WE’RE EXPECTING OUR THIRD BABY! We’ve known for a few weeks now, but today we went to the hospital and were told that there is a heartbeat! Yay! If you’re sitting there thinking “Matt and Heather aren’t you already overwhelmed with raising two kids in China? Won’t three be even more work? Why are you having a third?” well the answer is that a few months ago Heather and I decided to stop with two, but as we thought about it we felt something was missing. After more discussion we decided that three would be our special number (Heather’s words, not mine).
So the plan as of now is to go home in May (like we originally planned) to visit family and friends and now to also have a baby. The due date is July 18th and Heather is currently two months along. We plan to have this one in South Dakota… at Heather’s parents’ home… with a mid-wife. That’s right, a home birth! We’re kinda hippies like that (my wife must be crazy). In China you can’t find out the sex of your baby so we won’t know what we’re having till the day it comes. After we’ve had the baby we will still be visiting family for another couple months and then heading back to China!
In other health related news, the Chinese doctors here confirmed Heather and I’s self-diagnosis, I have pneumonia (quick side note, pneumonia has to be one of the most difficult words to spell, but in Chinese it’s called, fei yan, pretty easy huh?). They put me on one IV a day for the past three days (since they give you medicine through IV) and have me taking some pills. I’m starting to feel better, but hope that nothing returns. I was impressed with my hospital experience, but I did walk by a couple dead bodies which I was not expecting at all (and to be honest it was creepy). So I have no plans as of now to have to go back to the hospital, but again if anything sneaks back up I will have to head back in.
I need to say that I’m so blessed by all the love that was poured out over this ordeal. Tons of our friends here were calling me and bringing food/medicine by the house, it was truly a blessing to me. One example is that my new teacher (Ethan) when he heard I was sick came by with his wife and child and made me Pear soup (which was really good!). And with Heather taking care of the kids by herself there wasn’t much time for her to do dishes that day, but when Ethan’s wife saw them she took it on herself to clean them. This is just a small example of the incredible kindness we find here in our Chinese friends (and American friends).
Well that’s it for now I will hopefully be better enough now to keep the posts coming…
‘till next time,
Matt, Heather, Sydney, Aubrey and our special little number three
P.S. For Heather to get an ultrasound it cost $7.50, for me to get; an x-ray (which was just a guy who doodled what he thought the inside of my chest looked like… that’s a joke), two blood tests, medicine and three IV’s in cost less than $100… I love China.
