Could Labor Be Close?

Where did the time go?  It’s hard to believe that my pregnancy is nearly complete, Justin and I have been in India over a year and 2010 is just around the corner.  It’s difficult to tell if labor is near, but I think it may be close.  I woke up last night with a dull backache as well as an upset stomach.  I just wanted to get back to sleep, but nothing seemed to help.  Around 3:25am I took a long hot shower and tried to relax.  My stomach was still cramped and I spent quite a while in the bathroom if you get my drift.  Finally, I fell back asleep and woke up again about two hours later.  I told Justin I was having some of the symptoms of early labor, but nothing too major.  I have been having contractions, but none with enough regularity worth noting.  I have been doing a bit of reading, but ultimately it has been frustrating because “every pregnancy is different” so these signs could mean labor will kick in within a day or may still be a week away.  I’m trying not to get too excited, but I just wanted to keep everyone posted.  I hope labor it coming soon, wish me luck.

About 9 Months

The latest and greatest.  

The Daira Gallery: Hyderabad

After attending the Nano Art Show at the Daira Gallery several weeks ago I have been pretty excited about the possibility of having my artwork on display here in Hyderabad.  The show featured the works of multiple up and coming artists from around India.  There was also a solo show titled “Call of the Colour” in a separate area within the gallery.  I met Atika, the owner, and we spoke about having my work displayed in the near future.  Following the show we exchanged e-mails and on October 13^th I have an appointment so she can view some of my pieces in person in order to see if they will work for a future show.  It has been quite a challenge to find canvases and paint in Hyderabad, but I recently hit the jackpot at a local bookstore.  They not only had art supplies, but I also found numerous large canvases.  I’m trying new techniques and styles, its great having the freedom to experiment.  For those of you that would like to see the gallery here is a link.  http://www.dairagallery.com the current work on display can be viewed by clicking the Exhibition tab.

  This piece is huge and looks amazing in person.               

 This one is very bright, but color is definately in here in India.

Almost 9 Months

After the recent pregnancy party, I was asked to do a photo shoot for Katrien and Hans.  We had lunch and spent around three hours taking photos.  It was a good thing that we took them because on the 4th of October Katrien had her son.  She was hoping for a natural birth, but after many difficult hours of labor she ended up having an emergency C-section.  I visited her and Hans yesterday and their baby Daan.  Everyone is doing fine and they seem very excited to be new parents.  As for my pregnancy there isn't much news to report.  Despite my ever expanding belly, I am feeling quite well other than a little insomnia.  A little more than a month and Kira will be here. 

Hans kissing Katrien's Belly.

 Katrien only day's before delivery.

34 weeks.

 No stretch marks yet... keep your fingers crossed.

Pregnancy Party for Katrien

The number of pregnant women in Hyderabad continues to rise.  This summer many of the women started to get together for yoga, lunch and just to talk.  Yesterday there was a small party for Katrien; her due date is in two weeks.  Anna, Akiko, Mary-Signe, Katrien and I all got together at Lisa’s home to enjoy cake and ice cream.  We made bets on whether Katrien would have a boy or a girl and also which day she would end up having her baby.  There are many theories on how one can discover the gender.  Are you carrying high?  What foods do you crave?   There are even some based on how often you need to shave your legs.  Supposedly there is a test where you hold a needle above the women’s belly or hand and depending on whether the needle swings in a circle or a line the gender is revealed.  Well, everyone already knows that I am having a girl so we decided to test Katrien to see if she shared my fate.  Well the results were inconclusive, but it seems like she may be having a boy.  We all laughed at how silly the test was.  Really it was just for fun and more of an excuse for all us pregnant ladies to get together and chat over tea.  I guessed she was having a girl and that she would be born on the 9^th of October.  We each put in five dollars, I hope I win.

Mary-Signe holding the needle and string over my belly.

We couldn't help but laugh at this silly idea, looks like it's a girl.

Katrien getting her results, Akiko looks on from the couch.

