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Ho...ho...ho! Greetings from Down-Under! I've attached a few pics of Kyle and his first Christmas! We had a quiet day here in Perth, we stayed here at the house and enjoyed a day of relaxation. Kyle woke us up at 7am, so we had 'breaky', gave Kyle a bath then opened presents. Santa was good to us this year, he left us a beautiful baby boy :) LOL Steve got a new camera (as you can see with all the pics he's been sending out, a bit of a papparazzi), I got a new watch, and Kyle got collector Aussie coins and clothes. We were able to skype with the grandparents (who loved seeing our peanut for the first time) and baked cookies for the holidays. Instead of making the traditional turkey dinner, we opted for steaks on the grill. I attempted to make the Waggoner famous stuffing, but as Steve said, " all that was missing was that the stuffing wasn't stuffed in a turkey" Guess that's important to the recipe! I'll have to keep that in mind for next year!
The following day is "Boxing Day", and to celebrate we invited our friends Rob and Claire over to the house for a bbq. Both Rob and Steve attended BBQ school a while back, so they decided to try grilling a 6 kilo ham. (I believe its called, 'pickling') It was delicious! We enjoyed a fun-filled day of great company and food. However, Kyle decided to sleep ALL day... and when we went to go to bed at 1:00am, Kyle decided to wake up and stay awake until 4:30 only to doze off until his 5:15 feeding time. Today, I'm exhausted and in need of a nap. But... dad beat me to the punch. I keep telling myself, it will get easier! I wouldn't change anything, our precious Kyle is a blessing from God and still can't believe he is here and that Steve and I are parents!
We hope all of you had a fantastic Christmas! Wishing you all the best...
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, Kyle and Zoe
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Kyle Matthew Waggoner has arrived!
On December 4th at 8:36am our little bundle of joy arrived. We'd like to welcome, Kyle Matthew Waggoner to the world. We have been truly blessed to have him arrive safely and healthy.
At two weeks old today, the proud parents are EXHAUSTED! I know...many of you are saying, "I told you so!", but you just don't believe it until you live it. Mom and Kyle were in the hospital for one week after under going a c-section. I have to be honest, the c-section was nothing like I had imagined. I didn't have much pain and was off all pain meds by day two. The worst part of the whole delivery was the epideral. They had to try 3 different times before it was successful. I was told by the doctor that I was the most difficult case of the year. Thanks.... but why am I not surprised! I must admit, I was definately stir crazy and wanted to be home, but on the day of discharge, our little one was tested for jonduas and had to be placed under the lights for 24 hours. After his stint in the Nic Unit, we were able to take him home.
Its definately been a whirlwind since being home. Steve has been absolutely awesome. We both have to admit that nights are definately the hardest. Kyle has his nights and days mixed up, so he's only sleeping about an hour to an hour and a half between feedings. With feeding every 3 hours, that doesn't leave mom much time to sleep. But, it takes time. Steve goes back to work next week, so I'm really going to focus on getting Kyle on a flexible routine with feeding/playing/napping. I'll keep you posted... I might be living in a dream world, but if this helps get me one step closer to Kyle sleeping longer at night and one step closer to sleeping through the night....I'll try anything :) Saying this...he is only 2 weeks old and I know I need to be patient.
Its hard to believe that next week is already Christmas. As a Christmas gift to ourselves, we had a photographer come to the house to take some pics of Kyle. Stay tuned as she puts some finishing touches on them, we'll post some of them for you all to view. I've seen some of her work and she does a fantastic job. I can't wait to see what kind of photos she took! We are looking forward to sharing this holiday with Kyle. Steve and I are planning on baking cookies and spending time with some friends during the holiday. With the Smith family gone to the USA, we celebrated Christmas with them early. We wish them a fantastic trip home and only hope they enjoy the joys of home (ex. Chick-a-filet, Pappasitos, etc. LOL) We decided to try and plan a few events to keep us busy so that fatigue doesn't rule the roost! We are planning on going to see 'A Christmas Carol' movie with Jim Carey at the outdoor cinema on the 23rd (let's hope we don't fall asleep :), spending time at Claire and Robs on Christmas Eve, family time on Christmas, and Steve is going to show off his mad grilling skills on Boxing Day. We hope that all of you enjoy your holiday with family and friends. All the best and know that we'll be thinking of you all during this time!
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, Kyle and Zoe
At two weeks old today, the proud parents are EXHAUSTED! I know...many of you are saying, "I told you so!", but you just don't believe it until you live it. Mom and Kyle were in the hospital for one week after under going a c-section. I have to be honest, the c-section was nothing like I had imagined. I didn't have much pain and was off all pain meds by day two. The worst part of the whole delivery was the epideral. They had to try 3 different times before it was successful. I was told by the doctor that I was the most difficult case of the year. Thanks.... but why am I not surprised! I must admit, I was definately stir crazy and wanted to be home, but on the day of discharge, our little one was tested for jonduas and had to be placed under the lights for 24 hours. After his stint in the Nic Unit, we were able to take him home.
