Moving…Again…For the last time (well until I move to Hong Kong and then there is the move back to North Carolina…but let me have this one for a little while)

So it’s been 5 days since M-day.  Friday was totally crazy, but in an expected “we live in China things usually are crazy” kind of way.  We spent Thursday Night at our new apartment complete with hot showers and nastiness all over the floors (I honestly can’t figure out what the idea of “clean” is in China…the dirt was gone but there was a film over everything).  Friday morning I left with Adam to meet the movers while Adam went to work.  When I got to our building both elevators were stuck on the 4^th floor.  I waited for 10 min…wondering what to do.  Normally I could walk up the stairs but what were the movers going to do…we lived on the 24^th floor!  Next normal thought that came to mind is just call maintenance…easier said than done when your Chinese has basically disappeared in pregnancy.  I hoped that the lady waiting with me would go find someone but it seemed like she really truly thought that the elevator would come.  I knew Adam was in the car without anyone who could understand our problem in English and translate it to the maintenance worker.  I decided it doesn’t hurt to try so I moseyed on over to the management office and with my broken Chinese, some pretty clever sound effects and some skillful acting I explained to the guard what the problem was and they came and fixed it within 10 min! 
The movers came an hour early…interrupting my morning nap (yes I nap at 8:30 in the morning).  Two out of four of them spoke English, one was totally fluent.  I explained what needed to be done then I watched…I sat there and watched.  Every once and a while I would wonder around and get in the way, I know this sounds awful but it is really hard watching someone else do work for you!  I decided to lock myself in the bedroom and watch tv.  Adam came at lunch time and went to the management office with the head mover to get a letter saying that they weren’t stealing our stuff.  The management closes for 2.5 hours for lunch so they were unable to get the note until Adam bribed the secretary. 

The movers took 3 trips in their van to get our stuff from the old apartment to the new one.  Our driver took a couple trips with stuff and Adam met with the landlords friend (who handles the apartment stuff).  The landlord’s friend didn’t seem to care that we hadn’t cleaned (I was going to have the cleaner come after we left but I had her come to our new place instead), he didn’t notice that we had broken the bed, or that we had holes in the wall from pictures we hung.  He just came signed the papers, collected the money and stole the second hot water heater…the one the landlord didn’t know about.
Saturday, Adam and I organized the bedroom, the living room and the kitchen.  Sunday we finished those rooms and took it easy.  Monday I organized the baby’s room and took tags off the baby clothes (I know you aren’t supposed to do that until the baby is born so things can be exchanged if the baby is small or big…but the stuff I got here can’t be exchanged and nothing we received for Christmas can be exchanged without mailing it back to the US for way more than it’s worth).  All we need now is the crib I am borrowing from a friend, a couple odds and ends from IKEA, and the few things I am buying off another friend. 

Next little by little I plan on tackling the guest room (or for now the catch all room). 

Record Breaking Weight Gain!!!!

I was worried about this appointment because since my last appointment I was sick and didn’t really eat much, then we were packing, moving and unpacking…even having movers it’s a big job!  I figured I would have more disappointing news from the scale.  However I tipped the scale at 151 lb’s meaning I gained over 6 lb’s in 2 weeks and I am up 11 lb’s from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I felt like my face has been filling out and my legs are beginning to retain water, but I thought if I couldn’t gain in Australia with all the cupcakes then what could I do.  The problem is I guess both the baby and I can’t gain at the same time…his weight is now in the 30^th percentile, when he had been in the 50^th most of the time.  The doctor said it is normal to have some small gains and some big gains. 

Little Zachary still likes to keep his hands in front of his face,

the doctor did everything he could to move his arm and before he could snap the picture it was back in front of his face.  I guess my little one won’t be a swaddled baby.  I did get a few views of his face while the doctor was shaking and punching my belly.  I think he looks a little like Adam, he has Adam’s nose at least. 
My next appointment is in 2 weeks and I have to have another blood test to check if I need to get the next round of RH- antibodies.  I figure if I keep gaining 6 lb’s between appointments I will be all caught up with the recommended gain on my due date. 