3D Ultrasound

Today we went in for another ultrasound.  The purpose was just to check the position of everything and to see how Kira is growing.  She is in the 59^th percentile so she’s a little bigger than average, but not too big.  She now weighs about four pounds!  She’s head down which I am super happy about, hopefully she stays that way.  It doesn’t feel like she has much room anymore, surely not enough to do a somersault.  Her brain looks normal and she is extremely active.  Her head was turned a bit to the side, but the ultrasound technician tried to get a shot of her face with the 3D feature.  I felt a little nervous, but I think despite looking a little smashed she looks pretty cute.  Justin says she has my nose, only a couple more weeks and we’ll find out.  After the lady snapped a shot she smiled and said “Chubby cheeks.”   Kira definitely has a little bit of the chipmunk action happening.  I can’t wait to see what she looks the day she is born.

Kira with her hand in front of her face.

 There she is, look at those cheeks!

Jet Airways on Strike

Six days ago, nearly 600 national pilots simulated a strike against Jet Airways Management by calling in sick.  The strike originated after two pilots were fired for their participation in the formation of the union, National Aviators Guild (NAG).  Hundreds of flights were cancelled; Justin was even stranded on his way home from Bangkok.  After 48 hours the pilots that called in sick were required to provide a doctors note.  Doctors were sent to the pilots homes with the threat that those that were not sick were subject to dismissal.  Meanwhile, flights continued to be canceled.  Although the expats were willing to work, many were unable to fly because at least one of the pilots in the cockpit must be a national pilot.  Without a non-expat first officer reporting for duty the expats were forced to stay home.  Several more pilots were fired and by the fifth day a message was sent out to all the pilots including the expats that all operations had ceased and that no one was needed to report to work.  Needless to say, this has caused some serious concern for all of us.  Our worry has been compounded because we have still not been paid for the month of August.  It was supposed to be deposited on the 1^st of September.  The company was already on shaky ground and now its stocks have plummeted as a result of all this silliness.  Many of us are worried that because of all the revenue the company has lost that they may not be able to recover from the strike and that we will not be paid.  We were told we would be paid on the 1^st   then the 7^th, now it has been moved to the 15^th.  On the 15^th the guys will have worked 6 weeks without pay.  Many of the guys are starting to form exit strategies.  The strike ended today and we are all waiting to see what happens next.  This really is awful timing.  In the next few weeks I will be unable to fly internationally because of my pregnancy, not to mention that Justin was due to receive a bonus next month.  If the company goes under, they don’t pay us, or they initiate huge pay cuts, we aren’t sure what we will do.  There aren't many jobs available right now.  All the guys are back to work today, but things are still a bit out of whack.  The company is trying to restore order and hopefully customer confidence.  I hope this isn’t how our India adventure ends. 

Picking a Name

After my brother’s son was born I can’t help but feel anxious about my pregnancy coming to an end.  I am still enjoying being pregnant, but there is part of me that is completely ready to meet our daughter.  I can’t wait to see Justin as a proud new dad; he is going to be so great.  Justin is an amazing husband and I know he will be a wonderful father.  Our inability to pick a name has been driving more than a few of you a little bonkers I'm sure.  We’ve had it narrowed down to Audrey and Kira for quite some time and  I’m happy to announce that Justin has finally put his foot down and we decided that Kira is going to be the perfect name for our little girl.

  27 WEEKS 

29 WEEKS 

 30 WEEKS

Roman Edward Geisler

Yesterday I received a call from my brother.  His wife Katie had been sitting at a stop light when all of a sudden she was hit from behind, the impact was so strong that it forced her car into the vehicle in front of her.  She is 35 weeks pregnant and was advised to visit the hospital.  After four hours of being monitored, they were finally released to go home.  They were exhausted and it was already past midnight when they arrived at their house.  While sitting down at the table for a light snack before bed, Katie felt a gush.  Her water had just broken.  With five weeks still to go in their pregnancy they were a bit shook-up on the way back to the hospital.  Jay called me, because he knew I was the only one that would be up at that time since it was the afternoon here in India.  He told me he wanted to wait to call everyone else until the morning.  I told him to try and get some rest, because it sounded like Katie was going to need it since the birth seemed imminent.  I was very worried and I wanted to call someone, but I agreed not to call my parents and Justin is away in Bangkok for simulator training until the 9^th.  I got a hold of a few friends and asked them to say some prayers for Jay, Katie and the baby.  This morning I woke early and called my brother immediately.  Roman Edward Geisler was born at 2:49pm September 4^th 2009.  He weighed 5 pounds and 9 ½ ounces and was 18 inches long.  Everything went fine and he seemed to be breathing well and not having too much trouble feeding.  He will even be able to stay in the room tonight with Jay and Katie.  I am so happy.  Jay is my only sibling, and he is very important to me.  I can’t believe I’m an aunt.  Even though little Roman was a little early he’s seems to be doing well.  Thank you all for the kind thoughts and words of encouragement it means a lot!

