The doctor's first words at our appointment yesterday were "When's this baby going to be born?" He said it with a smile and a twinkle in his eye because he knows better than any of us that no one knows exactly when the big day will arrive. While greeting some women at an afternoon tea yesterday I got this response. "No baby yet? You're still getting around? You need to be staying at home." And then there are all of our local friends and neighbors who are worried sick that we won't remember to call them to announce the baby's arrival. I get at least one phone call every couple of days from a friend just wondering if the baby's come yet and I haven't called.
So with all of that in mind . . . just wanted to let you all know that there's no baby yet. But have no fears, we'll send word as soon as possible after he's born!
Our official due date is this Fri., but the doctor told us yesterday that he would give at least another 10 days after that for things to start on their own before he intervenes. We were glad to hear that as we would like to avoid an induction if at all possible!
One of our biggest challenges will be not being able to communicate in English with our doctor and his staff. Thankfully, a dear friend has graciously agreed to sit in the hall and wait on stand-by if we need some help translating during the stress of labor and delivery. Thanks ahead of time for all of your prayers!
Hoping to have exciting news for you soon . . .
M&M
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Jello Soup
It seems there's never a shortage of food stories. Here's my most recent kitchen funny.
Last night we invited a friend and her mom over for tea. Another ex-pat friend and I decided that she would make a salty thing to serve and I would make something sweet. And to make a typical size dessert plate full (as is the custom here) I also decided to make a fruity jello thing that could be served in individual serving size bowls.
I made my muffins, and they turned out perfect! Before I mixed the muffins I got the jello made and poured into the bowls. I had a few kiwi left and decided I would put the kiwi in the jello to make it prettier. I let the jello sit a little before adding the kiwi and then put it into the fridge, hoping it would set in the next 3 hours. I opened the fridge to check it after about 2 hours and found that it was still just as liquidy as it was 2 hours before. Since I had goofed up on a jello recipe during the holidays (added too much water) I decided I would reread the directions on the box (for about the 3rd time). I thought I had read all the important stuff, but when I dug the box out of the garbage I found that I had actually only read the How To directions. You would think that's all I needed to read. However, just for the sake of being thorough I decided to read everything else on the back of the box. Guess what I found . . . a warning . . . guess what it said . . . kiwi and pineapple keep the jello from jelling!!! So I knew at that point there would be no pretty jello salad to serve to our guests.
When I explained this story to our guests my friend suggested (with a grin) that I drink it as jello soup. I just finished a bowl of it . . . not bad. It turned out kind of like kool-aid with slices of kiwi floating around in it - very refreshing!
Last night we invited a friend and her mom over for tea. Another ex-pat friend and I decided that she would make a salty thing to serve and I would make something sweet. And to make a typical size dessert plate full (as is the custom here) I also decided to make a fruity jello thing that could be served in individual serving size bowls.
I made my muffins, and they turned out perfect! Before I mixed the muffins I got the jello made and poured into the bowls. I had a few kiwi left and decided I would put the kiwi in the jello to make it prettier. I let the jello sit a little before adding the kiwi and then put it into the fridge, hoping it would set in the next 3 hours. I opened the fridge to check it after about 2 hours and found that it was still just as liquidy as it was 2 hours before. Since I had goofed up on a jello recipe during the holidays (added too much water) I decided I would reread the directions on the box (for about the 3rd time). I thought I had read all the important stuff, but when I dug the box out of the garbage I found that I had actually only read the How To directions. You would think that's all I needed to read. However, just for the sake of being thorough I decided to read everything else on the back of the box. Guess what I found . . . a warning . . . guess what it said . . . kiwi and pineapple keep the jello from jelling!!! So I knew at that point there would be no pretty jello salad to serve to our guests.
When I explained this story to our guests my friend suggested (with a grin) that I drink it as jello soup. I just finished a bowl of it . . . not bad. It turned out kind of like kool-aid with slices of kiwi floating around in it - very refreshing!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Baby Gifts
Our neighbors here are all about hand-made/knitted gifts for newborn babies. We thought you'd enjoy seeing the hand-made things we've received from our neighbors. The big fuzzy white blanket thing is specifically for our stroller. All "good" mommies here keep their babies wrapped snuggly beneath a special blanket while in the stroller. Notice the frilly stuff around the edges. Hmmmm . . . According to our neighbor who made this, as the child gets older and begins sleeping in a regular bed this same blanket is folded at the foot of their bed to hide their PJ's. We'll see what our little boy thinks of the frills when he gets that old. :-)
Also this week we received the quilt that Mark's mom made for the baby. It's bright, cheery, and stitched with lots of love!
