Thailand, Teeth and number Two

As I have been MIA the last couple of weeks, I have a lot to report.

Sadly, Mom and Mike left us shortly after spring break.  Reina still includes both of them in conversations, and then remembers that they went on a plane home.  We all really enjoyed the company. It definlty wet our appetite for family and friends this summer.  While Mike and Mom were here, Reina went on a food strike. This is very unusual for little Reina - she loves to eat.  Mom suggested she was teething, which at first seemed a little absurd, since our teething days have been over for a while. Then I remembered 2-year molars - and sure enough Reina is sprouting two new molars in the bottom of her mouth. Thankfully she is back to her usual eating ways now, but I fear it will change again when the top ones come down.

We have finally started setting in stone our summer plans. We bought tickets to Thailand. I can't tell you how excited I am.  We are flying via Taiwan (directly from Naha) to Bangkok the day after school gets out.  We fly right in to Chang Mai that night where we will be for 2 nights. Then we fly down to Phuket for 3 nights where we stay in what appears to be an amazing hotel.  Then we head back to Bangkok where we stay in the tallest hotel in the city for two nights.  On the way home we have a night-layover in Taiwan, so we're hoping to see some of that country too.  When we get home, we will relax for a few night before heading to Portland around the 30th of June.  We still haven't bought these tickets yet....I need to do that!

10 Weeks

The other exciting news, as  many of you already know, is Reina is going to be a big sister.  After much deliberation, Chris and I decided we should definitely have another one.  Baby number 2 is due November 21st, just in time for Thanksgiving....and I think we're guaranteed this one comes before Xmas break!  I had my first doctor visit and ultrasound this past Monday at 10 weeks and baby was wiggling and doing great. I'm slowly starting to get my energy back and lose my morning sickness as I near the second trimester....I can't WAIT.  It has been worse this time, and I seem to have several food aversions - one being sweets, which is pretty amazing if you know how I feel about chocolate.

These next two weekends are going to be busy with Chris wrapping up soccer prior to Far East in the middle of May, and me preparing my kids for their AP Bio exam May 7th.  We are both heading to work this Saturday and next.  Counting the days till summer vacation!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Wow. I can't believe spring break is over.  Chris and I go back to work on Monday.  It has been extra fun and busy with Mike and my mom here.  We've done our fair share of hanging out, but we've thrown in some beach trips, visiting with old friends, and eating good food.

Reina's new sun hat!

While Chris and Mike we're at a Kubasaki soccer game, Mom and I went on a sail boat with one of Mom's old friends.  We also had a special guest - Ms. Diana Ohmen herself.  She is my boss's, boss's, boss.  Director of all Pacific schools.  Pretty special eh?  She was very nice and normal!  Not sure what I was expecting....I guess its kind of like in elementary school, when you're surprised to find that your very own teacher goes to the bathroom! This was a pretty big revelation to me....just me perhaps?  Oh, the boat.  I'm not sure Reina liked it.  It coincided exactly with her nap time, which is never a good thing to miss, but I thought this once in a year (lifetime) opportunity was worth a missed nap (gasp).  After accidentally hitting her head on the boat (partly my fault), she fell asleep on my chest for about an hour, and then stayed there the rest of the time. I'm not sure if she wasn't feeling good or if she was scared, but she stuck there until we stopped....at which point she perked right back up again.  Chris (notoriously sea sick) was quick to volunteer to stay with her if any boating trips come up in the future.


Reina has surprised us with her sudden knowledge of many songs and nursery rhymes we've said to her hundreds of time.  I guess she was just waiting till she got them down before busting them out.  She can almost say the whole alphabet and almost gets all her numbers 1-10.  She's pretty good at pink and white, but past that everything else is green!  She is loving the extra attention she is getting from Mike and Grandma, and all the fun clothes Grandma brought too.

Both Uncle Mike and Grandma leave this Wednesday.  It will be strange to go back to our old schedule again....and just awful to go back to work.  

Go Beach

Reina's vocab is growing, and her sentence structure is expanding, but we still get nice simple sentences, like "go beach." We've been twice since Uncle Mike arrived, and Reina has enjoyed these two visits more than any other trip we've taken to the beach.  She loved playing in the water, eating our picnic lunches, and playing in the sand so much, that when we'd had enough sun, she didn't want to go home.  I think she is our baby!

Potty training has gone very well lately.  We had an accident free week (until this-evening of course).  She has been in panties pretty much from sun-up to sun-down, with a mid-day break for nap time.  We've still got some progress to make on the #2 situation, but its coming along and I hope by summer we'll be daytime diaper free.  That will make traveling easier (I think?).  I'm actually not sure that is possible.

We're enjoying the nice weather Mike brought with him, and are excited to welcome Grandma tomorrow.  Happy spring!