And then there were... 4?

Hello Everyone,

We just want to publicly announce our news that we are expecting our second baby in early November!! We are very excited and welcome this new addition with high anticipation! Although we live in China, we are happy to declare that the One Child Policy does not apply to us and we will be joyously adding to our family soon! =)

Unfortunately, I get really sick when I am pregnant (a fact I was disappointed to discover was not a fluke with our first, but also applies to second babies), but having a baby on the way is a good reason to endure being miserable. I am getting some good help here and Sam has stepped up to take nearly all my responsibilities on himself (since I must stay lying down nearly all day). I don't know which of us has a harder time when I am pregnant -- me throwing up all day or Sam working hard at work and then even harder at home! I think we will both welcome sleepless nights with a newborn over being sick and pregnant! Hah!

We feel blessed to be parents and to add another precious soul to our family!

Day Trip with the Li Family

We went to a Botanical Garden with Sam's coworker, Steven Li, and his family. As always with China, it was more than we expected...

The Botanical Garden turned out to be more like a small carnival: rides, kids activities, sand pits, games, a big blow-up jumping castle, and more. Here is Eve waiting while Daddy is winning her a stuffed elephant. If you look in the background, there are small animals in cages on the ground. You can pay 10 yuan (about $1.50) for 6 hoops that you can try to hoop any of the animals and take them home. They've got gerbils, turtles, fish, parakeets, bunnies and more... and you could potentially take 6 of them home for $1.50! We did not elect to play this game because I didn't want to take care of any of them once we got home, but they were super cute and tempting regardless. We stuck with the stuffed elephant -- very little up-keep required =)

Here we are picnicking on the grass. We brought our own sandwiches, but were pressed upon to eat the spicy dried fish Mrs. Li brought anyway... =)

These were so cool! You can buy a little outline for about a $1, and then the kids can paint it in with the squeeze paint. Then they cook it for a few minutes and it becomes a window sticker! Super fun and super cute! I think we ought to try this in America...

Eve playing in the sand. Notice the little girl behind her. She just came up really close and squatted down and watched Eve the whole time. She didn't smile and wouldn't respond when we talked to her. I guess she just wanted to watch the little foreign kid...

Eve's favorite was the blow up castle. She went crazy in there! She fell over every 2 seconds and has probably never enjoyed something so much! She went running around like crazy! I had to take her jacket off because she broke a sweat after about 3 minutes running around in there!

Of course there were tears when we had to leave, but we will go again soon I'm sure. It was such an enjoyable outing and fun to spend time with new friends!

Playing downstairs

This is Eve with her little friend Yi Tong. Yi Tong lives in our same apartment complex and Eve loves to be with her. They are awfully cute together, both being pretty small for their age. They never talk to each other, but play well regardless =)

Here are a bunch of the little girls in our complex on the merry-go-round.

This is quite the international group! From left to right around the circle: Danish, Korean, 1/2 Japanese 1/2 Chinese, American (Eve), Japanese, and Chinese. And they all speak Chinese and play well together. The little blond Danish girl often points to Eve and yells in Chinese "Foreign kid, foreign kid!" It always makes me laugh =)

Making use of something useless

Eve loves to sit on things (i.e. steps, ledges, stools, someone's feet, her stuffed animals, nearly anything will do in her book). Well, we have a useless cupboard in our kitchen that is built over a wall so it only has a little ledge inside. Eve discovered the cupboard, then the ledge, and then how nicely her little rump sits down there. Glad that cupboard can be used for something...

Sometimes she likes to bring something to entertain herself while she sits...

Hampering Happens

So in jest I put Eve's hamper on her head for a moment. Little did I know that she would like it so much that for the rest of the day she walked around like this...

Eve is really good at getting away with whatever she wants here. We went to Shanghai and saw the World Expo. While there Eve saw this little stool and just backed her little bottom onto it. No problem just helping herself...

"Wow, look at this cool stool!"

"Oh, this is yours?... Hey, I want that too! Give it here"

"Whoa, cool. I think I should hold this..."

"Yeeaahh! Victory!"

"What you lookin' at?"

Trip Home

In August we went home to Utah for a few weeks. Eve and I went home a week earlier than Sam (to help Eve get over jet-lag -- it took a whole week by the way. If you saw someone walking with a baby out in the moonlight of the wee hours of the night, chances are it was me with my baby who thought 2am was daytime =) It was just wonderful to be with family. Eve learned the joy of Grandma and Grandpa, aunts and uncles, and cousins galore!

Being with Cousins was the best!! This is Eve with cousin Josie (9 months)

While in Utah we also took Eve to learn about her heritage at the Pioneer Park. She was most interested in the rocks, leaves and dirt on the ground, but we can try for Pioneer appreciation next time I suppose =)

With Nicole and Ashley learning how to make wool into yarn (sort of...)

Cousins Elijah and Caleb washing clothes Pioneer-style

Cousins Taylor, Lydia, and Ashley with Aunt Emma making butter

Joshua, Nicole, and Kira petting the lambs. Eve liked to pick up the poop off the ground in the petting zoo so she got to be held a lot...

Getting acquainted with our nations mascot

Eve just lookin' cute

So my family also had a little informal cousin "parade" where all the kids decorated their bikes and rode them around the circle a few times. It was really fun.

Eve on her parade-mobile

It was good to be with both the Drennan and Curtis families. Here we are with Tom and Steph's house after a great meal and good cousin play time

Thomas, Rachel, Tom, Steph, Eve, Amy and Sam

Jungle Gyms was an important stop in our outings.

Joshua, Audrey, and Eve

This is a picture of Ephraim teaching Eve how to do an Indian war cry. Every time after that when she saw him, she would do it =)

Daddy Daughter roller coaster time

Eve with Shelby, Audrey and Anya

Eve thought she could just go through the bars. I wish I'd gotten a picture of her with her face squished between them trying to squeeze through!

She even tried it backwards. Still no luck -- She's solid backwards and forwards!

Stairs Plant Drennan Family Picnic

Elijah, Kira, Lydia, and Adria

Eve =)

While in Utah I caught up with two of my wonderful roommates, Emily and Jana. It was great to catch up!

Amy, Eve, Em, Patton, Jack, and Jana

What is a trip to Utah without going to the cabin!?

Aunt Jamie teaching Eve how to be stylin' like her Uncle Jon

Sporting her cute BYU sweatshirt from cousin Rachel in honor of the great news about going independent. Go BYU!! =)