Happy Birthday!

 Katie with her new son.

 Look how happy my brother is to be a dad!

People Are People

A conversation came about while Justin was flying; his first officer was talking about how absurd he thought it was that some of the expats were calling their drivers Sir.  He has never left India.  He asked Justin if we would call our drivers Sir in The United States.  Justin explained that most people don’t have drivers, but a bus or cab driver would be considered equal.  This seemed very strange.  Justin told him, that you might be a pilot and choose to work as a driver for a second job.  That you couldn’t tell who someone was just based on what they do.  It was making me think about how sometimes other cultures are perceived as being so rude by Americans in certain circumstances.  This is simply due to a different perspective.  Here in India most treat people according to what caste they belong to.  This explains why many Indians seem to me to be so disrespectful to their house help.  What’s interesting is that many of these families are more like indentured servants.  The first officer explained that one particular family has been working for his family for more than three generations.  We have several friends here that have a driver, a maid, a cook or even all three.  It is very common to be asked for a payday advance or even a loan of some sort.  At first glance I thought this was merely because of their salaries not being adequate for basic needs.  A friend’s housekeeper wanted to borrow around $80.00 to buy a bed for her son.  This amount is equal to several months wage even for someone that is being paid over what’s standard.  The first officer said the reason for this many times is actually to obtain job security.  If you owe a family a large amount of money they will not fire you until it’s been paid in full.  Pretty soon you owe enough to insure that your children will have work and so on.  I had never thought of it in that sense.  After Justin explained that we didn’t have anyone working for us, he was speechless and actually offended.  Justin explained that we enjoy privacy and that we also like to be self reliant.  He said “I understand your reasons, but let’s just take the lady that cleans your floor for example…”  Justin responds “No, we don’t have someone that does that.”  “No, listen you know it’s not like a true maid, just the lady that comes and sweeps everyday.”  Clearly he was having trouble accepting what Justin was saying.  “We don’t have anyone.”  Then a long pause, “What?  It just doesn’t get done?  What are you doing it yourself?”  He responded with half a chuckle.  “Yeah” Justin said.  After a long discussion while heading to their destination he described how some people may really be taking offense to the fact that we don’t use these services.  There is a man here that is supposed to be the night guard.  His wife and two kids all live in the parking garage in a 9’ X 9’ cement room.  His wife cleans or cooks for many of the residents, maybe everyone, for all I know.  They count on the people living in this building for their income.  Also the guy was insulted because he said we are undermining our own status.  The United States really is the land of the free.  You can be anyone you want.  Your family, your name, your race or your sex really can’t stop you from accomplishing your goals and dreams in life.  I don’t think it’s a bad thing to see everyone as an equal, we’re all just people.

         The roof next door, I think these women live in a nearby tent made from sticks and a tarp. 

We had heavy rain the night before so I'm guessing their houses flooded.

         This sure makes me think twice about complaining about not being comfortable at night.

Early Morning Wakeup Call

Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night it’s due to another trip to the bathroom or simply my need to change positions, but the other night I woke up to Justin writhing around in bed mumbling about something.  The air conditioner often turns off and stays off if the power has gone out at any point in the evening, so since I was feeling a bit hot I figured he might be feeling uncomfortable too.  But after he got out of bed and starting pacing the room I didn’t need to have my contacts in to know it was something else.  “What going on? Are you ok?”  He only said two words, “My ear!” but the way he said it I knew he was in severe pain.  Justin doesn't remember ever having an ear infection, but fortunately I’ve had quite a few so I could empathize with how he was feeling.  I jumped out of bed and started to look around for anyway to sooth his agony.  We didn’t have much around the house and I told him what he really needed was some antibiotics, but considering it was 3:50 in the morning we didn’t have much of a chance of acquiring those at the moment.  I grabbed some pain-killers; an oil soaked cotton ball and a hot wash rag and did what I could until morning.  It seemed to help and after some struggling he appeared to be back to sleep.  The following morning Justin decided to try and clean his ear out with a Q-tip only to discover blood and pus was now coming out of his ear.  I told him that the pressure might have been too great and his eardrum may have ruptured.  As I said earlier, I’ve had my fair share of ear infections, but I never had blood come out of my ear.  We knew that we at least needed some medications to fight whatever infection he as dealing with, so we headed to a close by hospital.  Of course, it was a holiday, everyday seems to be one celebration or another so this meant that no specialists were on duty and only a few basic doctors were there.  Although the doctor wasn’t able to confirm what exactly was going on with his ear he was able to give us the much needed antibiotics as well as some drops and some other medications.  We were told we could return in a day or so to have another check-up if it did not improve.  That day Justin spent a good amount of time sleeping and simply trying to feel better.  His hearing is muffled still, but he is taking it easy and I think he is on the upswing now, which is great.  

