Cree Christmas Party

Adam and I look forward to the Cree Christmas Party all year long.  It is a huge event!  Cree goes above and beyond giving their employees a special night out. 

This year the theme was based on Pan Am.  They had girls dressed as the Pan Am flight attendants and we "traveled" to places like Africa and Las Vegas.
They rent the Raleigh Convention Center and each room has a different theme.  The Africa room had live African acrobats and a live band, the Las Vegas room had casino games, photographers and a DJ.  They had LOTS of amazing food and each Cree employee got 4 free adult beverages.  In addition to the party they provided rides home for people who weren't able to drive themselves home and a discounted rate at the Marriott hotel connected to the convention center. 
How were Adam and I able to spend the night out by ourselves?  My parents were very excited to spend some time with their grandson.  Adam and I took advantage of the discounted rate at the hotel and and enjoyed a full nights sleep while mom and dad took care of the little guy.

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. 

Ringing in The New Year…on Dec. 31 at 8:00am NC time (Sydney – December 28-January 1)

We arrived in Sydney at 7:30 am (meaning we left our Brisbane hotel at 3:30 am).  The plan was to take a tour of the city at 10:30 and hang out by the harbor and take a ferry to Manly in the afternoon.  However when we got to the hotel I laid down on the bed while Adam took a shower and I fell asleep for 2 hours.  Good thing the tour also went at 2:30.  We stopped for lunch at a deli and took our sandwiches to the steps of a government house.  It was great to be able to sit on the ground (even being pregnant)…it is amazing the things you miss.  After lunch we had some time so we hung out by the harbor watching street performers.  The best thing happened when a contortionist said “I need a helper…you in the blue shirt…yes you behind the pregnant lady” yes it was Adam and yes I got the entire thing on tape…including a little kiss she stole from my husband!  When we get back I plan on sharing the video with EVERYONE…I apologize in advance for the shaky tape, I was laughing non-stop!  I took tons of pictures which will be on the blog soon!

The tour we took was amazing and I totally recommend it to anyone visiting Sydney or who lives in Sydney for that matter.  In fact the reviews on trip advisor were mostly from Sydney residents who had out of town visitors and took the tour for them.  Basically it is a “free” tour, they request that you tip or give a donation to the guide (who doesn’t make money otherwise).  Our guide was amazing and super Australian…she had the blonde beachy look and the fun personality that the stereotypical Australian has.  She had a lot of fun jokes and interesting facts to share with us!  I think one of the best parts (and this was my intention and why we wanted to do this tour first thing) of the tour was it took us past and to a few places we wanted to revisit (including the first of many cupcake shops we went too).  We spent the rest of the afternoon on the harbor eating and people watching.

On the 29^th we went to a wildlife park in the outskirts of Sydney.  There is one right in the city center but we heard this one was better (and it was cheaper).  We were really excited to finally get to see kangaroos and koalas.  There were roos hopping around the whole area and trees with koalas sleeping in them (the look totally fake when sleeping).  We both got to pet a koala (if you know me I am not very comfortable around animals and I think they smell my fear, I especially don’t like birds) the zoo person kept trying to get me to hug the koala but it was all I could do to pet it’s back with one hand.  When we got to the area with the birds I took a step back and was in charge of the camera.  I am thankful to say I got out of there without being pecked or attacked by any birds or stepping in any poop.  I was apprehensive around the animals but it was still a pretty amazing experience.  I am also good at hiding my fear (as I have been to the zoo with kindergarteners and first graders…my class was always the first to finish the bird sanctuary). 

After the park we took a ferry to Manly (another beachy area with great restaurants and a wonderful view).  We got there just in time to see the sun set.  Our dinner was amazing (even though it took me a long time to decide what I really wanted to eat…sounds silly but it is hard to make a decision when you haven’t wanted food for the past 6 months). 

On the 30^th we hung out at the Darling Harbor and took a river cruse tour of Sydney.  Again we ate very well (yes I consider Subway and pizza an amazing meal day). 

