Show Us Your Life - Favorite Vacation Spots

This week's Show Us Your Life topic at Kelly's Korner is favorite vacation spots. We love vacation and we love Bali, I thought it was the perfect time to reminisce about some of our past trips.

We have taken several trips to our favorite vacation spot, Bali! We used to live a short (30 minute) flight from there. Here are some the links that tell about our trips.

Our first trip to Bali was to attend some work meetings and celebrate our 2nd anniversary. We stayed in a hotel in Nusa Dua.

Part 1

Part 2

Vacation

Our second trip was a long anticipated vacation that took place the day after we found out we were expecting our first child. We stayed in a villa in Seminyak.

Family Trip

Our third trip to Bali was when my mom and brother were visiting and I was about 27 weeks pregnant. We stayed in a different villa in Seminyak.

And our last trip was when our baby boy was just 6 weeks old. We went with some friends and stayed in a villa in Seminyak.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Now that we live in Bangkok we are a little further from Bali, but we are hoping to take a nice family vacation there sometime in the next year.

Game Plan

Well, I think today might finally be the day. At 8:00 am (Friday night US time) we will go to the hospital and hopefully check in. I have been having contractions for the past few hours, so I am hopeful that I have made some progress and Dr. Pujo will be able to get Asher here sometime today.
Depending on the internet access at the hospital Roger (or somebody else) may be updating the blog, so check back to see what's going on.

Still Not Here

We went to see Dr. Pujo tonight and were expecting to be admitted to the hospital. We had all of our bags packed and were ready to go. Unfortunately, Dr. Pujo feels like Asher is still not ready to go. So, we are back to waiting.

He did an exam and said I was 1 cm and it would be best to wait until Saturday to induce. I told him we wanted to stay and he said we could if we wanted to, but Roger in all of his infinite wisdom asked Dr. Pujo what would be best for me and for Asher. Dr. Pujo said to just give it another day.
We are so disappointed, but hopeful that labor will start tonight or tomorrow and we will be able to avoid being induced. I am having some contractions now, so pray that they continue and get stronger so we can repack the car and head back to the hospital before Saturday.

We were able to pick up a few last minute things today. We got a nice mosquito net to go over Asher's bed and some window shades for the car. Normally we don't use mosquito nets, but if Asher is anything like his mom he will be the target of every mosquito in Southeast Asia. During this time of year it's impossible to keep all of the mosquitos out of our bedroom. The window shades are pretty self-explanatory...it's about 100 degrees everyday and the sun is bright and strong, we've got to protect our baby boy from that. As an added bonus I think it will also help keep people from staring inside our car at stoplights.

Asher Watch - Day 8

Dear Asher,
Consider this your eviction notice. I've enjoyed having you grow in my belly for the past 9 months (maybe a little longer...), but your time is up. Tomorrow is the day, either come out or Dr. Pujo is coming in to get you. Your father and I are tired of waiting on you.
Sincerely,
Your Mother

So, here's the plan.
Tomorrow night (Thursday morning in the USA) we will go see Dr. Pujo. We think he will admit me to the hospital and induce. I'm not really sure if he will induce Thursday night or Friday morning, he was sort of vague on the details and really I didn't think to ask.
This is the final Asher Watch, but we do plan on updating the blog from the hospital. We hear there is wi-fi at the hospital, but we will wait and see if it works.
So, be sure to check this website or your inbox for any news. Or maybe check facebook.

For the final Asher Watch quote:
"My brother were forced to borned."
Roger was discussing the possibility of inducing labor with one of our friends. He shared with us that his mother was also induced when his brother was born.

Asher Watch - Day 7

Still no baby boy, but Roger and I are enjoying laying around tonight feeling Asher squirm and kick inside my belly. We're trying to talk to him and tell him to come on out.
I guess the end really is near, if nothing happens tomorrow then Thursday night we will go back to Dr. Pujo and then finally Asher will be born!
We are so excited! Every night we go to sleep thinking that just maybe tomorrow is the day.

And finally, the pregnancy quote of the day...
My friend Indah always sends me text messages that say, "Gaimana kandungannya?"
The first time she asked me this I grabbed my dictionary because I had no idea what she was asking.
The translation: "How's the uterus?"
I guess that's one way to see how I'm doing...

Asher Watch - Day 6

Today is Asher's original due date, but I guess he is late for that one as well.
I walked another 2 miles today plus we went to the mall and to Carrefour, I hope all of this walking is helping.
There's also a full moon tonight, I'm still holding out hope that it will somehow help labor to start.
While at Carrefour we came across our quote of the day, although it has nothing to do with when I will born Roger's baby.
It was written on a t-shirt: "Little Miss Old Digger"

Asher Watch - Day 5

Today we continued our wait and did some cooking and took another trip to Starbucks. We keep taking the one last trip to Starbucks before the baby is born, but unfortunately the baby has yet to be born and we keep going back to Starbucks. Maybe today really was the last time...

