Our new Turkish plates!!

Before our move, I was starting to get sick of our plates.  It's one of those things where they look pretty in the store but not that great to use.  So when we were packing up for the move, they stayed.  I wasn't sure what I wanted to get but I knew I'd figure it out.

Well, I didn't.  We have been eating off our plastic outdoor stuff for the past year.  This is stuff we bought  on clearance at Kroger in Dearborn.... about 12 years ago! LOL.  Since we have been here, I have seen all the beautiful Turkish pottery.  It's all over the Grand Bazaar.  But I really wanted to go to Iznik to the factory and buy them there.  But I figured it would just get put off forever.

A few weeks ago we found ourselves at the Grand Bazaar.  It was hot, so I dragged everyone deeper into the Bazaar til finally I was nice and cool.  We weren't shopping for anything particular, just kind of window shopping.  When a bowl caught Joel's attending.  This RARELY happens.  When Joel says he found something he likes, I always go look.  He usually just says, get what ever you like.  Which you would think would be great!!  But I tend to get a little indecisive when I'm making big purchases.  It's a long freaked out processes that I usually work my way thru, but its much easier if Joel would just give me some input!

The bowl that Joel saw was an orange and white bowl with the Whirling Dervishes on it.  It was pretty cool, not my color choice.  I said we should go in and look since we were just discussing was have to get dishes soon.  We had dragged our driver along with us just in case we need some negotiation help.  I'm sure his wife is better, but you take what you can get! LOL.  The owner of the storage was very nice and spoke perfect English.  Turns out he supplied most of the shops around there.  Once we got the kids settles with their water and us some Cay, we started shopping.

We kind of talked about what we liked and didn't like.  Just getting the colors sorted first help cut a number of patterns out.  Also, there are two kinds of plates - lead and non lead.  You can eat off the one that contain lead, they are properly sealed, but they are handwash only.  Yeah, I'm not doing that!  So we went with the dishwasher friendly lead-free ones.  We were finally down to two patterns we really liked, but we just couldn't pick one.  So we picked both!  Well, we decided to mix and match the two patterns.  We even made some small adjustments in the patterns.  Perks of handmade dishes!  Finally after an hour of decisions and some heavy negotiation (40% off and the kids got some free stuff), we made the down payment.  They were a bit more expensive than I had wanted, but they are beautiful and will be a nice reminder of our time in Istanbul.  The owner said that he would deliver them himself the following Friday!  I was so excited!!

Friday had finally arrived and I was waiting for the phone call!  Well it came.... just not the one I had hoped for.  The delivery van making the delivery to the shop had been involved in an accident.  The whole shipment was a total loss.  UGH.. but no worries as they would put a rush order to have everything replaced.  But really what was another week.

True to his word, he delivered them the following Friday.  He unwrapped each plate and we inspected them all.  I loved them even more getting to see them all together.  I love that even though its the same patterns, each place is different since they are hand painted.

We have now been eating on them for a week but feel like I have had them forever.  I'm still nervous letting the kids eat on them but Jocy is no longer allowed to clear the plates from the table.  It will take Joel and I awhile to be able to not freak about it.  I know if we break one, its easy to replace.  Our patterns will be on file and he does ship to the US.  But we'd like to NOT for a little while.

Our stash of dinnerware plus three serving bowls and a butter dish

Place setting

The Parvo Rug

Joel had mentioned recently that our "neighbors" across the street have been taking at least half of what we put in the dumpster. Why would anyone want our trash? And I couldn't think of anything that was worth taking. I was shocked when one of the security guards took some of the nasty discolored cloth diapers that I tossed out the other day. But I guess when you don't have much money, you learn to make due. The difference in social status here is HUGE. There is really no middle class. You are rich or your are poor. Definitely makes us feel a little out of place but then we can opt out and just be part of the expat class.

 So last night, as I was loading the dishwasher, I saw something I had recently tossed hanging from the balcony across the street…. the Parvo Rug.