And finally . . . today some very dear friends "showered" us with lots of special gifts. It was a lot of fun hanging out with our fellow ex-pat friends for a special day of celebration. Having a traditional baby shower in a foreign country takes some planning, and they went all out! We had punch, chocolate cheesecake, cheese balls, fruit salad, little ham sandwiches, spinach dip, chicken quiche, and chocolate chip cookies. YUMMY! Mommy and baby were VERY happy with so many favorites to tickle our taste buds!!! Here's all the wonderful things we came home with.
What a beautiful assortment of gifts. You might not be able to make out what all of it is, so here's a summary. Onesies and other really adorable outfits, bibs, booties, hooded towel, diapers and wipes, pacifiers, laundry detergent, books, stuffed animals, blanket, bath supplies, a beautifully crafted scrapbook, nightlight/music box thing, hand/foot print kit, and a few other odds and ends that are tucked away in that basket. These ladies have been a tremendous blessing to us today!
Also this week we received the quilt that Mark's mom made for the baby. It's bright, cheery, and stitched with lots of love!
And finally . . . today some very dear friends "showered" us with lots of special gifts. It was a lot of fun hanging out with our fellow ex-pat friends for a special day of celebration. Having a traditional baby shower in a foreign country takes some planning, and they went all out! We had punch, chocolate cheesecake, cheese balls, fruit salad, little ham sandwiches, spinach dip, chicken quiche, and chocolate chip cookies. YUMMY! Mommy and baby were VERY happy with so many favorites to tickle our taste buds!!! Here's all the wonderful things we came home with.
What a beautiful assortment of gifts. You might not be able to make out what all of it is, so here's a summary. Onesies and other really adorable outfits, bibs, booties, hooded towel, diapers and wipes, pacifiers, laundry detergent, books, stuffed animals, blanket, bath supplies, a beautifully crafted scrapbook, nightlight/music box thing, hand/foot print kit, and a few other odds and ends that are tucked away in that basket. These ladies have been a tremendous blessing to us today!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Fun Discovery
We recently came across an unexpected surprise in the grocery story . . . jelly beans. Not your ordinary drug store, $1.00 a bag jelly beans either. I think they could give Jelly Belly a run for their money. Well, maybe not, but to these Jelly Belly deprived taste buds, they were delicious!!! It's a gourmet jelly bean brand made in Ireland. The container was full of all the typcial Jelly Belly flavors and even included a key on the back to tell you what flavor each color was. There was even a buttered popcorn one! Isn't that fun???
AND someone else just told us that they've been able to find marshmallows in a small market. So among our ex-pat friends the new favorite dessert seems to be "corn flake crispy" treats. We can't wait to make them either!!!
AND someone else just told us that they've been able to find marshmallows in a small market. So among our ex-pat friends the new favorite dessert seems to be "corn flake crispy" treats. We can't wait to make them either!!!
Monday, March 9, 2009
If I were a . . . . .
Be forewarned . . . the following information is purely random and for most of you useless, but it was very interesting to this very pregnant mom-to-be. Enjoy!
Just yesterday I was watching a National Geographic show on how the young of 4 different animals develop from conception until birth. Lemon sharks, some kind of wasp, kangaroos, and Emperor penguins. I've decided I'm very thankful that I'm not any one of those! Here's why . . . sharks are born backward (tail first), the wasps larva are implanted into another poor worm creatures body and then chew their way out only to kill their host, once the baby kangaroo has developed enough it can poke its head and legs out of the pouch anytime it wants to (it goes in and out, in and out, in and out for a few weeks before completely being separated from mom AND I only thought Nathan had some powerful kicks - he doesn't have anything on a baby kangaroo), and as for the penguin . . . well, maybe that wouldn't be so bad because after the mother lays the egg it's up to the father to take care of it until time to hatch! Ha ha!!!
Of course, with all of that said, this just shows what a creative Creator we have! It reminds me of the kid song "If I Were a Butterfly." I'm glad He made me the way He did!
