Saturday, August 26, 2006.
Today was our day for the Forbidden City and Tiannamen Square. They weren't a far walk from our hotel, but it seemed like quite the walk with baby dancing on my bladder.

A lot of the Forbidden Palace was under renovation. Got to get everything pretty in time for the Olympics. That was fine with me. It is a huge place and we didn't even see half of it! You know you have had enough when you are scouting out places to sit and rest. It was really crowded too. I can only imagine what it is like over holidays or what it will be like once the crowds from the Olympics arrive!
I guess it is a "must see" for Beijing, but I just didn't have the same enthusiasm at the end of the trip that I did at the beginning. Besides, Shenyang also has a Forbidden City, though not as big. It wasn't used for as long either. I don't think I ever wrote about our visit there. I will have to blog it.

Even Tiannamen Gate was under renovation. I took a shot anyway as you can still see the top part of it and the picture of Chairman Mao. I have some better pictures that my friend June took a few weeks ago before the green scaffolding stuff went up. I think those will be the ones I get prints of. The ugly construction picture is mine though and shows that I have indeed "been there, done that."

Saturday afternoon I took a quick walk down "Night Food Street" just a couple blocks from our hotel. I had read that they have all sorts of "treats" like scorpions and seahorses in addition to some of the more typical Chinese treats. Yum! I did see scorpions, silk worm pupas, snakes, starfish, grasshoppers, and other interesting culinary delights. Didn't see seahorses though. Perhaps I was out too early. I wanted to go before dinner as I didn't plan on eating there!
I did buy some candy coated kiwi. Basically sliced kiwi on a wooden skewer covered with a yummy sugary coating like a candy apple.
We went to Sizzler for dinner. It was nice to get a piece of red meat. Such "exotic" dining options in Beijing!

The Baby (My mom says I can't call it a bad baby.)

My sister says that I need to write more about my pregnancy. I guess I hate to complain so publicly (no problem privately). I do not like being pregnant. Yes, I am excited to be having a baby. No, I don't like this part of the whole process. I try to be positive-- I feel like I am 13, should be good to feel younger, right? Of course that means my face is breaking out and I don't recognize my own body. My mom tells me that I am not fat, I am having a baby. Since I don't feel movement yet I feel FAT. I have this bulge in the front of me. My clothes don't fit, I don't like bending over, and my muscles hurt from supporting this belly of mine. I know, it isn't going to get better either.
After the first trimester I was so excited the vomiting stopped. Now I puke more than ever. It isn't as urgent and I don't feel nausea, but puking several times a day gets old. I feel like between that and peeing I should just move into the bathroom.
My sister also told me that I should talk about my cravings. CORN DOGS were the baby's choice yesterday. Of course I live in China, so first task is to find hot dogs that are meat hot dogs and not some sort of myster sausage. Second, I have to mix up the corn meal and flour batter and coat the hot dogs and deep fry them. Picking up a box at Safeway and throwing a couple of dogs in the oven or microwave would sure be a lot easier!
I dream about doughnuts, frosties from Wendy's, and 7-11 slurpees. Somehow Chinese food just doesn't do the trick. Besides, even though I love spicy noodles, they aren't so great coming back up. They are too spicy and way to long and get stuck on the way up. Yum! Great image, yes?
Oh, I forgot how much I love Chinese bathrooms. Squatter toilets, what could be better when you are pregnant. Actually squatting isn't so bad, but having to get back up again can be a killer. I am afraid I am going to lose my balance and fall in. The smell is quite lovely too. :( On my trip to Xi'an I was so excited when I found a bathroom that was (1) clean and smelled good (2) had normal toilets (3) had toilet paper and (4) had soap. Who would expect so many luxuries in one place?
Evidently Rob isn't suffering enough. Yesterday he was talking about baby #2. I haven't even squeezed this puppy out yet. Is it possible I am not as cranky as I think I am?
I need to think of some amusing things to write in Baby's book. I am not enjoying pregnancy, but I know it will be worth it when I have my sweet baby. Of course there will probably be days I will wonder about that too. :) I am going to miss sleep. I really like it!

Trip to Xi'an, China

August 3rd through 6th I was able to go to Xi'an, China. Rob had to work, but I was able to go and meet up with some friends and enjoy the city.

I arrived on Thursday afternoon and took a bus from the airport to my hotel. The Bell Tower Hotel is in a perfect location in the center of town, very convenient to everything within the city walls. I checked in, rested a bit, and took off looking for something to eat. Unfortunately, the restaurant I was looking for was no longer there. Nothing looked very appetizing to the baby, so I finally gave up. I was starving and went into McDonald's. Might not be very exciting, but beats some of the other typical fast food.

I wandered around a bit and ended up over in the Muslim area of town. I walked through the market and browsed at the many things for sale.

Walking around in all the heat wore me out. I wanted to get back to the hotel and just relax. There were several restaurants up and down the streets, but none seemed to be the "to go" type of place. I ended up getting carry out at pizza hut and heading back to eat, watch tv, and get to bed early.