 When we lived in MO, I had bought two rugs from Target. I LOVED them.  I had a runner for the back door and a mat at the kitchen sink. It match my house perfectly. And did a great job keeping the dogs from dragging dirty in. They were wool tho and not easy to clean. So when we moved into our new apartment, the mat went back to the kitchen sink and the runner was about as long as our sliding door. Since we didn't have dogs at the time, it worked.

 Then came the dogs. çekiç our little boy dog started acting funny about a week after we got him. He got sick pretty quickly. And chose my FAVORITE rug to get sick on. After two days, the smell was horrific no matter how much I cleaned it. So it went into a bag and tossed into the spare room. The next day we found out the he had Parvo. He stayed at the Vet for a week but the following week, we decided to bring him home and take him back daily for his meds. He was banished to the guest room to prevent kuş from also getting it. The medicinal smell that came off çekiç was almost as bad and clung to EVERYTHING is that room. Once he was better it took two good scrub downs with Bleach to get rid of the smell. Because I loved that rug… I tried one more time to scrub it down. But the smell…… I just couldn't get rid of it. Since we bought our two Turkish rugs this spring, we didn't really need it anymore. And if I couldn't get the smell (and some stains) out, it was just gross. So I finally tossed it a few days ago. Then last night, I saw the Pravo rug hanging for the balcony. EWW. I feel like I need to tell them that a dog with Parvo shit on it for days!!! Well I hope they enjoy the rug!

29 weeks and counting....

I am down to 11 weeks til my due date. But since Nate was two weeks early, I keep saying 9 weeks. Wow, single digits already! I'm getting really excited to meet our little girl.

 Things are finally getting done and decisions being made. Joel made fun of me but last night, we made a final decision on the lay out of the nursery. Normal this wouldn't be a big thing. But two of the walls in the nursery have big door walls. One is completely useless and has a step. I've been toying with the idea of just ripping the step out. If I knew there was wood floor under the step, it would be gone already. When they designed our building, we were supposed to have a balcony off the entry/kitchen and a large patio on the bedroom level. Well they changed their minds and enclosed the balcony and made the patio a "winter" living room. Worked out well for us because it gave me an office area and the kids a playroom. But they didn't remove the doors! So the girls room and the nursery have a door to the playroom and that dumb step. Downside to being the first building because no one else has them! And we have a door from the kitchen that is useless too. It takes up prime cabinet space! I'm still thinking of adding an IKEA pantry in front of the door. On the other side in my office area is my stroller storage, so its already blocked.

 Anyways, the point is that there is a small wall of usable space and one long wall. And I needed to decide if we needed a wardrobe or not and how all that was going to fit! Talk about stressing myself out! Well I just figured out that the crib almost fits completely over that step! And I know people say not to put a crib in front of a window. But its a window to inside the house. So we finally decided screw it, the crib goes there and we are not getting a wardrobe. Yeah. And we agreed on paint. Not the exact color but how it was all going to be. This weeks goal is just to get the room clean and organized for Aunt Rachelle's visit! Then we will start painting!

 The bedding has been order, my Ikea list is made, and I'm working on my carpenter's to do list. So I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting something done. Buying the stroller was a huge thing. Joel and I have been arguing about it for a month. Which was dumb…. because he ended up liking the one we were fighting about! I picked up some little baby supplies and was SUPER excited to find glass Dr. Brown's bottles. I grabbed two because I know if I hadn't, they wouldn't have been there next time. One of the joys of Istanbul. If you see it, you better buy it because 90% chance you won't see it again. EVER.

 Baby B

 Week: 29

 Baby B:  is the size of an acorn squash. She already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, she weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but she's still got a ways to go -- can you believe she'll triple in weight before birth?

 Symptoms: More tired, less sleep. Still lots of Pelvic pain but much better than with Nate! The mood swings are back and I've finally got the pregnant "glow". My poor kiddos will need to start wearing winter clothes in the house soon!

 Cravings: Still Ramen Noodles. The burrito craving has started full on! The thing that got me in trouble with Jocy!

 Aversions: Heat and the smell of the Turkish people. Really, have you NOT heard of Deodorant? 