Our New Place

Many of you have you probably figured out that I still haven't been able to upload any new photo albums. The internet provider we have at our new place uses a proxy server which is meant to save bandwidth.  I will be posting photos in the journal section until I can find a way to access another network. So here are a couple of photos of our new place. It's really nice and so much easier to maintain. We have been doing a lot more when Justin has days off and it's also close to where some of our new friends are staying.

  

Our Bedroom:  Justin put the crib together yesterday, we are getting excited!

Here is the living room, the front door is to the right as well as another bathroom. 

The kitchen.  There is a small balcony through the door near the sink.

The Third Trimester Already

As I prepare to enter my third trimester in less than a week the reality of giving birth and actually holding our daughter is finally setting in. I spent quite a few mornings chatting with my mom over a cup of decaf coffee discussing her personal account of my brother’s birth as well as my own. I’ve been told you can learn a lot about how your birth may go based on the experiences of your own mother. Well Mom, I’m praying that I have an easier time than you did. Despite the many horror stories my friends back home shared with me while on vacation I left feeling more prepared than before. Ultimately, I realized that becoming educated and therefore less anxious and fearful about the event makes for less bumps along the way. Over the last six weeks, I have grown significantly, yet not much has changed with the way I have been feeling. I have a bit more trouble sleeping, a few more aches, and a lot of kicks and punches, but as a whole, I have much to be thankful for. This pregnancy has been developing gradually giving me ample time to adjust to all little quirks that have come along with it. Yesterday I went in for a checkup with Dr. Reddy. She assured me that everything was moving forward perfectly. She listened to her heart which seemed to be beating with great strength. She smiled while pushing around on my belly and said “Everything is doing very well.” She also said I looked much healthier than our last visit which is a good thing I guess, considering I thought I was looking pretty good last time too. I haven’t been taking “belly photos”, but I am going to get back into the swing of things. So please check back weekly to follow my amazing journey of becoming a whale. All humor aside, despite feeling huge I am actually right on track with my size and weight even a little on the small side so I really shouldn’t be complaining. Thanks again to everyone for all the baby stuff, maternity clothes and gifts. It really meant so much and made preparing for our return in February so much easier to tackle.

   CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM MY TRIP BACK HOME IN OUR "SUMMER IN THE USA" GALLERY

Summer in The States

Once Justin and I arrived in the United States we realized that we wouldn’t be escaping the heat we experienced back in India. Washington, Idaho and Oregon were all experiencing a severe heat wave with temperatures reaching beyond the triple digits. On the bright side the weather made for great days out on the lake. We spent the first part of our vacation in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. My dad drove up from Oregon and was able to spend time with everyone which was terrific. Plus, he is great at manning the grill which was essential considering the kind of cravings Justin was having for red meat. I think my system was on “beef overload” by about the fourth day of barbequing. Damien and Tiffany our close friends from Tacoma, Washington also drove to Sandpoint. After meeting up with them at Tiffany’s parent’s home we spent time lounging in the sun, painting rocks with the kids and we even took the jet-ski out for a spin. Right before we heading down to Oregon, Dan and Carrie, our friends in Spokane had a BBQ at their home in Liberty Lake where a huge group of all our friends came together to see us for a great night of food and fun. On our way to Salem we stopped near Portland and met up with Justin’s grandparents for a quick chat and some hot cocoa. Once we reached Justin’s mom’s house in Oregon we could hardly wait for the ultrasound that was scheduled for the following day. As many of you know, it’s illegal to find out the sex of the baby in India. So this was our only chance of knowing whether we were going to have a boy or a girl. It took a lot of leg work by my sister-in-law Katie as well as my dad in order to find a clinic that was willing to accept me without a referral and not charge an absolutely absurd amount. It was amazing having my parents, Justin’s sister Nikki and my Aunt Becky all there to discover the sex of the baby with Justin and me. I have felt like I’ve really missed out when it comes to having friends and family close by during my pregnancy so it truly meant a great deal to have everyone there to share in our excitement that we are going to have a baby girl. We spent that week running around seeing as many people as possible; both our families and also many of Justin’s good friends in Eugene. We were even able to meet up with Thaddeus and Chong Chong who were both visiting from China. We spent a day at the beach with my brother Jay and Katie and I finally got to enjoy the one thing I have been craving since about my seventh week of pregnancy; the famous chowder at the Sea Hag.  That night we stayed at my Aunt Becky's house this is also where Marvin, our cat is living.  It was so wonderful to be with him and see that he still remembers us.  After returning to Idaho we spend a few days camping, floating inner tubes down the river, and of course indulging in a few smores. Justin spent his last few days tying up loose ends, renewing his visa and simply relaxing before heading back to India. I stayed behind in order to give myself a little more leeway with my visa. I can only be in India for 180 consecutive days and since I won’t be able to return until February because of flight restrictions due to pregnancy and the birth itself I needed to give myself a little bit of a buffer incase there is a delay in Justin’s block-off. I needed to unwind a little after Justin left. We always seem to be running around like crazy and there never seems to be enough time to see everyone. Since I just wanted to relax I decided to take on a project and make a quilt for our daughter. I hadn’t made a quilt before, but all things considered I think it turned out wonderfully. I also spent time hanging out with our friends Shaun and Phedra as well as Chad and Kealan. Although I had a wonderful time with everyone there was a part of me that missed Justin and actually as strange as it may sound, India. I definitely would not want to live in India forever, but right now it is our home. Plus, there is part of me that knows that this isn’t forever and that it really is a once in a lifetime experience that shouldn't be wasted.

Getting Back into Writing

Let me start off by apologizing for my recent lack of activity when it comes to posting. Honestly, I haven’t felt like there is much to report lately. I know this is a poor excuse, but I will try to explain. When I originally started this website I had grand plans of telling the stories and adventures of all our travels. At first this was quite easy; everything here in India seemed new and shocking. After nearly a year, the wonder has worn off for the most part and everyday life doesn’t seem to be worth noting. Now I know that this isn’t actually true and there are many amazing and wonderful things to tell you all about, but as my audience and feedback has dwindled so has the frequency of my posting. After a little hassling by some of my friends and family back in the United States, I realized that people are still checking the site for new updates only to find nothing. So, this is my way of saying that I am going to get back on the wagon and start writing again. Thank you to all of you that are still checking the site for updates.

Film Nagar Here We Come

Over the past two weeks we have been making trips to our new flat in Film Nagar to check on any advances with the various finishing work. We jump on the scooter and after thirty minutes or so we arrive hot and tired at our new place. We take the elevator up to the top floor and despite the high number of people inside each time, not much work ever seems to be completed. It’s frustrating, but if India has taught me one thing, it’s how to be more patient. In spite of the delays, progress has been made, and today we are scheduled to collect our keys around 6:00 pm this evening. We plan to start moving our belonging later this week and hope to have our place relatively livable by the time we leave at the end of the month. The flat is partially furnished which means we will have to make some purchases, but it’s actually nice to pick things that we’re partial to. The location is amazing and we even found a Mexican food place that is actually passable. They don’t have some of the key ingredients, like cheese, but hey I’m not complaining, honestly it’s probably a lot healthier. There is also a movie theater, book store and grocery store close by. Right next door there is a little coffee shop where you can also buy some fresh baked goods. The one thing that isn’t that great about our move is that we are leaving our friends back in Dream Valley. I am hoping that we still continue to hang out even though we will be a farther away. Justin and I needed to move though. Even though we don’t want to live in India forever, this is our home at the moment. That being said, it’s important to embrace that reality and make the best of our experience. We aren’t sure how long we are going to end up living here, but the longer we last, the better off we will be. More of Justin’s buddies are continuing to be laid off or let go and we are actually very thankful that despite the current economic state we are staying afloat. I hope are place turns out to be what we are hoping for. I’m also getting pretty excited about the idea of buying things for the baby and starting the next chapter in this crazy life we lead.