FINALLY it was New Years Eve…I had been looking forward to this day for a LONG time.  We decided when we were assigned to China to spend New Years in Sydney.  I was excited to be involved in the first (big) New Year’s celebration in the entire world!  This had also been the hardest day to plan…besides knowing that we were going to spend the day on Bondi Beach.  There were so many options.  We could have taken a river cruse costing between $700 and $1000 a person, we could have gone to dinner on the harbor for about $500 a person or we could celebrate somewhere low key for only $200 a person (I say only sarcastically).  These plans needed to be made at least a month in advance…however a month before our trip I wasn’t able to eat much and I wasn’t sure a trip on a boat would be great for my tummy.  We figured this was a once in a lifetime experience so we wanted to do it well…meaning we had to see the fireworks overlooking the harbor somehow.  After thinking about it (a lot) and spending a lot of time researching on the computer I decided to take a risk.  I figured this is our last time to do something crazy…I mean if it was your first time in NYC for New Years and you knew you may never get to go back you would for sure spend it on the street no matter how miserable it may seem.  I figured we should tough it out, bring a towel, buy a bagged lunch and camp out on the harbor for as long as we needed to.  We got to the harbor at 5:00, but they weren’t letting people in the gates.  Our plan B was to head to North Sydney and watch from the other side, but I was afraid that we would get there and that area would be closed as well.  Plan C was to head to Darling Harbor where we would have a show and fireworks but it wouldn’t be overlooking the Opera House or the Bridge.  Then a crazy old man told us that we could get in the harbor area from the other side.  We took a risk listening to him but it ended up being the best decision!  We found a spot on the ground and took turns changing out of our swim suits and going to the bathroom.  Not 30 min after we sat down (which ended up being 6:00) they had closed the gates and we were trapped in and everyone else was trapped out.  It was amazing how quickly the time went by.  They had fireworks at 9:00 for the kids and then again at midnight.  It was truly the best New Years EVER!  I started the evening thinking it would be one of those experiences you would trade for anything but would never want to do again and looking back we would think we were totally crazy.  This was not one of those experiences…I would gladly do it again, they didn’t allow alcohol on the harbor and had police all over the place so it wasn’t a miserable experience for me at all (I was picturing having beer spilled on me and crazy drunk people knocking into me…the most sober person at the party). 

If you rub his nose you have good luch...if you rub his ___ you get lucky.  Our tour guide thought it was ironic

Can you find me in the crowd of preople waiting for the firworks?

Adam and I at Bondi Beach

“Normal” Rainy Day Activities (Brisbane - December 26-28)

Our concierge struck again when we decided to take the train to Brisbane from Noosa (we really weren’t excited about paying a taxi driver another $250).  They sent us to a train station that only had one train coming through at 11:00 pm.  Our taxi driver was concerned as we were on the way and said he would wait for us in case we would be stuck, he even said he would take us to the next train station that had more trains going through for about half the price.  This was the nicest taxi driver I had ever been in a car with (not only because he gave us a discount on a holiday when he could have charged more…we probably would have paid anything to not be stuck for 13 hours).  He said that he and his wife had just come back from a holiday in the States and people were nice to them so he wanted to return the favor.  He seemed to know everything about the history of the US and the history of every piece of land we passed.  I can’t imagine what we would have done if we had taken the concierge’s advice about taking the bus (it was free that day) to the abandoned train station.  We figured it may not be easy to take luggage on a crowded bus.

When we arrived in Brisbane the plan was to go to a mall and enjoy the Boxing Day sales.  However everything in Australia is very expensive right now…between the inflation issues there and the low low value of the US dollar we would pay more on sale items then we would pay on regular priced items in the States.  We did pick up a few things for baby (skin care items that I was certain were Johnson and Johnson and not a copy).  The rain the first day was just annoying enough that we didn’t want to do anything outside, which was fine we were happy to be a normal couple doing normal rainy day things (shopping and a movie). 

The next day we planned on going to the Australia zoo, which is supposed to be one of the best!  It was started by the Crock. Hunter years ago!  This was our second attempt to go but it was rainy the first time.  We decided to go no matter what!  However the receptionist said it would be miserable in the rain.  We decided to spend the day at a different outdoor shopping area armed with our umbrellas and rain jackets.  We stopped for lunch at a sandwich place overlooking the harbor and as we were finishing up the skies opened and we got wet even in the covered area of the restaurant.  We hung out until the rain slowed down, which it never really did, and we went back to the mall from the day before.  We walked around a bit then went bowling!  It isn’t easy bowling with a bowling ball poping out of your belly, not to mention I was super careful.  I picked the lowest weight ball and didn’t bend too much when throwing the ball because I was afraid of tipping over.  Adam gave me a 30 point handicap which turned out to be necessary considering the only reason pins fell down was because they were knocked down by other pins.  I don’t think I even broke 80.  I can see my family now trying to fix my stance and telling me how I could bowl better…good thing I don’t really care, I just enjoy the game!

