Updates and a Happy New Year!!!

I first wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!!!! Here's hoping for a great year ahead!!!

Well, I'm inches from 34 weeks now and I'm really and I do mean really uncomfortable these days. My sleep is just not the same and I can barely turn over in bed. Shakil has to give me a good push so I can get myself turned over. I'm in my 8th month and I can't imagine how my 9th is going to be. YIKES!! I have an ultrasound on the 6th and I'm counting down the days. I cannot wait to see my little girl in action again and this late in pregnancy!! :-) My Mom will be here in 1 month and I'm so very anxious to see her and by the time she arrives it will be almost 5 months since I've seen her.

A wedding for Shakil's 1st cousin started a few days back and I really had the intention of not attending any of the functions. My MAIN reason (there were other reasons but...) was that I just didn't have anything fancy to wear to it and when the 2nd function rolled around I got to thinking about that maybe I should go BUT I did need something nice to wear. I told Shakil and the next morning he took me out to find something/tailored for the wedding that night - Yes, that night. He was able to purchase the fabric, give it to the tailor and it was ready about 1 hour before we were to leave for the function. This function was held over at the brides house outside. I have to admit it was a beautiful setup. I have never seen so many people before - I can't even begin to imagine how many were there.

Since you might be wondering or not what my other reason for not attending would be (yes, I'm going to tell you anyways) I have a hard time with LARGE crowds and I mean large crowds where most people don't know me, know me or won't talk to me, etc. I'm just different in their eyes and I understand that but it doesn't make it easy on me. I decided to suck it up and I attended. I did have a nice time and a big thanks goes out to hubby who bought me the beautiful shalwar kameez to wear. I think the only negative thing that happened was that I wore heels - no I'm not crazy, it was all I had to wear, some standing, lots of walking around and the braxton hicks that decided to occur while I was there. When we arrived home that night, I was beat. I woke up about 5 a.m. with the worst leg cramps!!!!!!! I feel like an old woman!

I've attended another function last night since the one I mentioned and it went just as well. I had a nice time. The food was fabulous. There is one more to go Sunday night and then its all over. I think I'm happy about that.

Let's see, what else...oh yes, the servant here. My MIL HAS to have a servant here and I'm fed up with this boy. He is at least 13 years old and she pampers him so much. There are some things I can tolerate and some things that I just have NO tolerance for. One thing I have NO tolerance for and hubby agrees as well is hygiene. I have started calling him "dirty boy" to Shakil. He doesn't know how to wash dishes - we find dirty plates, etc and there is much more but I'll refrain from going over it all. Shakil tells me he just has to be trained - well he's been here for a while now and there are still issues with him and I've been told that servants are just constant issues and you have to watch them alllllllllll the time. I'm praying that he's gone SOON!

I think that is enough updating for now - I gotta lay down! :-)

Until later - hopefully not MUCH later...

Bye for now.

Merry Christmas!!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas to all that celebrate!!!!!!!!!

Down in the dumps

Well, I wish I could tell you that I've been feeling good but lately I've been feeling very emotional. I guess that goes with being separated from my family for so long and also being in a unfamiliar country. It may also go with being 8 months pregnant - hell if I know.

Life isn't easy for me here at all by any stretch of the imagination. For anyone who hasn't ever been to another country, there are just so many differences - which you know are to be expected but until you really experience it - you'll never even imagine how it is.

I guess everyone gets down every now and then regardless of where they are - I shouldn't be any different. I guess I'm just too wrapped up in my own emotions to really think about how I'm not the only one. Selfish I guess.

I went to the OB for my 32 week check and everything is fine with baby. I will be having an ultrasound at my next visit where I'm 34 weeks. I'm verrrrrrrry excited about seeing her again and how much she's grown - God knows I've grown!! ha ha Not much more time left, I'm on the homestretch as I keep saying. :-)

Note to self: chin up, keep going, everything will be just fine! Today is new day.

Until later...

Bye for now.

Updates...

