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| Dinner in our apartment the first night! |
Dear Family/Friends,
Is it really mid-October already? The past few weeks have been a blur. I still can't believe we live in Hong Kong!! Patrick has transitioned very well... For those wondering about his flight grade... we'll give him a generous C+ (the 9 hours he slept were great), the 6 hours he was up were kinda a disaster. BUT we made it. The next 3 days were foggy - we were all sleep deprived. Patrick awoke around 1 or 2 in the morning and he was up for the day! We finally made him go an entire day without a nap - and that fixed it. It took me a little longer to adjust to the time change - I think I was waking up and worrying about him sleeping through the night.
We moved into our apartment within 3 days (moved in on a Friday, Sept. 28th) but didn't have any furniture except for our beds, dining room table (no chairs), one chair, and a few console tables. Hardwood floors aren't comfortable to sit on 24 hours a day - we spent a lot of time playing cars together on our bed, ate our meals on the kitchen floor, and spent as much time out of the apartment as we could so we didn't get cabin crazy. We had a lot of errands to run - getting necessary supplies, ordering furniture, signing up for phone plans, etc... so we were quite busy.
Patrick's birthday was Oct. 2nd and it was his Golden Birthday since he turned two! We took the Peak Tram that morning up to the top of one of the mountains and had a 360 degree view of Hong Kong... it was quite foggy that morning, but we still enjoyed the view. Patrick's favorite part was the Tram or as he called it: Choo Choo. We also went to Toys R Us the day before and spoiled him with some new toys. Since we basically just had beds, we moved Patrick out of the travel pack n' play and moved him into his big boy bed and he loved it. It's almost been two weeks and he hasn't attempted to get out once. He calls for us when he wakes up and he is all smiles and grown up! I do feel like he has matured so much since arriving - definitely a two year old!
Our air shipment came the first Thursday in October and it was like Christmas - Patrick was in heaven seeing his toys again. I was pretty happy to see kitchenware and linens :) Last weekend we got our TV and internet and our apartment started to feel more like a home! The bulk of our furniture order came yesterday and our couch is being delivered tomorrow!!! We still have some things to order (rugs and decor), but for the most part - we are finally in our furnished home!!
Overall, we couldn't be more happy with the complex that we chose. It is absolutely perfect for families and for kids. With all the play areas in the complex there aren't very many dull moments. Getting around Hong Kong is easy, however, with children - tends to be more of a challenge....I'd say that has been the hardest part to adjusting - not much is 'stroller' friendly - and with being pregnant, it's not easy for me to get around... it's pretty hilly. But everyday, I'm finding easier routes and short-cuts to places :) I really miss the grocery store. But I'm learning how to on-line grocery shop - and just found out about another international grocery store today from a friend that I can't wait to check out! I do like to explore solo first to see what I am able to accomplish with a stroller before dragging Patrick across town - I've learned my lesson by trying to haul a stroller up or down a flight of stairs :)
We decided to look for a live-in helper/nanny. It's the way of life here - everyone has a helper, even if they don't have children. A helper would benefit us in helping with both kids and the household chores. As I said before, convenient city - just not easy to get around with child/stroller - having a helper helps with that! She does the shopping and cleaning so I can spend the majority of my day focused on the boys.... or if I need to go out and do something, she is there to help! We interviewed just a few and fell in love with one last Sunday. We are in the process of getting her under contract so we are crossing our fingers all goes well :)
Tom's job is going well - he likes what he is doing. The commute is pretty simple when he leaves at the right time of day. He goes to work before the rush and depending on the day comes home during the rush or stays at the office till the rush is over. He has a trip to Japan mid-November so as long as baby looks like he is staying put, Tom will have a few days in Japan with work. I know he is really excited to go considering he has spent time there in high school, college, and graduate school.
Baby Update: Went to the doctor and all looks healthy. I've had my days of being really worn out and tired, but I've also had days of bursts of energy and trying to get everything organized. It's crunch time - baby is coming weather we are ready or not... less than 2 months to go (hopefully not more). I think it's absolutely crazy that I'm going to give birth here - when I stop to think about it I start to get really nervous... but the hospital and doctor are great so I try not to over-think and just go with the flow. Which for those that know me... sometimes that can be difficult... but surprisingly, been so busy with relocating, I haven't had much time to stress otherwise. I really think Patrick is putting together that there will be a baby here soon. Points out babies all the time! Yesterday when the crib came for the baby room - he just pointed to it and said 'baby!'. I think he'll be a great big brother and a helper! I'm starting to really train him to be more independent. He has his moments :)
That's the update for you all! Wish there was something really exciting to write about - but really we've been focused on getting settled. We are hoping to do some 'tourist' things in the upcoming weekends so they'll be something fun to write about. We have a babysitter for Saturday night - and that itself is pretty exciting :)
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| View out master room! When it's dark out - Patrick says, "Night, night Hong Kong" |
Love to all and stay in touch -
The Alessi Family
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