Its definately been a whirlwind since being home. Steve has been absolutely awesome. We both have to admit that nights are definately the hardest. Kyle has his nights and days mixed up, so he's only sleeping about an hour to an hour and a half between feedings. With feeding every 3 hours, that doesn't leave mom much time to sleep. But, it takes time. Steve goes back to work next week, so I'm really going to focus on getting Kyle on a flexible routine with feeding/playing/napping. I'll keep you posted... I might be living in a dream world, but if this helps get me one step closer to Kyle sleeping longer at night and one step closer to sleeping through the night....I'll try anything :) Saying this...he is only 2 weeks old and I know I need to be patient.
Its hard to believe that next week is already Christmas. As a Christmas gift to ourselves, we had a photographer come to the house to take some pics of Kyle. Stay tuned as she puts some finishing touches on them, we'll post some of them for you all to view. I've seen some of her work and she does a fantastic job. I can't wait to see what kind of photos she took! We are looking forward to sharing this holiday with Kyle. Steve and I are planning on baking cookies and spending time with some friends during the holiday. With the Smith family gone to the USA, we celebrated Christmas with them early. We wish them a fantastic trip home and only hope they enjoy the joys of home (ex. Chick-a-filet, Pappasitos, etc. LOL) We decided to try and plan a few events to keep us busy so that fatigue doesn't rule the roost! We are planning on going to see 'A Christmas Carol' movie with Jim Carey at the outdoor cinema on the 23rd (let's hope we don't fall asleep :), spending time at Claire and Robs on Christmas Eve, family time on Christmas, and Steve is going to show off his mad grilling skills on Boxing Day. We hope that all of you enjoy your holiday with family and friends. All the best and know that we'll be thinking of you all during this time!
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, Kyle and Zoe
A little of this and a little of that....
Howdy everyone! We'll its almost time to welcome our peanut into the world and I must say that Steve and I are so excited. As I write this we have 14 hours to go! Its been quite a journey to get this far. I've been truly blessed with this pregnancy, feeling better than ever! Now, let's hope I loose the weight quickly :) LOL
As the Christmas holiday's quickly approach, we just wanted to share with you a few things that have been happening, other than having a baby ! We've been busy preparing our precious Zoe for peanuts arrival. With lots of love and walks, I think she will transition well. As you can see in the pictures below, she is one spoiled dog. We are looking forward to see how Zoe and peanut interact when he/she gets older.
On Thanksgiving this year, I was in charge of our Annual American Women's Club of Perth Thanksgiving dinner. Don't ask me why I would take on such a task when I was due to deliver one week after the event, but I did. We held the dinner at a local yacht club and 175 guests induldged on all American style foods. The turkey was delicious and thanks to 13 cans of Frenches Fried Onions, 10 cans of canned pumpkin and 8 bags of marshmellows imported from good old USA, we were really able to enjoy those family favorites... green bean cassserole, pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole! YUM! The event was a success, but boy am I glad its done. I'm so happy I got to enjoy the food this year, as last year I got out of the hospital on Thanksgiving from having my appendix taken out! We all remember that one... go to hospital with migrane, walk out without my appendix. Geez....
Steve and I enjoyed our last weekend before the baby comes with one on one time. We saw a movie, went to dinner and decorated for the holiday. We wanted to cut our own tree down this year, but the tree farms here just didn't seem to cut it and the prices were just insane, so thank you Smith family for allowing us to borrow one of their spare trees. It was just perfect. We've really started a collection of ornaments from all the places we've been, and good thing they aren't made from paper or wood, or we probably would have lost them to the mold we 'caught' in KL. We've also added our Aussie flare to the tree and it looks great. Only thing missing...my precious bubble lights. But, that will come next year!!!!
Well, that's all for now... Stay tuned and be sure to check back soon b/c I'm SURE we will have lots of picures of peanut! I can't wait for the doctor to finish this statement, " It's a....._________"
Love,
Stephanie, Steve, 'Peanut' and Zoe
As the Christmas holiday's quickly approach, we just wanted to share with you a few things that have been happening, other than having a baby ! We've been busy preparing our precious Zoe for peanuts arrival. With lots of love and walks, I think she will transition well. As you can see in the pictures below, she is one spoiled dog. We are looking forward to see how Zoe and peanut interact when he/she gets older.
