Three Weeks Left

Yup, I'm 37 weeks pregnant today! The bump has definitely gotten bigger, and is making it hard for me to get around. :)

A couple of days ago, Alan took me to the Rotunda Hospital in downtown Dublin (a.k.a. The Bun Factory), to get registered. They deliver 9,000 babies a year there!!! All went well, and as it turns out, the consultant who will oversee the birth happens to be the head doctor for the whole place. That was very reassuring. He took my history, measured me, and gave me a sonogram while I was there. Everything looks good, thank God.

Alan leaves for a one-week trip to Arizona tomorrow, so please God, this baby will wait until he comes back. Not just that, but since I haven't started driving yet, I'll be trying to get to some shops via cabs while he's gone so I can get some things. (If the Bump will let me get out and about that much.)

Irish hospitals have a much different list of what to bring to the hospital than they do in the States. Here, to keep costs down, families are in charge of bringing all their supplies. Not only nightgowns, slippers, and toiletries for your recovery, but old nightgowns, maternity towels, and underwear for the delivery. And sanitary pads, nursing pads, diapers, baby clothes, and everything else you can think of for a three-night stay after the birth.

I hope I can get all that together before the birth. Wish me luck...

Connor's First Day at School

Well, he did it! Connor's first day of school went well. Of course, he did cry for me a bit when I dropped him off. But I was ushered out of the classroom by his wonderful teacher, Miss Clancy and the principal, Mr. McGarry (who happens to have been Alan's 3rd grade teacher). Mr. McGarry called me soon afterwards to say that Connor quickly adjusted, and was having a grand time, fitting right in. Whew!

When I picked him up, he was happy, happy, happy! And last night was the first night since we arrived that Connor slept through the night. I think having gone to school he was no longer nervous about it and was finally able to rest.

Today was even better. He seemed very content and happy. And of course, that means Alan and I are happy parents. :)

Our Arrival in Dublin

I am trying really hard to remember to take pictures of everything.

This time, at the end of our long journey, it was a huge sign in the baggage claim area of Dublin's new terminal that reminded me to take out my camera.

Connor's Goodbye Circle at Preschool

Last Thursday, Connor went to preschool for his last day. In addition to giving Connor a little goodbye celebration, it was also their annual St. Patrick's Day Party. The children loved looking for the golden coins, and I think Connor genuinely loved the goodbye celebration.

The children sang "Make New Friends" to Connor, and I was so touched. Then, they presented him with a card and a couple of gifts. When Connor opened the card, it sang to him and made him smile. The gifts were a LEGO minifigure and a LEGO sticker book that all his classmates had signed on the inside cover. I was holding back the tears, for sure. It was very, very, sweet. Connor was so into the LEGO book, that Teacher Ari showed the children Connor's Ireland photo album (depicting our house, his bedroom, and a few other places here in Dublin), and Connor simply gave the descriptions of the pictures.

It was a magical event, and I definitely think it helped Connor feel loved as we transitioned from our Oregon home to our Ireland home.

Our Last Supper

Our last night in Portland, we stayed in for a family dinner. It was delicious, thanks to a Christmas gift Alan got from my Aunt Teri: Omaha steaks, chicken, fish, and potatoes. Mmmm, mmm!

As you can tell from the photos, Alan is still feeling drained, and I am in my pajamas from having rested for most of the day (I've been fighting a sinus infection). The highlight of our dinner were the cupcakes Connor and Mom made.

Our Departure

It was a whirlwind of a departure.

In the matter of one week, all our belongings were packed, moved, shipped, or stored and we were left with an empty house. With one day for cleaning and fixing odds and ends, our renters moved in 48 hours after we left. Whew!

It was tiresome, for sure. Because Alan was still down with his pneumonia, and I had The Bump, we really couldn't have done it without my family. Mom, Dad, and Kimberly helped pack our suitcases, load our cars, and run errands for us.

It was all a lesson in surrendering, that's for sure.

Where We'll Be

Today I put together a little album of Ireland for Connor. He's already shown a few friends pictures of where we'll be living, places we'll be going, and family we'll be seeing.

So I thought: I should do the same. :) For those of you getting my emails, stay tuned b/c we'll be sending you our new address soon.

We're moving to Ireland

Hi Everyone,

Yup! We got an ex-pat assignment in Ireland. First it was wait, wait, wait. Now it's go, go, go!

The movers came today and started packing up the house. Man, they move fast! They finished packing up our garage, playroom, 2 guest rooms, living room, dining room, and 1/2 our kitchen in less than 5 hours. It was amazing! They'll be back on Tuesday to finish the job, and then Wednesday they'll load the truck.

When are we leaving? I'm not really sure right now. Alan's getting over pneumonia, so I'm not in any hurry to put him on a plane. After he's better, we'll go. But rest assured, it'll be somewhere between the 18th and the 23rd. It's so nice we have a green light, and we can't wait to be reunited with our Irish family!