Apparently the "cure" for morning sickness (the little white pills the doc gave me today) DO help a person not feel nauseous because it is hard to feel nauseous, I have found, when you are passed out in bed.
So the conundrum now is: be unable to function due to vomiting and nausea or be a unable to function due to extreme drowsiness..... choices, choices!
On the upside, I got to hear the little sweetie's heartbeat today... my first actual "signs of life." Hubby's question was "Did it sound masculine?" hahaha!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Confidence
My parents did a really good job of raising my sister and I with a lot of self-confidence. I've never been one to shy away from voicing my opinion or joining in a conversation. I think of myself as a rather assertive person. I generally tend to think I have a decent answer for most things or at least can figure out how to get the answer.
But there's something about shopping for baby shoes that has revealed to me my inner indecisiveness. (well okay, shopping in general tends to do that in me!) I guess it must be that at just 14 months Baby Girl is too young to tell me if the shoes feel good or not. And since we are on such a limited budget it's not like I can get her several different pairs. She's also right between a size 4 and 5. She has some adorable size 5 hand-me-down sneakers that make her trip. She has some really cute size 4 sandals but I wanted something to cover her toes. I'd keep her in Robeez all the time if I could afford them but I just can't spend more on baby shoes than I would on my own shoes!
So there I was today - after going to every consignment shop in town with no avail and then every shoe store and department store in the mall just to find shoes out of my price range we ended up back at Target. There were several choices and I think it took me nearly half an hour to pick these ones out:
Cute, huh? The best part is how Baby Girl ran around in them when we got home and got them on her feet. She has loved shoes for a while (mom's shoes, Mimi's shoes, her own shoes...) You could tell that once we put these on her feet she felt like she could go anywhere and do anything - and do it running! She ran circles around the kitchen table then circles around Grandpa's wheelchair... it was hilarious!
She's such a cutie pie!
But there's something about shopping for baby shoes that has revealed to me my inner indecisiveness. (well okay, shopping in general tends to do that in me!) I guess it must be that at just 14 months Baby Girl is too young to tell me if the shoes feel good or not. And since we are on such a limited budget it's not like I can get her several different pairs. She's also right between a size 4 and 5. She has some adorable size 5 hand-me-down sneakers that make her trip. She has some really cute size 4 sandals but I wanted something to cover her toes. I'd keep her in Robeez all the time if I could afford them but I just can't spend more on baby shoes than I would on my own shoes!
So there I was today - after going to every consignment shop in town with no avail and then every shoe store and department store in the mall just to find shoes out of my price range we ended up back at Target. There were several choices and I think it took me nearly half an hour to pick these ones out:
Cute, huh? The best part is how Baby Girl ran around in them when we got home and got them on her feet. She has loved shoes for a while (mom's shoes, Mimi's shoes, her own shoes...) You could tell that once we put these on her feet she felt like she could go anywhere and do anything - and do it running! She ran circles around the kitchen table then circles around Grandpa's wheelchair... it was hilarious!
She's such a cutie pie!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Puking...
...it has to be one of my least favorite things to do in the world. Unfortunately I had to spend most of the morning doing it. Blah! I pray for week 16 to get here. Maybe then I'll get some sweet relief as I did with Baby Girl. Lord, may it come quickly. Week 16 will also mean that I'll have been in China for one week. Fun, scary, exciting....
Talkin' Turk
When Baby Girl was born we thought we'd be raising her in Turkey and that her Turkish would be as fluent as a native speaker. But right now that's not happening. Maybe her Chinese will be great, though. Nevertheless we plan on moving back to Turkey in the years ahead and I'd love it if she could speak Turkish.
We thought about having one parent speak to her in Turkish, but they say that as a parent you should always speak your heart language (strongest language) to your children. Plus, I don't want her to have mom's accent when she speaks Turkish.
Still, I find myself at very predictable times throughout the day naturally switching to Turkish. Diaper changes is one of the most frequent times. At the end of the diaper change when she starts to get wiggly I automatically say to her something like "bir daka canim, bekle...bitiriyoruz" etc (wait a minute.... it's almost over, etc etc) I also speak Turkish to her sometimes when she's doing something she shouldn't - like how some parents call a child by their first and middle name when they are really in trouble! because this is so automatic I haven't tried to correct it.
I'm in hopes that in China we can find a Turkish babysitter or someone who can spend enough time with her only speaking Turkish. Of course we hope she picks up Chinese as well. I imagine it'll be a while before she actually starts speaking.... i have a German friend who's daughter grew up around German, English, and Turkish pretty evenly being spoken to her and it took her 3 years or so to talk - and then all 3 languages came out of her mouth perfectly! :)
We thought about having one parent speak to her in Turkish, but they say that as a parent you should always speak your heart language (strongest language) to your children. Plus, I don't want her to have mom's accent when she speaks Turkish.
Still, I find myself at very predictable times throughout the day naturally switching to Turkish. Diaper changes is one of the most frequent times. At the end of the diaper change when she starts to get wiggly I automatically say to her something like "bir daka canim, bekle...bitiriyoruz" etc (wait a minute.... it's almost over, etc etc) I also speak Turkish to her sometimes when she's doing something she shouldn't - like how some parents call a child by their first and middle name when they are really in trouble! because this is so automatic I haven't tried to correct it.