30 Weeks

I feel like this might be the first belly shot where I look healthy

OK…so what happened to having plenty of time?!?  I know I technically have 8-12 weeks (God willing) but because of our situation I only have 6 weeks before I move to HK.

This week was a total blur…between moving, a trip to HK, and settling into the new place this week went by super fast. 

The newest pregnancy things to report are my successful RH- shot, and the unreal amount of movement coming from my belly.  It seems that Zachary enjoys getting his feet into my hip bones and getting his arms caught in the side I am trying to sleep on.  Haha…I still love his movements; however they are getting to be painful!  I will have to check into soccer and karate classes for infants.

I have also lost that second trimester burst of energy, at first I thought it was my cold and the fact that it was super cold in the apartment but it’s not.  I really feel pregnant now, and I can’t deny the belly which seems to have a mind of its own.  My clumsiness is out of control, and I don’t bother pick things up anymore…I just wait for Adam to come home.  With my baby brain I don’t know how I get anything done and if it wasn’t for our very concerned driver who knows if I would ever get home.  I honestly don’t know what is real or not anymore…in fact while we were moving I thought that someone broke into our apartment left their comb on the sofa and stole our wireless router…sounds crazy huh?  Well not totally crazy, in the Chinese culture it isn’t good to burn your bridges and because we were moving out of our apartment early I figured he was sending us a message, a I am mad at you message, not anything to do with wanting our stuff…he could have taken Adam’s laptop or many other things we had laying around.  Meanwhile when Adam got there, after the packers were finished I looked for that comb to explain to him my theory, couldn’t find it (I even checked the trash).  All we had was no router boxes full of who knows what, and an empty router box.  The next day we found the router all packed…I think I had dreamed the whole comb, no router thing before the packers got there.  Now I triple check everything, I don’t leave the apartment without the keys and my phone in my hand, then I stare at it the whole way to the car…just to make sure.

******Cool Week 30 Fact: fingernails are growing!!!!

How To Ruin Pasta:

First you need to be pregnant and have baby brain mixed with the already easily distracted Lindsay brain.  Next you need something shiny…in my case it was shiny red Christmas ornaments.  Then let everything fall into place!
Tonight I made my “Adam is working late go to meal” of pasta…it’s quick and easy and doesn’t require me to be in the freezing cold kitchen for very long.  Today I had been trying to get things ready so that we have a smooth and easy move.  I put away all the Christmas stuff and organized drawers, getting rid of things we really don’t need.  I have also been burning DVD’s (Adam found a way to download movies and the current versions of TV shows…and since I have a burner my job is to burn them).  So basically I had a few different things going on today, but not too much to handle, especially since I need to break every half hour. 

After I put the pasta in the pot I noticed the very last Christmas decoration out…my vase full of red Christmas balls.  I figured I could put them away before the pasta was finished, but after I finished that the DVD I was burning finished so I started the next one (and since this seems to be my job now I try to make it look professional), then I saw the “Z” I painted for my son and took that to the pile of baby things (which always distracts me).  After playing around with the pile (because the pile needs to show off how cute everything is) I saw my empty water bottles and decided to fill them up before I got into bed and forgot.  A few activities later I realized I was hungry and “OOPS!” I remembered the stove.  The funny thing is a couple times I heard strange noises in the kitchen…I just chocked it off to being noises of China…there are always noises in China!

What I saw in the kitchen was a pot with barely any water left in it and spaghetti that was left in one gynormous clump.  I decided to try again and I made myself stay in the kitchen until the pasta was cooked. 