Just yesterday I was watching a National Geographic show on how the young of 4 different animals develop from conception until birth. Lemon sharks, some kind of wasp, kangaroos, and Emperor penguins. I've decided I'm very thankful that I'm not any one of those! Here's why . . . sharks are born backward (tail first), the wasps larva are implanted into another poor worm creatures body and then chew their way out only to kill their host, once the baby kangaroo has developed enough it can poke its head and legs out of the pouch anytime it wants to (it goes in and out, in and out, in and out for a few weeks before completely being separated from mom AND I only thought Nathan had some powerful kicks - he doesn't have anything on a baby kangaroo), and as for the penguin . . . well, maybe that wouldn't be so bad because after the mother lays the egg it's up to the father to take care of it until time to hatch! Ha ha!!!
Of course, with all of that said, this just shows what a creative Creator we have! It reminds me of the kid song "If I Were a Butterfly." I'm glad He made me the way He did!
Passing the Time
So just what have we been up to since our last post??? LOTS!
Making new friends.
Visiting with old friends. (and eating some of the best Dunkin Donuts and homemade Chinese food we've ever had)
Shopping for baby stuff. (We'll have to send some pictures later.)
Reading about labor and delivery. (And thanks to all of you who told us not to, we haven't seen a single birth video!)
Thinking of what kinds of exciting things we've been waiting for just the right time to purchase because the exchange rate is sooooo good right now.
Traveling. (A "before the baby comes" all girls trip to shop 'til we dropped.)
Helping friends get settled back into their home after being away for a few months.
Trying to figure out how both of us can get a good night's sleep now that one of us is constantly up and down all night and snoring when she's asleep.
Going to language class, doing homework, and trying our best to practice the new things we're learning.
Sorting through all sorts of interesting advice from our local friends (For example, I was told just last week that if I walked around the house without slippers my urinary tract would get sick and stop working properly. Hmmmmmm . . .)
Oh, the list could go on . . . but we'll spare you the details! Hope you all have a very productive week!!!
Making new friends.
Visiting with old friends. (and eating some of the best Dunkin Donuts and homemade Chinese food we've ever had)
Shopping for baby stuff. (We'll have to send some pictures later.)
Reading about labor and delivery. (And thanks to all of you who told us not to, we haven't seen a single birth video!)
Thinking of what kinds of exciting things we've been waiting for just the right time to purchase because the exchange rate is sooooo good right now.
Traveling. (A "before the baby comes" all girls trip to shop 'til we dropped.)
Helping friends get settled back into their home after being away for a few months.
Trying to figure out how both of us can get a good night's sleep now that one of us is constantly up and down all night and snoring when she's asleep.
Going to language class, doing homework, and trying our best to practice the new things we're learning.
Sorting through all sorts of interesting advice from our local friends (For example, I was told just last week that if I walked around the house without slippers my urinary tract would get sick and stop working properly. Hmmmmmm . . .)
Oh, the list could go on . . . but we'll spare you the details! Hope you all have a very productive week!!!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
My Sweetheart's Days
For my sweetheart Valentine's Day can sometimes get a little mixed up because his birthday is the day before. So each year we have to choose if we're going to celebrate each holiday separately or lump them both together. This year we were able to technically celebrate them separately, and here's a brief summary of how we celebrated both of my sweetheart's days.
For Mark's birthday we took a day to visit a city about an hour away that has some very Western shopping and food. Our first stop at the mall was to check out what movies were playing. While we were discussing whether or not to go to the movie I asked him if we could get a doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts. He said he didn't really want one, but if it would hold me over until the movie was over, we'd get one. When we got to the counter and saw all the different choices they had (not nearly as many as you guys at home have but quite a few for us) Mark ordered two apple filled ones. I figured if Mark was going to order two I'd order two also. Then the guy at the counter told us that if we ordered 4 we get 2 free . . . so we ordered a total of 6, thinking, of course, that we would eat one then and save the rest for later. We sat down at a nearby table, and what do you think happened? Yep, we ate the whole box within about 15 minutes! It's been a year and a half since our last real doughnuts! We decided to pass on the movie, and instead we attempted to walk off all those calories by shopping.
We came across a department store that had some really great sales, and Mark found a pair of Adidas tennis shoes for almost nothing. The only thing is . . . he had to buy a whole size bigger than what he buys at home. Weird, huh?