I'm in hopes that in China we can find a Turkish babysitter or someone who can spend enough time with her only speaking Turkish. Of course we hope she picks up Chinese as well. I imagine it'll be a while before she actually starts speaking.... i have a German friend who's daughter grew up around German, English, and Turkish pretty evenly being spoken to her and it took her 3 years or so to talk - and then all 3 languages came out of her mouth perfectly! :)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Craving The King!
So as I've mentioned, I'm preggers once again. For everyone out there who's been preggers you know that your body does strange things once that little booger is inhabiting it. Right now I'm going through the "gotta pee every 15 minute" stage. The first one - that is, the first trimester "pee pee" stage one not the "I'm so big this baby has squashed my bladder pee pee stage."
Getting on to my point - this weekend I had to make an emergency stop on the road to pee and happened to choose a Burger King. When I walked in, the smell of grease and loads of calories overwhelmed my senses and sent me right into what might be best described as a semi-nirvana experience. Unfortunately I had to do my business quickly and get out of the BK as my friend, her kids, and my kid were all waiting for me in the parking lot.
Since that moment I've been out of my mind for Burger King. I happen to be a 15 year vegetarian and the last time I endured BK was as a special treat for my nephew's birthday a few years ago. I found myself - my whole body - yearning for the french fries and (I haven't TOTALLY lost my mind) veggie burger they serve (bonus points for BK!)
As luck would have it, I couldn't actually find a BK between south Tyler and Nacogdoches and since my Little Darling was sleeping like an angel in the back seat I ended up waiting an ENTIRE 1 1/2 hours to grab it at the Nac drive through.
Was it worth it? Every last greasy, ketchup/mayonnaise soaked, gazillion-calories-a-bite bite! Was it good? heck no - it'll probably be years again before I have to stop at a BK, but that's the beauty of having a person with their own developing personality taking up residence in your tummy... you get to eat what THEY want sometimes!
Editor's Note: If you've never experienced the taste sensation of mixing your ketchup and mayonnaise together before dipping your fries you are definitely missing out!
Editor's Second Note: I ordered Baby Girl the chicken nugget kid's meal. What the heck shape are those nuggets supposed to be? They looked like they had been molded to be shaped like chicken feet! In China people actually eat chicken feet - I can't for the life of me figure out how that is supposed to make those nuggets more appetizing for kids. (I don't think Baby Girl could figure that one out either, I showed her how to dip her nuggets in ketchup and she spent the rest of the meal digging her hands in the ketchup and eating that plain.)
Getting on to my point - this weekend I had to make an emergency stop on the road to pee and happened to choose a Burger King. When I walked in, the smell of grease and loads of calories overwhelmed my senses and sent me right into what might be best described as a semi-nirvana experience. Unfortunately I had to do my business quickly and get out of the BK as my friend, her kids, and my kid were all waiting for me in the parking lot.
Since that moment I've been out of my mind for Burger King. I happen to be a 15 year vegetarian and the last time I endured BK was as a special treat for my nephew's birthday a few years ago. I found myself - my whole body - yearning for the french fries and (I haven't TOTALLY lost my mind) veggie burger they serve (bonus points for BK!)
As luck would have it, I couldn't actually find a BK between south Tyler and Nacogdoches and since my Little Darling was sleeping like an angel in the back seat I ended up waiting an ENTIRE 1 1/2 hours to grab it at the Nac drive through.
Was it worth it? Every last greasy, ketchup/mayonnaise soaked, gazillion-calories-a-bite bite! Was it good? heck no - it'll probably be years again before I have to stop at a BK, but that's the beauty of having a person with their own developing personality taking up residence in your tummy... you get to eat what THEY want sometimes!
Editor's Note: If you've never experienced the taste sensation of mixing your ketchup and mayonnaise together before dipping your fries you are definitely missing out!
Editor's Second Note: I ordered Baby Girl the chicken nugget kid's meal. What the heck shape are those nuggets supposed to be? They looked like they had been molded to be shaped like chicken feet! In China people actually eat chicken feet - I can't for the life of me figure out how that is supposed to make those nuggets more appetizing for kids. (I don't think Baby Girl could figure that one out either, I showed her how to dip her nuggets in ketchup and she spent the rest of the meal digging her hands in the ketchup and eating that plain.)
Friday, August 24, 2007
Too much stuff!
With as much as we travel, both internationally and just around Texas and the States when we are in the U.S. as we are presently (especially since we have no true home in America) you get pretty good at packing. I'm a minimalist although it wasn't always so. The first time I went to Turkey on a short term missions trip for 2 months I was freaked out about how many pairs of socks to bring! Now I have the perfect solution - I wear chacos, all year round - and NEVER wear socks. Don't think I even own any.
Another thing I don't own? A hairbrush. Not even a comb. Haven't for years and years. I guess when Baby Girl starts getting more locks that situation will have to change.
