shopaholic

So I have been doing a little buying for baby Judah. Oh yeah, so I think we have decided on Judah Wallace for the baby's name. But this is about my internet shopping spree not son #3's name. So I've only bought a few clothes because between the few things I kept and what Tara is so graciously letting me borrow back (thanks friend!) I'm pretty set in that department. But my friend's husband will be making a quick trip back to the States at the end of April and we have a group coming at the end of June. Each has agreed to bring a suitcase, or close to it, filled with baby items. So the first load coming in April will be full of all the goodies I bought and clothes from my mom. The second will be full of baby items (diaper cream, medicines, etc. that we can not buy here) and clothes from Tara. But I am most excited about what I've bought. Doesn't everyone like to get new stuff? So here is my little shout out to three sellers on Etsy and my new fav baby carrier.

OK, my first purchase was this lovey blanket. The seller actually calls it a Wee Wubby. I loved this. I bought two identical ones of the larger dot print. I especially love that she sells them as a set of two and has some really cute fabrics to choose from. We learned very quickly with Kirby that it was really nice to have one for baby and one to wash. Especially during sickness. Plus, my boys are no dummies, we tried to find one that was similar and they only wanted one specific one. So having a lovey double is great until they are old enough to fingure out that it's actually two separate but equal loveys and neither of my boys seemed to care by that point. And lets face it at $18 for two it's a much better price than many boutiques and even stores like Target that charge between $10 and $25 for one. Plus from now until April 4 there is free shipping!

Purchace number two was this gorgeous nursing cover. This was also at a great price and even with shipping was at least $10 less expensive than the ones sold at other stores I checked online. I've never had one of these before and had always just used a blanket with no problem. However, from what I hear about the curious people around here is that if you have just a blanket draped over you most people will assume the baby is just asleep and will take it upon themselves to take a peek underneath. So this purchase is made in hopes of sparing the embarrassment of showing many Chinese people my boobs.

My next great find was these adorable baby leg warmers. I was faced with trying to figure out something that would work really well as an under layer for Judah during the cold months (remember we don't have heat) without him looking so bulky. As I look online it seemed that leg warmers would be great to keep him warm and still convenient for diaper changes. I found these (the pair I linked is just one of 4 I will get) and this seller has great deals. I chose to get 3 for $22 and she includes a free pair and free shipping! So excited about this.

Finally I bought this nice Ergo baby carrier. It was a little pricey but I figured I got great deals (remember I can't go to store to find sales so great online deals is my best bet) on the other stuff so this could be a splurge. I really wanted one that would be secure and usable for a while. I do not live in a car seat and stroller friendly country so a durable, washable and multi use carrier was a must. I liked this one cause it goes from newborn to up to 90 lbs. I have so many friends that live here that highly recommended the Ergo for all the reasons I was looking for.

So, I guess I owe Stan a huge thank you for indulging me and letting me buy all these things with very little comment. For me these were good prices for good quality. Of course I will let you know later if the quality is really what it's claimed to be. It's weird preparing for a baby here cause there is just so much we can't get easily so we have to make do without some things. This shopping spree may have been a little over the top but it fulfilled some nesting I needed to do. Oh, and my due date is 4 months from today!

29

So today I turn 29. I have to admit that I don't like turning 29, I would much rather be turning 30. Not that I'm wishing a year of my life away. It just sounds so fake when someone asks me how old I'm turning and i reply...'29'. I get the look of is that true or is she just saying that? That is the age people always use when they are lying about there age, well that and 39. 'I'm 29 and holding' is one of the silliest things I've ever heard. I'm sorry if you are one that doesn't like to get older. I look at my parents and grandparents and the lives that they get to live and look forward to each stage that is ahead of me. To me age is just a number and youth is a mindset. My 80 year old grandparents may just have more of a social life than I do.