Bump: Surprisingly, she is even MORE active! I'm shocked I don't have bruises on my stomach. She knows her daddy and likes to give him a good kick. Nate loves snuggling with the bump and talks to his baby sister all the time. It's funny to see his reaction when she wiggles or kicks for him. Finally had hiccups for the first time. I remember the other three having them a ton!

 Missing the most: Still could use a glass of wine! And my lap. Elly and Nate aren't very happy their space has been taken away.

 

Baby Bump at 29 weeks.

  I can't believe I don't look super preggers from the front!

Baby update

I had a OB appointment yesterday. 28 weeks already. Joel took the day off to go with me because it was the day of the dreaded Glucose Test. I have low blood sugar to begin with. So I always ended up pretty ill afterwards. But back in MO with Elly and Nate, I was 10 minutes from my OB. They let you drink the yucky stuff at home and then come in 10 minutes before the hour was up. I could usually make it home and get food in me before I started feeling too bad. Well when Dr. Genim said I had to spend the hour at the hospital, I was concerned that I wouldn't make it home before hand. And driving in Istanbul is a challenge in normal health. Plus I could just imagine me trying to communicate too! 

Sunday night I was already a bit out of it. I freaked out and told Joel I had to go to bed NOW because it was later than I had planned. But once I was in bed, I realize it was only 10pm and not 11pm… damn 24 hour clocks. My anxiety has been really high this pregnancy. Not sure why but I have been worrying and stressed about everything. I've had two healthy pregnancies but for some reason, I keep fearing that I'm going to have the same issues as I did with Jocy. Or worse! I'm older now, maybe I'll have some of the issues older woman have (yet I'm under 35). Damn you WTEWE book for letting read all the bad things that can happen. I didn't sleep much that night. I woke up at 5am with a slight panic attack. I was exhausted by the time the alarm went off at 7am.

 We had Bea come in early that day so we didn't have to take the kids and to take care of them if I felt sick afterwards. She lucked out and they slept til 9:30 that morning. Our driver had picked her up from the Metro, so as soon as they got there, we headed for the hospital. It's pretty close, so we were actually early for once. We had our monthly visit with Dr. Genim first. We chatted a bit and I got to ask some fun questions to get some help. It's not like you can walk into the Carrefour and buy the normal pregnancy related items that I'm used too. You have to go to the pharmacy for that. And its just easier to get a script from the doctor first. Next was the usual Ultrasound. She's now so big that its hard to really see her and she wouldn't sit still. The OB got a few measurements. She is just under 3 lbs and will have long legs like her mommy. Yea! I also shared my concerns again about my incompetent cervix with Jocy. I know I haven't had it the last two pregnancies but my irrational fears have been driving me nuts. Plus she is sitting so low and loves to practice her kicks on my cervix. I'm very happy to report that everything is perfect!!! She said at this point, there was no need to worry anymore. It was caught at 18 weeks with Jocy and monitor for 4 weeks before a cerclege went in a 22 weeks. It came out at 37 weeks and she was induced two days after her due date. LOL. My crazy body.

 Anyways, after that, we headed to the Lab. Most of the time we take our driver with us as a translator but this time we didn't. We probably could've used him but there are enough English speakers in Arcibadem that its not an issue. Because I had to get the whole speech on the Glucose Test. I did finally inform her that this was my 4th kiddo and had been threw this a few times. This time though, it was different. They take your blood first, then you get the drink. And to my great surprise, the drink wasn't bad at all. Really just tasted like Sprite. And it was chilled! Did I mention that I HATE needles. I try to keep my blood inside me as much as possible. But my nurse was great! She was going to put an IV in me for taking my blood, but for some reason decided not too. Not sure why, but I'm happy to report that she rocks at the whole needle thing. Barely felt a pinch!

 So now, Joel and I had an hour to waste. We walked around the hospital a bit, but it was a little too hot outside. Then we sat in the waiting room for awhile reading. But I started to get a little out of it and couldn't focus. So we wandered some more. Finally it had been 55 minutes! We went back and I got another nurse. Boo. I liked the other one. But she wasn't too bad and she got her vials of blood and we were on our way. I had totally stressed over nothing! I am glad Joel was there for me. And I was a little too loopy to be driving.