We did more looking than buying. (And Mark would say that I spent half of our time saying, "I need to go to the restroom.") And after taking one last look at the cute dogs in the pet store, we headed for another shopping center. There we had lunch - I had Burger King, and Mark had KFC - yummy! We found a really great store with lots of baby stuff, so we strolled around there for a bit. Then we headed to a big Wal-mart kind of store so Mark could look for a basket ball. He found one, but he said the price tag for a cheap rubber ball wasn't worth it.
Earlier in the day we decided that for dinner we would get a pizza from Domino's and take it home to reheat in the oven. When we left the shopping center, as Mark was trying to figure out the best way to get to the Domino's place, a Domino's delivery scooter pulled out in front of us at the light. Off we went, following that scooter. We had no idea whether or not he was headed right back to the store or to make another delivery! At one point, he managed to squeeze through the middle of a couple of cars and got a little bit ahead of us. So while Mark was watching the traffic, I was keeping my eye on the scooter guy. He led us down this back road, and I thought for sure he was just making a delivery, but he had actually led us right to the backside of the building where Domino's is located. Mark went in and ordered a large pepperoni pizza, and that night after a nice little nap, we had hot pizza for dinner.
Now for Valentine's Day . . . after doing a little grocery shopping and looking for a new umbrella, we tried out a new restaurant. Mark had steak, and I had some kind of shrimp dish. We went to eat much earlier than anyone else in town, which means we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. They even started playing some love songs (in English) after we ordered our food. Awwwww . . . wasn't that sweet?!
So after all of that, can you believe that we actually did have one regret . . . all day yesterday we kept asking ourselves, "Why didn't we bring home a dozen doughnuts when we had the chance?!"
Hope you and your sweetheart got to do something "sweet" this weekend, too!
For Mark's birthday we took a day to visit a city about an hour away that has some very Western shopping and food. Our first stop at the mall was to check out what movies were playing. While we were discussing whether or not to go to the movie I asked him if we could get a doughnut from Dunkin' Donuts. He said he didn't really want one, but if it would hold me over until the movie was over, we'd get one. When we got to the counter and saw all the different choices they had (not nearly as many as you guys at home have but quite a few for us) Mark ordered two apple filled ones. I figured if Mark was going to order two I'd order two also. Then the guy at the counter told us that if we ordered 4 we get 2 free . . . so we ordered a total of 6, thinking, of course, that we would eat one then and save the rest for later. We sat down at a nearby table, and what do you think happened? Yep, we ate the whole box within about 15 minutes! It's been a year and a half since our last real doughnuts! We decided to pass on the movie, and instead we attempted to walk off all those calories by shopping.
We came across a department store that had some really great sales, and Mark found a pair of Adidas tennis shoes for almost nothing. The only thing is . . . he had to buy a whole size bigger than what he buys at home. Weird, huh?
We did more looking than buying. (And Mark would say that I spent half of our time saying, "I need to go to the restroom.") And after taking one last look at the cute dogs in the pet store, we headed for another shopping center. There we had lunch - I had Burger King, and Mark had KFC - yummy! We found a really great store with lots of baby stuff, so we strolled around there for a bit. Then we headed to a big Wal-mart kind of store so Mark could look for a basket ball. He found one, but he said the price tag for a cheap rubber ball wasn't worth it.
Earlier in the day we decided that for dinner we would get a pizza from Domino's and take it home to reheat in the oven. When we left the shopping center, as Mark was trying to figure out the best way to get to the Domino's place, a Domino's delivery scooter pulled out in front of us at the light. Off we went, following that scooter. We had no idea whether or not he was headed right back to the store or to make another delivery! At one point, he managed to squeeze through the middle of a couple of cars and got a little bit ahead of us. So while Mark was watching the traffic, I was keeping my eye on the scooter guy. He led us down this back road, and I thought for sure he was just making a delivery, but he had actually led us right to the backside of the building where Domino's is located. Mark went in and ordered a large pepperoni pizza, and that night after a nice little nap, we had hot pizza for dinner.
Now for Valentine's Day . . . after doing a little grocery shopping and looking for a new umbrella, we tried out a new restaurant. Mark had steak, and I had some kind of shrimp dish. We went to eat much earlier than anyone else in town, which means we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. They even started playing some love songs (in English) after we ordered our food. Awwwww . . . wasn't that sweet?!
So after all of that, can you believe that we actually did have one regret . . . all day yesterday we kept asking ourselves, "Why didn't we bring home a dozen doughnuts when we had the chance?!"
Hope you and your sweetheart got to do something "sweet" this weekend, too!
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