28 Weeks Update- 3rd Trimester

  Good ole Dr. Wong said little Phillips is doing great!  It finally feels like it's getting closer to our due date.  For a little while it was dragging on a bit.  The ultrasound showed him very crowded and not moving much.  He waited until after our appointment to start kicking me in the ribs.  That's his favorite new trick, swift kicks to my ribs.  He's moving all the time now.  I feel good, but sleep has become tough.  I've got to get up at least 5 times a night to use the bathroom and it's hard to get comfortable.  After eating, I usually feel heartburn and there's not much room for food in my belly.  I sure did enjoy eating like a king during the 2nd trimester, too bad it's over.  I'm up to 19 pounds of total weight gain.  My appointments will be every 2 weeks now. I'm going back January 10 for the glucose tolerance test.  I'm so nervous because they have to draw blood twice, UGH.  I hope the test will show I don't have gestational diabetes.  Blair is convinced that our kid will be addicted to sugar, because of me.  Dr. Wong says we don't need to worry about that. 

28 weeks

  The most exciting thing that happened this month is we got our crib!  IKEA is basically the only place to shop for baby bedding here, so I found the closest thing I could to what I had in mind.  As Blair and I put together the crib and decorated it, everything felt so much more real.  I can't wait to reach down and get my little cutie out of the crib everyday!  We live in a 2 bedroom flat, so the crib is at the foot of our bed.  We'll see how that works. 

It's reversible!

Also, we're 99% sure of what the baby's name will be, so I will reveal that on my next post!

Cookin' Christmas 2010

P.F. Chang's Spicy Chicken

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Eggs Benedict

Aww, sleepy time. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Love his faces!

Baby's ready for the beach! Thanks Linda and Larry!!

Roll tide! Thanks Mimi!

Sit girl!

Filet Mignon with Shrimp

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends! We love y'all and miss you.

2 more years in HK

    Well, much to my family's disappointment, I signed my new contract today.  In order to look for teachers for next year, the school requires us to decide by Dec. 15th if we are going to re-sign our contract.  I had the choice of signing for 1 or 2 years. I signed for 2 years, because of a very nice bonus.  Also, our school's pay scale will go up significantly starting in August.  It's not all about the money though, we love living in HK and we have so much left to see and do in Asia!  Blair and I have thought and prayed about this decision and we feel that this is the best choice for us.  We're excited to raise our baby here, but sad that our family and friends are so far away.  Hopefully we can start coming home twice a year, to make it easier being away.  This means the earliest we'll be moving to the states is June 2013.  So far from now!!

24 Weeks Update

     We had our 24 week ultrasound and check-up on Wednesday.  Baby Phillips is healthy and growing.  He's a pound and half, just over a foot long.  The measurements show that he has a big ole head.  I guess to accommodate his huge brain.  He was sleeping, so we couldn't see him move at all.  Also, it's hard to see his whole body because he's so squished in there.  I'm feeling great!  I get off balance easily and have shortness of breath.  Altogether I've gained 16 pounds so far.  Favorite comment of the week, "Wow, you've suddenly gotten big, haven't you!"  Ha ha ha, sure have, thanks for noticing!  Here is the newest belly picture.

Thanksgiving in Korea

Bulgolgi in a stone pot, YUM!

Our fancy hotel

It was a total fat fest!!

Baskin Robbins Rainbow Sherbert, my all-time favorite!

Taco Bell Nachos!

Apple Pie a la Mode from Coldstone

Freezing my bootie off!

Train map, so  confusing!

22 Weeks Update- Fetal Scan

       Yesterday we had our fetal scan appointment with a different doctor than our regular one.  The purpose of the scan is to take an in depth look at every part of the baby's body and determine if there are any abnormalities.  When I woke up, I was so excited to see the baby, but at the same time Blair and I knew there was potential to hear news that could change our lives forever.  I prayed for a healthy baby and to hear good news at the appointment.
        The doctor first looked at the heart and told us exactly what we were seeing, the different chambers, valves, arteries, etc.  It was incredible seeing the heart pumping blood in and out.  Then he showed us the lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, and so on... After looking closely at each area he would report the baby was "normal".  We held our breath and watched in awe as we witnessed God's creation and design.  It was unbelievable and I couldn't help but cry.  The highlights were seeing the baby's face much better than we have before and getting a good look at the hands and feet.  Again, we were able to see the little man parts.  I felt a little embarrassed for our lil' guy, as we waited for him to spread his legs.  Sure enough, he cooperated and we got a clear picture of the area.  Blair thinks that picture is too personal to post on our blog, so I can email it to you, if you'd like to see :)  I know you're just dying to see my kid's parts!  All in all, it took about 25 minutes and the doctor declared there were no abnormalities found!!  Praise God!  Also, according to his measurements, my due date could be a week earlier.  My original date was March 21st, but he says it could be around March 15th.  I would love for him to come earlier, so I can spend more time with him before I go back to work in August.  My next appointment is Dec. 1st.

Sweet profile of our boy.

