Josiah's first big one. Thankfully, up til now, he has only had a few minor colds.
This started as a dry cough, then he proceeded to get more and more lethargic, then hacking all night long. Like, waking up every 30 mins-hour and crying because he couldn't go back to sleep because of his sore throat. Poor dude.
After very little sleep the other night, we decided to take him to the hospital yesterday morning. Then came a decision: trek 2-3 hours to the int'l hospital (more expensive than the US), the same trek to a cheaper hospital that has qualified translators, or try our luck at our local hospital--the cheapest, but no English at all. We decided to go with the latter and took a friend with us, even though she doesn't have English skills. She was still a huge help and knew how the system worked.
We started off in a waiting room with at least 20 other sick kids..and more coming in by the minute. I wanted a mask! (Actually, some people were smart enough to wear them.) Our friend stood at the reception desk almost the entire time, asking how many were in front of us. At one point, it was 20. Then magically, about 10 mins later, we got to go back. hmm?! :) As we walked down the hall, our friend peeked in doors to decide which doc to see. What was she looking for? The fewest people in a room. That's right, no privacy here. She found a room with only 2 families (the sick kid is usually accompanied by at least 2-3 adults..parents, g'parents, aunties, etc.) She pushed her way in while we waited in the hall.
When it was our turn, the doc listened to his chest, asked a few questions, looked in his throat, then sent us out. We then paid for something and I thought to myself, "Was that it? Did we just spend 2 hours here for that?" No. We then went to another part of the hospital where they draw blood. It was literally a teller window. I was so confused. At least the lady had on gloves. I was a bit scared because I had heard that the locals like to go in through the veins in the forehead. This freaks me out. I'm sure they have their reasons, but I'm not aware of them. Thankfully, this was only a finger prick. Whew!
Then we went back to the doc and called up our friends at SOS to translate for us. Praise the Lord for translators! She and the doc went back and forth and finally decided he had a respiratory infection. They then took us to the pharmacy where they gave us 4 different meds. Upon looking all of them up, 3 were legit and 1 was for Hepatitis C...odd. We only gave him one--a glorified cough syrup.
Total cost of the visit and meds: $30 out of pocket.
Last night, Josiah slept for 14 hours with only waking up a handful of times. Today, he was a new boy. He played and ate some food and even talked to us! He was a limp noodle the past 2 days..such a sad state. Although, I secretly liked all the cuddle time and how easily he fell asleep in my arms.
Glad to have my little man back! And thankful for the local hospital, even though it is a tiny bit scary.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
El Anniversario
Yesterday was our anniversary. What did we do? Nada! We previously discussed we will celebrate it next month in full. We'll spend the whole day in Beijing (without Josiah, thanks to some lovely teammates), getting an ultrasound, hopefully finding out the gender, eating delicious food (most likely Indian), and perhaps experience not being stared at so much since there are many foreigners in the big city. Can't wait!
It's crazy to think all we've experienced in 4 years. What will the next 4, 24, 84 bring? Ok, really, if we live to be married 84 years, I might plead with the Man upstairs to let us go...haha. But seriously, I'm so thankful to married to Michael. He's fun to be around, smart, clever, a good dancer, and a fabulous daddy. I definitely feel blessed to be with him!
It's crazy to think all we've experienced in 4 years. What will the next 4, 24, 84 bring? Ok, really, if we live to be married 84 years, I might plead with the Man upstairs to let us go...haha. But seriously, I'm so thankful to married to Michael. He's fun to be around, smart, clever, a good dancer, and a fabulous daddy. I definitely feel blessed to be with him!
Friday, March 18, 2011
the calendar rules + salt
People live by the calendar here. 3 days ago, March 15th, was a monumental day. The government turned off the heat. Is it still in the 30s at night? Yes. Would it matter if it was snowing? No. Time to turn it off. Thankfully, our apartment has it's own heater we can rely on. We're fortunate--most don't have them.
