Quick Update
Today is my wife’s due date to have the baby…but apparently our little girl doesn’t want to make her appearance yet. We are scheduled to go in on Monday morning to start the induction process (if she doesn’t come by then). Thank you for your prayers over the past month and we will appreciate your prayers over the next month.
China Baby Update
We had another appoint at the doctor this past week and it seems our little girl is growing to be a healthy little baby girl. There was one area of concern that I will mention, so you can know how to pray, and that is the cord is around the baby’s neck one time.
After discussing it with the doctor and looking it up online, it seems to be a fairly common thing for this to happen (somewhere around 1 out of 3) and many don’t have any complications. But since there is a chance (somewhere around 1 out of 1,000) that there could be complications from the cord wrapping two or three times around the baby’s neck and/or becomes too tight. On the other hand, the cord could also unwrap from the baby’s neck.
There is nothing to do about the situation as there isn’t any complications at the moment. We are to just keep note of the baby and make sure there isn’t any irregulars movements. Also, we will get an ultrasound each week to make sure everything is okay (they are extremely cheap here).
Finally, it seems that we will be delivering the baby in a different city at the beginning of next year. We will be going there about three weeks before the baby is due and live there for about a month or so. We are making preparations now for this time and looking forward to seeing our healthy little China baby sometime in January/February!
09.30.11
China Baby is a Girl!
I know I am a little late with this blog post, but for all of those who didn’t get the memo we finally were able to find out that our little “China Baby” is going to be a girl. For all the details you need to read my wife’s recent blog post, which you can do by clicking here.
Here are a few excerpts from her post:
Last week, we made our big trip to Beijing for our 20 week scan. This scan was especially important to us having the history that we have. While in Beijing, we were able to have a great appointment (more info later!!!,) and we learned our baby is developing beautifully so far! Praise the Lord!
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The next day, I returned to the hospital to see my regular doctor who happened to be in that day. I sat down in front of her and calmly said, “I went to Beijing and they did the anatomy scan; everything is perfect so far, but I want to know the gender!!”
She smiled and said “No problem!’
She then went on to explain that normally the doctors would be correct in saying “it’s impossible,” but since she’s the expert OB/ GYN at the hospital, she could definitely make it happen.
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I’m still in shock that if the Lord continues to allow we will be bringing this baby home. I catch myself looking at baby things and not buying them…as if I can’t.…as if it’s all a dream.
09.23.11
A China(er) Baby Update
The important stuff…
After our appoint on Thursday, the baby seems to be heathy and developing normally. Everything checked out normal and they didn’t see any reason for concern! Praise the Lord! We are excited about this little one joining our amazing journey here in China!
We didn’t get to find out the gender because of Chinese law. We were hoping that because we are foreigners that they would tell us, but they said they still couldn’t let us know because of the law. So as of now, we aren’t sure!
Thanks for Praying! (That was a quick update, if you want to read more details keep reading below!)
The nitty-gritty stuff…
On Thursday morning my wife and I took a trip to Beijing for her 20 week appointment the check on the baby. From what I understand this is the big appointment where they check all the organs and make sure that everything is developing normally. This also was that same appoint when we found out our news about Wesley last year. Like Wesley we didn’t know to much about the baby at this point. We knew a little more information as I was able to see the baby once on a ultrasound, but due to the way Chinese health care is run we didn’t know much more than, “yes, there is a baby.” So for this being an important appointment we decided to go to the hospital in Beijing that is more advance with their medical care and more “foreigner friendly.” Also, this is the hospital my wife will most likely deliver at.
Anyways, we weren’t to worried about this appointment, but whenever we think back to Wesley there is always a wave of emotions that arises. Nevertheless, we arrived in Beijing on Thursday morning spent some time around town, had lunch at TFGI Friday’s and then headed to our appoint in the afternoon.
The hospital is definitely a different experience than the hospitals in our city. It is where all the foreigners seem to go so everyone seemed to be able to speak English. The facilities remind you a lot of an American hospital. They do direct billing with our insurance company. The doctor we ended up seeing was an American. And there were a lot of white people there (more than we are use to seeing anyways).
The process was also a lot easier as they had a person assigned to us that told us everything we had to do. I asked the nurse during the ultrasound if it was a boy or girl and she told us she wasn’t allowed to tell us. But at the end she brought up a picture of the baby on the screen and with a smile said “I can’t tell you but you can look.” So we looked and tried to figure it out on our own. I think she was sincerely trying to help us out and I even asked them guessing, but they weren’t giving me very good hints they just had big smiles on their faces as we were trying to figure out this ultrasound picture on the screen.
I thought I had it figured out. Then as we were waiting in the lobby to see the doctor I decided to do a google search on my phone to see if other pics could help me out. After looking at a bunch of ultrasound pics online I thought it was the opposite of what I originally thought.
So now we are just confused, though I think I know. But who wants to announce an self diagnosed ultrasound picture. Have you ever seen one of those things and really understood it?
Then we saw the doctor, everything check out good with her also. We left got another bite to eat, headed back to the airport to head home Thursday night.
Long but good day!
09.14.11
“That’s our church!”
The other night my daughter and I were sitting on the couch watching a friend’s ordination on TV taking place at our sending church. Here is a short dialogue that took place between us:
After a few minutes she turns to me and in an almost surprised voice says “that’s our church!”