ME: “Can I at least drink water”, NURSE: “No, we give you glucose to drink”

Yesterday I had my doctor’s appointment.  The plan was to head to HK on Monday eat a really big late dinner before my fasting had to start then take a nice warm bath and get a good night sleep in a hotel room with heating.  I planned on waking up right before my appointment since I picked a hotel 3 stops away on the subway.  I figured the doctor would be pleased at my obvious weight gain, not only is my belly expanding every second but my face is starting to fill back out and lately everyone has commented that I looked much better than the last time they saw me.  I was feeling like Lindsay again and I eat nonstop all day long!  I knew that the glucose test wouldn’t be fun but I was excited to see pictures of my little man. 

You can see his face!!!!

Well throw in some baby brain mixed with high expectations, goodbye to a good friend and a newly renovated hotel and you get what I got!

I was about to cross the border with a big empty suitcase to pick up the rest of our Christmas gifts (with the help from my friend Jodie…no I wasn’t about to lift or do anything I shouldn’t!) when I realized that I forgot my passport.  My passport was 2 hours away back in my apartment.  Rather than going back and forth I sent the driver and he picked up Adam who gave him my passport and he drove it back to me.  In the meantime I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Jodie and her family.  I got to HK 4 hours later than expected at about 11:00 pm.  Since they upgraded me to a renovated room with a king sized bed (I can’t really complain) I didn’t have a bath tub, but I did have a spa shower…complete with hot water and more pressure than a water gun.  I stayed up late putting pictures on facebook, but I still had a wonderful sleep.  I woke up starving and thirsty.  I normally drink 5 or 6 bottles of water each day!  I barely made it to the doctor without passing out.  The stuffy train station didn’t help.  I called Adam and told him if I stopped talking that he should call the doctor and tell him to come find me on the ground in the station.  I made it, had my first blood test and drank the most disgusting stuff ever!  It took me almost 20 min to finish the glass full.  I had my appointment right after the test and the baby is growing really well and everything looks good.  However the doctor was concerned that I had only gained 2 lb’s since my last appointment…2 lb’s I could have sworn I gained at least 5.  I took my next two blood tests and went shopping for another pair of maternity pants.  Normally I would be excited to go down a size without even trying but I was not happy that after my disappointing weight gain I had to go down a pants size…I figured that my jeans were loose because I didn’t have a dryer to shrink them back.  I left feeling totally discouraged and completely out of control of the situation.  I ate a very fatty lunch and picked up some junk food from the grocery store before meeting Jodie who was meeting to help me carry the gifts across the border. 

Then I had to say my last goodbye (this was number 4 I think) to Jodie who would no longer be close enough for a weekend visit.  I am happy for her being able to move back to Australia; however the selfishness in me is going to hate having her so far away.  I have had to say goodbye to 2 great friends in the past month, and I have decided that people need to start checking with me before they let their husbands accept a new job.

Last night I got home at 9:00 and after looking through our Christmas gifts (nothing cheers up a girl like cute baby things and decent food) and updating my parents on the doctors apt I went straight to sleep.  Today I plan on being a major couch potato and eating cookies and cheese doodles. 

26-28 Weeks

I have to sit on the floor to put on shoes then I stand up like a toddler (hands on floor, stick butt up and slowly move up while hanging on to whatever or whoever is near me)

Week 26 and 27 were wonderful in Australia…I can’t imagine a better trip for a pregnant lady.  It was a food paradise, especially since I am now eating a full portion of food.  The challenge for me now is that I haven’t tasted food that I have enjoyed in a long time (6 months to be exact) and with all the restaurant choices I had some trouble choosing where we should eat (which Adam insisted I did since I now liked food).  I haven’t had any cravings but the food that is most appetizing to me was hummus and bread.  I would have to say I ordered that as a meal almost once a day.  I ate Thai food, Mexican, Sandwiches, pancakes, doughnuts, cupcakes (from the many cupcake shops they have in Sydney), etc…The only thing we didn’t eat was Chinese food!