Christmas on the Beach (Noosa Beach – December 23-26)

We arrived at the Brisbane airport at 10:30 in the evening.  We had been told by the concierge at the hotel that we could catch a bus straight to the hotel (which was about an hour and a half away).  We made sure they knew that we would be coming in late and double checked that the bus would be running…we were assured that it would.  I know I should have done more research but I didn’t and for sure the bus wasn’t running after 9:00 pm.  Our only option was to take a taxi for about $350 or hire a private car for $300.  I negotiated a better deal with the taxi driver and we ended up spending $250.  Our taxi driver was hilarious.  We couldn’t understand a word he said but he kept talking to us…he had the redneck version of an Australian accent.  At one point he pulled over at a gas station to use the bathroom.  He then got lost.  I think he may be the only person I know that doesn’t have a cell phone so Adam called the hotel to get directions, the driver was talking to the hotel and couldn’t read the road sign so Adam read it for him but the driver totally got it wrong on the phone…it took everything in us not to burst out laughing at him trying to describe where we were by mispronouncing everything.  Thank goodness he said the directions out loud because he forgot them and Adam and I had to direct him to the hotel.  It was one of those situations where you wonder if you may be on Candid Camera. 
Unfortunately the weather reported rain for the entire time we were in Noosa and Brisbane, so our first full day there was wandering around the beach shops and eating some amazing food and gelato.  We had Christmas eve dinner at a wonderful little pizza place called Zachary’s. 
Christmas morning we woke up to SUNSHINE well a small amount of sun poking through a lot of gray clouds.  We got up to go to the beach before the sun went away and forgot our sunscreen…I assumed that we would be OK for a short time and I didn’t want to risk losing the one bit of sun by running back for sunscreen.  We both ended up Christmas red after an hour before heading up for lunch (and to pick up the sunscreen).  We sat at the pool under an umbrella for the rest of the afternoon.  The popular thing to do on Christmas day is to go out for a big lunch; we decided to go out for a big dinner instead.  We came back to the hotel and watched White Christmas.

can you see the rain?

Christmas Eve Dinner at Zachary's...next year we will have Christmas Eve Dinner WITH Zachary

Video's from Sydney

This was the Animal Park in Sydney...notice how uncomfortable I am with the Animals

This is my favorite video of all time!  This was taken just a couple hours after arriving in Sydney when we stopped to watch this show while killing time before our free tour. 

25 Weeks

This has been a wonderful week!  Well besides the fact that our water wasn’t hot and would randomly cut off…haha.  I have finally gotten that second trimester burst of energy that everyone has been talking about!  I planned and got everything ready for a party for 50 people (including baking cookies in a toaster oven).  I took a trip to Shenzhen because our water was off for a day.  I went to my first ever Chinese wedding.  A couple of my favorite things this week were staying in a hotel with heat and a nice hot shower and celebrating Christmas with some great people! 
I think the biggest celebration this week is my appetite is slowly returning.  Friday at our Christmas party I was able to eat a slice of pizza and a chicken nugget from KFC.  Pizza is something that if someone mentioned it around me I would either get sick or not be able to eat the bland food I planned on eating.  Anything other than French fries from KFC have also been on my “no” list.  Saturday I ate a whole grilled cheese sandwich and Sunday I ate 2 whole slices of pizza.
This week the baby is supposed to weigh about 1.5 lbs.  I am now in the positives!  I weigh 1.5 lb’s above my starting weight!  I never thought I would be so happy to be gaining weight. 

I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow which is really exciting but this one is a little scary.  I find out the results of Adam’s blood test which will let us know if I am RH- or not.  I also have to get approval to fly.  The airlines require a doctor’s note once you are 27 weeks, I will only be for 2 days before we fly home.  I don’t have a problem telling the airline that I am a week earlier, but during my last visit to the doctor he asked what our Christmas plans were.  I thought he was being casual so I told him that we were going to Australia and would be there through the New Year.  He said that he would need to see me right before to clear me to fly.  I know that everything is OK, I know that the baby is growing (at least my belly is showing a lot of growth) and I feel him kicking all the time, but I am paranoid that he will find some reason that I can’t fly…I would be devastated!

I don’t know if it was the excitement of Christmas or I have in fact gotten an extra burst of energy but I hope it sticks around for at least a month.
******Cool Week 25 Fact: If the baby is positioned the right way you can hear his heartbeat by putting your ear up to the belly.  Adam tried this out and the baby kicked him in the head…haha!  I like this kid already!  Another cool fact if you could see the baby you would know what color hair they have.

Christmas Parties, Chinese Weddings and Big Decisions…oh my!

Friday our Christmas party was a blast…I have no idea how many people we had here (our before party estimate was about 50).  We had nothing left over (thank goodness) and I think everyone had a great time.  I did most of the prep work myself and I can’t think of anything else I would have done differently.  We invited all the people that work closely with Adam and all the ex-pats that we have met in Huizhou.  A lot of the ex-pats were out of town for the Holidays, which ended up working out because I don’t know if we could have fit anyone else in our apartment.  I asked our cleaner to come on Saturday, she did the dishes and cleaned the floors…which was a huge help.  The only part I don’t like about entertaining is cleaning everything that I had cleaned the day before. 