The nose and lips

Tiny, little foot

The hand

20 Weeks Update- The Big Reveal

     Our 20 week appointment was awesome, minus waiting 3 hours due to an emergency C-section.  We had dinner and came back to the hospital, so it was ok.  Anyways, on the ultrasound we could see the baby kicking and the heart beating.  We even saw more than we bargained for.  As you know, we wanted to wait and not find out the gender.  That didn't stop us from looking very intently.  As the doc, scrolled past the "area", clear as day, there IT was.  Blair yells out, "I saw it!!  I know what it is!"  For some reason, I still wasn't convinced, so I asked the doctor not to confirm what Blair was 99% sure of.  When we got home I decided we should open the envelope, containing the baby's gender, because it wasn't fair for Blair to know for sure and for me to still be doubting.  We cue the video camera and open the envelope.  On the paper, written in Chinese is the answer, but on the back the doctor wrote in English, "male."
   Our baby boy was ready to reveal himself and I'm thrilled to know.  I certainly know nothing about boys, but God has planned this all out.  Everyone keeps telling me how much boys love their mommas!  Not to mention, I won't have to pay for his wedding in 20-30 years.  Although, I guess I might have to change my stance on football, no more doing my nails and reading magazines during the game.  Blair is beside himself, he keeps talking about teaching him guitar, fishing, and all you ever wanted to know about the Crimson Tide Football Team. We haven't decided on a name yet.  I'll keep you posted.  Without out further ado here's the belly in progress.

12 weeks

16 weeks

20 weeks

The doctor didn't take any good photos because he was in such a hurry, so I will post more ultrasound pics later.  I have another appointment for my fetal scan in a week.

Halloween 2010

Cath is having way too much fun at our school's Fall Festival

My sweet student, Marcus

Jeremy is another one of my 4th graders.

Asia, the little witch

Trick or Treat!  Where's my doggie treat?

I'm waiting....

Blair braved this crowd to go out to eat with his buds on Halloween Eve.

On the left, is Lynn, from back home. He was in HK on business.

Lang Kwai Fung is the party district of HK.

Asia's Daily Activities

You can lift our bed and store stuff under it.  Between the base of the bed and the wall there is a tiny little tunnel that Asia loves.  She creeps in there and somehow manages to turn around.

She looks so sad, but she always goes under there.

Her shirt says "Go Green".  Too bad her parents run the A/C all day and leave the lights on.

Our bed connects to a window seat.  This is the perfect spot for Asia to keep an eye on the water.

Snuggling

Totally unrelated picture of a gigantic spider we found sneaking out of our front door.  We almost fell over each other trying to get out of it's way.  We let the door shut on the poor fellow.  Then we put an iphone there, so you can see the size in comparison.  Biggest spider I've ever seen in my house, ever!

18 Weeks Update- I felt the baby move!

     For awhile, I was so unsure whether I could really feel the baby moving.  I just assumed it was gas digestion.  Around a week ago, the feeling became more consistent.  Every night around 8 or 9 pm I would start to feel alot of activity in my tummy.  After 4 days I started to believe it was actually the baby.  Even Blair could feel it.  He was so excited and amazed.  At first it felt like very subtle movement, but now I can tell the difference between the baby kicking or rolling over.  I notice it whenever I lay down.  It's the most reassuring feeling.  I hear it gets way more pronounced.  I think I may really freak out when I can see the outline of a foot in my stomach.  God is so incredible to give Blair and I this experience.  I feel very blessed to have an active little baby inside me.
     In November, we have two dates to see our little one.  We have our Week 20 appt. on Nov. 3rd and then the fetal scan is Nov. 13th.  They will do an ultrasound for both, but during the fetal scan they will take a really close look at the baby's brain, heart, hands, feet, and all the other body parts.  Blair thinks we might catch a glimpse of the gender, if the doctor lingers too long in that vicinity.
    Belly update:  it's very frustrating getting dressed for work.  Maternity clothes are too big and my old clothes are too small.  Everyday someone tells me "You're getting bigger!"  I don't know how to reply "Ummm, thanks?!"   I just don't think that's easy to hear, even if you're pregnant. Now that the weather is getting cooler, I have no idea what to wear.  It sure does make for some creative outfits with lots of rigging your pants to fit.  I'll post pics next week.  
Your prayers mean the world to me!!

Hong Kong Fashion

           There is no rhyme or reason to the fashion in HK, basically anything goes.  You can combine any colors, pink and red, black and brown, navy blue and black, white and off-white, or light green, neon green, and forest green.  All shades can be combined, no restrictions!  Why don't we look at patterns?  No one will bat an eye if you want to wear plaid with polka dots, floral and stripes, or mix it up with plaid and floral.  Now pair any of those combinations with the colors mentioned above and you're in business.  It's very liberating to know you can't go wrong.  Footwear is a whole other topic.  Shoes are very rarely bought in neutral shades, they love purple, yellow, pink, and neon retro sneakers.  If you want to wear a red dress, what color shoes would you choose?  A local woman would choose purple, pink, or perhaps, green, the choices are endless.  I think it will help you to see some pictures of the local fashion scene.

Notice the patterned leggings... who needs pants?

A dynamic couple

Diaper pants are all the rage!

"Let's get physical, physical"



Obviously, it's rubbing off on me.

 My friend blogged about the footwear in HK, Check it out!
http://vannoordadventures.blogspot.com/2010/10/foot-fashion.html