Brisbane

Sydney

Melbourne

On Christmas day we sat on the beach…since it was supposed to rain we ran out of the hotel room without sunscreen, however we had planned on calling Adam’s family then going for lunch about an hour after we got to the beach so I figured it would be OK.  I didn’t realize how insane the sun in Australia is even on a cloudy morning.  We both got burned, but I have some amazingly odd tan lines.  Thanks to my belly I didn’t lay down I sat up on the towel creating a shade on my upper/inner thigh.  Thanks to my growing breasts I have a white area mirroring the shape of my breasts on my belly. 

Speaking of the ladies…I finally bought a bra that fits.  I have been uncomfortable in my bras for about a month.  It is amazing how comfortable the right bra size feels. 

Before I left my doctor gave me some baby aspirin to take before and after my flight to help with blood circulation.  It worked and my legs didn’t swell during the 8 hour flight.  However the sunburn on my legs was pretty bad and swelled because of that, combined with the walking we did in Sydney.  My feet/toes/ankles were double the normal size.

Zachary has been moving with a lot more force lately, in fact I think I am able to tell his moods based on the movements he makes.  On days where I was walking a lot he was very relaxed and hardly moved at all (it doesn’t look good for me that he is only calm when I am moving).  He LOVED the airplane, throughout the whole flight he was twisting and turning and playfully moving (this also doesn’t look good since I was hoping he would sleep some on the 20+ hour flight we will have to take when he is a few months old).  The most interesting feeling this week though was Zachary’s first ever hiccoughs!  He hated them, he was moving as if to say someone help me, get me out of here (I swear he was about to come out of my belly button).  Good thing for Zack that the hiccoughs didn’t last too long.

Week 28 was good too, we didn’t get much relaxation time when we returned since we had to go apartment hunting and unpack.  We also opened some amazing Christmas gifts from our families.  We sent a list of food items and baby items that we either can’t find anywhere around here or is super expensive here.  We have some dinner kits and ranch dressing, and pop tarts to enjoy! I think it was most fun for me opening up the baby stuff, the bottles, the binkies, the boppy, the little toys and clothes…our little boy is going to be such a stud with all these adorable new digs. 

*****Cool Week 26 Fact: He was beginning to get some baby fat (with some help from his mommy who is now eating everything put in front of her!)

*****Cool Week 27 Fact: Zachary is now sleeping and waking at regular intervals.  Which I can tell, he basically moves at the same time each day.

*****Cool Week 28 Fact: I made it to the third trimester!

Our New (hopefully) Apartment

Last week we went apartment hunting for 2 days right after our trip.  On day one our top three apartments were great but going to be a lot of work.  One had a ton of extra furniture and all of it was extra large leaving no floor space for a baby to have tummy time.  Another place was only half furnished and didn’t have any fixtures or appliances…even though the furniture was something I would have actually picked out myself we were worried that it would take a long time to get everything installed (remember our internet?).  The third place was finished brand new but unfurnished.  The landlady spoke a little English and wanted to take me shopping to pick out the furniture (can we say yippee!), however it was surrounded by construction that was covering the entire area with dust.  So we had to decide would the storage area and brand new furniture make up for the fact that we can’t open a window or hang my clothes outside to dry?

The next day we saw 4 more places, we were hoping that one of the 4 would be a no brainer and an easy apartment to move into.  The first three were awful!  They each were only 2 years old but the furniture looked like it came out of the dump.  Then we saw place number 4.  I walked in and the first thing I thought was ahhhh…clean.  My second thought was it looks like a really cute little girls room…what would Adam say.  Adam couldn’t look at this apartment because he had already taken 2 weeks off of work.  The sofa set was beige canvas covered with flowers (in a cute way) and all the other furniture was real wood…painted white.  It isn’t my taste but it was really nice and brand new.  Not only was the furniture brand new but the apartment had never been lived in, the refrigerator was a couple feet taller than the one we have now and there was a spa shower and bath in the master bathroom…all for a lower price than our apartment now. 

The goal was to find something that I would feel comfortable bringing an infant into and a place that had a garden where we could go for a walk and was convenient to grocery stores.  We found it all!!!!!  Now for the negotiations…