Saturday Adam and I were invited to a wedding of one of his co-workers.  Adam RSVP’d and the day before the groom called and asked if Adam would sit with him at his wedding.  We weren’t quite sure what it meant (was he confirming, was he asking Adam to do something important).  Chinese weddings are very different from American weddings.  The couple gets married on paper and takes pictures in fancy clothes (not wedding clothes) long before the wedding day.  Typically on the day of the wedding the bride and bridesmaids all get ready together and the groom comes to pick her up.  The bridesmaids make a big deal about not letting him in the door until he gives gifts of money (in red envelopes).  Then the couple and all the guests have a meal that the bride’s parents host and then everyone goes to another meal that the groom’s parents host.  Usually these meals are casual (people wear jeans).  The wedding we went to was for a couple whose hometown was in a different providence but they both live in Huizhou.  They wanted to have a party for their local friends.  The goal of the men was to humiliate the couple by making them play games (I am assured the couple will return the favor at other weddings) and the main goal is to get the groom drunk.  Adam and I arrived early (the invitation said doors are open between 11 and 11:30 so we got there a little after 11), there were only a few people there.  SIDENOTE: seating in China is one of the biggest honors.  Adam and I were seated at the head table in the third and fourth most important seats (next to the bride and groom), however the grooms mother moved us to the head seats…a higher level than the bride and groom.  The couple will have a big wedding celebration in their hometown right before Chinese New Year.  Oh and the call Adam got the day before was asking him to make a speech at dinner in honor of the couple.  Adam was surprised to hear his name called after the mother of the groom welcomed everyone.  I could tell he wasn’t quite sure what to say, he gave a typical American congratulatory toast to the couple in English. 

This weekend Adam and I had a big decision to make…should we move and start all over or should we believe that the problems in our will all be fixed.  The argument is we have no idea what could go wrong in the next apartment and how difficult it may be to fix.  We also don’t know that the problems can be completely fixed in our own apartment.  We have decided to move, my reason is I am not convinced that the hot water in the shower can be fixed.  We have hot water in the sink in the same bathroom, so I (an untrained plumber) have a feeling that the problem is bigger than everyone thinks.  I honestly don’t think that it will be fixed by installing a hot water tank next to the shower…not to mention I am scared that the tank won’t be installed correctly and will fall from the ceiling.  Adam’s reason is that he doesn’t want to stay in the same place the whole time we are here and now that we know more about Huizhou and what to expect we know what to ask for or look for.  I have a friend who is moving in the beginning of January and I like her apartment (I mentioned it in a previous entry), the location isn’t as good and the apartment isn’t as big, but they haven’t had any issues and the complex is newer.  The location won’t be a huge deal in a few months because a new mall is opening up right across the street.  I am planning on asking for a clothes dryer (I figured it doesn’t hurt to ask) and put in the lease that a problem needs to be fixed within a reasonable amount of time (1 day for small issues and no more than 3 days for big issues that require a lot of work), we will also make sure that when we ask for English channels on the TV we get them before the landlord pays (and has us reimburse) for a year of useless TV.  We will test EVERYTHING (we were told that the AC unit was also a heater…and yes it does have a heater button but it isn’t actually a heater…the button is just in case).  We love our apartment and I think other then the water issues it is one of the nicer apartments in Huizhou.  I have learned a lot about covering yourself with things in writing, as an American I assumed that the issues we had with our water were reasons for not paying rent, not in China.  I assumed that since the button said it was a heater, it would actually be a heater…not in China.  I assumed that asking for English channels would mean we were asking for channels that were completely in English and not a channel that had a show or two randomly in English.  Not that anyone was trying to “pull one over on us” we just weren’t able to directly communicate…not only were things lost in translation but our views and expectations were lost in the cultural difference.  I have decided once we move back to the states if Cree has to send anyone else to Huizhou I will set up a meeting with the wife and give her an obscene list of things that she needs to know before they move here.

