And Everything Nice

Things we have learned about having a baby in China:

1. We are in the year of the dragon.  It is all the rage to have a baby this year.
2. The Chinese are not allowed to learn the gender of their baby before birth.
3. All check-ups, including the delivery, have to be pre-paid or paid before you leave the hospital.
4. You choose a delivery "package."  If I so desire, we could choose to have a c-section delivery.  It is one of the package options. All packages include a candle light dinner with wine for the new parents.
5. Wearing clothing with teddy bears on it while pregnant is meant to bring comfort to the developing baby.

Today we made our second journey to Shanghai United Family Hospital.  The baby got the full work-up and is doing well, one heart, two kidneys, stomach, bladder, two arms, two legs. While they didn't spend much time investigating, it appears as though Clif will soon be shopping for a pink Barbie fishing pole!

What We're Expecting: A Baby!

We're going to be parents....WOOHOO!

Last year we made the decision to not put our life on hold just because this whole China thing came into view. As such, we jumped head first into two major life changing events simultaneously. This August we'll become a family of three...if the stress about everything doesn't kill off the father first, thus knocking the tally down to two.

Don't expect a solid answer if you ask about our plans to deliver the baby in China. Right now we are assuming the Chinese know a thing or two about having babies; they seem to do it from time to time. Another option is to load Shayne on a plane for a couple months of "maternity leave" in July. Luckily, we have a few months to figure that out.

One agenda item for the home finding trip (which begins tomorrow - YIKES) is to check out the local hospital scene. We are not experts on gauging the quality of medical care, especially from a cursory tour. We're hoping to at least get enough information to start putting together a plan for our summer.

One more thing, because I simply can't resist:

This baby is Vitale approved