New Life

Whenever us Lohses decide to return from our Asian adventure,  one thing has been confirmed.  We will be coming back heavy one little Lohse. That's right...another Lohse baby is growing and getting ready to join us around October 1st in this crazy place we call home!

We just told the kids last week and they had some interesting comments.  Showing them the ultrasound picture, Sophia was convinced it was a frog.  Once we told them it was a baby, they then started listing off all of the fun facts about babies.  According to Eric, our thinker, babies don't have teeth, they can't talk, and they cry alot, especially when they are scared.  Sophia, completely in line with her more aggressive nature, said that babies cry when you hit them in the face.  Yeah, this should be fun. ;O)

But we are all very excited.  Eric wants a brother, Sophia wants a sister.  Unfortunately, one of them is going to be disappointed.  Upon recommendation from my mom, I am going to document this pregnancy through the eyes of my children.  Their perspective and comments are hilarious and worth remembering.

So now we are off to exploring the medical system here in China.  So far we have been pleasantly surprised with the facilities, doctors, and nursing staff and are planning on having the baby here in China. 

But we are just taking it one day at a time, enjoying life and thanking God for all of the wonderful things we have been blessed with.

Friends in Far Away Places

A broken foot and a free pass for a 4-day weekend.  What's a girl to do?  Go to New Zealand, what else?

Doug gave me "permission" 7 months ago to plan a weekend trip to New Zealand to visit one of my very good friends, Les.  She has been living there for 2 years working as a large-animal vet in Culverden (near Christ Church).  I have a hard time letting such a good opportunity to see a part of the world I have never been to pass me by, so when the flights went on sale in September, I was booked.

Fast-forward 7 months and here I stood a few days before my much anticipated trip with a broken foot.  As Doug puts it, he knew I really never debated whether I should go or not.  Nor did I ask permission.  After getting the blessing from the doctor, I packed my backpack, padded my crutches, and headed off to the airport for my 10,000+ mile weekend journey. 

And let me tell you...it was worth it.

I only saw a small part of it and much of it from the car or from seaside benches enjoying my ice cream, but one thing is for certain.  It is a stunning country, absolutely fabulous.  And to be honest, I don't know why kiwis ever leave.  I know I didn't want to.

New Zealand has made my Top 5 Places in the World and I am already trying to figure out how to make it back.  Hopefully next time, it will be on my own two feet.

Click on the above picture to view more!

 Enjoy the pictures!

To Squat or Not to Squat

Potty training with Sophia has not been fun.  She is two months shy of 3 and is pretty insistent that diapers work just fine for her. We have bought all of the special underwear, used stickers, chocolate, lollipops, anything we can think of to bribe her to walk to the bathroom and just sit on that toilet.  But she’s not having it.  Some may describe her as stubborn and independent, having decided she will take those diapers off when she is good and ready.  Her teachers tell me, “Just be patient.  She will do it on her own time.”  

  

Admittedly, part of me is getting a bit worried that she is going to be 5, wearing diapers and sucking her thumb.  But then another part of me is thankful, as I am fully aware of what is to come.

Yep, squat toilets.  And it isn’t the actual toilet that worries me, it is navigating it with a little girl that has little balance and coordination and a mommy that unfortunately is lacking the same traits. 

For those of you that have never experienced a squat toilet, let me tell you.  It requires leg strength, balance, and lots of luck.  The logistics are overwhelming really.  Where to put your coat so that it doesn’t dip into the toilet.  How to balance your purse on your lap while you dig through it looking for that one piece of Kleenex that is buried in there somewhere (yep, you guessed it, toilet paper is not supplied!) How far back do you stand so that you make it in, but don’t fall in.  And don’t even get me started on the sanitation concerns.  Let’s just say, it is complicated.

So, you can see why I am not looking forward to leaving the house in the midst of potty training.  Boys are easy.  They can walk in, do their business standing up, and walk out literally without touching a thing.  But girls…different story.

Now, I am left contemplating a few different things.  How bad is it really that Sophia may still wearing diapers at 5?  Do kids really need water to survive?  Or maybe I shouldn’t have judged all those Chinese moms who put their kids in split pants as babies and let them squat in the streets.  At least they are out of diapers by the age of 1 and they haven’t had to try to hover their 35 pound child over the hole in the floor. 

I guess we will just have to wait and see.