 

 PHOTO OF JUBILEE HILLS: FILM NAGAR IS LOCATED WITHIN THIS AREA.

It's About That Time Again

That’s right we’re moving. I’m trying to imagine shocked faces, but with a track record like ours, it seems highly unlikely. I am starting to think it may be some sort of rare illness. I had already come to terms with our inability to stay in one area, but we have now upgraded to needing to move around within that area. The good news is that we can stop spending Justin’s off days riding around Hyderabad in 100 degree weather looking for flats. Our finds ranged from grossly over priced villas to an apartment that only received water between 6:00am to 9:00am and 7:00pm to 8:00pm. Just when we had almost settled on our decision we received a call that someone backed out of the deal on one of the flats we really wanted. You have to get an agent, just as you would when buying a home, to rent an apartment here. It’s silly, but we really lucked out it’s in a great central location, only minutes from the hospital and I even found a store that sells art supplies. I’ve had to import everything up to this point. What more could I really ask for? Well you may be wondering about now why we are moving in the first place. There are countless reasons, but only a few worth going on about. First, after living here a while we have come to realize that we are paying a premium price here in Dream Valley and there are better places for less, like this new place. Second, this place is huge and honestly, I am having a bit of trouble keeping up with all the cleaning and it’s only going to get worst the bigger I am not to mention once the baby arrives. I take a certain amount of pride in keeping up with the house cleaning, laundry and all the other chores that go along with maintaining daily life. This has actually been something that has been causing some anxiety for me. I’m happy to say that this new place is small and we are the first tenants to occupy it. I can’t express what a huge plus this is. In India things deteriorate at an incredible rate, so the more control you have over that, the better. Finally, the location is a lot nicer. It’s in town and close to all the places we frequent often. Also, in the heart of the city you’re less likely to have dead animals left near the roadside to bloat in the sun. Not to mention that I won’t be able to ride the scooter much longer and having everything nearby is priceless. The place still has some finishing work, but this actually works out to our advantage since we had to provide notice at our current residency. We’re planning on making the transition the last week of the month. Then we’re off to The States to see everyone. I can hardly wait!

Outside Hyderabad

After a chance conversation while traveling home on a flight from Bombay; Justin was invited by another Captain working for Jet Airways to come join him along with some friends and family for an evening at his home. We didn’t know what to expect, but we figured it would be a unique experience whatever the outcome. We planned to meet downtown and carpooled to our destination. We drove on and as the hours passed the noise and clutter of the city faded into quiet country roads, and a new side of India. We pulled up to an area where Vicky, the captain Justin had met the day prior, was waiting with friends. Model airplanes lined the grass eagerly awaiting flight. After shaking hands and completing introductions we took a seat and waited for the show to begin. Vicky had a nearly finished airstrip on the piece of property, not only for his collection of models, but also for his personal plane. Brett and Scott also joined us and before long planes filled the sky and smiles filled the crowd. This is truly a passion of Vicky’s and he has been pursuing his hobby for over 35 years. His experience showed in the ease that his plane displayed fantastic aerobatics. It was so much fun and the offer was soon made to those who dared to give flying a shot and Brett having past experience naturally volunteered. He did great and a slight flash of victory and relief crossed his face as the control was handed off. Eerie peacocks calls could be heard as the sun began to set and the last plane touched down. The night was still far from over and the fun was actually just beginning. Good thing we brought our swimsuits because after a short ride to a nearby outdoor retreat the water was cool and clean and the barbeque was hot and ready. With everyone relaxed the conversation was great and just as refreshing as the dip in the pool. After a noteworthy meal we were brought over to meet the ostriches. What an impressive bird. With threatening two toed hoof like feet, ostriches have very strong legs that allow them to run at speeds near 50 miles per hour, as well as pack a real punch. After making a quick dash to chase some dogs away, I was actually a bit intimidated. Hours passed, but the night continued. Only once we reached Vicky’s home did I realize how young at heart he sincerely was. As soon as I shook his hand hours prior I knew he would be an easy person to talk to. His family and company were all equally as genuine and pleasant. As the garage door opened, literally hundreds of model planes came into view. This wasn’t just a hobby; he was beyond a doubt an enthusiast. Over thirty motorcycles and several imported classic cars from the United States. I can’t imagine what a headache those must have been to obtain. Our discussion found its way to the main floor of his home and ended at three in the morning with a parrot sitting on Justin’s shoulder. I can’t express how invigorating the entire encounter was, not to mention simply a ton of fun. I can’t wait until we get another chance to enjoy their company.

              CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS BY VISITING OUR "OUTSIDE HYDERABAD" GALLERY

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

The last few days Justin’s had off work we’ve been continuing to explore around Hyderabad. After registering with the United States Consulate and obtaining all the necessary paperwork for after the birth of baby we found an absolutely awesome grocery store. Our eyes widened as we took in the expanse of fresh fruits and vegetables. A bakery sat near aisles of many familiar western foods. Jackpot! We spilt our separate ways as new things caught our eyes. You could hear us shouting to one another “Justin, check this out.” “Bec, they have beef!” The store was a genuine find, but by the time we stumbled across it the day was nearly done and we didn’t have our backpack so we wouldn’t be taking our treasures home today, but it’s been a few days since our visit and I’m happy to say I had chicken alfredo the other night. Now for the real story, that same night we were unwinding to a little Wii gaming, when the power went out as per usual. We didn’t pay much attention at first, but it sounded like people were running around outside our house. Justin walked through the darkness and opened the front door. There was a nasty storm brewing and the wind was already fierce. Lightening struck so frequently the sky appeared to flash as a strobe light. Then with the crash of thunder the rain began. Water dumped from above. The trash we set out earlier was already on its way down the street. Justin ran out to grab it and in that short moment he was drenched. Then our windows slammed open and our entryway lamps blew over. Once all the windows were shut and secured we returned outside to watch the fury. A smile and a little chuckle met our lips as a plump frog hopped from the flooding streets in search of safer grounds. Not long after, we saw someone zooming by on a scooter. “Look at this idiot!” Justin exclaimed. “What a freak.” I agreed. A few moments later he came zooming back. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Justin said with a laugh. We stepped inside to grab a flashlight only to hear the sound of drips echoing through the house. Fortunately our roof wasn’t leaking; it was simply coming in through the windows and running down the ceiling. The monsoon had officially made its debut. The house temperature was now about fifteen degrees warmer than outside so we went upstairs to open some doors and windows since the wind had calmed somewhat. That’s when we realized the water from the balcony had raised so much it was about flood into the house. Our drains were plugged with leaves. Justin quickly stripped down and went to work. After an hour of pushing water the levels were manageable and we climbed to the roof to see if those drains needed work as well. As the door opened, a large pile of broken tiles that had all blown off our roof were pushed aside. It was flooded as well, but not nearly as bad. Many hours after the storm had passed our power returned. It was terrific and honestly with temperatures over 109 degrees the past few days I have actually been looking forward to the start of the monsoon. The next morning we discovered the identity of the mysterious rider. It was Scott, our buddy from down the street, what a crazy. Thanks to Karen’s great photos I have some evidence of the whole insane event, behold. 

THE MAN BEHIND THE MYSTERY: SCOTT TURK

     WHAT CAN I EVEN SAY AT THIS POINT

 SOMEONE STOP HIM, HE'S GONE WILD.

We're Already in the Second Trimester

I was really looking forward to having another ultrasound.  I hoped the image would look a little less like a blob and a little more like a baby. We weren’t disappointed; there was a huge difference from last time.  Although the images we were sent home with weren’t the greatest you can still get the general idea.  The ultrasound technician was going crazy trying to take the necessary measurements to make sure the baby had grown properly.  Twirling, whirling, kicks and turns this little guy/gal was busy in there. She looked over at me after desperately trying to get a good shot. “What’d you feed this kid for breakfast?” “Uh, just a little bowl of granola.” “Well the baby sure must like it.” I started laughing. Honestly I was glad to see all the activity; it made me feel like everything was going well.  After a few especially violent jumps, Justin questioned “Can’t you feel that, Bec? I couldn’t, but I may start to feel a little something in the next few weeks I’m told.  I’ll let everyone know when I do.

CHECK OUT THE NEW BELLY PHOTOS AND THE ULTRASOUND GALLERY