Well, today is Saturday - bright and early, it's almost 5 a.m. I'm sitting here next to the heater which btw is working much better now. There hasn't been any fumes. I'm chatting off and on to Shakil and I just finished chatting with my Mom in the U.S. I'm inches from hitting 32 weeks in my pregnancy and I find that I'm just as tired and sleepy as I was in my first trimester. I found the 2nd trimester to be the most enjoyable. You just feel more "normal" I guess. It was my best time. I feel like I'm on the homestretch now though and soon God willing our little girl will be here. Today I was laying on the sofa watching some t.v. and I had the remote control on my tummy and I got the strongest kick from her - the remote control completely raised up off my tummy. Strong little girl we have. :-)

My Mom received her Pakistan visa just the other day. She'll be purchasing her ticket most likely tomorrow and will be arriving here on February 3rd. This will be her second time to come here. She came here the 1st time with me when I married Shakil back in February of 2004. So she has met a good part of the family and she'll be able to become even more acquainted with them this time 'a round since she'll be here for a longer period of time. She is becoming more and more excited by the day at the thought of another grandchild. I have 2 brothers and only 1 of them has kids - 2 of them, ages 13 and 11 so its been a while since there has been a baby in the family.

Just the other day Shakil bought our little girl her crib. It is just precious and I can't wait to see her in it. We pretty much have everything together and there will only be a few more things that I need. My Mom is bringing more stuff from the U.S. because the prices of things here are just ridiculous. For example, I'm going to be using the Avent bottles. In the U.S. I maybe paid $2 and some change for a bottle. Here they cost well over $5 per bottle. Even things like bibs cost more here and even baby lotion and baby wash, etc.

I go to the doc on Wednesday for my 32 week check and I should be getting another ultrasound at 36 weeks. I'll need to confirm that with the doc.

FIL, MIL and BIL arrive back here on Sunday at 8 a.m. so things should start to get more interesting again or aggravating - one or the other.

Until later...

Bye for now.

I smell gas....from the heater that is...

It has become much cooler here where we live in Pakistan and in fact it is COLD here at night. Its predicted that tonight it will get down to 37 degrees F. When you are living in a house that has all marble floors and it is completely made of concrete - it gets very cold inside. There is really no insulation. There have been times I've stepped outside and it actually felt warmer than it did on the inside of this house.

We started using a portable gas heater and we used this heater when I was here earlier this year and didn't seem to have any problems - however, there is only 1 in the entire house. I knew that when FIL, MIL and BIL returned there would need to be another heater. A few days back Shakil bought a new one and it is a tad bit bigger but the same style. He's hooked it up and we've been using it and it does give some good warmth however I smell gas everytime its used. The past 2 days I've had a headache that I can't seem to get rid of and now I'm blaming it on the gas heater. I really feel there is a leak somewhere. Shakil has checked several times and says there is not a leak but it really scares me because it is not safe for me or my unborn baby.

Tonight I was using it, just long enough to heat up the room slightly and it wasn't long that my headache returned. I went downstairs to have dinner and when I was away from our bedroom where the heater is - my headache went away and I just felt "better". Shakil was thinking that maybe there is the gas smell when we are just running the pilot. Well, I've had the headache and have smelled gas regardless of whether it is on pilot or not. I've turned it off completely and shut off the gas lever. I've told Shakil that its just not worth it to me and I'm not taking any risks since I'm pregnant.

He needs to get it fixed because this gas heater will be our source of heat when baby arrives and it just scares me to think that there is a leak - even the smallest of leaks.

Update: FIL, MIL and BIL return back on the 18th - so no more "alone time" for Shakil and I. I've really enjoyed the time we've had together "alone". It really has been great!!

Until later...

Bye for now.

Got sick :-(

I thought I was doing pretty good here considering its almost been 3 months I've been back here now and nothing has gotten me sick. It alllllllllll changed early Thursday morning. Let me start from the beginning. Wednesday night hubby and I were watching t.v. and of course in the late evening I became hungry (one of the trials and tribulations of being over 7 1/2 mos pregnant - I'm regularly hungry). I decided that I'd make some chicken wings. We have a box of frozen wings in the freezer that are by a reputable company we choose to use. The company is K&N. I've never had any problems with their chicken product at all. I also had a side of dal (lentils) that I had previously cooked. Those wings went down great - they tasted fantastic to me. I really enjoyed them. I did peel off the skin trying to be a bit more healthy since they were fried.

