A start to an exciting adventure
Today I was reading a post at My HongKong Husband blog, where she was sharing her feelings about her budding maternal instincts and when does people know when they are ready to have a baby. I decided that it’s finally time to write this post!
My husband had a clear plan for his future, get married the year he turns 27, have a kid at 30. Then he met me! I am “follow my heart” kind of girl and when I met Alan I knew he would be the right person for me. Sure I had kissed some frogs before and my husband jokes I used to have a terrible taste in men, before I met him!
When you meet a person you love plans tend to change, so we got married one year before my husband’s ultimate “five-year plan of Alan”. As we live in China, talks about babies started the minute our guests walked into our wedding banquet in May last year. 早生贵子 zăo shēng guì zĭ is a common phrase you hear at Chinese weddings, “Give birth to a son soon!”
So after being parents to four furry cat babies these years, we are getting ready to welcome a new family member at the end of this year, a little bit less furry this time we hope!
Having a baby is both exciting and scary at the same time, but having a baby in China, that’s an adventure!
Stay tuned for more…
21 Comments
Nicki Chen
That’s great!! Congratulations!
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
May 16th, 2015 at 8:32 am
Thank you Nicki :)
[Reply]
Autumn Ashbough
Congrats! Your baby is going to be beautiful AND lucky. Are you planning on finding out if it is a boy or a girl? Looks like you are already getting the pressure to have a son…
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
May 16th, 2015 at 8:33 am
Actually my husband’s family all thinks it’s going to be a girl :) Just in those sayings it’s always a son. I think we want to find out even though it really doesn’t matter.
[Reply]
Fabi Wijnschenk
CONGRATULATIONSSSSSSSS!!!!!! Everything is going to be just fine!!! Enjoy each second of your pregnancy, and don’t forget to sleep as much you can!!! I’m so happy for you both!!!
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
May 16th, 2015 at 8:33 am
Haha, I surely did a LOT of sleeping during the first trimester! Thank you Fabi :)
[Reply]
Grace Buchele Mineta
That’s wonderful, congrats :)
I used to have a very tight year-by-year plan before I met my husband too – but he just threw that all out the window!
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
May 16th, 2015 at 8:34 am
The right person changes everything :)
[Reply]
Lauren Mokasdar
Congrats!!!!!!! I am so happy for you guys!!!! <3 LOTS OF LOVE, Lauren M xx
[Reply]
chinaelevatorstories
Congrats! I’m looking forward to read more about your pregnancy and plans concerning child rearing and stuff (if you’re willing to share). Good luck with your pregnancy!
[Reply]
Timo
Congratulions! Time until the baby will be born will pass very quickly for the both of you :)
[Reply]
D.J.suomessa
恭喜，Paljon onnea, Sara! :) Olli and I are waiting for our baby, too, who is expected to be a juhannus vauva(Varmasti me emme voi mennä mihinkä tänä vuonna paitsi jäädä Lahdessa juhannus aikana. ;) ), the fruit of our nearly seven years’ love. :) I’m more and more eager to see how our baby looks like, little me or little him, or Chinese version of him or Finnish version of me. ;)
Mutta hyvää odotusta sinulle!
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
May 21st, 2015 at 11:10 pm
Congratulations to you and Olli too! It’s gonna be so exciting to see what our babies are going to look like :) Ive seen mixed kids where some seem more Western and some more Chinese, so you never know.
[Reply]
Charles Mellor
Congratulations! I wish you both the very best. As the (imperfect) father to four children with one on the way (due in October) I can assure you that you will do just fine!
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
May 31st, 2015 at 4:31 pm
Thank you Charles!
[Reply]
Marina
Congratulations!
I have just discovered your blog and I am hooked :) you make me want to work so much harder on my Chinese, you are very inspiring!
I wish you and your husband all the best, and I will definitely be following your adventures from now on.
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
May 31st, 2015 at 4:31 pm
Thank you so much for such a nice comment Marina! Good luck to your Chinese studies and let me know if I can help at any way :)
[Reply]
Teresa
Congratulations! That’s a really great news. I whish all the best for the baby. And I’m curious about how you will choose the name.
All the best for your beautifull family.
Teresa
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
June 16th, 2015 at 4:50 pm
Thank you Teresa! The official name in the passport will be an international name, but my in laws will also help us to choose a Chinese name as well, not sure when and by who that Chinese name will be used though.
[Reply]
R Zhao
Do you know if you’ll be able to find out? They wouldn’t tell us here, though I know some foreigners have been able to find out (and even some Chinese friends of mine have).
[Reply]
Sara Jaaksola Reply:
June 19th, 2015 at 3:32 pm
I’m not sure yet, I’ve heard different things about wether it’s possible to find out or not. My sister-in-law works in a hospital, so she found out it’s boy before giving birth. I’ll have to see if I can do an ultrasound in Finland or then I’ll ask in China when I do my 3D/4D ultrasound.
[Reply]