So I'm off on a short weekend trip. Every once in a while the to urge to overpack creeps up on me.
"Maybe I should take diaper rash cream incase"
"What if she runs a fever, better bring some Tylenol"
"How many sippy cups do we need?"
then I calm down and realize there ARE grocery stores where we are going and my friend DOES have a sink to wash out one and only one sippy cup for travel. So I'm all packed, Baby Girl and myself in a small backpack and her diaper bag. Oh, and her Pack N Play for her to sleep in. Oh yeah, and her stroller. Guess the reality is there isn't such a thing as truly packing light anymore with a baby in tow!
Another thing I don't own? A hairbrush. Not even a comb. Haven't for years and years. I guess when Baby Girl starts getting more locks that situation will have to change.
So I'm off on a short weekend trip. Every once in a while the to urge to overpack creeps up on me.
"Maybe I should take diaper rash cream incase"
"What if she runs a fever, better bring some Tylenol"
"How many sippy cups do we need?"
then I calm down and realize there ARE grocery stores where we are going and my friend DOES have a sink to wash out one and only one sippy cup for travel. So I'm all packed, Baby Girl and myself in a small backpack and her diaper bag. Oh, and her Pack N Play for her to sleep in. Oh yeah, and her stroller. Guess the reality is there isn't such a thing as truly packing light anymore with a baby in tow!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Mamma On The Move
My hubby has been on me for quite some time to write a blog about being an overseas momma.
I say, "who cares?"
He says, "just try it and see"
so here we are. My blog and my non-existent but soon to be loyal following, I'm sure!
Guess I'd better explain just a few things:
My dear hubby and I lived in Turkey for several years. Our desire was to live there forever. It's good to have desires although they don't always materialize the way you hope. Maybe one day.
It was just hubbs and I for a while, but yes that desire to see if I too could grow a person inside my belly started to sink in. But I had to have my ducks in a row. For me, that meant I had to be married 5 years and I had to be fluent in Turkish.
So, I became fluent in Turkish.
Then, we hit our 5 year anniversary.
Then, hubbster said "enough waiting already!" and our lil darling was conceived.
In a weird turn of events she was born in Texas and not Turkey. She traveled to Turkey when she was 4 months old to live until she was 6 months old. During this time hubbs and I closed our apartment and said goodbye to our dear friends.
At 9 months old we packed up the family and moved to Wenzhou, China for a few months. That was hell. Back to the states, sweetie pie turned one in Texas.
Now she's 14 months and we're moving to Shenzhen, China - right across from Hong Kong.
Oh, and did I mention we're expecting #2? This cutie will be born in March (or late Feb if they're an early arrival like their big sis) and yes, he/she WILL be born in China and no, I'm not too worried about it - the Chinese have managed to give birth to 1.3 BILLION people so they must know a thing or two about it!
Soooo... maybe you see the point in the blog? a little place to voice my musings on such topics as overseas travel with a toddler and infant, raising a family in a country you can't communicate in, teaching your kids to be citizens of the world while somehow giving them roots at the same time. Oh yeah, and pregnancy in a foreign country. We did that one with Baby Girl in Turkey. I'll share some thoughts in retrospect about that some day!
so that's what you're in for. Stay, leave, come and go - take a dip here every once in a while... could be kinda fun!
I say, "who cares?"
He says, "just try it and see"
so here we are. My blog and my non-existent but soon to be loyal following, I'm sure!
Guess I'd better explain just a few things:
My dear hubby and I lived in Turkey for several years. Our desire was to live there forever. It's good to have desires although they don't always materialize the way you hope. Maybe one day.
It was just hubbs and I for a while, but yes that desire to see if I too could grow a person inside my belly started to sink in. But I had to have my ducks in a row. For me, that meant I had to be married 5 years and I had to be fluent in Turkish.
So, I became fluent in Turkish.
Then, we hit our 5 year anniversary.
Then, hubbster said "enough waiting already!" and our lil darling was conceived.
In a weird turn of events she was born in Texas and not Turkey. She traveled to Turkey when she was 4 months old to live until she was 6 months old. During this time hubbs and I closed our apartment and said goodbye to our dear friends.
At 9 months old we packed up the family and moved to Wenzhou, China for a few months. That was hell. Back to the states, sweetie pie turned one in Texas.
Now she's 14 months and we're moving to Shenzhen, China - right across from Hong Kong.
Oh, and did I mention we're expecting #2? This cutie will be born in March (or late Feb if they're an early arrival like their big sis) and yes, he/she WILL be born in China and no, I'm not too worried about it - the Chinese have managed to give birth to 1.3 BILLION people so they must know a thing or two about it!
Soooo... maybe you see the point in the blog? a little place to voice my musings on such topics as overseas travel with a toddler and infant, raising a family in a country you can't communicate in, teaching your kids to be citizens of the world while somehow giving them roots at the same time. Oh yeah, and pregnancy in a foreign country. We did that one with Baby Girl in Turkey. I'll share some thoughts in retrospect about that some day!
so that's what you're in for. Stay, leave, come and go - take a dip here every once in a while... could be kinda fun!
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