Our Little Boy

Here is week 26 ultrasound-
He is healthy with all 10 fingers and 10 toes, 4 chamber heart, lungs, kidneys etc... Praise the Lord for Healthy... keep on lifting him up :-)

Baby Shower from Teammates

My teammates, Caroline and Portia (Caroline is the one right next to me and Portia is the one in the pinkish shirt) threw me a baby shower on Saturday. We had a great time eating snacks - good ones ... not Chinese snacks, playing games and a time of pr for me and the little one. Each of the girls worked hard to bring food or travel from another city (Rachel came from Changsha- she is the one holding the little boy) We had a great time.
The decorations were great-- balloons, flowers and stuffed animals. Each one of my Chinese friends took a balloon home with them. :)
The most meaningful time of the shower was the pr time. Each one of the Chinese girls talked to the Father about request for me and the baby. I have seen most of these girls grow from planted seeds... It was so special to hear them lifting up their hearts.
Thank you Caroline and Portia for planning the party. Thank you everyone who cooked and prepared food!! Thank you Rachel for coming from Changsha!! I had a great time!!

Proud New Owner

The Vera Bradley got delivered yesterday :) Here is the proud new owner.

Godliness and Contentment

This semester I feel like the Father has put a focus on a quest for godliness in my life. Several times throughout the year, I have come to the verse:
1 Timothy 6:6~ "But godliness with contentment is great gain"

During office time, a student asked me "if in 18 years somebody ask your little boy 'what is your mom like?' what do you hope he will say?"

I took about 2 seconds to think about the question and the Father reminded me of my pursuit for godliness- I shared with her that first and foremost- I want my son to say that he has a godly mother. She took a moment to think about my answer and responded with "hum" :-)

Truly this is the desire of my heart. Some time back I ordered some books on Amazon.com - this is the one I have been going through for the last 20 days.

I have learned so much about the Body and it's leaders, false teachers, caring for other and today - lesson 21- godliness-1 Timothy 6:6- this verse portrays that one who is godly is content with the conditions of their life.

I feel like since living in China, the Father has truly worked on my heart in the area of contentment- many times during periods of not being able to get something I wanted.

Paul (author of 1 Timothy) continues with saying that contentment comes down to two necessities - food and clothing. I have both in China - even though it might not always be what I want to eat or want to wear-- The Father has abundantly provided. So-- I praise His name.

My "thoughts" -- Let me not forget His faithfulness and may I continue to pursue a life of godliness.

Vera Bradley and Chinese Culture

Interesting combination huh-- Vera Bradley and Chinese Culture.

I bought this Vera Bradley before coming to China and it has been a great "errand running" bag. Recently, I have had many visits to our FAO (Foreign Affairs Officer) -you can also think of this as our Chinese boss. She is a great woman- she has helped us so much in our first year in HY.
This bag has accompanied me on my recent visits to her office and every time she complimented on my bag. Chinese culture- if somebody compliments you on something... give it to them. I haven't been the recipient of any things... but I almost got a "Russian doll" that a boy's father brought back for him from Russia (I quickly refused and refused and refused until he kept it)
Well, since she compliment me on my bag 3 times... I thought I would "be more Chinese" and offer the bag to her (thinking it was also cultural to refuse the item) All I can say is "bye-bye Vera Bradley... you have been a good bag my first year in China and now you go to a proud new owner who will treat you with care :-)" After I offered the bag, she said "REALLY, thank you so much" haha- I think she really wants it ;-) there was no refusal. No one can say I haven't embraced the culture :-)

Award goes to....

Announcing the "Husband of the Year Award"
Drum roll please.............
He beat out all competition...


Please give it up for ~~ WESLEY THOMAS!!!


Wes surprised me yesterday with another one of my cravings (it could be pregnancy related or simply related to being American... but either way you cannot find it in HY)
Cereal (you cannot find any cereal in HY... but specifically my craving- Multi-grain Cheerios)


Wes found a way to order cereal on-line with Amazon.cn
It is amazing- you can order and pay in cash when it comes or order and pay with card. Last nights dinner at 8:00 (we both teach late on Mondays) A BIG BOWL OF CEREAL covered with Chinese milk and a banana. Delicious. And can you guess what was for breakfast this morning (even though I have homemade bread on the counter...) a bowl of cereal with milk :) The best mornings start out with a great husband and a nutritious breakfast.