I replied “yes, thats our church!” being surprised myself that she remembered it.
A little while later she said “that is really far away, right?”
I replied “yes, it is really far away.”
Then she said in all seriousness “maybe we can take a taxi and go find that church!”
I think she loves her home church!
Past Related Post:
- Funny Quotes from the Birthday Girl
- Once Again, Funny Quotes From A Funny Kid
- More Quotes from Our Two/Four-Year-Old
- Quoting a Two-Year-Old
08.18.11
Happy 4th Anniversary to My Wife!
It have the privilege of being married to the most wonderful wife for four years. Time has passed by so quickly and I am excited about our future together!
I asked her to marry me four years ago on May 1st at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and she actually said YES!
On my old blog, Asian Bible Fellowship, which is no longer live, I wrote the following on July 9th, 2007:
Only 40 Days!
It gets closer everyday! I can’t wait to be married. It was funny though, because I had a dream last night about the wedding. The dream was that we were having the wedding at my old church in Ohio and when people started coming in there were no pews for some reason so everyone had to sit on the floor. Then when [she] was coming down the isle I wasn’t dressed and ready yet, so I was running to the front as I was buttoning up my shirt and putting on my tie. Yeah, kind of a weird dream, I hope that doesn’t happen. But I am excited and love [her] with all my heart!
Well I am glad that dream didn’t come true, but I glad that my dream of marring her did come true! My wife has been a great wife and a great mother. She loves the Lord and has been willing to follow as we traveled on deputation and moved our family to China.
My wife, I love you! Thank you for 4 years!
Here is a special video celebrating our 4 years together!
08.13.11
It has been a year!
This past Wednesday, August 10th, marked one year since we boarded the plane in Atlanta, GA to leave for China. A couple days later I posted this blog post “We Made it to China!” and this video announcing our arrival.
We count it a privilege that we get to serve as missionaries on the foreign field. God has been so good to our family and we just want to see his name high and lifted up here in China.
We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but I just wanted to take a moment and praise the Lord for His faithfulness and goodness to us over the last year. Also, I wanted to thank my wife and family for being willing to and adapting to a hard place.
To God be the glory!
08.12.11
“China Baby” Update
I announced a couple months back that my wife is expecting again. Last time we went to the doctor, we didn’t receive much information just confirmation that she was with child. We were suppose to go to Beijing for our next appointment but plans changed. We were able to ask another American family living here about their experience (since they have had 4 kids in China) and visit the hospital and doctor they recommended.
Today’s appointment went much better than the last one. The equipment seems to be much more “up-to-date” (but that was about it). The doctor could speak some English and has worked with foreigners before.
My wife still wasn’t allowed to see the ultrasound but I was in the room and was able to see it. Since this is my wife’s third pregnancy, I knew what I was looking at. I could see the whole baby’s body, head, legs, hands, spine, see it squirming around and we heard the heartbeat real quick.
My wife is about 15 weeks along right now, which puts her due date around the end of January, which is also Chinese New Year and the coldest part of the winter!
As of now everything seems to be normal with the baby!
Thank you for your prayers and caring for our family!
08.2.11
Pray For My Dad
Pray for my Dad as he received first and second degree burns from an explosion at work. I just finished talking to my mom on the phone and it seems that everything is going to be okay. Here is the latest update from my mom via Facebook:
“Update on Allen….he was involved in an explosion at work today and has first degree burns on his face and arm and three areas of second degree burns on forehead and arm. He is doing good now….they have his face wrapped like a mummy! He has to stay all night at MVH and hopefully will get to go home tomorrow. Continue to pray all goes good.”
I will try to keep you updated in the comments. Thanks for praying!
07.18.11
Funny Quotes from the Birthday Girl
Today is my little girl’s birthday. She turns 3 (or 4 depends what culture we are counting by). When asking her a few days ago what she wanted for her birthday, she replies with “chocolate cake, candy, and a cat toy!” She is a blessing and we thank God for her!
Here are some other funny quotes from the birthday girl!
-My wife: “Finish eating your green beans!” My Daughter: “I can’t reach my fork.”
-On a Sunday morning I was expplaing to my daughter that momy was my wife and also the thing I was tying around my neck was a tie. That didn’t fully compute and now my wife is my tie!
-After she got in trouble for not listening I said “Why don’t you want to listen?” Kinda of a rhetorical question but she sincerely answered “Because I don’t want to.” Simple enough, problem found.
-Me: “Do you want to ride a boat? “ My daughter: “A dragon boat?” — Yea, it is obvious we live in China if she knows what a dragon boat is.
-During family devotions we use a kids picture bible along with what we read to illustrate the story. When we showed her the picture of the manger scene she inquired if it was “old macdonald had a farm?!”
-I asked my daughter what this character was “ 冷 “ and she said “it is a tent, see, and it is raining.” (It just means “cold.”)
-I was practicing memorizing some Chinese characters and my daughter informed my that “chinese words look like buildings.”
-“Daddy is big and mommy and me are little.”
Past Post about Funny Quotes from the Birthday Girl:
- Once Again, Funny Quotes From A Funny Kid
- More Quotes from Our Two/Four-Year-Old
- Quoting a Two-Year-Old