A request for pics

So someone who actually still reads this blog asked for some updated pics. So here it goes....

Emma Kate Slocum

Family of Five

Tomorrow is the day we finally get to meet number 5, our little sister and sweet daughter. If you've been following us on facebook or through email then you already know that we have been anxiously awaiting this arrival. I am 9 days "late"...she was "due" on July 10. I have learned a lot about due dates in these past few days, basically that they are non-exact and useless :-) Well, maybe not useless, but at least not something to put all your hopes on. This is our third baby and we totally expected her to be earlier and to come all on her own, surprising us in the middle of the night, etc, etc. I guess that could still happen, but for now the plan is to arrive at the hospital at 6am for an induction. I'll spare you the details but I am already showing progress (more than I was when they finished my failed induction on Friday!) so we have a lot more hope for this one to actually work. As a matter of fact, if I didn't do anything I may very well deliver on my own before the week is out, but we are in a unique situation, timewise. A lot is riding on this girl's birthday and we actually need her out by tomorrow if we ever hope to make it back home in time to start school and such.

This has been a special time for us as a family. We've been able to teach our kids a lot about waiting on God's timing and about complaining....see, I've done A LOT of that lately :-) It's hard to be content while you wait for something so wonderful. We've enjoyed fun days out at the zoo and the indoor malls, as well as lazy days at home reading books and playing games or playing in the pool. We've missed having full days with our little ones since they are both in school full time now.

Please pray for us as we jump into this adventure of newborness again.

1. Pray that her delivery will be smooth and safe.

2. Pray that she will eat well!

3. Pray for the kids to adjust well to their new status in life.

4. Pray for a quick and smooth recovery for mom.

5. Pray for all of us to stay healthy for the next few weeks

6. Pray for David's parents - they arrive tomorrow night at midnight, perhaps shortly after their newest grandchild arrives! Pray for a quick recovery from jet lag.

Thank you all so much for your support and care during this time. We're so excited to introduce you to her in less than 24 hours!

Bangkok Happenings

As most of you are probably aware, our family of four is in Bangkok, Thailand awaiting the arrival of family member #5. We arrived on June 12 and have been enjoying our time out and about around the city. We're staying in a guesthouse apartment, so we have our own space to cook and hang out during the day. We even have AC!!! Which is absolutely necessary with the heat we have been having. Here are a few photos of our favorite times thus far.

Krispy Kreme!! This is the best tasting thing I have had since leaving America 12 months ago. Absolutely perfect. I only at one (at this sitting - I had two more for breakfast the next morning!) Thankfully we only had to wait in line for 10 minutes and pay $10 for a dozen donuts.

We have spent almost everyday (or a portion of everyday) at the pool. The guesthouse does NOT have a pool, but we were able to join at a local hotel for one month. The kids have both done extremely well with swimming. Hannah already had some skills but Jacob has basically taught himself. We're so proud!

We've found a few parks around town that we enjoy going to as well. The only problem is that is it usually hot or raining. It's hard to get one of those really cloudy days that are perfect for park playing.

Hannah and Jacob are the best of friends and have really enjoyed having these days with each other - no school or any or commitments to tear them apart! They wake up each morning and watch a movie together, acting out the different roles as if they themselves are the characters. The share a room here and spend hours imagining and playing together. We're so thankful for their natural friendship and love.

On June 27th Jacob turned 4 years old!! We celebrated with ice cream cake from Dairy Queen and fun with friends.

Our makeshift decorations

We've really enjoyed the abundance of good, cheap ice cream here in Bangkok. Okay, so Cold Stone Creamery doesn't fall in the "cheap" category, but it's definately GOOD!! And we've only been there one time. Don't worry - that will change!

We've done LOTS of napping - not always on the couch like this guy, but sometimes you gotta get it in when you can. This was taken after a full day at the pool, without a nap. Even Hannah has been taking a regular nap!

We've done our best to avoid this incident occurring again. This little lizard happened to be at the bottom of David's glass when he poured pepsi on top of him. The lizard floated to the top and David didn't even notice him until he got the glass to his lips....that's why it's all spilled on the counter - he basically dropped the glass onto the counter in shock. These little lizards are almost as common as their favorite snack - mosquitos.

David and I at the hospital, taken by my personal photographer - Hannah.

