It's a boy!

We had an ultrasound done earlier this week and found out that little Baby Bo is a baby boy! We opted for the 3D ultrasound and got some pretty cool pictures of the little guy. It's amazing that he seems so perfectly formed but still has 17 weeks until the due date.

We're Back!

We just got back last night from vacation. After leaving the beach in southern Thailand, we flew north to the mountains of Chiang Mai. We had a wonderful time and hope our conference is held there again next year. I wanted to post a few more pictures from our last day. It was my birthday, and I thought the best way to celebrate was do something that kept Vera happy. It's funny how that happens once you have kids. We went to the zoo. Vera LOVED the zoo, and Matt and I really enjoyed it too. It was HUGE! We literally HAD to take transportation around it. It was way to large to walk around it on our own. If you ever find yourself in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we highly recommend a trip to the zoo!

More Beach Pictures

Here are a few more pictures from the beach today. First, it took Vera about five minutes to make her new friend for the day. She called him "Papa" until she learned his name was John. He even built a sandcastle with her. He and his wife are from England and spending three weeks in Phuket before heading to Bali for a couple of weeks.
















Matt captured this action shot of Vera and I this afternoon.
















And, last, this is not a flattering photo, but because I've had multiple requests for a "belly pic", here it is.

Hello from Phuket!

As promised, I've posted some pics below from our vacation. We are really enjoying our time here in Phuket. Vera loves the beach! I think she'll be disappointed with the last part of our trip when we'll be up north in the mountains. At least the weather will still be nice. We have over a week left before heading back to China, but I'm already dreading leaving these warm temperatures.

Vera Feeds an Elephant

We made it!

After a couple of days in Bangkok, we are in Phuket! Vera's ready to go to the beach, but I think she'll have to wait until tomorrow for that. We have some pictures on the camera from Bangkok. I'll try to post them tonight or tomorrow.

We're Going on Vacation!

We are tired of the cold, wet weather. We're going on vacation! The weather really has been terrible--about 50 degrees and wet for the last three weeks. That wouldn't be so bad, but we don't have heat! We have two small space heaters to help keep us warm, though if any other appliance is on, we can only use one of them. One small heater in about 1500 square feet doesn't do much!

We are leaving this afternoon for Thailand. The first week is for rest and vacation. We'll be in Bangkok for a day, then off to the beaches of Phuket for the rest of the week. After that, we'll fly to northern Thailand and spend most of the week at the Jian Hua conference in Chiang Mai. We are very excited for this opportunity to get away as a family and enjoy some warm weather!

We'll be back on February 25, and on March 4 Vera and I are leaving for a three week trip to the US. We are thankful that Vera is a great traveler! I'll post some pics during our trip if I get a chance. If not, then I'll be back at the end of the month.

Bowling with Uncle Mark

My brother Mark was here last week. The weather was pretty wet and cold, so there wasn't much to do. We did go bowling one afternoon. Vera loved having him around (so did Matt and I), and she now refers to our guest bedroom as "Uncle Mark's bedroom". Here's a little video of the two of them bowling.

This afternoon, about ten minutes after Vera was put down for her nap, she starts yelling for me, "Mommy! Mommy!" I could tell she wasn't in distress. I thought she was just stalling. I walked in, she sat up, stuck her finger into the air, and excitedly expressed, "Mommy, it's a booger!" Do you have any idea how hard it was to not bust out laughing!?!

Halfway there!

As of yesterday, I'm 20 weeks pregnant. When I said something about it to Matt, he was amazed at how fast the time has gone. It's definitely going quicker than when we were waiting for Vera. I'm sure it helps to have a 2 year old to keep us busy. Most of the time I feel great. Vera seems quite clueless that in only a few months she will no longer be an only child.

Super Bowl "Monday"

Every year we try to find a place to watch the Super Bowl. This year we didn't have to look far. We watched it in our own living room! Matt brought the projector home from work, we hooked it up to the TV, and were able to watch the Super Bowl on what must have been the biggest "screen" in town. We had several friends come over to watch it with us. We all pitched in to make a great breakfast as we watched it Monday morning. Great food. Great friends. A great game!