So now that the summer is pretty much over (it's September already!?), I guess it's time to get back to updating. Our lives are no less interesting (well, sometimes) while living over here, and now there's an added layer of interest as we anxiously await for Baby Boy Cook! It's been quite an experience planning, purchasing, and plain ole being pregnant in a foreign country, especially the first time around. So far the pregnancy has gone smoothly and as of 30 weeks, he seems to be growing great and fortunately leaving me with minimal discomfort. We are beyond thankful that everything seems to be going normally and healthily, and it makes us all the more anxious and excited to meet him! He's an active little guy (as I type, my stomach is visibly bumping and rolling as he moves inside). I'm not big on posting pics of my bump, but since very few of you get to actually see me, I'll indulge in a (recent) bump picture.
This is at 26 weeks - 4 weeks ago...but I haven't changed TOO much
Okinawa has been hit by 2 big typhoons (the Pacific version of a hurricane) already. The first hit Memorial Day weekend (which was a bummer since it cancelled plans we had to head out to a neighboring island to a cabin with friends). The second sat on top of us for a whopping 40 hours, dropping over 40 inches of rain. We have to laugh a little at the hype surrounding Hurricane Irene (though I realize it left a large amount of damage and flooding, which is no laughing matter), when our "little" typhoon left us inside for days. Fortunately we are on the 3rd floor, so no flooding...per se. However after 40 hours of typhoon strength winds, our concrete fortress started showing weakness and with a change in wind direction, water started seeping in through windows and doorways. We spent most of the night taping windows and changing/washing/drying towels stuffed around doors and windows. We had much less damage than many neighbors above us who had completely flooded living rooms and much more damage. While we suffered a bout of cabin fever, we never lost power or internet - we are thankful for that!
I celebrated my 25th birthday on the beach with some friends. It was a WONderful day of sun, beach, and water sliding. My special birthday treat was a new Ipad, which I LOVE, and I think it will come in handy for the hours of holding/feeding the baby soon. If you have FaceTime, I haven't figured it out yet, so add/call me!
I recently stopped working full time and am now working every other day until...? It has been really nice to have some time to breathe, clean, and rest, especially as everything might get a little bit harder as we near baby time. While it's nice to have time to do extra things (like blog and go to the beach), it's also nice to keep busy and on a schedule. I know once the baby boy comes along, we will be walking in a 24 hour fog, so I'd like to keep as much normalcy as possible for as long as possible.
ANYWAY, that's enough for now. I will be more active around here in the time to come!