2 months?!?!?!

Has it really been 2 months since I have posted anything here? I'm SO sorry! Apparently we have been busy, or I have been lazy (I mean, exhausted!) Growing life inside will do that to you.

So, what's happened in two months?....

* I've grown to be roughly the size of a small sea mammal....I'm sitting here at 35 weeks and 1 day wondering just how much bigger I could possibly get. I REALLY don't think it's possible. Although, I do remember seeing a picture of Kate from that old show - she had 6 in there....I'm getting close to that size.

* We moved! We live in a beautiful neighborhood, complete with tennis and basketball courts, a running track, a lake with a walking trail, a restaurant/bakery, an import store and round trip tram service. Sounds nice, huh? Honestly, most of the neighborhoods around here have enough people and buildings that it turns into a small city within a city. The place we spent most of the last year boasted 10,000 residents...not sure how many live here. But enough to keep us busy, that's for sure!

* Jacob started a new school - and he really likes it. Lots of friends, a very nice, up to date playground, and wonderful teachers.

* Hannah now walks to school and home again - no more 45 min bus ride each way! We love having the extra time with her as a family each day.

* David and I have been studying hard and trudging along in language and are able to see some tangible results. We are learning some very useful stories that are really helping to increase our vocab. We are able to understand most conversations and can even take them to a deeper level.

* David turned 33! We celebrated with cake and home made ice cream with good friends here at the house.

* My mom graduated from nursing school and we got to watch it live from our computer onto our big screen! We felt like we were there with her!

* We prepared for baby sister - hung curtains, bought a crib, washed baby clothes, put them in the dresser, made a window seat cushion, moved the rocking chair in and started to decorate....almost ready!

...And that pretty much brings us to today. In 5 days we will leave our new little home and head out to Thailand to have the baby. I'm not due for another 4-5 weeks, but here's hoping for a little bit early?! Once we are in Thailand I will feel much better about being THIS pregnant. I just don't want to have the baby here.... In Thailand we will be staying at a very nice guest house in our very own 2 bedroom apartment. The kids will be able to play on the playground at the guesthouse and we will just wait, and wait, and wait, until baby sister's birthday arrives. There are lots of fun places to eat and many places deliver, which is FANtastic. The hospital is close by and actually has a Starbucks and an Au Bon Pain inside (guess what I want for my morning after delivery breakfast?!?!) I will try to keep up the blog and such while we are gone, of course announcing our sweet baby sister's arrival.

Eating out at the noodle shop

About once a week we go out to dinner at our favorite noodle shop. It cost about $5 for all of us to eat noodle and rice 'til our heart's content. We really like a dish called tu dou niu rou - meat and potatoes, over rice or noodles. The kids eat.it.up! And, honestly, so do we. David visits this noodle shop an average of twice a week since he also goes at lunch time when he just can't stomach a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We've been able to get to know the owners and they now know what we like to order. Our first few trips here were a little shaky as we did not have the language we needed to order. David had the fantastic idea of taking a picture of the menu and translating it, character by character, so we would at least have SOME idea of what was in each dish. About 2 weeks after he accomplished that mammoth task - they changed the menu :) Fortunately almost every noodle shop in town sells the same things so as long as you know the name of the dish you want you can order it anywhere, whether or not you can read the menu.

Things that make life more fun

Papa John's - one of TWO here in our city - and yes, they are about 2 minutes walk away from each other and a single bus ride from our home. No, they don't deliver to our area....

My hubby!! He likes to have date day after language on Tuesday or Thursday. We hit Papa John's and DQ! They are right on top of each other...

Coming soon to a bus stop near me!!!! H&M!!!!!! I can't tell you HOW excited I am about this. Maybe more so than the next picture....which says a lot. You just can't get cheap, nice, trendy clothes that FIT here in our city. And since I am going to have a post-baby body I'm def going to need a new wardrobe :)

And the one I've been waiting on....no more long-awaited trips to Thailand just to get the coffee I love. You know, it's not even the coffee really; just the atmosphere. Just walking past this sign makes me feel like I am sitting smack in the middle of America with my mom's house right down the road. humph. At least I will get to experience this is in....who really knows how long....but I'm convinced it WILL happen! And it's right next door to the new H&M....hmmmm, how convenient!