I've gotten increasingly grumpy when people (a.k.a. our national friends) ask where Asher is. They evidently don't use due dates here so I guess it's my fault for telling them that Asher would be born on 9 September. Therefore on 9 September they all started freaking out because there was no Asher. They all think my doctor must not know what he is doing and that something is going terribly wrong. In fact they make sure and text message either me or Roger several times a day to let us know that something has gone wrong and that we should go to the doctor immediately. One of our friends even told us that his uncle would "born my baby" if my doctor was "wrong again this week."

So, in honor or my cultural frustrations the quote of the day comes from Roger's cell phone, "Were there any sign yet?"

Asher Watch - Day 4

We're still watching and waiting.
Only 5 more days for Asher to come on his own.
I walked another 2 miles tonight and got stared at by all the neighbors...again.

Quote of the day comes from the world famous (or at least Surabaya famous) Dr. Pujo:
"If no baby by next Thursday I think better to terminate the pregnancy."
I promise, we really are in good hands over here.

Asher Watch - Day 3

Nothing to report today except that nothing has happened. I don't even have a funny quote. By this time next week Asher should definitely be here, so I suppose the countdown can begin again.

Asher Watch - Day 2

We went to see Dr. Pujo tonight and he once again told us that Asher is healthy and that I am healthy. So healthy in fact, that there is no reason to do anything besides wait another week. He did a non-stress test and we got to spend an hour listening to Asher's heartbeat. It was good and strong, just like it's supposed to be and we got to check out the labor and delivery room.
The good news: if Asher is not here by next Thursday Dr. Pujo will induce me. We are happy to know that the end is finally in sight. I can handle another week knowing this.
We are still praying that Asher will decide to come before next Thursday, we really want to avoid being induced.

Finally, for the bad English/having a baby overseas quote of the day...
"I wish your baby have a Indonesian style on his attitudes, as like as Obama."

Asher Watch - Day 1

Well, there's not really too much to watch or report. Still no Asher. Roger says tomorrow is the day, I'm not that optimistic. We do go back and see Dr. Pujo tomorrow night (Thursday morning in the USA) and hopefully we will have some word from him about what happens next.

I have been walking every day in hopes of helping Asher get here sooner, but so far no luck. I am really sore and he has dropped down even more, so maybe the walks are helping some. I have also read that eating spicy food can sometimes bring on labor. I have been eating super spicy food for about a year and a half now...and we're still waiting.

So, for the funny part of waiting for a baby to be born in another country...
Roger gets about a thousand text messages a day and they almost all say this:
When Courtney will born your baby?

40 Weeks

Today is the day that Asher should be born. Evidently somebody forgot to tell him that because instead of pictures of a sweet baby boy, I only have a picture of me with an even bigger belly (by the way, there will be no more belly pictures, me and my tank top have reached the end).
Actually, we have read that only 5% of babies are born on their actual due date. So, I guess we shouldn't be too surprised that he's not here yet.

I think we have everything ready. I have most of my hospital bag packed (at least the important stuff like a new book, The Office Season 4 and snacks for Roger), the camera is charged and the
"Welcome Home Asher" sign is complete*.
Asher's bag has been packed for a while (umm, maybe since July...) and this week Roger put the car seat into the car. This is Asher's coming home outfit courtesy of Mimi, check out the cool monogram.
We are trying to be patient, but we can't wait to meet our baby boy. Hopefully soon we will be blogging about contractions and going to the hospital, but until then we will just be waiting.

*Bonus points for anyone who knows what television sitcom inspired this sign.

No News Yet

I just got back from my appointment with Dr. Pujo. Asher and I are both perfectly healthy and he told me to come back next week, which will be 2 days after my due date. He said if Asher is not here by next Thursday he will do a non-stress test to make sure everything is still okay.
For now we are continuing to wait. I will try to update the blog when something starts to happen and since there is wi-fi at the hospital we should be able to post some pictures soon after he is born.

For now, here are some pictures of stuff Asher has gotten in the mail recently.
All the orange is from the Record family and these are Asher's first pair of shoes.
These pajamas and this bib are from Aunt Jessica. She should be here to welcome Asher into the world, but unfortunately because of her Thymus gland she is already back in America.

Thank you all so much! I love getting mail, especially when it's for Asher.

39 Weeks at the Buffet

There's not too much to update this week. Still no Asher and I haven't been to the doctor again. I do go back to Dr. Pujo on Thursday night, hopefully he will tell us something really exciting like, "It's time for Asher to be born!" So, check back on Thursday and see what we find out.

While we have been sitting around sweating and waiting for Asher we have had some fun. Yesterday we went to the Shangri-La Hotel for a little breakfast buffet action. It was heavenly and we managed to eat enough that we were not hungry again until dinner time.

This is what gluttony looks like. They told us the buffet was closing so we all went back and loaded up our plates with one last round of bacon, pancakes and other goodies. For some reason I also ended up with several pieces of cheese. I guess that's just what happens when you take a very pregnant woman to a buffet.

After we rolled out of the restaurant we went outside to take a few pictures.

Roger and I wanted to compare our bellies. Since I've been pregnant Roger has lost 20 pounds and I have gained 20 pounds.