On Thanksgiving this year, I was in charge of our Annual American Women's Club of Perth Thanksgiving dinner. Don't ask me why I would take on such a task when I was due to deliver one week after the event, but I did. We held the dinner at a local yacht club and 175 guests induldged on all American style foods. The turkey was delicious and thanks to 13 cans of Frenches Fried Onions, 10 cans of canned pumpkin and 8 bags of marshmellows imported from good old USA, we were really able to enjoy those family favorites... green bean cassserole, pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole! YUM! The event was a success, but boy am I glad its done. I'm so happy I got to enjoy the food this year, as last year I got out of the hospital on Thanksgiving from having my appendix taken out! We all remember that one... go to hospital with migrane, walk out without my appendix. Geez....
Steve and I enjoyed our last weekend before the baby comes with one on one time. We saw a movie, went to dinner and decorated for the holiday. We wanted to cut our own tree down this year, but the tree farms here just didn't seem to cut it and the prices were just insane, so thank you Smith family for allowing us to borrow one of their spare trees. It was just perfect. We've really started a collection of ornaments from all the places we've been, and good thing they aren't made from paper or wood, or we probably would have lost them to the mold we 'caught' in KL. We've also added our Aussie flare to the tree and it looks great. Only thing missing...my precious bubble lights. But, that will come next year!!!!
Well, that's all for now... Stay tuned and be sure to check back soon b/c I'm SURE we will have lots of picures of peanut! I can't wait for the doctor to finish this statement, " It's a....._________"
Love,
Stephanie, Steve, 'Peanut' and Zoe
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Exciting days in Perth
Howdy All,
A lot has been going on the last few weeks. On November 7th, friends of ours threw us a baby shower. Steve surprised me and flew in a great friend of ours from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...Karen... for the special event. Wow, what a surprise it was. Candi and Jacqui were so wonderful to host the party and they made all my favorite treats for the event. They made quiche, fruit dips, chinese chicken salad and best of all...3 different kinds of cupcakes! Everything was delicious. I had an absolutely fabulous time and really enjoyed seeing everyone. We played games and enjoyed great conversation. Thanks to all... peanut is going to be one lucky baby to have such great "Auntie's".
As for Steve, for his birthday I had got him a day at BBQ School. He scoffed and thought it was a bit funny, but we were finally able to schedule the event. What we decided to do was have it on the same day as the shower and turn it into a shower of sorts for Steve as well. The guys had an absolutely fabulous time and they learned quite a bit. I know that since that day, the guys have been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY trying out their new skills of the trade. Thanks Clint, Cam, Rob and Kyle for a day filled with laughs and great fun!
Karen was able to stay the week with us and we have been enjoying our days of leisure. We decided to see what kind of 'Christmas' stores Perth had to offer and found a few that we really enjoyed. But, wow its nothing like home. Very EXPENSIVE.... it is hard to pay a lot of money for something you know you can go to Hobby Lobby and get for 1/4 of the price. But when your away from home, you tend to change your attitude about certain things. While she was here, we were also able to take a day trip to Swan Valley for some good old wine tasting. I, of course, didn't par take in the tasting, but enjoyed lunch with her and Steve, as well as, our friends Claire and Rob. I'm looking forward to the day when I can go to do my own wine tasting in Swan Valley and Steve can be the 'skipper'!
As for me, I'm hanging in there as the pregnacy comes to a close. I've been a bit more tired these days and have been struggling with keeping my sugars down due to the gestational diabetes. I'm going to fetal monitoring twice a week now and we go next Friday for our 36 week ultrasound. Because the baby is currently breech, this scan will determine delivery date and how the baby is to be delivered. I'm trying not to have too much anxiety about the quickly approaching delivery date, but as Steve and I have realized we are soon to be parents. Its hard to get my head around the fact that we are about to be a mom and dad. We are very excited about this, as well as, nervous. What a great adventure we have in front of us and we are looking forward to it!
Miss you all!
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, 'Peanut', and Zoe
A lot has been going on the last few weeks. On November 7th, friends of ours threw us a baby shower. Steve surprised me and flew in a great friend of ours from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...Karen... for the special event. Wow, what a surprise it was. Candi and Jacqui were so wonderful to host the party and they made all my favorite treats for the event. They made quiche, fruit dips, chinese chicken salad and best of all...3 different kinds of cupcakes! Everything was delicious. I had an absolutely fabulous time and really enjoyed seeing everyone. We played games and enjoyed great conversation. Thanks to all... peanut is going to be one lucky baby to have such great "Auntie's".
As for Steve, for his birthday I had got him a day at BBQ School. He scoffed and thought it was a bit funny, but we were finally able to schedule the event. What we decided to do was have it on the same day as the shower and turn it into a shower of sorts for Steve as well. The guys had an absolutely fabulous time and they learned quite a bit. I know that since that day, the guys have been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY trying out their new skills of the trade. Thanks Clint, Cam, Rob and Kyle for a day filled with laughs and great fun!
