Friday, March 20, 2009

Caged

So, the war with our bed has a new element these days. Yes, it is still broken; and yes, we recently added another pad under my half of the bed (my birthing hips are starting to ache from the cement slab people here consider a bed). But these are just minor battles amid the war. The new tragedy of war is our mosquito net. After being eaten alive for a few weeks (by the way, the mosquitoes only eat me! I wake up with 16 new bites and Sam is unmarred like an angel. I guess I just taste better, which really is not a compliment.) Anyway, after being eaten alive, we decided to purchase a mosquito net. It has tent polls and zippers on all sides and everything; it feels like a fort sitting nicely over our entire bed. The problem comes at night. See, in order to keep the little killers out, we are also sort of trapped in. If I have to get up in the night to go to the bathroom (which happens at least once every night) I have to first orient myself enough to figure out why I cannot get out. Then I must find and unzip the zippers on my side of the tent and squeeze my rotund (we won't say fat), ungraceful, pregnant body out of the little window. Upon returning, I have to reverse the whole process. Unfortunately, the zippers wake up whichever of us did not get up in the first place. Sam is very patient with my frequent zipping. We cannot even reach over and get a drink of water without first unlocking our cage! My greatest fear is that perhaps our weapon will be used against us one night. What if, by chance, a mosquito sneaks in with us?! The little blood sucker will be trapped in Paradise with two helpless morsels to suck blood from all night. If it happens, I just hope he dies from gluttony!

(Notice the bed proped up with my NCLEX Study books)

13 comments:

Laura said...

Miserable! One time we went camping and there were a bazillion caterpillars. I think I spent the entire night thinking of ways to kill them. So I'm very proud of you for sleeping! haha How far are you now? Pictures of the cute prego Amy please!

Mike and Madelyn said...

Oh wow, I so could not live like that don't know how you're putting up with it. I'm like you--the mosquitos love me! Good luck with all that. So you're going the natural route as well, eh? I'm really excited about it and the more I learn the more confident I feel. Of course it's going to be hard as heck, but totally worth I think :). What method are you using?

Meg said...

Hey Amy! I was reading in one of my many pregnancy books and it said mosquitos are more attracted to pregnant woman for some reason. Weird! Happy zipping!

Celeste said...

Oh the enjoyable blog posts one has when they live in China! I've been wondering how to spice up our posting a little. Move to China. Brilliant.

And I must say you look very fashionable in your tent-size bug trap. :?)

ivana said...

You know you are hauling around more blood than your hubby... 50% more than you were before anyhow :) Mosquitos... that is one species I have always firmly believed Noah would have done better smashing. Oh well. Hey, responding to your note on my blog, I studied the basic stuff (labs, etc), but then focused mostly on test questions for the NCLEX. I realized that everyone I had known who had passed in 75 questions had one thing in common... just as Renea said... they had done tons of test questions. The Kaplan book that she recommended was especially helpful because it really focused on how to answer the questions. Best of luck studying in the next coming weeks!!!

Mer said...

Your apartment is probably like the cool nightclub for chinese mosquitos looking to have a good time. Your blood is like a nice refreshing appletini to them (I really have no idea what an appletini is, I've just heard it mentioned on TV). The net is just like having a bouncer outside the nightclub. Amy, you have got to be one of the bravest people I know. Who goes to China, sleeps in a broken concrete bed, becomes an all-you-can-eat buffet for mosquitos, and sleeps inside a tent when they are pregnant?? Seriously. Wow. Kudos to you girl. Also, I think you look anything but rotund in that picture. Ow ow!

Tawny said...

HAHA! Amy, you're hilarious. Just keep smiling like you are in the picture. I don't know how you do it, living in China, but however you're doing it just keep it up because it seems to be working! You remind me of the pioneer women in that you in an unfamiliar place learning to improvise and make the best of things and still smiling as you go. Thanks for your example. :)

Sarah said...

i'm glad you found my blog. thanks for sending your love and prayers.

Krystal said...

Amy! Thanks for your messages---i'm so glad we haven't lost contact. I do need to email Wendy's family again and let them see Kily. I am SO excited for your lil girl---I can't believe how far along are now...wow...i really hope all is going great for you guys over there...i'll keep in better touch now!! Tell Sam hi for us!

Kalie said...

ditto to everything posted above! you're awesome!! and, your posts are fabulous!! i was literally laughing reading your story! i'm sorry about the mosquitoes!! they are one thing i definitely HATE!!!! also, thanks for your cute note on my blog!!! i hope all is going well for you! i really miss our tanner building chats!! also, fun picture! and, i think it's great that your NCLEX books are being put to good use!!

Kelly said...

Well you sure look beautiful! and at least you can sit up in there without touching your head to the mesh. =)

shan1420 said...

There's gotta be a good side....lets see...I like the net because.... it gives it somewhat of a romantic feel! yeah, very romantic lol. Sorry to hear about the nasty buggers!

Jenna and Tyler said...

That is so funny/sad Amy! I love it though! I wish I had a cool bed like that..jealous! Ha!