Blowouts and Burps

Amelia is now 2 weeks old and everyday is a new discovery. She is becoming more alert and showing more and more personality by the day. We have been doing our best to break free of the house and do the things we enjoy. Amelia has gone for power walks in her stroller (yes, I am a huge power walker who swings his arms, wears sweatbands and can power walk 1 mile in under 6 minutes), has been thrown in Liz's sling and taken out to lunch, and tomorrow we hope to get her in the pool. I have to say that we are adapting well to parenthood. Today Liz took the brunt of a diaper blowout on her pants, and then moments later a sufficient quantity of milk was burped up onto her shirt. We laughed, cleaned everyone up, and still went out to lunch at a nice restaurant.

Welcome Amelia!

As nearly all of you know at this point our daughter was born this past Tuesday (October 5) at 9:10 pm in Jakarta, Indonesia. Amelia and Liz are doing extremely well. We are back at our home and Amelia is adjusting to her new environment with relative ease. Every moment is absolutely amazing and we cannot take our eyes off of her. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy.

From Bump to Basketball!

Here we are at 36 weeks...quite a change from my little bump this summer!

We had a check-up yesterday and everything is right on the mark.

There are more photos of Baby Haske's room and some of my nesting projects - like making reusable wipes - at this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/HaskeBaby?authkey=Gv1sRgCM3x5djS-46QqQE#

Enjoy!

Isn't Technology Amazing???

So, I have debated on whether or not to share this one because some things should still be sacred...which is why we are keeping the name to ourselves. But I figure that by the time she is born she will look different anyway. What you are looking at is a scan of baby Haske's face at 30 weeks. Pretty amazing, huh? The blurry bit on her forehead is most likely her hand. I can't remember if she was wiping her face this time, because we have seen her do that on several occasions.

I am now 35 weeks and to answer the most frequently asked question, "I feel great!" I must say that pregnancy suits me! Being tall certainly helps because I have so much room for her to grow. And she is growing! The most recent measurements were in the 90+ percentile, which shouldn't surprise anyone. I haven't had the issue of "foot in the ribs" or difficulty breathing, although that might be still to come. I am still sleeping quite well and am able to get out to walk when it is not pouring down rain.

Can you tell from all of the !s that I am excited???

Updated Belly Photos

This weekend we were once again showered with love and friendship. Below are a few photos from a group shower that was held for FIVE of us who are expecting in our neighborhood. (There are only 18 families!) You will notice that there are only four mommies-to-be present; the fifth was already in labor at the hospital!

Jenny (December 20ish), Jen (October 14), Liz (October 6), Jess (November 30ish)

As you can see, I was very proud to be the winner of the blindfolded baby dressing contest!

Our Jakarta Home: Before and After Shots

Our first year is nearly over, which means we will be regaining our hobo status next weekend when we fly home and fill our days with kayaking, reading and general lounging around! We will throw in trips to Nags Head and Iowa as well as a few weekend visits with friends. It will be a much deserved rest after the busy year we have had! I, however, won't be on full rest mode because I am still chipping away at my master's degree. Between taking two classes online, I am certain I will still be able to find plenty of time to unwind.

To help you appreciate the transition we have made into life in Jakarta, I have snapped some photos of our house and put together a before/after album.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizhaske/BintaroHomeBeforeAndAfter?authkey=Gv1sRgCOGMgKK-2P_MDg#

Enjoy!

No Longer an "It"

We switched doctors after realizing that the lady we had been seeing wasn't going to be able to deliver at the hospital we want to use. Instead she was an hour and a half away - and that is in "good traffic." Really, the traffic in Jakarta never really falls into that category! So of course we had to have another scan (how terrible, right!) when we met with our new doctor and this time we were able to confirm the sex of Baby Haske...it's a GIRL! The doctor did a very through check and everything looks healthy.

She is starting to do amazing things like kick, which later on I am sure won't seem as amazing, but for now is pretty magical! Jim was able to feel the movement today, which was really exciting for him.

So, to answer the most popular question, "How are you feeling?" I feel fantastic! Even during the first trimester, I rarely felt sick and never vomited. I learned when I needed a snack so that my blood sugar didn't drop and I didn't have to experience too much nausea. I was tired beyond anything I have ever experienced, but that passed in a few weeks. I also learned that if I drug myself out the door and got my heart rate up I felt a lot better. I am nearly five months now and so the worst should be behind me, well at least until the uncomfortable stage at the end.

I am in full "nesting" mode, trying to get as much done as possible before we leave for summer holidays. The room was painted a beautiful calming green at the beginning of the year and will stay that way. We picked up a crib from a family who was selling it and sheets are being stitched as you read this. I am consumed with researching cloth diapers, strollers and other necessary things online. As Jim said, having a baby opens up a whole new market he never thought about before. Lots of things are available locally, but you just don't have the selection or the quality control. So anyone that is up for a little baby shopping this summer, give us a call!