 As my treat for a job well done, Joel took me to the baby store and I got a new stroller. OK not totally true but it sounds nice. Another part of my anxiety is that we haven't bought a thing for the baby. We brought the furniture, car seat, and strollers. But while here, I killed my Peg P3. LOVE that stroller. Its also the one my car seat clicks into. My other two are for 6 months and up. So I needed one. I really wanted to get a cool Euro stroller that wasn't sold in the US. Yeah, Turkey isn't really into the cool strollers. I missed my opportunity to buy in Italy and Joel hasn't made a trip to Germany in a while. So now we had to buy what was here.

 I really wanted a pram. I knew that the time the baby spent in this stroller would be much longer and a carseat in a stroller would not do. I needed a bassinet. Plus its my last kiddo, so go big or stay at home! We have very few LARGE baby stores here. I've looked at the stores at our mall and had been planning a trip to the Forum which has a whole floor of the mall dedicated to kids. But after the hospital, I decided we should head to e-bebek near us that looked like a pretty good store. I think the one at the Forum is better, but this was the BIGGEST selection a strollers I have found. Plus the sales guy spoke a bit of English. We looked around and I actually got Joel to talk about strollers. Last time ended badly and ruined a day. But not having the kids made it much less stressful and we could hold a civilized conversation.

 I showed him what I liked and what others had suggested. There were a few I'd never seen before. So we test drove a bunch. I was sad to see they had one little Peg Perego. It was cheaper! And sure was cheap. I'm not a fan of the Aria. It was sad since I saw such beautiful strollers in Italy. We finally had it narrowed down to the Bugaboo Chameleon and a Concord Neo. The Concord was MUCH less and cute. But the bassinet was extra and brought the price a bit closer.
                                            vs.

But the second Joel started playing with the Bugaboo…. I think he was a goner. Then he watched the video. I saw the engineer in him come to life as he played with it. This is the first time that he has ever put that much interest into a stroller. I knew then that there was not going to be an argument about what we were getting. I even offered up options, I'm good with the Concord or we can sleep on it. Nope, we were getting the Bugaboo.

 I've never been one to get into the hype of things, but I will say it pushes like a dream. And is very easy to change the configurations.  I was really impressed how flat it folds down. That was one of the important things we were looking for in a stroller. We have been pretty spoiled that our Peg collapses so small. And since we have a small car now, we need something that will fit. But that may change since Joel thinks I now need a Transit.

 I am now a proud own of a very nice stroller thanks to my amazing hubby!! I think he might be spoiling me just a little too much. But I'll enjoy it while I can!

                                       and it does have an Orange hood and insert coming.

start to our summer adventures

This past weekend was the first time we didn't have gymnastics, football, Turkish or birthday parties. We finally had a free weekend! Kuş had to make another trip to the Vet to get her stitches removed. Two weeks ago we had her spayed. We don't need ANYMORE puppies! She spent a week at the vet because the two are too active and we wanted her to recover quickly. Then when Joel picked her up after Elly's party, she had to wear a cone for a week! I've never had a dog have to wear one. It's horrible!! She kept getting stuck on everything. And that thing really cut at your legs. She had to spend a week like that. So we were really looking forward to that trip to the Vet. Unfortunately, the Vet said another few days…. we made it one before we took it off. She is a MUCH happier dog know.
Even though gymnastics is over for the summer, Ms. Yana has a workout that she wants the girls to follow. They are always wanting to practice, but with a house full of hardwood floors and travertine tile, its just not happening. I ask Ms. Yana where to get a mat for the girls to practice and another mom sent me a website. Excellent! It was all in Turkish but I faired well, until checkout time. Having to Google translate everything ended up giving me a headache, so I told Joel to do it and get help from one of the guys at work. Instead, he and Murat (driver) decided we would just make a trip to the place. 