Friday morning June and her cousin Lynn arrived in Xi'an. They checked into the hotel and we went out to the Muslim part of town again. June's guidebook listed a popular restaurant in the area. We were seated on the third floor. Food was brought to the table and we either accepted or declined it. I tried a couple of different types of baozi (dumpling/bun type things). They were delicious! We ate our fill and it cost us less than $2 each, including drinks. I led us back to the market area. This early in the afternoon it wasn't at all crowded. People tend to come out in the cool of the evening. We bought a few souvenirs and then found an art gallery. We enjoyed browsing through the shop and even met the artist. We spent quite a bit of time there before we left with our purchases in hand.
From there we went on to the Drum Tower. We climbed up and walked around the tower. Our timing was perfect and we were able to catch a drum show while we were there.

From the Drum Tower we went to the Bell Tower. The traffic in the area can be heavy, but there are underground walkways that make getting from place to place easy. At the Bell Tower we saw (surprise!) bells. Long ago the drums from the drum tower were used to mark the hours of the night. The tower was originally built in 1348 and moved the present site in 1552 and then rebuild and enlarged in the Qing Dynasty.
Luckily I was not the only one who was worn out. We went back to the hotel for a rest. When we were ready to go again we headed out to find dinner. We ended up having some Korean food at a restaurant in the mall. From there we walked to the south gate of the city wall and got some information about it. We hailed a cab and took off to see the Tang Dynasty show at a nearby theatre. The show included a variety of different types of dances and music from the Tang Dynasty. I only wish they weren't so big on using red lighting. It made taking pictures difficult.

More from the Tang Dynasty Show...

Saturday morning we set off to see the terra cotta warriors. We had set up a tour for the three of us and left the hotel bright and early at 8:15 am. Our first stop was the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It was built in 652 to collect Buddhist materials that a monk brought back from India.
Next we went to a factory where they make recreations of the terra cotta warriors. It was interesting to watch how they make them now and hear how it differs from the way they were originally made. After pulling the warriors out of the molds, the clay is trimmed and details are added to individualize the soldiers. Then it was on to the Terra Cotta Soldier Museum (and time for a little nap in the van along the way). Here is a link to some information about the warriors: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/index.htm
It was amazing to see something so old (around 200 BC) that had only been found in 1974! There is still a lot that has not been dug out. The soldiers, when first found, still had brilliant colors. Exposure to air stripped the paint off. Much is left covered until technology can protect the treasures that are yet to be seen. The soldiers are all different, varying in height, weight, and facial features. When they were crafted, the artist had to sign his work. If it did not meet up to the Emperor's standards, the artist would be killed.

On some of the soldiers if you look carefully you can see some traces of color that hasn't completely come off.

After the warriors we went back to the city. We went on the city wall. It is probably one of my favorite parts of the city. June and Lynn rented bikes and rode all around the wall, about 12 km. I didn't think that would be such a good idea for me so I walked around part of it and had some ice cream. If I go back I would like to ride all the way around and get to see the different views of the city.
I was exhausted and grabbed some food and went back to the hotel while June and Lynn continued on their way. The next morning it was home to Shenyang. I loved the trip, but it was good to be home. Baby wears me out!

18 weeks...
Well, I thought the puking was over. It's not. Yesterday I had 16 puking incidents. Believe it or not, even though it seems lately it has been more frequent, it has been easier and less intense. The morning was rough so I figured that since I was spending so much time in the bathroom that I might as well clean them. I was able to puke in all three bathrooms while getting them sparkling clean. Since the washer and dryer are in one of the bathrooms I also managed two loads of laundry. It was a good day. I am not sure if that being a good day is a positive thing or a negative thing...



Here are some pics of pregnant me. The pics of me in pants are at 15 weeks and the pics of me in the dress is 17 weeks.

Pros and Cons of My Chinese Home Pregnancy Test
(Yes, we are having a baby!)

Pros
Cheap (less than $2)
Easy to use
Fast results
Easy to read results

Cons
If you don’t read Chinese, matching the results to the enclosure still doesn’t tell you if you are pregnant or not.


In early May I decided to take a home pregnancy test. I was feeling tired, a bit nauseous, and just not quite right. I figured that either I was pregnant or something was wrong with me and I needed medical attention. In the drugstore I found a home pregnancy test. There were probably a few different kinds, but the packaging was pretty plain and I decided to go with a “David pregnancy test” because it said pregnancy test so I knew for sure that it was indeed a pregnancy test.

I’m guessing that the test was pretty much the same as most are. I hadn’t ever taken a pregnancy test before so I really had nothing to compare it to. By the time I had flushed the toilet and washed my hands, the results were clear in the little window. I definitely had a blue asterisk between two light pink lines. Looking at the insert, which was the third of four results which meant… Well, this meant a lot more to someone who could read Chinese. Four result choices? How can there be four results? I decided to try to look up some of the characters in my mini Chinese-English dictionary. Success! I was able to match two of the characters from my result. It meant pregnant! Oops! All four results have the characters for pregnant in them. Could this be a gag pregnancy test? What is the point of a test when all possible results have the word pregnant in them?