Shakil and I went to bed at about 2 a.m. At 5 a.m. I was making regular and I mean regular trips to the restroom. Then the stomach pains started shortly thereafter. I waited until 9 a.m. to wake up Shakil to tell him that I wasn't feeling well. He told me to lay down and try to relax but the pains in my stomach just became worse and worse. In the meantime, I had drank some 7-up in hopes that might help a bit. No more than 30 minutes after I drank that 7-up - I vomited it up. :-( God I hate to puke!! Yuck!! I only vomited once but did all the dry heaving with it - the worst!!

Shakil got on the phone and tried to contact my OB to get some advice on what we needed to do. Well, he couldn't get a hold of my OB via his cell phone. My OB had his cell phone turned off. The pains in my stomach would start to come and go and I was still making those trips to the restroom. At about 11:30 a.m. Shakil was able to finally get a hold of my OB. He suggested that I take 2 imodium right then and if I was still visiting the restroom in the afternoon then to take 1 more. The 2 imodium did the job - thank God. My OB also suggested a med to get for the nausea/vomiting. Doc said that I could have some fruits and stay on clear liquids for 24 hours. I proceeded to have a banana and puked that up as well. Sheesh!! Shakil got the med for my stomach and I took it immediately. I guess about 30 minutes later my stomach pains completely subsided and I was finally able to get some sleep and rest. I slept the entire and I do mean ENTIRE rest of the day.

This morning I had some eggs and they settled just fine with stomach. I haven't had any more issues. We are assuming it was the chicken wings I had but Shakil had the same wings the next day and had no problems, hell if I know what happened. Maybe it was the dal - it had been in the fridge for several days. We just don't know. Shakil thinks it is just normal pregnancy issues but I told him not to this extent. It was bad!! I feel better now and that is alllll that matters.

Its about 1 a.m. here right now and I've got some chicken marinating for Chicken Handi. It has become one of my favorite dishes here. I think it is a lot like the Butter chicken but has a bit more of a kick to it. I'll be cooking that up here shortly. Yes, my timing is allll screwed up. I'm usually awake at night and sleep during the day with hubby since we works nights.

Until later...

Bye for now.

Its cold and stop that snoring!

Its about 12 a.m. here right now and I'm sitting here chatting off and on to Shakil while he's a work and I have our little gas heater turned on keeping me warm. It feels so good!! The weather has really turned cooler here. I've seen that it has gotten to 39 degrees Farenheit in the night. It is still getting to about 70 degrees during the day but this house stays so cold. Shakil and I are wrapped up (me more than him) in blankies most of the day.

I'm sleeping soooooooooo much lately. Its as if I can't get enough. I pretty much sleep on and off most of the day. My pregnancy is really progressing and that is what I blame it all on. I hit 30 weeks next Thursday. I blame a lot of it on Shakil as well. His snoring at night has reallllllllllllly become a problem. It constantly disturbs me. If he falls asleep before me then there is no way I can fall asleep unless I am damn tired. The other night I was fed up with it and decided to go into the next room which is just a lounge and sleep on the sofa. I was laying there thinking, "what am I doing here - I'm the one that is pregnant and uncomfortable most of the time." Well in the meantime I fell asleep and started to have nightmares. Well, after that nightmare I quickly returned back to my bed so I'd have hubby with me. :-) I did fall right asleep when I went back to bed. Does anyone have a remedy to STOP SNORING???? HELP!!!

Everything else is fine here I guess. The maid comes in 6 days/week and arrives at about 10 a.m. or so. Shakil has to get up and deal with her since I can't communicate with her but I get up as well so its just not him. I make him breakfast if he wants, etc. or start making some dinner item or whatever.

MIL will be returning very soon I would assume since there is a marriage ceremony at the end of the month plus she will be here for when I give birth.

Until later...

Bye for now.