Karen was able to stay the week with us and we have been enjoying our days of leisure. We decided to see what kind of 'Christmas' stores Perth had to offer and found a few that we really enjoyed. But, wow its nothing like home. Very EXPENSIVE.... it is hard to pay a lot of money for something you know you can go to Hobby Lobby and get for 1/4 of the price. But when your away from home, you tend to change your attitude about certain things. While she was here, we were also able to take a day trip to Swan Valley for some good old wine tasting. I, of course, didn't par take in the tasting, but enjoyed lunch with her and Steve, as well as, our friends Claire and Rob. I'm looking forward to the day when I can go to do my own wine tasting in Swan Valley and Steve can be the 'skipper'!
As for me, I'm hanging in there as the pregnacy comes to a close. I've been a bit more tired these days and have been struggling with keeping my sugars down due to the gestational diabetes. I'm going to fetal monitoring twice a week now and we go next Friday for our 36 week ultrasound. Because the baby is currently breech, this scan will determine delivery date and how the baby is to be delivered. I'm trying not to have too much anxiety about the quickly approaching delivery date, but as Steve and I have realized we are soon to be parents. Its hard to get my head around the fact that we are about to be a mom and dad. We are very excited about this, as well as, nervous. What a great adventure we have in front of us and we are looking forward to it!
Miss you all!
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, 'Peanut', and Zoe
Monday, November 2, 2009
October 2009
G'day Mates....
Its already November 2nd and I'm still wondering where October went. Its been a crazy month filled with lots of doctor appointments and prepreation for our upcoming 'peanut'. I'm currently 34 week prego and we are estimating delivery of lil' Waggoner on December 7th. Our doctor has decided to induce due to my increase in blood sugar and size of the baby. Baby is almost 5 lbs. already...so I'm hopping not to gain too much more weight! LOL I've actually lost 3 lbs. due to the strict diet I've been on, so I'm not complaining.
We had our 32 week scan a few weeks ago and we were lucky enough to see our peanut in 3D. It is absolutely AMAZING to see the details of the baby. Steve and I just sit there in amazement and now even more excitement. It was too funny b/c the baby's lips were opening and closing...thus we felt like he/she was already talking to us! A Waggoner for sure, can't keep quiet!! LOL I've been going to have fetal monitoring done 2 times a week b/c of the gestational diabetes, and today peanut was QUITE active with hic-ups. I've never felt this before, and boy was it funny. My stomach was just bee-boping everywhere. I have to definately mark this day in the book for memorable pregnancy days.
For Halloween weekend, our friends the Batman's came from Sydney to visit. It was great fun having visitors. We spent the weekend relaxing and showing them just a few of the hot spots of Perth. That being... wine country... Swan Valley. Of course, I was the DD or as Australian's would say, the "Skipper". We definately made our presents known by hitting 6 winery's and buying in total 18 bottles of wine! Geez, I sure hope I get to enjoy some of these once the baby comes! LOL We also had some friends over, Claire and Rob, for a relaxing Friday night of pizza and beer. We always enjoy having them over and it was great that Taryn and Gary were able to meet some of our friends.
Since we don't have our peanut here yet, I decided to play dress-up with Zoe. Twice a year she gets to dress up in costume, for entertainment purposes only, and give us great laughs! While I was home in the states I picked up a 'halloween' costume for Zoe. She was so adorable in her pumpkin outfit. I'm thinking matching costumes next year... what do you think?
Steve was lucky to go to KL for a guys fishing trip. He's really been looking forward to it, seeing some comforts of home and some old friends. He really enjoyed his trip and got some great fishing in while he was there. I was quite jealous, he got to eat at Chili's and picked up some of our comfort foods (Tollhouse Choc. chips, A1, and taco rice) Amazing what we miss.... I was really happy he got a chance to see the guys, one last hoorah before the baby comes. Steve was invited to take a helicopter ride to Rottnest Island through work. He thought it was really pretty flying over the various land forms. You can tell the water is crystal blue. He really enjoyed himself.
Finally, since it's being to be feel like summer here... yes you read right, we decided to heat the pool and have our friends, the Smith's, over for some bbq and pool time. It was so great to finally have some sunshine and to get an opportunity to use the pool. Clint wasn't planning on going into the pool...but Steve had a different plan! Zoe also joined the crew in the pool, a bit scared... well maybe more than a bit, but she managed to dog paddle her way out! Go Zoe!!!
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, 'Peanut' and Zoe
We hope all is well with you all and can't wait to share more memorable events with you guys next month!