Going to a sporting goods store in Istanbul is NOTHING like the US. We have these huge stores with a million options. So after Joel's trip to the Vet, we loaded everyone into the car and headed down to the Golden Horn. It's very difficult to park in this area, so we had Murat for the day. Traffic was just starting to get crazy when we got there. Tourist were everywhere around the Spice Bazaar and waterfront. UGH… I forgot its tourist season.

 By some amazing luck, we got a parking spot at the car park. It took a bit of walking to figure out where we were going, but Joel found the building! By this time, I was hot and out of breath. Not the best activity choice when you are 7 months pregnant. Then we walk up four flights of stairs in an unairconditioned building. UGH… I thought I was going to die. But we finally arrive to the sports store… its a small office. At least it was cool and had chairs! But the guy spoke limited English. Thank goodness for the iPhone and Murat! Joel bought each of the girls every gymnastics thing they wanted. Spoiled girls! I just wanted a mat and maybe two jump ropes. Now we just have to wait for their delivery!


 Afterward, we decided to grab lunch since it was already noon. We picked a small little restaurant overlooking the water. We sat on the second floor and it was kind of hot. But after they brought in a fan to move the air, it was a very nice lunch.
For some reason Nate really wanted to go shopping. So we decided to brave the Grand Bazaar. Very rarely did we get down there as a whole family. We dragged Murat to help us out if we decided to do a bit of shopping. You get a MUCH better deal as a local. unfortunately, we went the worst possible way (my fault) and had to walk up the hill to the entrance. UGH.

 We finally made it to the cool caverns of the Bazaar. We roamed around a bit not really having a plan or needing anything. My goal was just to get us further inside away from the tourists and closer to the better shops and deals. We found Nate's favorite car shop and the place we bought our rugs. I just love seeing all the crazy stuff you can find. We were walking past one store and a plate with the Whirling Devishes on it caught Joel's eye. We had just had the conversation that we really need to buy some real plates. We have been eating on our plastic outdoor stuff since we moved here. I got rid of our old stuff when we moved. We got them when we got married and just weren't our taste anymore. Plus I've been really wanting to go to Iznik to buy a set of Turkish plates!!

 So we went into the shop and spoke with the owner for a bit. Talked about patterns and what we wanted. One important thing to know when shopping for plates is that many of them have lead in them. They are safe to use but must be hand washed as to reduce the risk of removing the protective layer. But there are plenty of non-lead options that are dishwasher safe. There were two beautiful patterns that we really liked but I'm not about to hand wash every night. But we found similar patterns in the safer ones. We even got to adjust the patterns to what we wanted. So in the end we get exactly what we wanted and even though its a tradition Turkish pattern, its a bit original. And because of Murat, we got the price down quite a bit.

 It was a fun experience. We were there about an hour and the kids were entertained the whole time by everyone that worked there. It's such a nice way to shop, very relaxed and all the tea you can drink! There are a few more piece I think I will want before we move home, but this was a nice start. I'm so excited to get them! I now have two items marked off my list of what I wanted to buy in Turkey. I love knowing that every time we sit-down to eat that it will remind us of the wonderful memories of our years in Istanbul!

 After that, I was beat! We made a quick stop on the way back to the car for some Turkish Ice Cream. It's very yummy! It has the characteristics of Taffy but it's ice cream. Then we headed home. The kids didn't even make it off the Golden Horn before they all passed out. Heck, I probably could have too! Of course, that little nap ruined any hopes of us getting a nap at home. We opted for a dip in the pool and an easy dinner. It was a great day, and I'm happy to have my weekends back. Sunday was spent doing absolutely nothing, because mommy could barely walk

Nate wearing his new goggles the Sports shop gave him

Happy Third Trimester!

Today I start my third trimester!! It's bittersweet. The end of my last pregnancy and the beginning of being miserable. I'm really hoping that since the weather isn't too hot and I've kept my weight gain just right, I can make it about 6 weeks before it gets too bad. Thankfully, I have Bea three days a week to give me a break and then my mom will be here in September. Joel even told me that he's going to get me a driver for September and October. So this should be the easiest one yet.