I made Roger pose for a few pictures with me. Who knows, these may be the last pictures we have together before becoming a family of 3!

And of course, Roger couldn't be serious for all of the pictures. I think in this picture he is giving Asher a little pep talk...
"Get out here boy! I'm tired of waiting around to meet you!"

By the way...check out that countdown on the right side of the screen. We are in the single digits now!

38 Weeks

Today Asher got a big box in the mail, it came all the way from Louisville! It was filled with clothes, books, toy and diapers.

This was Roger's favorite thing.

Sapi Cat felt like he needed to check out everything.

Look at all the stuff! Thanks Mandy (and family), we really appreciate you sending us such a wonderful package. Besides all the baby stuff, there were some Reese's Cups and Kit Kats for me and Roger.

Today was definitely a good day all around. Besides getting a package, we got hot water. Yay! After a week of cold showers it felt so good to take a hot shower. I was starting to worry that Asher would be taking some cold baths when he got here.

Nothing new to report, no doctor's appointments or anything this week. Roger got his haircut, so he's ready to take pictures with Asher. I'm just ready to trade in belly pictures for baby pictures. Here's me at 38 weeks, enjoying some Indepence Day festivities.

37 Weeks

Today marks Asher being a full-term baby. That means we are ready for him to get here. We have moved past looking cute and being patient and into being hot and round and ready for our baby to arrive. Actually, there are still three weeks until Asher's due date, so really there's not too much to get excited about quite yet. But we are excited and hoping that just maybe Asher will decide he's ready to come on out.
Here's a hot and sweaty picture of me in our miniature kitchen. Excuse the scrubby look, we are once again without running water in our house and I am having to resort to bathing in our laundry room with a bucket and some cold water.

Here's to the possibility that by this time next week we will have a baby (or at least running water!)

Baby Shower

The one thing I have definitely missed out on by not being in the States are baby showers. This really had me down and extremely jealous of all those people who got to make registries and get all those super cute baby things.
Yesterday all of the ladies here threw me a wonderful shower. We had a great time eating, opening gifts, playing games and sharing advice. I feel like I learned so much and I had a great time.
Here are some pictures from the shower.

Charlotte sent decorations from America, she may not be here, but her style still is.

I got a lot of great baby stuff from everybody. I got sheets for Asher's bed, clothes, lots of diapers, bath stuff, socks, pacifiers and some little toys. You can see the personalized "Asher" wrapping paper in this picture.

Look at all that food! They went all out on the brunch menu and we had some good stuff.

Of course there was a cake. It was so good that I ate it for breakfast this morning!

We had so much fun spending time together and playing with knives.



We enjoyed some classic baby shower games, Judy tore it up and won all of the games.

Everybody put in their guesses about Asher's birthday and size. If you want in on the contest leave a comment or send me an email. The winner will probably not get a prize, but you definitely get bragging rights.

Here are the guesses from yesterday:
Bethany: 7 lbs 1 oz, 20.5 inches, 12 September
Nancy: 6 lbs 2 oz, 20 inches, 15 September
Judy: 8 lbs, 21 inches, 18 September
Lindsey: 8 lbs 1 oz, 21 inches, 17 September
Reagan: 7 lbs 4 oz, 19.5 inches, 23 September
Charlotte: 7 lbs 14 oz, 9 September

Okay, the final thing from yesterday. Everybody wrote cards for us with advice, a prayer or scripture. I made a collage for Asher's room.

36 Weeks

I went to see Dr. Pujo last Thursday night and he said all is well with Baby Asher, he is head down and engaged and we are ready for him to get here.


We are now going to the doctor every other week and as far as I know that will continue until Asher decides to make his appearance. Until then I am trying to keep myself busy and distracted. One very exciting distraction this weekend will be a baby shower! My friends here are throwing a baby shower brunch for me on Saturday. Check back later for pictures from the festivities.

35 Weeks

Here's yet another picture of my ever-expanding belly.

So far I have gained about 18 pounds and I'm feeling pretty good about that. Hopefully since I have not gained that much weight it won't be too hard to lose it after Asher is born.

I think the nesting urge has hit me. Besides being up at 4 am washing baby clothes the other day I have found myself with the overwhelming urge to dust the tops of the ceiling fan controls and organize our socks. I keep trying to get Asher's room put together, but I get distracted by the little details (like socks and dust). Hopefully tomorrow while Roger is working on his fitness I will be working on making a disorganized guest bedroom into a nursery using only a twin bed, a small dresser and a Moses Basket. One of the downsides of Asher being born here is that we are moving soon after he is born and therefore can't really justify spending a lot of money on all that fun, cute nursery stuff.

While we are super excited that Asher will be born here, there are definitely disadvantages as well. Mostly missing out on having family around, having baby showers and all that kind of stuff.

You know you're having a baby boy...

...when the baby laundry can be divided into two piles.


Light blue and dark blue.

But I guess I could also say this:
You know you are pregnant when you can't sleep at 4 am and you get up and decide the best way to spend your time is washing baby clothes.

Belly pictures from week 35 coming soon.