Its already November 2nd and I'm still wondering where October went. Its been a crazy month filled with lots of doctor appointments and prepreation for our upcoming 'peanut'. I'm currently 34 week prego and we are estimating delivery of lil' Waggoner on December 7th. Our doctor has decided to induce due to my increase in blood sugar and size of the baby. Baby is almost 5 lbs. already...so I'm hopping not to gain too much more weight! LOL I've actually lost 3 lbs. due to the strict diet I've been on, so I'm not complaining.
We had our 32 week scan a few weeks ago and we were lucky enough to see our peanut in 3D. It is absolutely AMAZING to see the details of the baby. Steve and I just sit there in amazement and now even more excitement. It was too funny b/c the baby's lips were opening and closing...thus we felt like he/she was already talking to us! A Waggoner for sure, can't keep quiet!! LOL I've been going to have fetal monitoring done 2 times a week b/c of the gestational diabetes, and today peanut was QUITE active with hic-ups. I've never felt this before, and boy was it funny. My stomach was just bee-boping everywhere. I have to definately mark this day in the book for memorable pregnancy days.
For Halloween weekend, our friends the Batman's came from Sydney to visit. It was great fun having visitors. We spent the weekend relaxing and showing them just a few of the hot spots of Perth. That being... wine country... Swan Valley. Of course, I was the DD or as Australian's would say, the "Skipper". We definately made our presents known by hitting 6 winery's and buying in total 18 bottles of wine! Geez, I sure hope I get to enjoy some of these once the baby comes! LOL We also had some friends over, Claire and Rob, for a relaxing Friday night of pizza and beer. We always enjoy having them over and it was great that Taryn and Gary were able to meet some of our friends.
Since we don't have our peanut here yet, I decided to play dress-up with Zoe. Twice a year she gets to dress up in costume, for entertainment purposes only, and give us great laughs! While I was home in the states I picked up a 'halloween' costume for Zoe. She was so adorable in her pumpkin outfit. I'm thinking matching costumes next year... what do you think?
Steve was lucky to go to KL for a guys fishing trip. He's really been looking forward to it, seeing some comforts of home and some old friends. He really enjoyed his trip and got some great fishing in while he was there. I was quite jealous, he got to eat at Chili's and picked up some of our comfort foods (Tollhouse Choc. chips, A1, and taco rice) Amazing what we miss.... I was really happy he got a chance to see the guys, one last hoorah before the baby comes. Steve was invited to take a helicopter ride to Rottnest Island through work. He thought it was really pretty flying over the various land forms. You can tell the water is crystal blue. He really enjoyed himself.
Finally, since it's being to be feel like summer here... yes you read right, we decided to heat the pool and have our friends, the Smith's, over for some bbq and pool time. It was so great to finally have some sunshine and to get an opportunity to use the pool. Clint wasn't planning on going into the pool...but Steve had a different plan! Zoe also joined the crew in the pool, a bit scared... well maybe more than a bit, but she managed to dog paddle her way out! Go Zoe!!!
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, 'Peanut' and Zoe
We hope all is well with you all and can't wait to share more memorable events with you guys next month!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Where has 2009 gone?
Well here we are... mid-October and I keep thinking where has 2009 gone? Let's take a look...
2009... where has it gone? That's pretty easy, we moved from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Perth, Australia in February. I've had somewhat of a difficult time adjusting to the move, but I am managing. We love our new house and the people in Perth are kind. I've joined the American Women's Club of Perth. The women are very friendly and I've met some ladies that I've become very close to.
In April, we were thrilled to discover that we were pregnant. I was very blessed to not have much difficulty getting pregnant and didn't have a day of morning sickness! April came upon us fast, as we were able to have our first visitor. My close friend from Ohio, Kelly, came for a visit. We went on a girls trip to Sydney and Cairns. We had a fantastic time and made a lot of great memories. My favorite memories were of the Sydney Opera House and the Blue Mountains. Just amazing.... She then was able to spend a week here in Perth. We showed her Swan Valley, Fremantle, Rottnest Island and other local attractions.
Just as the guest bedroom was beginning to collect dust, our next visitors arrived. We met a fabulous couple while living in KL, Karen and Floyd. We were lucky enough to have them come and visit us. We decided to head South to Margaret River, Bunbury and other small local towns in the area. Unfortunately, Zoe hadn't made it out of quarrentine yet, so they weren't able to see her. In the midst of hosting Karen and Floyd, we took a quick trip to Sydney to help celebrate our friends hen/hens night. We met up with the Batmans and of course staying with tradition, had a blast. I, nor Greg's wife Mel, could drink because we were both pregnant, but laughed quite a bit at our drunk hubbys when they returned home late from the bachelor party... hammered.