What to do…What to do

So apparently the water cutting off isn’t an apartment issue it is a building issue, the building management worked on it Tuesday (why the water was off for half the day) and they are still working out the kinks.  Meanwhile out of the maybe 5 times I went to use the sink yesterday the water worked once…the other times it worked after a min. or so, but when you have hands full of soap that’s a problem.
The heating issue is my favorite.  I showed up at noon with lunch for Adam and his coworker (our hot water advocate).  The landlord bought a hot water tank that was to be installed in our bathroom it would be big and ugly…but hey I would have hot water.  When the repairman (the poor little man who came the day before) went to install it they found out that there was already a separate hot water heater for the shower.  Meanwhile the new heater fixed our hot water in the rest of the house issue and this explains why it wouldn’t fix our bathroom issue. 
OK, so we have had this separate heater since we have moved in and up until October (the last hot shower was right before we left for Japan on the 15^th) it worked fine.  Now they are telling me that because it has been cold for the past week that the pipes are getting cold and that is the problem.  I don’t buy it because: what about all the hot days (in the high 70’s at least) between October and last week?  The next reason they gave was that the issue with the water pump in the building was the problem.  If that is the problem why can I get hot water in the bathroom sink and in any other faucet in the house but not the shower in our bedroom?  And here is the kicker…why did it work 5 min before I entered the apartment and when they went to show me it didn’t work?  I am assured that everything will fix itself in 2 days.  Normally I am a trusting person and I like to think I have a positive attitude, but honestly I don’t know…
Here is what I am thinking about at 2:30 am when I should be sleeping: A) What if something breaks in a week again and we don’t find out until we get back from Australia.  B) My friend is moving out of her apartment in the beginning of Jan, we could move right in (she has kept it clean, the furniture is nice, it is 3 bedroom but a little smaller then our current place, and she has hot water consistently) She lives in the complex that would have been Adam and I’s first choice apartment wise but second choice location wise.  C) Say everything having to do with the water will work, what if we have another problem…will it take 2 months to fix because the Landlord isn’t local?  D) Moving would be a nightmare, but it would be an even bigger nightmare when I am huge or dealing with an infant.  E) Maybe this time people actually know what they are talking about and I won’t have another issue before we are scheduled to move back to the states (where I will appreciate a hot shower as often as my little boy allows).  F) What if we move and have issues at the next apartment…what next?  (The good thing is I know my friend hasn’t had any problems since she moved in back in April.)
So here is where I need help…should I risk staying in an apartment that we otherwise love and have settled into or should we move to another apartment knowing that the water works?  If we move, we need to do it now.  If we stay I really need to trust that when I turn on the shower it’s safe to put shampoo in my hair because the water won’t cut off and I won’t get goose bumps because the water isn’t hot. 

Not Quite the End…

I am laying in a very nice bed at the best hotel in Huizhou.  I no longer feel sorry for the poor repair man who had to deal with the wrath of Lindsay yesterday. 
Last night I decided to take a shower, I expected to be disappointed, but what could I do?  When I stepped into the shower it was actually hot (and not room temperature), just when I was able to “pre rinse” the water cut off completely.  I called Adam who was on his way home.  He suggested we go to a hotel for the night. I was pretty calm considering.  A couple min. later the water turned back on so I assumed that it was air in the pipe, forgot about the hotel and was relieved.  I waited for it to get hot again then got back in the shower…30 seconds later the water turned off again.  I sent Adam a text that said “WE ARE GOING TO A HOTEL THEN WE ARE MOVING!”.  I assume that the guy that came today to “check things out” did something to mess something…however he didn’t step foot in the bathroom where the problem started. 
Adam and his Chinese coworker (who has been or water advocate throughout all this) will be meeting the same little repair man who was there yesterday.  Adam’s coworker told us months ago that we were being way too nice and he would call and yell at anyone we wanted him to.  I honestly think he is more upset at this new development then I am.  Chinese people are big on “saving face” and while dealing with people you have to make sure they are able to save face and you have to keep in mind that they are trying to save face.  Jiambo felt like his involvement in this is making him lose face.  In my eyes Jiambo is my favorite Chinese person, he has given up his time to help out Adam and I, we both know he is basically the translator and we don’t hold him responsible at all.  At this point my biggest worry is that Jiambo will never know how thankful we are that he has been helping us.  I am really glad that Adam and Jiambo will be there with the repair men today, respect for women is not the same and the people that come never seem to believe me or care whether or not I am satisfied with the job.  I have to call Adam and have one of his coworkers talk to them…if no one is available the repair men just leave.
I still don’t know whether or not we will move, but this is obviously a problem that won’t go away.  I feel like I need to write up a document that I need to make all repairmen sign before they walk through my door.  It would say something like this: “I will not break anything that works OK, and I will not leave until I have fixed or identified the problem and will fix it within 24 hours.  If I don’t accomplish anything or make things worse I understand that I will have to deal with the angry foreign pregnant woman who lives here.” 
Meanwhile I am in a hotel room when I have 40+ people coming to my house tomorrow night…

Pregnant Woman Who Hasn’t Had A Hot Shower In Her Own Home Since Mid October VS. innocent Repair Men Who Have No Idea What She is Saying And Her Poor Husband Who Has To Be The Punching Bag Because He Understands English

In case you didn’t know we have had water issues since the day we moved in…we had repair men come off and on during the first couple months.  Adam works all day so this is more of a Lindsay issue.  As annoying as it is to be stuck in a house waiting for repair men, imagine having them not understand you and if they do not believing you.  I may not know anything about plumbing but I do know that most plumbers carry tools (not in China…and the one that did bring tools brought a hammer…not a typical plumber tool if you ask me).  I am sure most of our issue is communication, but that isn’t the whole problem. 