So I'm celebrating the blessing of yet another year and excited about reaching the big 30 milestone. I may just put up a ticker to count down the next year.

home sweet home

So this week has been filled with craziness. On Monday we got word that we would be able to move into a great place. It's not so much an apartment but more like a town home. It's two stories and has a small courtyard with in a gate out front and an inclosed patio and work area in the back. The best thing about this place is that it's an end unit so there is a door that leads from the patio to a small yard on the side. Having grass of any sort in the city is a HUGE thing. The boys (and mama) are so excited that outside time can now be supervised from inside at times and much extended. We are even hoping to get Kirby a big boy bike for his birthday in May. This week has been full of ups and downs, the details of which are not important but none the less have shown us more and more that things are done so differently here. Ultimately everything has worked out and we feel like we are paying a fair price and are building a good relationship with our landlord.

There have been a few disappointments this week. Again, some aren't worth mentioning but one that still blows my mind is that today we went to buy the new couches I've been looking at for over a month and the store is gone. There are several furniture 'markets' here which are basically big buildings that have many smaller shops all filled with furniture. A friend helped me find some couches that were very close to American style (some things here would really make you wonder who in the world would ever buy it for their home), in the color I was looking for and at a reasonable price. Now that everything was settled with where we would be living I was ready to buy. We went over there this afternoon and walked into the shop thinking the owner had done some rearranging. When we asked for the lady that we had previously dealt with we found out she no longer owned the shop, or sold furniture for that matter. She had gone out of business. We combed the entire market looking for something similar or at least something that I liked just as well. Nothing. So now I'm back at square one for my dream living room. This has happened to several restaurants that we liked, one week they are open and the next it's a completely different type place or even just a junk hole. Tis the nature of business here.

So we have a new home and we are hoping to move in the next couple of weeks. I have a lot to do and am praying for the energy to get it done. No matter how much 'trouble' moving can be we really feel blessed to have this new home. Most of all I am glad we will have time to settle before we head to Thailand for baby time!

high hopes

There is a lot going on around here lately. We got word Monday night that a wonderful house here in town could be ours! We are really excited about this but I don't want to write too much because there is a lot of negotiating to be done on the lease. Please keep this in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days. It would be a great place for the boys but we are not willing to pay an unfair price. We hope to get it resolved by the end of the weekend. This has consumed our week and we are just ready to know for sure yes or no. I will let you know how it ends up. I also will go to the doctor later this morning. We are going to try our second attempt at getting the measurements of the baby's organs and such and confirm that it's a little boy. God has worked on my heart so much on the issue of having another son that I'm almost scared to find out they were wrong before. We will see if GOD is done teaching me my full lesson. More to come later...

it's my anniversary

Today Stan and I celebrate five years of marriage. Sometimes I feel like it's flown by and then I start to think about all that we have done in five years and I'm blown away. We've been together since October of 2000 and when I think about that I really think about all that has happened to us each individually and as a couple since then. We started out pretty normal--me in college and him in sem. both not sure what the future looked like--and then he spent two years here, the second of which we were engaged. He got back January of 2004 and we were married two months later. 2005 welcomed the birth of Kirby and 2006 the birth of Bennett. Last year we didn't add another child but we did get rid of most our belongings and packed up the rest and moved about as far away from our home as we possibly could. This year we are adding child number 3. We have had wonderful times, hard times, times of growth and times of seeking the Lord with no clue what would come next. The best part about it is we have been through this journey together. This is the only picture we brought with us from our wedding day. It sits in a frame with the verse that was part of the closing prayer at our wedding ceremony...

The Lord bless you, and keep you, the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you. Numbers 6:24-25



The Lord has been all those things. I knew that when I married Stan I wouldn't have a choice but to follow where the Lord was leading. He is that kind of man. He will not say no to the Lord but allow HIM to be the leader of himself and in turn Stan is the leader of our family and home. So far we have felt lead in the same directions but I know there will be times when my selfish and impure heart will lag behind. I am thankful Stan is a man that will wait for me to catch up but without putting God on hold. I am truly blessed! I look forward to each year more we are given together.