Who Knew?

Yesterday Lilia and I were meeting Dave and a friend down at Penn to learn more about the demographic we'll be working with. We were meeting at 38th street, which is only 12 blocks. To walk...way too far. To drive...difficult to find metered parking. So our best option...Septa! I have never riden a Septa bus in my life. No need when you live in the suburbs. I felt comfortable doing it because of riding the bus in Asia.

So the bus stop is literally across the street. It was so easy and totally reminiscent of life in Asia. Lilia loved it, of course!

Early Halloween

Tonight Lilia and I went to Target. I promised her she could pick out a Halloween costume. All throughout the store she wanted me to stop buying things so we could pick out a costume. She is 2 1/2 and really into princesses. We found a somewhat reasonable princess costume and she couldn't wait to put it on.

I also bought her pick sparkle shoes (as Lilia would say, "farkle" b/c she can't say "s" combinations). We talked about how they would only be for inside until Halloween.

Well when she got the whole outfit on she felt absolutely like the prettiest girl who ever lived! She danced and twirled around and was so excited! It was such great joy to watch her enjoy it.

"I'm not Lilia, I'm bride-princess."

(Note the shoes and her name in the title.)

Come on Lilia, let's go.

In China town, we walked out of a store and Lilia stood by the curb. We kept saying, "Come on Lilia let's go." She would just stand there. Finally she said, "I'm waiting for the bus." Dave and I looked at each other and smiled/laughed. We thought it was the cutest thing!

China Town

On Saturday we headed down to China town to explore and get a bite to eat. We forgot about this being a holiday...Mid-Autumn Festival. One of the big things people eat is moon pie (kind of like our fruit cake). There is some story about a women in the moon. I forget, but look it up if you're interested.

Anyway, the main street was blocked off for dragon dances. At one point when they passed us Lilia reached out and touched one of the dragons. She was proud of herself.

Mid-Autumn Festival Parade

Oh Lilia

Last night Dave was working so I gave her a bath and put her to bed. We have to put the baby gate up in her doorway because otherwise she gets out of bed like 10 times. It's such an annoying battle.

Anyway, I went down stairs to watch The Office on Hulu. When it was over I still heard her up stairs. Then I hear, "Mommy?"

So I go up and she tells me she was playing with her farm. I turned on the hall light and saw that she set up her blankie under her night light and was using the light to play with her farm. It was one of those, "Aw, that's so adorable" moments. I just had to laugh.

On the bike once again

Dave got his bike all fixed up and bought Lilia a bike seat along with her own helmet that she loves! Dave gets to ride his bike back and forth to campus and he's LOVING it! That was one of his favorite things about living in Asia. Every time Dave gets on his helmet to ride, Lilia wants to go too. She loves going on the bike, just like she did in Asia.

All ready for fall

Our Dining Room

Baby boy's pending arrival

Dave finally got the crib up on Sunday night. I spent a good bit of Monday getting the rest of his room together. We have yet to hang some things on the walls, but at least when we come home from the hospital he'll have a place to sleep.
I have 3 weeks till my due date of Oct. 16th. Lilia was 8 days early. I know that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be early, but I'm hopeful.
I've had lots of braxton hicks along with some real contractions. In fact yesterday afternoon I had a good number of braxton hicks over the course of a couple of hours. Then they started to change a bit and we were timing them, but they faded. My body is certainly getting ready for him to come!
We are looking forward to meeting this little boy.

Settling in

We've been in Philly and our house for about a week and a half. We are really enjoying ourselves! Our house feels more and more like a home and we are enjoying city life. We thought it would be a huge adjustment and maybe it still will be, but for now we like it.
Sunday night before church we found this Vietnamese place. In the window it said "Fresh fruit milkshakes," and a huge list of fruit flavors. I had to try it out. I got mango & banana and it was AMAZING! They use real fruit and no yucky additives.
We went there for dinner tonight with Corteney & Cherith and we all got smoothies with our dinner. Tonight's flavor was watermelon. Mmmmmm.....

Back in Asia Part 2

Dave hooked up the washer for me earlier in the week, but he hasn't yet gotten the dryer hooked up. The only thing left to do is to get the exhaust out of the basement, which will require a good chunk of time. He's been busy on Penn's campus all week and hasn't had time to do it.

