Someday I'll look back and laugh...

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday to get some blood work done. We listened to the baby's heartbeat like we do every appointment, and then as the doctor was helping me sit up from the table my pants ripped. Luckily she noticed and told me, because I didn't hear or feel it. I had a sweater I could tie around my waist til I got home or I don't know what I would have done. The hole started out small, but by the time I got home it was pretty bad.

I can't believe I'm already ripping pants and still have 9 more weeks to go. I'm going to have to hit up the local market and live in sweat pants for a few weeks. I don't feel like I am that large, but my pants will tell you otherwise. I'm probably going to blame the washing machine here. It's pretty tough on my clothes and the fabric was worn pretty thin. That sounds a lot better don't you think?

The Evidence:

Back to Taiwan

We got a chance to go back to Taiwan last week for a business trip, and our last visa trip out of the country. April will be two years since Nick graduated so we can get a working visa here. Maybe when we aren't forced to leave every 60-90 days we will actually get around to visiting some of the places in China that I keep hearing about...

Taiwan was lovely. The weather was warm, and the air was deliciously clean. We left on a particularly smoggy morning and it was so nice to shed our winter coats and see the sky. Nick had a meeting soon after we landed so I wandered around downtown Taipei window shopping and people watching.

Our first night we went to a night market and ate all of Nick's favorite things. Basically our whole vacation revolved around food. The next morning Nick had meetings, but that afternoon we got to go see Hunger Games! We were so excited when we saw the advertisement. We kind of forget about movies since not many of them make it to the theater in China. The timing of our trip was perfect.

The next morning we did some shopping to pick up some things for some friends in China then we headed to the airport. It was a quick trip, but we had a great time. I think in the 2 1/2 days that we were there I drank about 20 gallons of fresh fruit juice! It is one of my new favorite things. Lucky for me Nick just discovered that there is a "CoCo" here very close to our house. That is the name of the chain where I got my favorite kind of juice. With the weather warming up, I think I will quickly make it a habit to walk over there in the afternoons.

Here's some pictures of the trip. Most of them have something to do with food, it's amazing we don't weigh 400 pounds each!

Ji Pai! (fried chicken with a little bit of crack sprinkled on top according to Nick)  I think this was number one on Nick's list of things to get while we were in Taiwan. I think he ate it at least 3 different times.

Dongguacha and fresh lemonade. Yum!

Fried dumplings and juice from Coco

Pure bliss :)

I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw the advertisements and realized we would be there for the opening. It didn't take much convincing to get Nick to go see it with me and cancel our other sightseeing plans.

Doner Kebab. We had to work for this one. We bought it off a man with a little cart on the street. While he was making it, somebody sounded the alert that the police were coming by, so he and all the other carts next to him took off running. We just stood there laughing for a second since we had already paid and then watched our food run off, but when we walked around the next corner we found him and got our kebab.

Out at night. We just found out that when we apply for baby's passport/visa after he is born we will have to also submit 4-5 pictures of us together while I am pregnant. Kind of a random thing. This picture will probably be one of them since we don't take too many pictures together when we are just hanging out at home.

Taiwanese buffet. This was a quick lunch. We only had about 20 minutes before Nick had to be at a meeting. There was a big buffet with probably 40-50 different dishes. You take your tray and walk down the line and point at what you want (or I guess tell them if you speak Chinese). At the end there is a woman who looks at what you chose and decides how much it costs. I was impressed with how clean everything was. I would like to go to this type of restaurant in Beijing, but I just don't think it would work as well. It would probably only be nice for about a week, then it would be too dirty for me to eat at.

 

Daddy Practice

Sorry the video is sideways. I should have thought of that while I was filming it, but I was in a hurry to get the camera out. Nick and I got to spend some time with our friend Karla and her little guy Jacob the other night. Jacob loved dancing! I can only imagine the crazy embarrassing videos we will have of our own child this time next year!

Chinese haircut

I put it off as long as possible. This was actually the first haircut I've had in China. During the 18 months that we've lived here I managed to wait until our scheduled trips home for haircuts. This time though I am here til at least July and waiting was no longer an option. I'm still not brave enough to go get my hair colored here. I know there are a few places I could go, but they are expensive and I'm lazy.

I ended up just going to the local salon across the street from our old apartment where Nick has had his hair cut a few times. I took this picture with me to give them an idea of what I wanted. I didn't want to walk away with a mullet, and this picture looked like it would be pretty hard for them to mess up.

When I got there I had to choose which level of stylist I wanted. I had never heard of this before, but apparently the more training they have, the more you have to pay.  There were 4 levels starting at 38 RMB for the lowest. The highest was 280RMB. I decided to go for the third since it less than half the price. I paid 128RMB and was pretty happy with the results. I made Nick go with me and explain everything and then let them start cutting.

I think the guy who did my hair was pretty nervous. He was very meticulous. When he started he was only going to cut off about 1/4 inch. I made him go back and take off another inch, but it took quite a bit of pushing to get him to do it. (It had been 6 months since my last cut so I definitely needed that much trimmed) I have never had a haircut before where they cut off less than I wanted. Usually at home I have the opposite problem. My hair always ends up shorter than I would like.

Overall I had a pretty good experience. I have heard some horror stories about haircuts here, but I have no complaints. I did spend a little extra time in the chair while he dried my hair and everyone else in the salon walked by at some point to watch. A few people even came by to touch my hair because its so fine and hence so much softer than most Chinese girls thicker hair.

Now I just have to live with my "OMBRE" look til I can get my hair colored in July or August...

Totally Worth It!

My flu shot that is...

Nick has come down with the flu and is feeling pretty miserable right now. I remember back in December feeling pretty crappy for a few days right after I got it, but I don't think it was anywhere near as bad as Nick is feeling now. Also, I'm pretty sure I would much rather be sick at 12-13 weeks pregnant than 27. It was much easier to get comfortable in bed, on the couch, and just about anywhere back then. So, yay for flu shots. That was 100 RMB well spent!

I'm so proud!

We went bowling a few weeks ago here in Beijing with a group of friends. Nick managed to score 100 for the first time in his life. I had to document the success for him!

Hours of Entertainment

We are in our new place! It's going to take a few weeks to find a place for everything, and get all the dust out that seems to be pretty permanent here in China, but we are happy with it. And so is CoCo. He was a little freaked out at first and would stay right by my side wherever I went in the apartment, but he is getting used to it now and is loving all the windows. Every room has a window that is his height so he can sit and watch the people walking in the courtyard all day.

Moving was a lot less hectic than I thought it would be. We packed everything up ourselves. Apparently you can pay to have people come pack your stuff up and move it here for pretty cheap, but I'm way to crazy for that. I wouldn't like the way they packed it and would want to re-do it myself. So we hired a couple of guys to come move the boxes and furniture. They loaded up their truck with everything and unloaded it here in less than an hour and a half! All for less than 400 RMB ($65)

I was a little overwhelmed to start unpacking, but once I started things went pretty quickly. We have probably 3 times more closets in this place and its smaller than our last apartment. I feel so organized! More pictures are coming soon once its looking nice.