June quickly arrived and with it so did my parents. They finally decided to make the long journey to our side of the world. Since they booked their trip when we were still living in Malaysia, I took a flight to KL to meet them for a few days and show them around our old stomping grounds. The only hitch to the trip was that my mom had broken her ankle a few weeks before arriving. So we had to take it slow and at times wheel her around in a wheelchair. I think they really enjoyed seeing the different culture but the hot and humid temperature didn't fair well. We tried to warn them!!! LOL During our time in KL, I took them to the Elephant Sanctuary, Petronas Twin Towers, Chinatown, and other local areas and restaurants. We were lucky enough to stay with Karen and Floyd... and my parents just loved it. My mom went bonkers in Chinatown... don't get in the way of a woman and thousands of rip-off purses! I think they were just stunned to see live elephants at the Elephant Sanctuary. We made a day out of seeing unique animals at the Deer Park and then at the elephant park, they fed them and were able to take a short ride on them . As always, time went too quickly and before we knew it it was time to return to Perth. Once we arrived to Perth, Steve and I celebrated our ONE year ANNIVERSARY! Wow, how the time flew by... it also happened to be Father's day. The four of us decided to go to dinner to celebrate. As a gift to ourselves and my parents wanting to see as much of Asia as possible, we planned a trip to Bali (Indonesia). We left that Monday and were gone for 4 days. We stayed in our own private villas that Steve and I had previously stayed in during our first visit to Bali. They are just amazing and absolutely beautiful. It was nice b/c on this trip Steve and I wanted to try a few things that we didn't do on our first trip. My parents, Steve and I went to Monkey Forest, a volcano, Kata beach, and Ubud. The people are so friendly and welcoming. My parents were just in awww with the price of trinkets, food and how the culture was. I think they really enjoyed themselves. I know that Steve and I did. In their final week of the visit, we returned home to Perth were we did some day trips to surrounding towns. We, of course, went to Swan Valley for wine, the Pinnacle (amazing rock formations), Kings Park, the Wildlife park and Fremantle markets. It seemed like the 3 weeks they were here just went by so quickly. I hope it was a trip they will never forget.
July rolled in and we had one more set of friends coming to visit. Faith and Tim are our friends from Dallas. We have been truly blessed to have so many friends want to come and visit, this has defintely made the transition from KL to Perth a bit easier. Faith and Tim arrived at the end of July and we didn't waste any time. They were only going to be with us for a week, so we wanted to make the most of it. We decided to go to Albany and Denmark which is a 5 hour drive from Perth. I thought I was doing good by booking a farmstay house b/c it was roomier and more like a B and B. However, because it was winter, I didn't realize that the house wouldn't have heat. YIKES.... It was BITTER cold and we were forced to buy heaters at Target and huddle together to stay warm. Nevertheless, we didn't let this get us down. We had an amazing time from whale watching, seeing blow holes, going tasting at local wineries to tree top walking, it was jam packed with stuff to do and photo opportunities. When we got back to Perth, they enjoyed a few days of down time, and prision time! LOL They decided to do the Fremantle Prison tour...and the pics look like they had a great time. We were sad to see them go!
August came and went, no visitors, but busy with the pregnancy and trying to get back into a routine. Steve's work load really bumped up and it seemed like he was working all the time. He even went on the rig for almost 2 weeks. It was nice to have some down time!
Early September arrived and I left for a quick trip home to the US. Our company agreed to ship some baby items over, YEAH, so we decided to go home for a quick shopping trip and to see friends and family. While in Houston, my friends had a baby shower for our peanut. It was so nice of them and how great it was to see everyone! I surely miss all of our friends from Houston and can't wait to get back home for good! At the shower, our peanut got lots of baby things that will make our transition to parents a whole lot easier. Thanks guys! Next, Steve flew in and we took some time to go and visit his parents in Copperas Cove, TX. It was such a great visit. We went to Austin and Salato. What I didn't know was that Ilse had planned a surprise baby shower for us. It was such a wonderful surprise. I didn't have a clue. About 30 people came, and it was so nice of all of them to welcome me into motherhood with open arms. Everyone was so sweet and I know I had an absolutely wonderful time. Thanks Ilse, it really meant a lot to me! After several more trips to Babies-r-Us, we were ready to ship the baby stuff back to Perth. Unfortunately, our time in Houston was going quick, but we did manage to arrange time with Lorie and the Baxter's. We had decided to go to Fogo d' Choa for dinner and to take out our wedding cake topper to kind of celebrate our one year anniversary (a few months late I know, but what are you going to do when you are in Australia and the cake is in Texas for that special day? LOL) The cake was actually delicious. I was pleasantly surprised. The following day we left to head back to Perth. It was a rocky trip back, but we finally made it, 28 hours later!