Picture of the Belly

5 months (can't remember if I posted this one)

6 months (05-14-2011)

Can you tell I have grown??

Have you Ever...

Been scared to go home??
My answer-- never in all my life... until yesterday. And the reason for my timidness... this old lady right here (you may think she looks gentle and quiet... but this old lady is the cause of my fright to go home) Funny thing - as I post this I can hear her talking to somebody outside my building.
Otherwise know as "Ayi" She and her husband are the "gate-keepers" of our apartment complex. EVERYDAY she will ask me if I have eaten every time I go in and out of the gate (this can range from 2 to 20 times a day)
On Sunday, I got a text message from one of my teammates saying the Ayi wanted to cook dinner for us at 6:30 on Monday night.
So Monday morning, I am leaving the house to go meet my boss about some business items and the Ayi grabs me and starts fussing- I can't understand a word she is saying except "eat" and I know she is referring to dinner. (she has a very THICK accent)
Each time I come in and out during the day-- same routine.
I teach class on Monday's from 2:30-6:00. I called Wes after finish class to tell him two things- 1. I am scared to go home because of the Ayi 2. I have to pee really bad!!
Game plan- walk fast and quietly!! (there is only one way in and one way out of our apartment and the Ayi is always sitting at the gate)
So plan is working great... until I get about 2 steps past the gate-- she was looking down my first two steps. Then I "EY.... EY... EY..." I keep walking thinking maybe she is talking to someone else. Then she gets up and yells louder AND she starts clapping her hands. I wavy and keep going. I pick up the pace of my walk to almost a jog but not so obvious. I dialed Wes on the phone and the conversation goes like this:

Avery: "Wes, she is yelling and clapping her hands... I am afraid she is running after me... I have to pee really bad!!"
Wes: "Laughing Laughing Laughing... I'm sorry Baby."

Some of you might be wondering why I didn't stop and at least say something to her... there is a great reason... even though she looks sweet and subdue in the picture-- she will grab you and drag you in her house... there is no telling this lady "no."
I wasn't planning on going to the dinner because well... we'll just say I wasn't planning on going... me and the still developing baby were going to eat at home. BUT once I relieved my bladder... I began to feel very guilty. SO... I begrudgingly gathered up a gift for the Ayi and headed towards her house.
The other thing about dinner with "Hengyang Ren" (the people of Hengyang) - they will tell you - you aren't eating enough.- do you think my cooking is bad?- you must not like it.- eat more. (as they put food in your bowl)
Wes and I had a great time trading bowls through out dinner. The Ayi would fill up my bowl and look away to check on the other people... Wes would eat the contents out of the bowl and hand it back to me empty as I passed him another full bowl-- he is a trooper!!
Here is a picture of the team after finish dinner with the Ayi and her husband.

Random Facts about China

Recently I have been thinking of all the randomness I know about China (maybe I should narrow it down to mostly HY because that is where I live)... things that you can't learn from wiki.com... so I am going to try and come up with 50 for you...
(note... may vary depending on what area of China you visit/live)

1. Before coming to China we had to get medicals done- this included blood type. My doctor and I didn't understand the importance of this questions... We assumed I was A positive without doing the test because insurance does not cover blood typing... after pregnancy- found out I was A negative and the importance of this question on the medical- The A negative blood does not exist in China... if you are this blood type- it is important before coming to China to donate blood to yourself and have it available for you if you need blood while in China. Oops

2."Laws are not so important, breaking the laws simply makes your life colorful" quote from a sophomore student... even though we read this and think he isn't so educated... he actually is very educated and very Chinese... At least in HY you can break the laws... just know your limit.

3. About Rules... no smoking on buses and give your seat to the pregnant woman is just a friendly suggestion but never followed.

4. 95% of all food (number estimated) is stir fried and dripping with oil

5. You can rarely find fitted sheets... all sheets are "flat"

6. There many jobs here that I have never seen anywhere else in the world... such as street water sweeper, sludge remover, knife sharpener man etc...

7. They do not sell Medium Ball Point pens here... pens are fine tipped and mostly gel.

8. The style of clothes resembles something from the early/late '90s. Saved by the Bell all over again.

9. It is hard to tell when a couple is officially married... there are two different dates - one- they got the paperwork... two- they had a party at the restaurant. Weddings are not planned way in advance like in America... You might find out someone is getting married the week before it happens and be the first to know.