The 15th also marked the day for people to stop wearing long underwear. They've been donning them, and scolding me for not wearing them, since November 15th. Has it been in the 60's before the 15th? Yes. Did that matter? No. Hilarious.
Salt. I was at the store yesterday and upon reaching the section where the salt is, there was a huge crowd. While checking out, the lady behind me had about 10 bottles. I was thoroughly confused, but figured it was a good sale. They really tend to flock to the big sales. Later, I found out that a rumor was started that salt would prevent/treat any radioactive poisoning that could leak over from the catastrophe in Japan. Then they had the idea that the sea salt put on the shelves in the future may be contaminated. "Buy it all now" was their thought. I've heard all the stores in town are out. Too bad I didn't get the memo--I'm almost out, and now I can't buy any.
The 15th also marked the day for people to stop wearing long underwear. They've been donning them, and scolding me for not wearing them, since November 15th. Has it been in the 60's before the 15th? Yes. Did that matter? No. Hilarious.
Salt. I was at the store yesterday and upon reaching the section where the salt is, there was a huge crowd. While checking out, the lady behind me had about 10 bottles. I was thoroughly confused, but figured it was a good sale. They really tend to flock to the big sales. Later, I found out that a rumor was started that salt would prevent/treat any radioactive poisoning that could leak over from the catastrophe in Japan. Then they had the idea that the sea salt put on the shelves in the future may be contaminated. "Buy it all now" was their thought. I've heard all the stores in town are out. Too bad I didn't get the memo--I'm almost out, and now I can't buy any.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
#2.5
I can finally be free. I've been holding in this news for quite some time.
We're going to have baby #2.5!!!!!!!
The full story:
Mid-November, I had a miscarriage (hence the .5). I was waiting for my cycle to return, but after waiting 8 weeks (normally it returns in 2-6wks), I began to worry a little. Then, during one week, I got violently sick 3 of those days....but not in a row. I didn't know what was going on. Michael was tuned in and suggested I take a pregnancy test. "Oh, really?" I thought. Literally, I was clueless.
The only test we had on hand was one from the States that was expired. We took it anyway and it was positive! We were hesitantly excited. I got another, and it proved the same result! ELATED!!! But still a little cautious since we had just experienced the miscarriage.
We went to the doc in Thailand. Waiting until then felt like an eternity. But I'm glad we did. It was dirt cheap for just as good care. We waited for 2.5 hours and finally got to see the doc at 9pm. We explained our situation and wondered if she could do an ultrasound to see how far along I was. She said the ultrasound lady wasn't there. WHAT!? Perhaps she read the anger/frustration/sadness/exhaustion on my face and suddenly decided that she could do an internal ultrasound. Yay! She measured the little squirt and estimated I was 10wks along. Sweet!
That makes me about 16wks now. If you're trying to do the math, or even if your not, this is worth pointing out: we got pregnant 3-4 weeks after the miscarriage. A) I didn't know this was possible. B) How cool is His timing? C) Isn't He the best with surprises?
I went to the doc today at the int'l hospital. Heard the heartbeat. What a great sound that is. :)
Still not sure of an exact due date, but I'm guessing late August. They're just a bunch of guesses anyway, right?! So this means we'll be in the States. Anyone up for a visit??
And to top off the long day of venturing in town (7 hours...), my boys surprised me with a HUGE bouquet of flowers! How sweet they are!!
We're going to have baby #2.5!!!!!!!
The full story:
Mid-November, I had a miscarriage (hence the .5). I was waiting for my cycle to return, but after waiting 8 weeks (normally it returns in 2-6wks), I began to worry a little. Then, during one week, I got violently sick 3 of those days....but not in a row. I didn't know what was going on. Michael was tuned in and suggested I take a pregnancy test. "Oh, really?" I thought. Literally, I was clueless.
The only test we had on hand was one from the States that was expired. We took it anyway and it was positive! We were hesitantly excited. I got another, and it proved the same result! ELATED!!! But still a little cautious since we had just experienced the miscarriage.