We have had a couple of days of warm water after the Cree engineers came.  After that didn’t work we demanded a new hot water heater.  This was a couple weeks ago, the landlord was great about replacing it quickly.  Unfortunately it only fixed the kitchen hot water.  Adam decided to take a look at it himself and he discovered that the heater wouldn’t turn on when we turned on the shower.  We had a maintenance worker come and confirm that that could be the issue.  He told us the temporary fix was to turn on the hot water in the kitchen just enough to switch the heater on then take a shower…it was better than nothing but it wasn’t much fun running back and forth from the kitchen to the bathroom so as not to over work the heater.  The long term fix is to tear up all of the tile in the bathroom (floor to ceiling) and fix the pipe, or buy a separate heater for the shower. 

Our landlord refused to do either and instead sent his “expert” to fix the problem.  Which brings us to today…2 days before I have 40+ people coming for a Christmas party and 2 months since I have had a hot shower in my own home.  The guy came with only a hammer (again correct me if I am wrong but don’t you need a wrench to fix a pipe and wouldn’t the hammer be totally useless).  After he turned off the water in the middle of me doing laundry and baking, and flooded under our bathroom sink I was finished.  I tried yelling at him, and I think he was a little scared of me (possibly because I was 3 inches taller than him and yelling at him in a language he couldn’t understand…he did understand my face and the miming).  After 3 hours of turning the water on and off, finding a wrench and taking everything apart he decided that there was a problem. 

Poor Adam had to listen to me yell over the phone, it’s not satisfying yelling at someone who doesn’t understand.  I decided that our Landlord had until the end of the day today to decide if he was going to buy us a heater and when to have it installed…if I don’t like his answer I will be moving.  I have actually already received apartment information from a friend who is leaving in the beginning of January.  All we have to do is make a phone call and we will be out of here in the middle of January. 

I just figured that if he is going to be difficult and if it takes people coming to my apartment 3 times for him to do something I don’t want to deal with him.  I especially don’t want to worry about something going wrong and having people in and out of our apartment when we have an infant.  I have been nice up until now because I know Chinese standards are different then American standards; however none of my international friends here have issues with their landlord.  They have problems fixed the day they discover them or a couple days later if it requires lots of work.  In fact landlords here LOVE having foreigners live in their apartments because they say Chinese people don’t take care of their things.  Tomorrow I will update you on our decision.

24 Weeks

Ok…so these weeks are going by faster and faster.  Meanwhile I am so not prepared for the baby, I am being so un-Lindsay about the whole thing.  The normal Lindsay would have everything she could possibly need for the baby taken care of or at least figured out.  The normal Lindsay would be freaking out right now because she has nothing for the baby to sleep in, she hasn’t started stocking up on diapers and although she has found a few things for the baby to wear, she would be freaking out because she can only find pajamas that are acceptable for her child.  Being in China has caused me to start becoming a lot more “Lindsay” in some ways and let things go…there is no middle ground.  I am kind of happy that I am not stressed out about not being ultra prepared this early, who needs the stress…right now I am just focused on eating. 
Don’t start to worry…this week (actually this afternoon) I am going to a furniture shop that is meant to have decent furniture.  I have also contacted a friend whose brother has a furniture making factory in Huizhou and he takes orders for custom furniture.  If either of those things don’t work out I plan on just picking something up at IKEA (if we were in America I would probably get the furniture from IKEA anyway but most Chinese don’t use cribs so they only have 2 to choose from at our local IKEA).  I figured after our Christmas party this Friday I would start stocking up on wipes and diapers…I just don’t want them stacked when we have people over.  As for the clothes…I have found a few outfits that aren’t pajamas and I ordered a few from America on Black Friday.  I am really only focusing on things Zachary will need while we are here.  There is so much I don’t need to worry about for the first 5 months.  I will most likely be doing a lot of online shopping the month before we move back so I have the things we will need ready and waiting for us in my parent’s garage.