10. Talking about weddings-- there are two dresses for the Chinese wedding - red one and white one... both can be rented for the occasion and returned.- I like this concept!

11. Funerals can last up to 7 days. Many poor people will tell their children not to spend money on the cure to whatever is ailing them... but to put the money towards a funeral so it appears that he/she was an important community member. Funerals include tent, fake paper flowers, fireworks, something like what we could call a "wedding singer/performer" except it is "funeral singer" Funerals are set up on random street corners and alleys.

12. It is against the law to find out the gender of your child during pregnancy.

13. Shoes sizes seldom go up to European size 40... even at size 40 they look at your foot and laugh and tell you they only have one style-- the ugliest one on the rack.

14. Every single pair of underwear I brought to China has a hole in it.

15. Chickens roam the grounds simply waiting their doomsday.

16. Everything in America seems to be "made in China" but you cannot buy any of these things in China.

17. The best chocolate on the market is Dove and it is OH SO TASTY!!

18. Coca Cola only cost $0.38

19. Sweet little old ladies can haulk a loogie like you have never seen or heard.

20. In our apartment complex there are many up and coming musicians... we have a drummer, violinist, trumpeter, recorder player (yes like the kind you played in 3rd grade that squeaked) and a drag queen. Practice is permitted at any hour.

21. There is not one single "yield" sign or "stop" sign in HY.

22 You can always fit one or two or three more on a bus that already has 100 people on it.

23. There is no such thing as personal space. In fact, for many years the Chinese did not have a word in their language for "private"

24. There is no such thing as HIPPA in medical situations.

25. There is no anesthesia administered for ANY kind of procedure.

26. Rats range in size from one inch to a foot!!

27. Chinese dorms-- there are 8 girls to one room (probably about the size of your college dorm you share with one roommate)

28. There are NO showers in the dorms.

29. Deodorant is not widely available or used.

30. Students have to pay to take a shower.

31. In the summer, hold your breath... your classroom has a strong odor

32. Even students that fail... pass. If you fail a college class in China (HNU) all you have to do is retake the exam the next semester... the teacher must give you a 60 % and you are on your way.

33. Chinese girls LOVE stuffed animals... Build-A-Bear would be a million dollar idea for China.

34. "Cute" is a fashion style- this include a bow in your hair and a teddy bear on your shirt.

35. Biscuit... maybe it is because I am from the South of America... but a biscuit is NOT a cookie/cracker/undefined not so delicious thing

36. Oreos have made it in China. All different flavors- strawberry, orange/lemon, creme, green-tea and ice-cream flavor all with the chocolate cookie.

37. If an American man wants to buy underwear- the aisle helper will assist buy showing him the underwear with a picture of an extremely overweight American male model on the front... and they will in fact still be too small.

38. On every aisle of the supermarket is a lady that wants to assist you with your purchase... even if you don't want assistance.

39. Don't drink the tap water!! All drinking water is bottled. A 20 ounce bottle of water cost $0.15 and a 5 gallon jug of water cost $1.23 delivered and carried up 85 stairs (in our case)

40. We order at least 3 per week. We love our water man (he is very thin)!!

41. Make-up- Brands like Maybelliene, Loreal and Olay are behind the counter brands... kind of like in America how Lancome, Este Lauder and Clinique are. They are also very costly.

42. Mom and Dad do not raise the child... little ole grannie does. Including carrying the child to school on her back. No wonder she is hunched over.

43. Take your shoes off at the door!! Let's just leave it at that... you don't want to track in the house!!

44. KFC is popular in China. In my opinion it is dying out in America... but it is well alive here. Different menu though... there is no mac-n-cheese, green beans or potato wedges... actually there isn't anything the same.

45. Bottle teas are DELICIOUS in China... not so great in America.

46. Every price is negotiable... if you are Chinese.

47. Chinese mindset- there are two types of people in the world- Chinese and Foreign. If you aren't Chinese... you are foreign.

48. I always carry around at least a couple 100 in money (RMB that is) In America, I never had a Franklin in my wallet... much less a Lincoln. This is a CASH society.

49. I have forgotten many thing since coming to China- including my debit card PIN.

50. I am an Oral English teacher... however... my English skills have declined. I have found that even I have adapted many Chinglish phrases. I look forward to improving my Oral English over the Summer!!