We went to the doc in Thailand. Waiting until then felt like an eternity. But I'm glad we did. It was dirt cheap for just as good care. We waited for 2.5 hours and finally got to see the doc at 9pm. We explained our situation and wondered if she could do an ultrasound to see how far along I was. She said the ultrasound lady wasn't there. WHAT!? Perhaps she read the anger/frustration/sadness/exhaustion on my face and suddenly decided that she could do an internal ultrasound. Yay! She measured the little squirt and estimated I was 10wks along. Sweet!
That makes me about 16wks now. If you're trying to do the math, or even if your not, this is worth pointing out: we got pregnant 3-4 weeks after the miscarriage. A) I didn't know this was possible. B) How cool is His timing? C) Isn't He the best with surprises?
I went to the doc today at the int'l hospital. Heard the heartbeat. What a great sound that is. :)
Still not sure of an exact due date, but I'm guessing late August. They're just a bunch of guesses anyway, right?! So this means we'll be in the States. Anyone up for a visit??
And to top off the long day of venturing in town (7 hours...), my boys surprised me with a HUGE bouquet of flowers! How sweet they are!!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
class, chai, ABCs
Well, at least I got to teach 2 classes out of 8. Due to circumstances out of my control, I can't go back this week. Maybe later in the semester, but not this week. I'm not too bummed. I caught a bad cold/cough/sore throat Thursday, which made for an interesting time teaching. I made sure to stay close to the mic since my voice kept cutting in and out. The lessons were fun and the students were delightful. If only teaching in the States had been that easy. :)
In other news, we went to IKEA yesterday. Our school is lovely enough to provide us a van to take us to and from (3 hour round trip). I got less than expected, mainly because I had a budget and thought I was spending more than I actually was. Oh well, now I can use that mulah towards crafty projects I've been eyeballing! Most exciting purchase yesterday: milk frother. It's quite a simple-looking contraption, so I'm interested to see how well it works. Now that I have one, the hunt for a good chai concentrate recipe is on. I have a couple to try--hope they turn out well so I can start sipping my lattes soon!! Oh, how I've missed chai...
Random: The other day, I decided to see if Josiah could repeat the letters of the alphabet. He did it! "W" was my fave. I've tried it a few times since, but he usually gets bored midway. We'll keep working at it. :)
In other news, we went to IKEA yesterday. Our school is lovely enough to provide us a van to take us to and from (3 hour round trip). I got less than expected, mainly because I had a budget and thought I was spending more than I actually was. Oh well, now I can use that mulah towards crafty projects I've been eyeballing! Most exciting purchase yesterday: milk frother. It's quite a simple-looking contraption, so I'm interested to see how well it works. Now that I have one, the hunt for a good chai concentrate recipe is on. I have a couple to try--hope they turn out well so I can start sipping my lattes soon!! Oh, how I've missed chai...
Random: The other day, I decided to see if Josiah could repeat the letters of the alphabet. He did it! "W" was my fave. I've tried it a few times since, but he usually gets bored midway. We'll keep working at it. :)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
role reversal..sorta
Compared to my laid-back life of a stay-at-home momma (aka not changing out of my pj's unless I expect guests), this coming week is going to be quite busy. It will go as follows, with other things thrown in last-minute (aka Chinese style), I'm sure:
Thursday: Chinese lessons for 2 hours in the AM, teach 4 hours in the PM, girls night in the eve
Friday: small group in the AM, office hours in the PM
Saturday: all-day trip/trek to Beijing IKEA. woo!!
Sunday: NOT set our clocks back b/c DST doesn't exist here (a post on why you shouldn't complain to come next week), rest, fish fry for team dinner
Monday: teach 2 hours in the AM and 4 hours in the PM
Tuesday: all-day trip/trek to Beijing again for various items I'll discuss later
Wednesday: teach 2 hours in the AM, office hour over lunch, teach 4 hours in the PM, team meeting in the eve
Thursday: CRASH
I'm sure I'll have a lot more respect for Michael by the end of all of this. :) Bonus: He has already created the lesson plans for me, and they're on health! Excited to get back in the groove a little!
