreciate her love.

Signing and a Package

I've been signing with Isaiah for several months now... I started earlier with him hoping he'd pick it up sooner than Izzy but no luck. Until yesterday. We were having dinner and he was doing his usual grunting and groaning when we were to slow in feeding him. (Many think this is cute but it has outgrown it's cuteness in our family.) And I looked at him and said/signed 'more' and he looked right back and signed! I couldn't believe it. I'm not sure he really understands the meaning but we were practicing tonight at dinner and he did well. Now just to get it on video.

We got a package from my mom today... it's always fun to get mail and treats from the states, though this package centered around the kids.. who am I kidding they always do but it still makes me very happy to see them excited. Isabella insisted on wearing her new tights and I had to try the 'Pappy's Little Buddy' sweatshirt on Isaiah.

We picked up Izzy's new bed today and to say she was excited is an understatement. She had 1001 questions and trying to explain to her that she would not be sleeping in it for months was quite the challenge.

Tomorrow is Mom Time and I'm really looking forward to it. We've got a big group signed up and it should be fun to do some cooking together. Please pray that it goes well and that new relationships are built!

Disappointing Appt

Well today Mike's appointment was disappointing. The specialist said he didn't really know anything about the test in August and therefore couldn't say anything about it. Mike could explain this a bit better but basically just told him he had irritable bowels and would have to learn how to live with it. I guess it's great to know that nothing major is wrong but we had hoped for some better answers and advice on how to handle it.

I had a good morning at our school family picnic, got to meet some new moms and had some great food! Isabella had a good day but walking home from the bus stop on a hot day makes her quite tired and cranky for lunch. So now she's resting before heading to dance class.

We've got Reload tonight! Will be fun as due to other events, we haven't been together for three weeks.

That's our uneventful day for today... just wanted to update on Mike's appointment. Thanks for your prayers!

Just an ordinary day....

What a gorgeous day we had today... perfect in the shade but man once you sat in the sun, it warmed up quickly. I went for a run today (still running on the treadmill because I can take my glasses off... still haven't gotten a string to keep my glasses on my sweaty face) and it was awesome! It felt so great and it made me reconsider running in the Disney 10K. I've run one of the races for the past two years it's existed and I hate to miss it so I'm going to try and complete it. I know I'll be pretty slow but the course is beautiful and the money goes for a great cause... it goes towards children in need, specifically (at least I think that's the same for this year) the children who suffered in the Sichuan Earthquake. If anyone is interested in supporting me in this race (all money goes directly to unicef) please drop me a comment and I'll let you know how it works.

We all headed in to pick up Izzy from school and then had lunch at McD's. It's becoming a Wednesday tradition but it was the perfect day to do it. We headed to the park afterwards but the slides and even swings were too hot to enjoy ourselves for too long. It was however GREAT for Isaiah and his walking. Because he couldn't crawl without hurting his hands, he walked quite a bit by himself and then quite a bit more while I held one of his hands. It was so cute!

We headed home, rested, rode bikes and let Isaiah walk a bit outside and then went over to the playroom until dinner time. Isabella has become so creative in her play. We played Dr's and boats/fish and sang lots of interesting made up songs.

I forgot to write in my update that Mike has his Specialist appt this Friday and our new Sai Kung small group begins this Saturday. So please be in prayer for both of these things. We're praying for some solid answers for Mike on Friday.

I'd mentioned that I dyed my hair and had it straightened for the night... here is what it looked like. I'm considering trying a straightening treatment for 3 months just for something different but who knows... I"m a bit worried that it will somehow affect my curls. But we'll see... thought I might do it when Princess Lily Bob is about to arrive so it's one less thing I have to worry about in the mornings. :)

Happy Mid-Autumn!!

Today was not at all the day I had planned. It's Mid-Autumn Festival... one of my favorite Chinese holidays and I had every intention on packing up the kids and our dinner, heading to Ma On Shan park and enjoying the evening together. (Mike is at the youth retreat) But Isaiah woke up at 7... starting the day off for him and me, tired. Isabella woke up about 8, happy but still tired. The sun wasn't shining and I couldn't get Isabella out the door. She just kept saying how tired she was and how she just wanted to color and watch Blues Clues. When Isaiah woke up from his morning nap, we did go over to the playroom for awhile which was nice to get out of the house. We came back, had lunch played a bit and then we all rested for about an hour. Isaiah refused to sleep any longer which made him cranky by 4:30.

I was really looking forward to having the day with just the kids and no one else at home... but by 4:30, I decided that to pack them up and head to MOS would probably be a disaster and when I told Izzy we were going to go into Sai Kung town... she begged not to. So instead of dinner under the moon, we ate at 5, bathed at 6 and everyone was in bed by 7. Now I'm just trying to gather what we'll need for camping and potentially Disney on Monday.

Since we'll be camping out tomorrow night and the whole family will be together, I just said in my mind that we'll celebrate tomorrow night. Our laterns are packed I'll try and get my mooncake after church.

It's been an emotional day for me.... I think some things that have been going on just all hit me, in my moments of frustration and tiredness today. I went through anger, tears, and pure joy when Isaiah took his first steps! I'm just so thankful that God is a just God while also a forgiving and loving God.

Please continue to pray for the people in the Philippines. Joan posted a video on Facebook with pictures of the devastation. Broke my heart to see the amount of water and damage and all the children being carried on their parents backs.

I have a Dr appt this week and I ask that you would pray it would go well without any embarrassing moments. :) They always like to comment on my weight but while it's normal to talk about here, it still makes me uncomfortable and self-conscious.

Today was National Day and we decided to have a low-key relaxing day. I was expecting it to rain but it turned out to be a beautiful, beautiful day. I should have known better, that's usually the case in HK this time each year. All the China factories shut down and we get clean air and beautiful blue skies. So we put up our new tent (yeah!!! more vacation opportunities that won't cost a fortune!) in the morning and played, had lunch, then swam and took naps in the afternoon followed by an evening in town. Mike and I both even got a run in so it was a really enjoyable day. Here's Isaiah enjoying his Elmo towel.

my little fish

Buddy chillin

Princess Lily Bob at 14.5 weeks

As I mentioned before this weekend is the Lantern festival and this is one shop in town selling all types of lanterns.

As we were eating some ice cream by the water, Mike noticed a nighttime boat fish market. It was fun to watch people buying all sorts of things. There's actually a bigger market like this, I think on Sat, but I've never gone to it. Would be fun to check out some time.

This however was the highlight of Isabella's day. She got sweaty playing in the tent so we went out to ride bikes. She then got sweaty riding bikes and asked if she could sit on the car. And then that's all she wanted to do all day... play on the car.

This is our new tent! We are so excited about having this and the opportunities it will provide. We still need to invest in a few camping supplies (ours all are still in the states) but we've got the basics to test out the tent this Sunday at the beach. Will be an interesting night with Isaiah but I imagine we'll all have a good time. At least some stories to share after. :)

Please continue to pray for Joan's family and those affected by the typhoon. We've learned of 3 more ladies in our church directly hit by this and I'm sure there will be more to come on Sunday.

Please also pray for Rosalie and Grace who will be attending our youth retreat this weekend that's discussing the truth's of our faith.