So I've been doing wash and having to hang it up, Asian style. I'm glad that I learned some tricks with hanging your clothes out to dry. They are coming in handy!

I'm back in Asia

On Tuesday I went down to Clark Park with Lilia. As I was there I noticed a bunch of Chinese women gathered. There were moms, grandmoms and children. It was so neat. It totally felt like I was back in Asia. That had been almost my everyday...at the playground surrounded by Asian women!

So I met one woman named Dan. She has a daughter a little older than Lilia and twins boys, less than a year old. We talked for a bit (in English of course) and it was nice getting to talk to her.

Well tonight we went to Keung's fellowship night at his church. Keung had helped us paint along with William, Lewis and John - the one who became a Christian. There was a Chinese dinner followed by a lecture. Lilia and I hung out for the dinner but left after.

We had just finished eating when Dan and her daughter walked in the door! It was such a cool surprise. The one Chinese woman I met shows up at this dinner. I sat with her and her daughter Rae as they ate. It was really neat connecting with her again.

Lilia was playing with stickers today

Lilia loves her bed! Busy jumping...

Living room

Our Living Room

This was so funny

Yesterday Clare helped me put Lilia's bed together. Later she came up and saw it. She came running to us and in this high pitched, excited voice she exclaimed, "I love my new bed!"

It was such a crazy tone of voice that it took a few seconds to register in my mind as actual words.

She then proceeded to jump on her new bed vigorously. It put a huge smile on all our faces.

Life here will NOT be boring!

Today I went food shopping for the first time. Culturally it was a different experience. In the meat section, there were tons of options for chicken thighs and wings and a very small selection of boneless breasts.

This one was hilarious...we were driving home tonight from church and there was a man riding a horse in the street. I believe it was his mode of transportation. He had a white cowboy hat in his hand and was dressed the part. How crazy is it in University City, Philadelphia to point out to your daughter in the back seat, "Look honey, there's a horse."

Just like Asia, there probably will be lots to write about!

TV

First of all...GO EAGLES on our first win of the season!!!

So watching tv at our house is funny because we've been watching a huge flat screen tv with high def for the past 3 1/2 months at my parent's house. Today, watching the game was weird. Every time I looked at the tv I kept thinking, "Wow, the picture is so bad," and "Why is there such a small frame around our tv." Our tv isnt' small, it's 27", but compared to what our eyes have been watching, it's terrible.

Funny how that works.

What a day

So it's 4:30, 12 hours since I woke up. We have gotten SO MUCH done! My mom came over this morning to help us get organized, put things away and place furniture. She's really good at that sort of thing. And she's a work horse - totally a compliment.

The entire living room is set up and 1 piece of art work is on the wall. The kitchen is totally set up and we got Lilia's room together, which was strewn with toys and stuffed animals that have been in boxes for a year.

It feels so good! It feels like our house is together. It doesn't feel like our home yet though. That reality hasn't sunk in.

We're In

We've just spent our first night in our new home! WE LOVE IT!

Yesterday went really smoothly. We thought we were going to be short on help, plus the weather didn't look too promising, but we prayed and God provided help and the rain held off. It was such a long day yesterday for the 3 of us. Dave and I were up at 5:30 and Lilia was up around 6:15. None of had naps and we were on our feet all day. My friend Clare was a beacon of light in the late afternoon. She came by after everything was moved in and helped us get the beds made and some stuff together. She even helped with dinner and did the dishes! What a wonderful friend.

Last night Lilia was in bed by 8, Dave and I went to bed around 8:30, 9. We were pooped. My body hurts so bad today.

I got up around 4:30 to check on Lilia and she was half off the bed. Luckily her mattress is on the floor so it wasn't a big deal. I couldn't go back to sleep after that because my mind was too busy and plus I was starving!

Well that's it for now. I'll put up pics soon.

5 weeks till Baby Boy is due!!!

Doll House

My dad helped his friend Ed move some stuff out of his house. For helping, Ed gave my dad this doll house that was in his basement for Lilia. We cleaned it up and got it ready for her to see when she woke up from her nap yesterday.
It was a Christmas morning face. She loves it! She's been playing with it every free minute. We'll keep it at my parents house so she has some really fun toys to play with!

"I have to put on my reading glasses." -Lilia, Age 2 1/2

Lilia has been asking me this question, several times a day..."Mommy, can me have nothing I want?"