This week I started eating less each time but more frequently.  My typical day is built around food.  I wake up and usually eat a bowl of cereal around 9:00 (this is the most difficult meal because I haven’t eaten all night and I usually need to rest after the cereal…sad…I know) my second breakfast is a granola bar, then I have a snack (maybe a peanut butter bar), I eat lunch at noon which is half of a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread (which I stock up on in Hong Kong), my second lunch is a piece of fruit, then I eat some sun chips (also smuggled from HK), and I eat peanut butter bars, gummy bears, cereal, granola bars, raisins or whatever I feel like for the 3 or 4 more snack breaks until dinner.  I eat dinner around 6:30 which is usually spaghetti, mac and cheese, or a very small portion of whatever I cook for Adam.  Then I will eat another 3 snacks before bed.  Maybe if you add it up I eat a little more than a normal person does on a given day but not too much more since I eat such small portions.  If I go out for the day all these snacks get put in ziplocks and fill up my purse.  I drink only water (not because it’s good for you but because the thought of anything else makes my mouth dry. 

I am also not sleeping well at all and I wake up with a sore neck and back.  I start with 6 pillows but by the time I fall asleep I am down to 2.  I know I would feel so much better and sleep a lot more if I could sleep propped up like a lounge seat but I just can’t sleep that way.  I don’t get to take naps much because I have kept busy and well honestly every time I think of taking a nap it is either too close to bed time or I feel like I need food.
My ziplock bag preparation and my lack of sleep is really getting me ready for Zachary to be here needing things and crying.  I think taking care of myself is helping me get my feet wet in taking care of the baby and my ability to survive on less sleep will help with night time feedings…hopefully Zachary won’t need to eat every half hour like I need to!
******Cool Week 24 Fact: Zachary is producing white blood cells and he may start hiccupping soon!

Christmas Cheer

Adam and I have been watching a Christmas movie each night for the month of December (meanwhile I watch a couple each day while I fold laundry, eat breakfast etc…).  After we watched Elf this was part of the conversation we had… Me: “I don’t think you have very much Christmas Cheer” Adam: “I have a normal person’s amount of Christmas cheer…unlike you who has a crazy amount of Christmas cheer like Elf”

I am the kind of person who feels just a little happier wearing Christmas socks, I still wake up unreasonably early on Christmas morning, Christmas carols play in my head all day and night, I love the movies where someone who hates Christmas but because of the magic of the season becomes a good person/falls in love/finds their family etc…, I can’t hear the story of Christmas enough, I love waking up early the day after Thanksgiving to brave the malls, I love picking out the perfect gift for my friends and family and I especially love them watching them open it, and I love everything else that goes along with Christmas (the lights, the decorations, Santa, the kindness, the giving, the cookies, the parties). 

I honestly love Christmas, realistically I love all holidays, but Christmas is in a whole other category of love…picture a 5 year old who sees Santa Clause, or listen to a child tell the story of Baby Jesus…that is Lindsay at Christmas.  I thought maybe my love of holidays especially Christmas wouldn’t be as overwhelming this year…not because I am unhappy…but because I am not in a classroom making holiday crafts, singing holiday songs with children, or reading stories out loud to 20 starry eyed children.  I thought that not hearing Christmas stories from children, and not being surrounded by children that believe in Santa, not being surrounded by decorations and music as I go about my life, not being in church to hear the Christmas story, not shopping for Christmas presents (I finished the shopping a while ago since we had to ship the package); would all be the cause of my loss of Christmas cheer.  It seems like nothing can take away my “crazy” (to quote Adam) amount of cheer this Christmas. 
I LOVE that my Cheer isn’t affected by my surroundings.  My Christmas cookies aren’t coming out just right (I blame it on the low quality ingredients), our Christmas tree has no lights and is only 3 feet tall, the presents under the tree are actually empty boxes wrapped for decoration, I can’t watch ABC family/Hallmark channel/Lifetime Christmas movies 24/7, we don’t have a church here in Huizhou…meanwhile Christmas is still Christmas, the season still feels special, and Lindsay is still like a child at Christmas.  I for one can’t wait until my little boy understands and loves Christmas as much as I do!

Pregnant Woman Who Hasn’t Had A Hot Shower In Her Own Home Since Mid October VS. innocent Repair Men Who Have No Idea What She is Saying And Her Poor Husband Who Has To Be The Punching Bag Because He Understands English

23 Weeks

Not only am I 23 weeks today but it is my mommy’s birthday, I am excited that she will be able to spend her next birthday with her grandson.

I have started a not so strict exercise routine…finally!  I have felt so out of shape and I am convinced that those last few pounds I still need to gain were from muscle loss.  I count my days out where I am walking all day as an exercise day and beyond that I use my maternity yoga and cardio DVD’s.  I still do my walk away the pounds, not that I am trying to lose the pounds, I am just trying to prepare my body for childbirth and for caring for an infant…he will be here before we know it.  Speaking of weight…I am currently 2 lb’s away from my starting weight…I have a feeling that Christmas Cookies will take care of those last couple of pounds, however by now the average weight gain should be 12 to 15 lb’s.  I try not to think about that, I am just proud of my -2.

