And here's another older photo I found on the camera. Happy boy!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Fun with a Guitar Case
Tonight after dinner, Finley decided he wanted to climb inside the guitar case. It was too cute and funny, so I had to grab the camera!
And here's another older photo I found on the camera. Happy boy!
And here's another older photo I found on the camera. Happy boy!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A Quick Video
I realized we haven't posted a video in a while, so here's one to hold you over until we return to the States. Click here.
Our travel schedule is as follows. It's a bit shorter this time than normal, but we would love to squeeze in as many visits with family and friends as time allows, so be in touch!
June 29- July 14: MI
July 15-22: SC
July 22-30: NC
Our travel schedule is as follows. It's a bit shorter this time than normal, but we would love to squeeze in as many visits with family and friends as time allows, so be in touch!
June 29- July 14: MI
July 15-22: SC
July 22-30: NC
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Happy Father's Day!
Happy Father's Day to Nate!! Nate is a wonderful and very involved dad. He is especially great at playing and being silly with Finley, and Finley finds him extremely entertaining. Finley and I can't wait until Nate gets his summer break and we can spend even more time with him as a family!
We love you!!
I Guess It's Obvious
I guess it's obvious I'm pregnant now. I got kicked off the carousel at Ocean Park this week. Okay, truth be told, I also got kicked of the balloon ride. Let me explain: On Thursday, excited about being finished subbing, I took Finley to Ocean Park (a local aquarium/zoo/theme park). We went to see the pandas and monkeys first, and got great views of one of the pandas eating bamboo. Then we went to the section of the park made for little kids, which has very low-key rides, a playground, bouncy house, etc. Finley saw another boy go on a balloon ride, where you sit in a balloon-shaped thingy and it goes up and around in a circle, like a very small ferris wheel. So he and I got on the ride to take a turn. Then an employee comes over, points at my belly and says, "You have baby?" I looked confused and replied, "Uh, yes." He said, "Sorry, you cannot ride with baby." Seriously? This ride was made for toddlers! All you have to do is sit there to ride it. In fact, Finley is actually barely tall enough to ride it by himself (being the height of the average 3-yr-old), however he is not trustworthy nor emotionally mature enough for me to let him. So I told Finley I was sorry but we could not ride it this time. I explained that apparently Mommy's belly is too big to ride it.
A little while later, I got a plan that I could just carry Finley in front of my belly to put him on the carousel (or is it a merry-go-round?), then stand there holding him on the horse with my belly against him so no one would see it. So that worked at first, but then despite my best sneaky efforts to hide the bump, the OP employee still noticed it and kicked me off! This guy spoke more English, so I was like, "Really? All it does is go around in a circle. I can't just stand here with him?" He was extremely apologetic and polite, but would not let us ride. Fortunately, Finley was extremely understanding and was happy enough to just get to sit on the horse for a few minutes. Honestly, I was just so caught off guard by it all, because these are very small, tame rides, and it is much more dangerous for me to be carrying a 30 lb Finley around OP than it would be to ride a carousel!
A little while later, I got a plan that I could just carry Finley in front of my belly to put him on the carousel (or is it a merry-go-round?), then stand there holding him on the horse with my belly against him so no one would see it. So that worked at first, but then despite my best sneaky efforts to hide the bump, the OP employee still noticed it and kicked me off! This guy spoke more English, so I was like, "Really? All it does is go around in a circle. I can't just stand here with him?" He was extremely apologetic and polite, but would not let us ride. Fortunately, Finley was extremely understanding and was happy enough to just get to sit on the horse for a few minutes. Honestly, I was just so caught off guard by it all, because these are very small, tame rides, and it is much more dangerous for me to be carrying a 30 lb Finley around OP than it would be to ride a carousel!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Exciting Times
There's a lot of excitement going on in my side of the family right now. My sister and her husband are adopting a baby who was born on June 8th! It's a boy who they have decided to name Isaac. Of course I'm sad I can't be there to meet him in person until next month, but we're so happy for Jessica and Brett and know they'll be wonderful, loving parents! Welcome to the world, baby Isaac!
