Your pregnancy: 29 weeks
How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Christmas at the Sheraton
We forgot for a minute it was Christmas eve, and when we remembered we scrambled to make it to the Sheraton to watch the carolers. Christmas carolers with accents are interesting to say the least.
We headed downstairs in the Sheraton to the new pub, The Harp. I love it. It's a chain and is should be kind of cheesy, but it's not. I might ask if I can live there. Something wrong with an obviously pregnant woman living in a pub? I think not. It's probably the most "western" place we've been. And not a robe or veil in site. Strangely, that's what made my Christmas eve.
Christmas day we had the neighbors over for dinner. All the food was really good and I think we might have been at the table for two hours of continuous eating. All good old American Christmas food too. Ham, green bean casserole, dill and cheddar biscuits, mashed potatoes, corn bread casserole, pecan pie, Christmas cookies...mmmmm.
I took Perry some leftovers for lunch today at the Corniche. He seems to enjoy the idea of me bringing him lunch to the park everyday. Maybe we'll shoot for once or twice a week while the weather's so nice.
Tonight we head to a get together for Boxing Day. We don't know what Boxing Day is all about, but Perry and the neighbor thought they might show up in shorts and gloves so they're prepared. I think I'll do some research before we head over tonight, or not. It might be more interesting if I don't.
The Zoo
Rides at the zoo....
It's not the tin man that needs to be oiled.
The zoo was interesting. Lots of animals they might have just picked up in the desert, oryx, goat, ostrich and the like. We somehow missed the cat area, we saw a cheetah, but missed anything else. You can literally touch lots of the animals if you're brave. They put up an extra barricade for the cheetah, but you could stick a finger in w/ the emu, ostrich, elephants, monkeys and feed the giraffes.
We thought the 'ride' above was pretty humorous, but they actually have a children's area w/ three or four rides for them at the opposite end of the park from the animals. Lots of room for picnicking too. All of this for about $1.50. Can't beat it.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Rant
This will be, hopefully, my one rant about the locals. It's going to be this way for the remainder of the 2 years, so I just need to get use to it.
The locals of the country don't seem to have matured past 15. It's the most entitled group of people on earth. They drive like they're playing pole position, they throw trash out the window and drop any trash they have on them, they expect you to get out of their way when walking, driving, standing in line, etc. If you were to mention this to them, they would tell you how lucky you are to be in their country and what a favor they're doing you by letting you be here.
Of course, they don't work, so they need us here to continue that tradition. Don't get me wrong, they have jobs. One of the locals took me around the first week I was here to get my health card. I'm told I was very lucky to have this unique experience, because they wouldn't normally take a woman around. He was a nice enough. Young, early 20's, and had as many questions for me as I had for him. I hadn't received my drivers license yet and he didn't think it was a big deal that I sat at home while P was at work. It's only for a few hours anyway, right? Huh? He goes into work at 8 (his words, he didn't actually get there on this morning until about 9:30) works until lunch out of the office getting health card info, driver's licenses etc., goes to lunch, does paperwork until about 3 and then goes home. When I tell him P leaves at 7:15 and doesn't get home until 6:30 at night, he asks me what P is doing. HE'S WORKING BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE DON'T!!! Now this guy is getting the short end of the stick, because he does seem to show up, and many don't show up for weeks at a time. Turns out he was in charge of getting me the previously mentioned driver's license. He had one stop to make to get it and it took him 4 weeks.
There was even a post on a local forum where the lady chewed out some expat about having the nerve to complain about the level of health care here. She told him how lucky he was to even be allowed health care. They cut in front of you in line at the grocery or where ever you may be, in my case, it was some guy at S*arbucks.
We went to the zoo yesterday and it was unbelievable. Partly the zoo's fault, but it's run by the locals. Everyone was feeding the animals whatever they had in their hands...popcorn, plastic bags, candy. Banging on the cages, screaming at the animals and sticking their fingers in any opening possible. I wish I was quick enough to video the lady playing keep away with an ostrich, WITH HER OWN FINGER!! P asked what I thought was going to happen, I was hoping she lost more than one. No such luck.