I asked Michael if we were going to completely switch roles (ie, he does the cooking, shopping, laundry, etc.) His response: never mind, I'll teach my classes. Haha I'm sure he'll pick up some of the tasks, but probably not the first 2 mentioned. :)
Thursday: Chinese lessons for 2 hours in the AM, teach 4 hours in the PM, girls night in the eve
Friday: small group in the AM, office hours in the PM
Saturday: all-day trip/trek to Beijing IKEA. woo!!
Sunday: NOT set our clocks back b/c DST doesn't exist here (a post on why you shouldn't complain to come next week), rest, fish fry for team dinner
Monday: teach 2 hours in the AM and 4 hours in the PM
Tuesday: all-day trip/trek to Beijing again for various items I'll discuss later
Wednesday: teach 2 hours in the AM, office hour over lunch, teach 4 hours in the PM, team meeting in the eve
Thursday: CRASH
I'm sure I'll have a lot more respect for Michael by the end of all of this. :) Bonus: He has already created the lesson plans for me, and they're on health! Excited to get back in the groove a little!
I asked Michael if we were going to completely switch roles (ie, he does the cooking, shopping, laundry, etc.) His response: never mind, I'll teach my classes. Haha I'm sure he'll pick up some of the tasks, but probably not the first 2 mentioned. :)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
1 down
1st week of the semester down.
A focus of ours this round is for me to get more involved. First opportunity is to have a couple of office hours. All of the full-time teachers have them, and now I do, too! For 2 hours on Friday, I sat in the Foreign Affairs office (a library full of English books including classics, spiritual, etc. with comfy couches, and snacks!) awaiting students to come in and practice their English. The first hour, I waited alone. I decided to start reading Pride and Prejudice. Never read it before. Not bad so far. We'll see if I get to finish it. The 2nd hour, 3 enthusiastic and well-spoken students came in to visit. 2 of them were girls I met last semester and who had been to our home. They heard I would be there, and wanted to see me. How sweet. :) They even promised to come back next week. Woo! It's a fun opportunity I'm thrilled about because we can talk about anything in that room. You can lift that up.
Michael also suggested taking a week's worth of his classes to teach. I'll teach one day this week and 2 days next week on the topic of health. I'm excited! The hard part is done--he already has the whole lesson planned out for me. I may just add in a few of my own things. I asked him if I should show a clip from Super Size Me. Think that would scare them?! Haha. I might actually do it since fast food is becoming very popular over here.
The weather is getting warmer. I know how many weeks until we'll pack our bags (15, not that I'm counting...), and all I think about is the food I want to eat at home. I'm sure I'll compile a list before we leave so I can make sure to consume it all while there. :)
A focus of ours this round is for me to get more involved. First opportunity is to have a couple of office hours. All of the full-time teachers have them, and now I do, too! For 2 hours on Friday, I sat in the Foreign Affairs office (a library full of English books including classics, spiritual, etc. with comfy couches, and snacks!) awaiting students to come in and practice their English. The first hour, I waited alone. I decided to start reading Pride and Prejudice. Never read it before. Not bad so far. We'll see if I get to finish it. The 2nd hour, 3 enthusiastic and well-spoken students came in to visit. 2 of them were girls I met last semester and who had been to our home. They heard I would be there, and wanted to see me. How sweet. :) They even promised to come back next week. Woo! It's a fun opportunity I'm thrilled about because we can talk about anything in that room. You can lift that up.
Michael also suggested taking a week's worth of his classes to teach. I'll teach one day this week and 2 days next week on the topic of health. I'm excited! The hard part is done--he already has the whole lesson planned out for me. I may just add in a few of my own things. I asked him if I should show a clip from Super Size Me. Think that would scare them?! Haha. I might actually do it since fast food is becoming very popular over here.
The weather is getting warmer. I know how many weeks until we'll pack our bags (15, not that I'm counting...), and all I think about is the food I want to eat at home. I'm sure I'll compile a list before we leave so I can make sure to consume it all while there. :)
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