The teacher I'm subbing for also had her baby a few days ago and I got to go visit them last week. And a couple of weeks ago, our friend from church had a baby. All these babies are giving me baby fever and making me anxious to hold our little one! My stomach seems to have seriously popped over the last couple of weeks, and it makes me worry a bit about how big I'm going to be by the end. Eek. Baby is now about 11 inches long, and I don't even want to know the resulting circumference of my belly! Here is a quick iPhone photo to give you an idea of how big it's getting (excuse the insane red eyes). Mind you, I still had someone say on Sunday, "Oh, you're still tiny! I can hardly tell you're even pregnant!" Maybe she was just trying to make me feel better?
Only 3 more days of subbing for me! The kids are wild and crazy by now, so it's tiring. And poor Finley had a cold the first week I subbed, which turned into an ear infection last week. So I've hated that I had to leave a sick child to go to work, but I guess that's just how things happen sometimes. Fortunately Finley has started sleeping a bit better at night again, though he's still not happy about me working so much.
We took Finley for a major haircut this weekend. Finley hates haircuts, so there is a lot of screaming and crying involved and blonde hair flying everywhere, while the stylist cuts as fast as possible. Seriously, I left the salon with Finley's hair in places you don't even want to know about, including plenty in my mouth. Here's the new 'do, a bit messy from a day of playing, but you get the idea. We like his hair a bit longer so it can curl, but it's such an ordeal to cut it that we make it short so it will be a longer period of time before he needs another haircut!
Nate and I are super excited that it looks like we've found a new apartment for next year! We're scheduled to move in mid-August, so we'll be there in time for Finley to adjust to the new place before baby arrives, and we'll also be able to get the nursery ready! The new apartment is in Stanley, which is only 5 minutes away. It's walking distance to everything, unlike where we live now. There is a bus stop very close by (crucial with young children), and there are beaches, playgrounds, shops, restaurants, etc. all within walking distance. It's not really much if any bigger than our current place, but it has 3 bedrooms and is in great condition. And it has an oven, albeit very small. (Most apartments in HK don't have ovens.) We're also so excited that it has a roof...which means we can get a grill! We have been seriously missing having a grill for the past 4 years!
The teacher I'm subbing for also had her baby a few days ago and I got to go visit them last week. And a couple of weeks ago, our friend from church had a baby. All these babies are giving me baby fever and making me anxious to hold our little one! My stomach seems to have seriously popped over the last couple of weeks, and it makes me worry a bit about how big I'm going to be by the end. Eek. Baby is now about 11 inches long, and I don't even want to know the resulting circumference of my belly! Here is a quick iPhone photo to give you an idea of how big it's getting (excuse the insane red eyes). Mind you, I still had someone say on Sunday, "Oh, you're still tiny! I can hardly tell you're even pregnant!" Maybe she was just trying to make me feel better?
Only 3 more days of subbing for me! The kids are wild and crazy by now, so it's tiring. And poor Finley had a cold the first week I subbed, which turned into an ear infection last week. So I've hated that I had to leave a sick child to go to work, but I guess that's just how things happen sometimes. Fortunately Finley has started sleeping a bit better at night again, though he's still not happy about me working so much.
We took Finley for a major haircut this weekend. Finley hates haircuts, so there is a lot of screaming and crying involved and blonde hair flying everywhere, while the stylist cuts as fast as possible. Seriously, I left the salon with Finley's hair in places you don't even want to know about, including plenty in my mouth. Here's the new 'do, a bit messy from a day of playing, but you get the idea. We like his hair a bit longer so it can curl, but it's such an ordeal to cut it that we make it short so it will be a longer period of time before he needs another haircut!
