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.