Natural selection would lead you to believe the entire country will soon be wiped out due to stupidity and inbreeding, but unfortunately, they have enough money to carry on this way for hundreds of years. When the men turn a certain age, (I think it's 21)they are given a plot of land, a house and the equivalent of about $200,000 dollars. They are then given about $7,000 a month for the rest of their lives. The $200,000 is called a loan, but is always forgiven in about 7 years. No interest, no payments made, nothing. Why work?
The locals of the country don't seem to have matured past 15. It's the most entitled group of people on earth. They drive like they're playing pole position, they throw trash out the window and drop any trash they have on them, they expect you to get out of their way when walking, driving, standing in line, etc. If you were to mention this to them, they would tell you how lucky you are to be in their country and what a favor they're doing you by letting you be here.
Of course, they don't work, so they need us here to continue that tradition. Don't get me wrong, they have jobs. One of the locals took me around the first week I was here to get my health card. I'm told I was very lucky to have this unique experience, because they wouldn't normally take a woman around. He was a nice enough. Young, early 20's, and had as many questions for me as I had for him. I hadn't received my drivers license yet and he didn't think it was a big deal that I sat at home while P was at work. It's only for a few hours anyway, right? Huh? He goes into work at 8 (his words, he didn't actually get there on this morning until about 9:30) works until lunch out of the office getting health card info, driver's licenses etc., goes to lunch, does paperwork until about 3 and then goes home. When I tell him P leaves at 7:15 and doesn't get home until 6:30 at night, he asks me what P is doing. HE'S WORKING BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE DON'T!!! Now this guy is getting the short end of the stick, because he does seem to show up, and many don't show up for weeks at a time. Turns out he was in charge of getting me the previously mentioned driver's license. He had one stop to make to get it and it took him 4 weeks.
There was even a post on a local forum where the lady chewed out some expat about having the nerve to complain about the level of health care here. She told him how lucky he was to even be allowed health care. They cut in front of you in line at the grocery or where ever you may be, in my case, it was some guy at S*arbucks.
We went to the zoo yesterday and it was unbelievable. Partly the zoo's fault, but it's run by the locals. Everyone was feeding the animals whatever they had in their hands...popcorn, plastic bags, candy. Banging on the cages, screaming at the animals and sticking their fingers in any opening possible. I wish I was quick enough to video the lady playing keep away with an ostrich, WITH HER OWN FINGER!! P asked what I thought was going to happen, I was hoping she lost more than one. No such luck.
Natural selection would lead you to believe the entire country will soon be wiped out due to stupidity and inbreeding, but unfortunately, they have enough money to carry on this way for hundreds of years. When the men turn a certain age, (I think it's 21)they are given a plot of land, a house and the equivalent of about $200,000 dollars. They are then given about $7,000 a month for the rest of their lives. The $200,000 is called a loan, but is always forgiven in about 7 years. No interest, no payments made, nothing. Why work?
Sand Cat
P was looking for info about the zoo and found some info about these cats. We'd like one as a pet. We wouldn't, but we wanna...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Weather
is actually perfect here right now. It might reach 80 for a minute, but seems to stay around 70-75 degrees. We took the boat out for a little spin yesterday afternoon and it was even a couple of degrees too cool. It's niiiiiice!
Head of cauliflower to a Chinese cabbage?
.jpg)
Your pregnancy: 28 weeks
How your baby's growing:By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in he brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
We're doing our best to fatten him up like a Christmas ham. I'm suppose to gain about a pound a week until close to the end. P's keeping a food diary for me to make sure I stay on track. The sonograms all show him as right on target, so if the peeps could just quit commenting about my belly, I think we'd be O.K.
How your baby's growing:By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in he brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
We're doing our best to fatten him up like a Christmas ham. I'm suppose to gain about a pound a week until close to the end. P's keeping a food diary for me to make sure I stay on track. The sonograms all show him as right on target, so if the peeps could just quit commenting about my belly, I think we'd be O.K.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