I finalized the fabric and décor for the nursery, now I need to execute my vision.  I also picked up some craft supplies to see if I could bring my vision to life…should be interesting!

I am feeling huge, my fitted t-shirts are now rolling up my belly, and unfortunately they are the only weather appropriate clothes I have.  I had some winter clothing made to fit over a growing belly but the weather is a lot warmer this year then it was last year (apparently last year it was bitter cold and rainy…this year it is in the mid 70’s in the shade).  I am not sleeping well, I have to switch sides every hour because of blood flow issues and belly ligaments stretching.  I think the baby has hit a major growth spurtJ. 

Another record…it has been 3 weeks since I have gotten sick!!!!  Hopefully that means it is the end…either way I am about 4 weeks from my third trimester and I am still waiting for the burst of energy and that amazing feeling people have been telling me come in the second trimester.  I guess I can settle for not vomiting anymore!

******Cool Week 23 Fact: They say I should now be able to see him move around my belly…meanwhile my belly has been bouncing for weeks…I guess I have an active little boy on my hands (just what I wanted)

No more little Adam...

Zachary Ryan Milton.  Girls think about a lot of things growing up, one thing we think about is our wedding and another (at least as far as I know) is how many kids you will have and what their names will be.  I have always had a few favorites as far as names go and they went on my list when we started talking about what this baby would be named.  One name that I never had a second thought about but was one of the first on my list and a name I couldn’t get my mind off of was Zachary.  When Adam added his names to the list Zachary was one of the first ones he suggested.  We tried a few out but Zachary was our favorite. 

We wanted a name that was strong, classic, a name that could grow with our kid.  We needed something that people could read (well the teacher in me needed) and spell.  I think Zachary meets all of those requirements.

Adam thinks I am crazy but I even tested nicknames, we can use Zack, we can call him Z, Z-man, Z meister and when he makes a big mess we can call it a Zack attack. 

Sitting on the beach in Bali while getting a foot massage…does life get any better than this?

Our trip to Bali was just what we needed.  I decided to not do a whole lot of planning since this was supposed to be a relaxing vacation and I figured like in Thailand you can get tour packages much cheaper from men on the street then you can from the internet. 
I really wanted to stay in Ubud which is the more cultural area but the hotels in our price range got mixed reviews, the complaints being that they were too far from town to walk.  After thinking about it staying on the beach was the smarter choice (I mean who wants to sit in a cab covered with sand).  We stayed on Kuta beach which is meant to be where young people hang out to get drunk and party…not what I was planning on doing over the weekend so we stayed on the edge of the beach close to the airport.  Our resort had a private beach and right outside the entrance we had an Indian restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a Mediterranean restaurant and a Mexican restaurant.  There were also market streets and DVD shops.  I know we don’t need another DVD but we had to check for Christmas movies since we haven’t been able to find any in Huizhou. 
Friday we got to Bali around noon and went straight to the beach.  We spent the majority of the day at the beach before moving to the pool.  That night we explored the Kuta area and had an amazing dinner at the Mediterranean restaurant.

This is what Adam did...

and this is what I did...the best feeling in the world as a pregnant woman

Saturday we took a tour of Bali which took us to many of the handicraft areas.  We saw how they handmade jewelry, we saw a woodcarving area, an art area, a fabric painting area and a furniture shop.  We also ate lunch with a view of a volcano which is “alive” but hasn’t erupted in 15 years or so.  We stopped at a coffee plantation where Adam was able to taste the fresh coffee.  (Cool story about the coffee plantation: there is a coffee bean which is fermented by going through the digestive system of an animal.  The animal kind of looks like a cross between a cat and a rat…but anyway the animal eats the coffee beans and poops them out, someone gathers the poop and cleans off the beans, which are still intact, and roasts the beans.  This is apparently the most expensive type of coffee…Adam decided against having a sample of this coffee)  The end of our trip took us to Ubud where we walked through a monkey park and walked the streets looking at the handicrafts we just saw being made. 

Sunday we walked around another area of town after breakfast, then, after lunch spent the remainder of the day at the beach.  The wonderful family who worked our beach gave massages and went on beer runs for Adam among other things.  As annoying as it is having people try to sell you stuff while you are trying to relax on the beach my foot massage and Adam’s ability to get a beer without leaving his chair made it more tolerable.  Thankfully living in China has taught 2 people pleasers how to say “no” in a way that makes them leave us alone. 

Like all the other trips we have taken this trip was way too short…I have added it to very long list of places we will take our children to when we tour Asia and show them where mommy and daddy lived for a little while.