YAY!!! there is 50 :-) Hope you enjoyed and learn a lot... again... this probably cannot be found on wiki.com :-)

two sides to every coin

***Disclaimer-- PLEASE do not sense any of this as discouragement or me feeling discouraged about China- this semester has been amazing and FLOWN by!! The below is simply thoughts and there is no particular order ... except #1 under America***

I was walking to class this morning thinking about America and how I can't wait to get home... but then I started thinking about China and what I would miss over the summer ( our 3 month break)... my conclusion-- there are two sides to every coin

Heads - Quarters- representing America

• I can't wait to see friends and family and get an actual hug. (People in China are awkward huggers... in fact-- they don't hug at all
• Fellowship and Freedom!!
  
• Clean Air and No pollution!! Sunny Blue skies :-)
• Stars at night-- I haven't seen stars in 9 months
• Normal food without spending 3 hours in the kitchen preparing
• Personal Space- need I say more??
• I look forward to intelligent questions ... a future post-- the Top 10 Stupidest Question I have gotten in China- I know teachers are suppose to say there are no stupid questions-- BUT there ARE!!
• I can't wait to feel air condition everywhere!! Restaurants, grocery store, random buildings... nice and cool
• Toilets-- not squattie and not smelly. I can seriously handle any American bathroom after living in China and using the bathrooms in the English building (a funny aside- I used to be able to hold it... even after 4 hours of teaching and running home... now that I am pregnant-- every 30 minutes)
• I look forward to being able to listen to other people's conversations (yes this is nosy... but can be funny) In China I can listen but I can't understand.
• Lack of Split pants and bodily fluids flying out... it will be nice to have a break
• Fireworks- only exception- Forth of July
• I can't wait to have my Baby :-)
  
  Tails- 1 RMB coin- representing China

• I am going to miss really cheap fruits and vegetable!! I buy LOTS of them every day for less than $5 US.
• Walking everywhere-- bittersweet- I am going to miss the exercise- but I will get places much quicker.
• I am going to miss running into students all around the city BUT I am going to enjoy some privacy :-)
• I will NOT miss the smell of Chou Dofu (Stinky Tofu... that literally takes your breath away and makes you gag...) to think people eat this :-/
• I will miss the birds outside of our window- even though I know Wes won't-- I love hearing them in the morning but I will admit their chip is quirky.
• Sodas and Fruit Juice for 38 cents -- yep- Wes can have a Coca Cola for 38 cents in China
• PPTV- watching American TV shows on the computer for free (good thing all season end)
• The 85 stairs to get to my apartment... I love the exercise
• S. Studies and sharing about the Father with students. Watching Him work on their hearts as they hear the story for the first time.
• I will miss teaching my Classes --old campus 1003, 0904. new-- 1008, 1009... I will NOT miss old campus class 1009... I am sorry whoever has to teach them next year!!
  
• Packages!! I love getting mail in China... I will miss it over the summer :-)
• The fast train

Again... just some thoughts.

Birthday

I had a great birthday with Wes in Guangzhou. We really just relaxed-- needed. We did a lot of walking, eating Western food and talking.
Wes' dilemma this year- What do you get a pregnant woman in China?? Honestly there is nothing here that I would recommend he buy... so that means he would have to plan about 1.5 months in advance to order something from the States and have it shipped... OR be a little creative.
It is always good in China to go in with low or no expectations... BUT this I would say is pretty good.
Being pregnant in China- I cannot get the majority of my cravings- the only one that has been satisfied was Oatmeal Cookies (I made them myself) Stay with me on the rabbit trail-- the other day I said to Wes, "you know what I am craving?" of course he did not guess... answer- Dr. Pepper :-) He laughed and said-- "you have strange cravings."
While in Guangzhou we were on the manhunt for Doritos-- reason-- the last time we were in Guangzhou- we saw a girl walking with a bag of Doritos. We left last time stumped... no idea where she got them. This time we were on an all out mission. AND - Missions successful. On our second day- we found a tiny (let me repeat tiny) little store that was AMAZING!! It was like a pregnant woman's craving heaven BUT expensive. I did control myself. I got my Doritos and Dr. Pepper :-) and it was everything I wanted it to be!!
Happy Birthday to me!