This brings us to October...its gone by rather quickly and the pregnancy has been great thus far. I was diagnosed with gestational diabete's which has caused me to go on a strict diet. I've been working hard on it and have to take my sugar 4 times a day. I don't think I've had this much salad in forever! LOL I'm going to the OB every 2 weeks now and as of date she thinks that I'll be induced 2 weeks early. I go for a 32 week scan next week and we should know more then. Steve and I have been busy getting the baby's room ready. The air shipment arrived and because of that we were able to put the crib together and put the other essentials away. I've been having a bit of anxiety b/c we are going toa birthing/parenting class on Tues. for 3 weeks. I'm the kind of person that less information is better, where Steve is more is better. So with these classes, we are getting a well rounded education of what to expect, when and how. It should be interesting. Stay tuned, I'm sure in 7 weeks when our little one arrives that there may be a few intersting stories to tell!
During our stay here in Perth, we have made some really good friends. We do a lot of social activities with the Smith Family (Clint, Candi and their four kiddos... MacKenzie, Kennedy, Reid, Luke), Rob and Claire Goulding, The Sloan Family (Cam, Jacqui and their kids.... Brady and Cameron). I've also made a few friends in the scrapbook world. I enjoy scrapping each month with Bec and Christell. These friends have really helped make Perth feel like home. It wouldn't be the same withouth them. We recently looked after the Smith children while Clint and Candi went to Sydney. It was wonderful and gave us a small glimpse into parenthood. What fun! Take a look at some of the things we've done....
We welcome you to keep in touch with us and to see how this new and exciting chapter in life will turn out. We are blessed to have friends and family like all of you in our lives.
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, "Peanut" and Zoe
2009... where has it gone? That's pretty easy, we moved from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Perth, Australia in February. I've had somewhat of a difficult time adjusting to the move, but I am managing. We love our new house and the people in Perth are kind. I've joined the American Women's Club of Perth. The women are very friendly and I've met some ladies that I've become very close to.
In April, we were thrilled to discover that we were pregnant. I was very blessed to not have much difficulty getting pregnant and didn't have a day of morning sickness! April came upon us fast, as we were able to have our first visitor. My close friend from Ohio, Kelly, came for a visit. We went on a girls trip to Sydney and Cairns. We had a fantastic time and made a lot of great memories. My favorite memories were of the Sydney Opera House and the Blue Mountains. Just amazing.... She then was able to spend a week here in Perth. We showed her Swan Valley, Fremantle, Rottnest Island and other local attractions.
Just as the guest bedroom was beginning to collect dust, our next visitors arrived. We met a fabulous couple while living in KL, Karen and Floyd. We were lucky enough to have them come and visit us. We decided to head South to Margaret River, Bunbury and other small local towns in the area. Unfortunately, Zoe hadn't made it out of quarrentine yet, so they weren't able to see her. In the midst of hosting Karen and Floyd, we took a quick trip to Sydney to help celebrate our friends hen/hens night. We met up with the Batmans and of course staying with tradition, had a blast. I, nor Greg's wife Mel, could drink because we were both pregnant, but laughed quite a bit at our drunk hubbys when they returned home late from the bachelor party... hammered.
June quickly arrived and with it so did my parents. They finally decided to make the long journey to our side of the world. Since they booked their trip when we were still living in Malaysia, I took a flight to KL to meet them for a few days and show them around our old stomping grounds. The only hitch to the trip was that my mom had broken her ankle a few weeks before arriving. So we had to take it slow and at times wheel her around in a wheelchair. I think they really enjoyed seeing the different culture but the hot and humid temperature didn't fair well. We tried to warn them!!! LOL During our time in KL, I took them to the Elephant Sanctuary, Petronas Twin Towers, Chinatown, and other local areas and restaurants. We were lucky enough to stay with Karen and Floyd... and my parents just loved it. My mom went bonkers in Chinatown... don't get in the way of a woman and thousands of rip-off purses! I think they were just stunned to see live elephants at the Elephant Sanctuary. We made a day out of seeing unique animals at the Deer Park and then at the elephant park, they fed them and were able to take a short ride on them . As always, time went too quickly and before we knew it it was time to return to Perth. Once we arrived to Perth, Steve and I celebrated our ONE year ANNIVERSARY! Wow, how the time flew by... it also happened to be Father's day. The four of us decided to go to dinner to celebrate. As a gift to ourselves and my parents wanting to see as much of Asia as possible, we planned a trip to Bali (Indonesia). We left that Monday and were gone for 4 days. We stayed in our own private villas that Steve and I had previously stayed in during our first visit to Bali. They are just amazing and absolutely beautiful. It was nice b/c on this trip Steve and I wanted to try a few things that we didn't do on our first trip. My parents, Steve and I went to Monkey Forest, a volcano, Kata beach, and Ubud. The people are so friendly and welcoming. My parents were just in awww with the price of trinkets, food and how the culture was. I think they really enjoyed themselves. I know that Steve and I did. In their final week of the visit, we returned home to Perth were we did some day trips to surrounding towns. We, of course, went to Swan Valley for wine, the Pinnacle (amazing rock formations), Kings Park, the Wildlife park and Fremantle markets. It seemed like the 3 weeks they were here just went by so quickly. I hope it was a trip they will never forget.
