All Your Questions, Answered Here

Welcome to my new baby blog!  I’ve decided to separate this from my travel blog because even though there will likely be some overlap in content, aside from friends and family, these two topics will also likely draw two very different sets of readers (but, as one of my friends commented on our FB announcement, this is our greatest adventure yet).  We’ve received an overwhelming amount of comments and inbox messages on Facebook and I can’t possibly reply to them all so I figured a good place to start would be an FAQ section.  So, with no further ado, here it is:

Congratulations!

Thank you so much!  The response to my pregnancy has been awesome and we're so happy to share our news with all of you!  This is a very wonderful time in our lives!  We’re overjoyed! You can tell by all the exclamation marks!

How far along are you?

I’m 12 weeks and 2 days today (January 28^th).  I’ve been bursting with this secret for so long but we’d wanted to tell our families in person over Christmas and then tell our Hong Kong friends in person after that.  At that point, we figured we might as well wait until after the ultrasound so we’d have a picture to go with the announcement.

When is the due date?

The baby is due on August 10^th, which also happens to be my mom’s birthday!

Gender?

We were given an “educated guess” at the ultrasound yesterday, but seeing as it is still early, we’re keeping our little secret for now until we’re sure. 

How are you feeling?

I feel great until around 2pm, but most of my classes are done by then anyway.  And if I feel bad at work, my coworkers are very accommodating and understanding.  From 2pm until I go to bed I feel awful, but that just gives me an excuse to lie on the couch and enjoy a Breaking Bad marathon.  H takes care of me.  I drink ginger ale.  It’s all good.  I’ve been missing my writing group meetings and gym time though, so that kind of sucks.

How is the baby?

The baby is great.  Everything is developing right on schedule and I’ve been obsessively using my “What to Expect” app and book to track daily and weekly progress.  The baby is currently the size of a plum.  Awwww!

Any food aversions or cravings?

Aversions: food in general.  I’ve lost 13 lbs being pregnant so far.  Since I’d gained so much weight a few years back, this weight loss is fine.  It’s perfectly normal for a woman to lose weight in the first trimester.  I feel super healthy right now and look better than I have in a long time.  Cravings: nectarines and pickles.  How very stereotypical of me, eh?  Does anyone know where to get deep fried dill pickles in Hong Kong?

There’s only one in there. 

I know.  I’m shocked too.  Totally thought it was twins. 

Will you move back to Canada?

Oh, it’s the million dollar question.  No, we’re staying in Hong Kong.  This is where our life is.  As much as it pains us to be away from our families and friends, we look forward to visits and Skype dates.  Three months pregnant is a very bad time to quit a good-paying steady job and move to the other side of the world with nothing but the clothes on our backs.  That seems irresponsible and foolhardy. 

What about Canada’s great health care system?

We aren’t Canadian residents and haven’t been for years.  We pay no taxes and therefore have no right to access the public health system, except through our travel insurance when we visit.  We would have to live in Canada for six months to become official residents again.  Hong Kong also has a great health care system.  In fact, from my experience so far, it’s better than in Canada.  Things are done a little differently here but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  As Hong Kong residents, we are provided with free, top notch care and are in very good hands here.

What about maternity leave?

Well, it sucks.  A lot.  I get a whopping eight weeks after the baby is born (and two weeks before, but that overlaps with summer vacation so it doesn’t really count).  Dads get three days.  However, on the positive side, because I have such an awesome job that pays well and covers our rent, H gets to be a stay at home dad.  He’ll get to have a quality bonding time with the baby while I’m at work and I’ll be home by four every afternoon for family time.  That’s not so bad.  (I also have about a billion sick days saved up.)

Your sister is pregnant too, right?

Yep!  She’s due in June.  It’s very exciting to be going through all this with her. 

Well, I guess that’s it for now.  Thank you again for all your support and love!  The baby will be lucky to have so many wonderful people in its life!