 Next Monday, I go in for my Glucose test. I never thought it was too bad before. My last OB had some decent tasting stuff and since I lived 5 minutes from the hospital, I could spend most of that hour at home. Well, here… I don't know what to expect. I do know I have to spend the whole hour at the hospital. Joel's going to take the morning off to take me. Yea! I've always had low blood sugar, so I know how nuts I get when my sugar is out of whack. And I'm going to have Bea come in early to watch the kids. So hopefully, it will be as uneventful as the last three.

 As for my weight gain, I'm so excited how well I'm doing!! Technically, I have gain 0 lbs. since we started trying. The two months before we found out we were pregnant, I cut down on the bread and worked on my portion control. But as soon as I felt pregnant, the diet stopped. Then add in the morning sickness and stomach flu during the first trimester, I was down about 15lbs. My OB wasn't too concerned, so I didn't worry. So now at 27 weeks, I have gained 15 lbs. I think I gained that in my first trimester with the other three!! Now I just have to keep it up! But, with all the fruits and veggies Bea has been getting for us, I should be good. She lives outside of the city, so her local pazar is much cheaper than what we pay. I couldn't believe what she showed up with Thursday for only 20TL!

 Now its time to get my butt in gear and get this nursery moving! At least I have colors picked out. I'm waiting on swatches to show up so I can pick paint colors. And then its another trip to IKEA for lighting, shelves, and some kind of clothes storage. I'm not going to be too stressed about getting it done. It will stay the guest room until probably November. But if I can get everything done except the crib, I'll be good.

26 weeks

I'm a 26 week 3 days. Only 4 more days left of my 2nd trimester. I can't believe I'm 2/3 done, but at the same time, I feel like I've been pregnant forever. Probably because its just getting hot here in Istanbul and our two upstairs A/C units aren't working. But then the panic attack starts that I haven't done ANYTHING to get ready for this baby girl!

 Yesterday, I did pull out the bins of baby stuff we did bring. I had been planning to wait until after Elly's party, so I didn't trash the house. But after I got everything out, what the heck was I thinking when I packed?? There is barely anything! Thankfully, mom will be bringing all the little girl stuff when she comes in September. I have started picking up things here and there. A couple cute outfits from Gap, some things for the nursery, but we have so many big things to buy! And I really just don't have the motivation to drag myself across Istanbul to do some shopping! And Joel is really no fun to shop with. So I guess its time to get moving!

 I am starting to tell that I'm at the end of the honeymoon trimester. I'm getting tired again and needing naps. My body really hurts if I do too much. With the heat has come some swelling. My rings are starting to not fall off my finger. And Braxton Hicks have started full on. Its not painful but its still pretty uncomfortable. And it gets really fun when the dogs or kids stress me out. Plus baby girl has been punching is some pretty painful spots the last week. Yesterday, she got me good in the fruits and veggie section at the store. I guess she really didn't want green beans? So I saw this on another blog and thought I'd steal it for today…

 Baby B 

 Week: 24

Baby B: Baby B is the size of a head of lettuce (would that be iceberg or Romaine?). She's still growing in the 13.6-14.8 inch and 1.5 to 2.5 pound range and developing her senses, features, and talents! Her eyes are forming and will soon open. And she's getting eyelashes (hopefully ones like her siblings) She's getting her immune system ready for life on the outside by soaking up my antibodies. And she's practicing her breathing!

 Symptoms: Wearing down faster, Heartburn (another full head of hair?), back pain, hip pain… you get the point.

 Cravings: Ramen Noodles. I found a fantastic brand here!

 Aversions: Heat

 Bump: Very active now. And getting in the way. I have a heck of a time getting out of bed or off the couch. Which both happens a LOT since I'm living in the bathroom. But small enough that I'm still wearing mostly non maternity clothes. Better stay that way or I'll be living in two outfit. Forget about finding too much Maternity clothes in Istanbul. I was SHOCKED when I found a bathing suit the other day. And yes, I bought it!

 Missing the most: Glass of wine and a Martini. I miss relaxing at the end of the day with a beverage. But its almost made up for by my nightly Magnum bar. :)

 So here's the last (and I mean forever) end of 2nd trimester bump pic….