July rolled in and we had one more set of friends coming to visit. Faith and Tim are our friends from Dallas. We have been truly blessed to have so many friends want to come and visit, this has defintely made the transition from KL to Perth a bit easier. Faith and Tim arrived at the end of July and we didn't waste any time. They were only going to be with us for a week, so we wanted to make the most of it. We decided to go to Albany and Denmark which is a 5 hour drive from Perth. I thought I was doing good by booking a farmstay house b/c it was roomier and more like a B and B. However, because it was winter, I didn't realize that the house wouldn't have heat. YIKES.... It was BITTER cold and we were forced to buy heaters at Target and huddle together to stay warm. Nevertheless, we didn't let this get us down. We had an amazing time from whale watching, seeing blow holes, going tasting at local wineries to tree top walking, it was jam packed with stuff to do and photo opportunities. When we got back to Perth, they enjoyed a few days of down time, and prision time! LOL They decided to do the Fremantle Prison tour...and the pics look like they had a great time. We were sad to see them go!
August came and went, no visitors, but busy with the pregnancy and trying to get back into a routine. Steve's work load really bumped up and it seemed like he was working all the time. He even went on the rig for almost 2 weeks. It was nice to have some down time!
Early September arrived and I left for a quick trip home to the US. Our company agreed to ship some baby items over, YEAH, so we decided to go home for a quick shopping trip and to see friends and family. While in Houston, my friends had a baby shower for our peanut. It was so nice of them and how great it was to see everyone! I surely miss all of our friends from Houston and can't wait to get back home for good! At the shower, our peanut got lots of baby things that will make our transition to parents a whole lot easier. Thanks guys! Next, Steve flew in and we took some time to go and visit his parents in Copperas Cove, TX. It was such a great visit. We went to Austin and Salato. What I didn't know was that Ilse had planned a surprise baby shower for us. It was such a wonderful surprise. I didn't have a clue. About 30 people came, and it was so nice of all of them to welcome me into motherhood with open arms. Everyone was so sweet and I know I had an absolutely wonderful time. Thanks Ilse, it really meant a lot to me! After several more trips to Babies-r-Us, we were ready to ship the baby stuff back to Perth. Unfortunately, our time in Houston was going quick, but we did manage to arrange time with Lorie and the Baxter's. We had decided to go to Fogo d' Choa for dinner and to take out our wedding cake topper to kind of celebrate our one year anniversary (a few months late I know, but what are you going to do when you are in Australia and the cake is in Texas for that special day? LOL) The cake was actually delicious. I was pleasantly surprised. The following day we left to head back to Perth. It was a rocky trip back, but we finally made it, 28 hours later!
This brings us to October...its gone by rather quickly and the pregnancy has been great thus far. I was diagnosed with gestational diabete's which has caused me to go on a strict diet. I've been working hard on it and have to take my sugar 4 times a day. I don't think I've had this much salad in forever! LOL I'm going to the OB every 2 weeks now and as of date she thinks that I'll be induced 2 weeks early. I go for a 32 week scan next week and we should know more then. Steve and I have been busy getting the baby's room ready. The air shipment arrived and because of that we were able to put the crib together and put the other essentials away. I've been having a bit of anxiety b/c we are going toa birthing/parenting class on Tues. for 3 weeks. I'm the kind of person that less information is better, where Steve is more is better. So with these classes, we are getting a well rounded education of what to expect, when and how. It should be interesting. Stay tuned, I'm sure in 7 weeks when our little one arrives that there may be a few intersting stories to tell!
During our stay here in Perth, we have made some really good friends. We do a lot of social activities with the Smith Family (Clint, Candi and their four kiddos... MacKenzie, Kennedy, Reid, Luke), Rob and Claire Goulding, The Sloan Family (Cam, Jacqui and their kids.... Brady and Cameron). I've also made a few friends in the scrapbook world. I enjoy scrapping each month with Bec and Christell. These friends have really helped make Perth feel like home. It wouldn't be the same withouth them. We recently looked after the Smith children while Clint and Candi went to Sydney. It was wonderful and gave us a small glimpse into parenthood. What fun! Take a look at some of the things we've done....
We welcome you to keep in touch with us and to see how this new and exciting chapter in life will turn out. We are blessed to have friends and family like all of you in our lives.
Love,
Steve, Stephanie, "Peanut" and Zoe
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