Nate and I are super excited that it looks like we've found a new apartment for next year! We're scheduled to move in mid-August, so we'll be there in time for Finley to adjust to the new place before baby arrives, and we'll also be able to get the nursery ready! The new apartment is in Stanley, which is only 5 minutes away. It's walking distance to everything, unlike where we live now. There is a bus stop very close by (crucial with young children), and there are beaches, playgrounds, shops, restaurants, etc. all within walking distance. It's not really much if any bigger than our current place, but it has 3 bedrooms and is in great condition. And it has an oven, albeit very small. (Most apartments in HK don't have ovens.) We're also so excited that it has a roof...which means we can get a grill! We have been seriously missing having a grill for the past 4 years!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Update to Last Post
Well, of course after I said how well Finley was adjusting to us both working full time, he had a meltdown tonight. In fact, it's still going on. He has now been crying on and off in his crib for over an hour and a half, which we are pretty confident is because he knows we're going back to work tomorrow. It's particularly sad because he can talk so well now that he's saying pitiful things like, "Daddy open door please," and "Mommy give kiss," over and over again. Feeling a little guilty right about now. Praying Finley gets to sleep soon and has a great day (and nap) tomorrow!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Anatomy Scan & Subbing
This past Monday was our big anatomy ultrasound for the baby. Everything was great, and baby was on the move as usual. We did confirm (for a 3rd time now) that she is definitely a she! We saw lots of great shots of the baby, although she never let us get a good profile picture of her face, because she kept it buried most of the time behind her hands or tucked towards her chest. Most importantly, her growth and development looked perfectly normal. At this point in the pregnancy (just over 21 weeks), baby is about 10 1/2 inches long! No more measuring the entire body length on an ultrasound, because she's too big! Now they just have to measure particular body parts (the leg bone, head and belly) to estimate the size and corresponding gestational age.
I started working again full time this week, covering a friend's maternity leave in 2nd grade. After being accustomed to teaching kindergarteners and mothering a 2-year-old, it's been amazing to see what 2nd graders can do...on their own! We have been saying prayers of thanksgiving every day that Finley has done really well with this change so far, and hasn't been acting out more than normal. Since I'm only a sub, I'm not required to go to any meetings after school and can leave in time to get home near the end of Finley's nap to have the rest of the afternoon and evening with him. Thank goodness, because Nate's been busy going to lots of end-of-year dinners and parties and has been a bit MIA the past few days. But now, (happy sigh), it's the weekend and we can catch up on more family time and family naps! This morning, we kicked off the weekend with a hike since the weather is lovely.
Nate and I are a bit tired from all the busy-ness. Speaking just for myself, it's hard being pregnant and working all day, then coming home to a second shift of parenting and cooking dinner, while also doing a little of my own school work and then trying to find the energy to maintain personal hygiene (i.e. shower) before collapsing in bed. But, it's only for another week and a half, so I'm sure we'll all make it and will be very glad to have the extra money to put towards our hospital bills when baby is born!
Just another little tidbit about Finley to end the post: Last night, when I was feeding him dinner and Nate wasn't home yet, Finley blurted out one of his longest sentences so far-- "Daddy come home then go outside again." Wow, 7 words in a row!
I started working again full time this week, covering a friend's maternity leave in 2nd grade. After being accustomed to teaching kindergarteners and mothering a 2-year-old, it's been amazing to see what 2nd graders can do...on their own! We have been saying prayers of thanksgiving every day that Finley has done really well with this change so far, and hasn't been acting out more than normal. Since I'm only a sub, I'm not required to go to any meetings after school and can leave in time to get home near the end of Finley's nap to have the rest of the afternoon and evening with him. Thank goodness, because Nate's been busy going to lots of end-of-year dinners and parties and has been a bit MIA the past few days. But now, (happy sigh), it's the weekend and we can catch up on more family time and family naps! This morning, we kicked off the weekend with a hike since the weather is lovely.
Nate and I are a bit tired from all the busy-ness. Speaking just for myself, it's hard being pregnant and working all day, then coming home to a second shift of parenting and cooking dinner, while also doing a little of my own school work and then trying to find the energy to maintain personal hygiene (i.e. shower) before collapsing in bed. But, it's only for another week and a half, so I'm sure we'll all make it and will be very glad to have the extra money to put towards our hospital bills when baby is born!
Just another little tidbit about Finley to end the post: Last night, when I was feeding him dinner and Nate wasn't home yet, Finley blurted out one of his longest sentences so far-- "Daddy come home then go outside again." Wow, 7 words in a row!
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