Travel is More

In 3 short days, we will be on our way to Bali for the winter holiday. I am beyond ready to relax and explore with my little family.  My dad and his wife will be joining us along with our best friends here in China, so we're lucky to spend the holiday season with people we love! 

A house we're renting with our friends

I'm also looking forward to doing some reading. I mostly enjoy reading non-fiction books. Here are a few that I hope to begin this break.

Found here

Found here

Found here

 "Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." 

-Miriam Beard, Realism in Romantic Japan 

I began to read How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm and one of the chapters started with this inspiring quote. Don't you love when you read something that make you stop in your tracks and re-read it again and again? I think it's so fitting for us since we'll be traveling this holiday. Lately, I've been in a lull. I've been feeling pretty home-sick and second guessing our decision to stay abroad for the holidays. Reading this quote reaffirmed why we live abroad- to be able to experience change, to continue to learn to be more open-minded, and grow together as a family.

I will miss our dear friends and family so much this holiday season. Please know that we are thinking about you and hope you're Christmas is nothing short of magical. We can't wait to see you all in a few months. 

Hope your holiday season is merry and bright! xo

Our November

November has been a bit chaotic and busy. Here's a little breakdown of our month.

EAL Conference

A couple of weeks ago, our school hosted an EAL conference with almost 200 participants that my team organized. Kurt was away for part of the weekend coaching basketball and I didn't get to see Sawyer much. Our ayi (nanny) stayed with Sawyer and the poor guy had a 101 fever, so I had to run home to give him medicine, and get hurry back to the conference. I think the culprit was teeth as a few new molars have sprouted and he was quite fussy for a few days. 

There was even cotton candy

Sawyer Update

Sawyer is turning into quite the character. He knows what he wants and has an opinion about EVERYTHING. He's starting to have temper tantrums (throwing himself on the floor crying if he doesn't get what he wants) and very clingy, pulling on my leg demanding to be picked up. Terrible twos early?!

He's loving reading books and watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates before bed. Good grief that song is going to forever be stuck in my head! He dances around to the songs and will lay down on a pillow and blanket and cuddle me.  Today, he was pretending to mix food in an empty jar and then began feeding me with the spoon (so sweet).

He definitely loves the holidays like his mom. Sawyer is obsessed with our Christmas tree. If the lights aren't turned on, he will point and whine at the tree until someone turns them on...then he starts to clap and giggle. 

Our little Christmas tree

He's not talking yet...he will say momma and dadda but that's about it. For all I know he's trying to speak in Chinese! He understands far more Chinese than English, since our ayi, Karen speaks in Chinese to him all day. She will ask him to get his shoes and he will do it. We will ask him in English and he stares at us. I'm not worried though, because the language will come on it's own time. I have also heard that language can be delayed in bilingual households. 

Sawyer having the time of his life at his friend's 2nd birthday party.

Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving with two other teacher families this year. I made pumpkin pie for the first time ever...and I'm happy to report that it turned out great!  I may have eaten pumpkin pie for breakfast the next morning too. My friend Kristin made the most delicious homemade stuffing that I'm still dreaming about. Sawyer didn't want any of the food, go figure. So instead, he ate oranges (at least someone ate healthy to balance the rest of us out). It was nice, low-key dinner and I left feeling stuffed. Thanksgiving 2014 for the win.

Sawyer and his Thanksgiving oranges

Winter Bazaar

Every December, our school hosts a Winter Bazaar featuring yummy food from all around the world, games, and some shopping. We haven't been able to go for the past two years, and I was excited that we were able to make it this year. The Bazaar was packed and there was a ton of good food, but the booths sold out quickly (aka basically, I just ate deserts). My favorite were the Swedish waffles (which reminds me... I REALLY want a waffle maker) and Brazilian treats. Santa even made an appearance. 

I love the festive international flag decorations.

We couldn't pass up this photo op 

Santa is a popular guy

A snapshot of the Bazaar

Movember booth

...and onto December!

20 Weeks

Baby Callahan is half way "cooked" and I'm still in disbelief. This pregnancy is flying by.  November has been a crazy/busy month and I'm so happy it's December (one of my favorite months because Christmas of course). 

We've picked out a name for our little lady, Rosalie Beth. We chose Rosalie because we think it's sweet and classic. Beth is my mom's middle name and Kurt's mom's middle name is Elizabeth, so it's a way to honor both grandmas= win.

Gender: Girl 

Weight gain: Unsure (I will find out at my apt. this Saturday...yikes)

Maternity clothes: Yes, I'm starting to stretch out some of my regular clothes... still using the good ol' ponytail trick for squeezing into my jeans.

Stretch marks: Nada

Belly button in or out: Outtie (kind of annoying) it didn't do this until the end of my pregnancy with Sawyer.

Sleep: All over the place. I've been pretty exhausted after a few busy weeks at school and falling asleep at 7:30 on the couch, then waking up in the middle of the night for 1-2 hours. My brain just wont turn off. 

Best moment this week: Having a date night out (it's been about two months) so it was nice to relax and spend one on one time with Kurt.

Worst moment this week: I'm getting sick and feeling pretty blah in general.

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Miss anything: Beer. Is it spring yet?

Movement: Yes, and we can sometimes feel her from the outside.

Cravings: Chocolate. I eat some form of chocolate every .  single  .  day .  Also cereal...weird.

Queasy or sick: Sick (as in cold related, not pregnancy related)

Looking forward to: Our Christmas in Bali! We leave next week...hooray :)