Rob took the paper in to work to have someone translate for us. After hearing what each of the four results meant, I decided to paraphrase in my own words.

You are not pregnant.
It is possible you are pregnant. Test again in a couple of days.
You are pregnant.
Girlfriend, haven’t you noticed that your belly is as big as China and someone seems to be kicking on the inside of you? You are so pregnant you are going to pop!

So the journey began. I am due on December 30th. We will see if the baby decides to cut us a break with a tax deduction for the year or if s/he hangs in there until January. It didn’t take long for the morning (and afternoon, evening, and night) sickness to begin. Who would have thought that becoming pregnant can help you lose 10 pounds without even trying? My puke bowl and the toilet became my best friends. If I stayed in bed very very still, I could reduce the vomiting. How do people work or take care of kids feeling like that? Moving made my ears ring and I would see lots of little black dots dancing before me. Everything seemed to smell bad. I have always found China to have an interesting odor, but now the smell made me a prisoner in my own home. To step outside meant puke-a-rama.

Now I am just starting my 13th week. Time and medication (needed medication for the nausea because I couldn’t keep enough fluids down) seem to be helping. I mean, are OBVIOUSLY helping. I still feel nauseous and have to move slowly to keep the vomit down. I am tired and don’t have the energy I would like. I am no longer lying on the bathroom floor crying and wishing for a quick death.

My mom kept asking me if I was keeping a journal. I kept saying no. Sure there were some interesting and amusing things, but I didn’t have the strength to write. I was lucky if I showered once a week. The most exercise I got was from bed to the bathroom and back. From bed I did type a few e-mails, so perhaps I will be able to assemble those. All in all I think it is best if I forget as much as possible about the first trimester. If I have details to revisit, this baby will not have any siblings. I can always look back on my calendar where I tracked the number of times I threw up each day and how much weight I was losing. I will try to find the e-mail that tells of my trip to Beijing for my ultrasound. For those who have not heard it, it may be worth a read.

Now I am hoping to feel a little better everyday. We move this week, so I better be feeling well enough that I don’t get packed up with the bedding. I don’t look pregnant yet unless I am naked. Definitely starting to have that pregnant shape and noticing that my jeans don’t button! I am a couple of pounds light of my pre-morning sickness weight and think I will start putting on the pounds now that I can eat again.

Australia

We enjoyed our two weeks in Australia. We spent time in Perth and Sydney. I have a million pictures so if you want to see more of anything let me know. Feel free to read about our trip or to just enjoy the pics.


Perth is absolutely beautiful. Each time I go out I am amazed by its beauty. The sky is so blue and the grass and trees so green. The palm trees are great too. I just love palm trees. To me they make a place seem more exotic. Perth is close to the Indian Ocean and has a great river (Swan River). The water is so clean. Even though it has been cooler than when we were in Bangkok, the sun seems more intense. I don’t like wearing hats, but I kept mine on and was grateful for the protection it provided.

I keep trying to figure out what Perth reminds me of. In some ways it is like the past. I mean this in a good way. It seems more laid back and casual. Traffic doesn’t seem bad, people are polite, and even the city center has a quaint feel to it. It’s clean and relatively quiet. Except for the weekends, shops close early.

Riding the free CAT buses around town is a good way to get a feel for the city and where things are. Well, I guess it helped me get a feel for the city, but I have no sense of direction and could probably get lost crossing the street.

Luckily it seemed to help Rob know where everything is. I knew I brought him with for a reason. J We spent some time sitting on the grass by the Swan River just reading, resting, and looking around. We watched people, birds, and boats.

Fremantle is about a 30 minute train ride from Perth. Because the Swan River is so beautiful, we decided to take a ferry over. It takes longer, and is more expensive, but we figured it would be more enjoyable. Maybe it would have been if Mr. Commentator could keep his mouth closed. Not only did he feel the need to speak almost non-stop, but he felt the need to do it loudly with the microphone practically in his mouth. And his accent did not help! Most of the time I had no idea what he was saying. When I could understand him I usually was not interested. There were some nice views along the way though.

Once in Fremantle we found a Mexican restaurant. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. Since we can’t get Mexican food where we live in China, we enjoy it when we can find it. We were riding

on the free CAT bus when we saw a gorgeous beach and decided to get off for awhile. The Indian Ocean was so clean and looked green or blue depending on the angle. We walked around a bit and waded into the water a little. It was so perfect that it looked like a painting.

After the beach we headed on to the prison. The prison tour is one of the big tourist attractions in the area. It was built by convicts that were sent over from England and used clear until 1991! From station and took the train back to Perth. Faster, cheaper, and quieter than the ferry, though not quite as pretty.