First Restaurant Meal

Savannah is going through a "picky eater" phase (or at least I hope it is just a phase). Foods she like previously she doesn't seem to care for...mostly in the vegetable family. She will still eat any fruit and large quantities of it! She has also decided that she doesn't really want to transition into "real food" and prefers things still pureed and without any chunks. I have tried many "kid favorites" like mac and cheese with no success. She also started "cleaning her plate". When she decides that she is done with something or full she starts dropping food off the side of her high chair. Where do they learn these things?

Tonight we went to "Go West" at Tex-Mex restaurant in the Jumeriah Beach Hotel. Savannah ate her first restaurant meal...a cheese quesadilla. It did seem extra cheesy which I am sure helped but this is the first time I didn't have to feed her "baby" food while we ate!

Chill Out Lounge

This afternoon we went to the "Chill Out Lounge" in the Times Square Center (another but smaller mall). Inside the Chill Out Lounge the temperature is kept at a brisk -6 degrees, which is a big change from the 120+ degrees that it is outside. Not only is it cold, but everything inside the lounge is made of ice. There are ice sculptures and the tables and chairs are all made of ice. Once inside you have your choice of hot chocolate or hot tea to help keep you warm. When you arrive, you are given a parka, hat and gloves. They also had booties

available if you arrived in your summer sandals. Although, it was a fun (and brief) experience we felt that it was a little expensive to sit in the cold.

Savannah seemed very unsure of the activities as soon as we started changing from her summer apparel into jeans, sweater, parka, hat and gloves. She didn't sport many smiles once inside but as soon as she was back in shorts and short-sleeves she seemed happy as could be. Guess maybe she takes after her mom and prefers the beach and hot to the snow and cold!

Our Dubai Anniversary!

One year ago today we began our adventure to Dubai. I remember it like it was yesterday but yet it seems to long ago. We left our empty Detroit home and walked a nearby restaurant, had lunch, walked home and then got a ride to the airport from our friend, Jackie. At the airport we lugged our excessive luggage (well, Chris lugged I was 7 1/2 months pregnant!) to the ticket counter and then headed the gate. We gave our parents one last "local phone call" and boarded the plane. I remember sitting on the airplane crying...mostly out of sadness but also out of excitement of the unknown. Many, many hours later we landed in Dubai to begin our "desert adventure". Although we both miss home like crazy it has been a wonderful and life changing year! We look forward to what the next year brings!

I started this blog at the recommendation of my Aunt. She and my Uncle lived overseas for a number of years with the Air Force. She recommended that I keep some kind of diary, just to document our time abroad. I loved the idea and loved the idea of being able to share our adventures with friends and family. And with that the blog was started. I use it mostly to share Savannah's growth...in some way I guess I hope it makes us seem not so far away. Now, I think I use the blog just as much for me as for those who are still reading it a year later. I plan on using a blog/book printing website to turn our blog into a printed book. This way years down the line we can look back at our experience and prove to Savannah that she did cool stuff in her first few years. I think I will make a book for each year...so here is to year number two (and book 2) and the adventures that it brings!

Picasso in the Making??

Today Savannah and I went to an "art playdate". A friend of mine from our normal playgroup invited us to come with her to another playgroup she is apart. It is mostly British "mums" whose kids are about 3-6 months older than Savannah. One of the moms from this group has started organizing "art playdates". For a small fee you come to her house and she provides all of the materials for a set art project. It was great to meet a few new people and fun to see Savannah paint. She seemed to love it (and I didn't have to clean up the mess!). She dug right into the paint tin with both hands and wasn't at all bothered by the paint getting on her. She was very unhappy with me when I decided that her masterpiece was all finished!

Savannah is 11 Months Old

It hardly seems possible that Savannah is already 11 months old! This is definitely a fun age. Savannah continues to be into everything! Is learning the word "no"...although doesn't listen to it most of the time. She also discovering that her mouth can make lots of interesting sounds and can help her get what she wants. She grunts when I don't get food (especially fruit) to her fast enough and she has learned how to scream and blow rasberries..which is all funny!

Happy Anniversary!

Today was Chris and I's 9th Wedding Anniversary. Hard to believe it has been 9 years...and many more than that since we went our our first date in high school. Tonight we went to Der Keller. A German restaurant inside the Jumeriah Beach Hotel. The hotel is shaped like a wave and sits next to the Burj Al Arab hotel. Of course, Savannah celebrated with us and enjoyed some goldfish that we shipped from home! I think Goldfish may be her favorite food!

Car Seat Laws

Up until now car seats were considered optional in the UAE. It is common practice to see SUV's drive down the road at high speeds with small children moving about inside the car, looking through the sunroof, etc... All of the parents we have met with children (Savannah included) use car seats 100% of the time... but we are definitely in the minority. Although, car seats that meet both US and UK standards are readily available many here do not seem to participate. Last week the Ministry of Interior published "suggestions" that infants should be in rear facing car seats and children up to age 11 should use booster seats with seats belts. There are several ongoing campaigns that encourage car seat use but it has yet to be voted into law by the government.

Weekend Sandstorm

There seems to be two different types of sand storms. In January my mom and I witnessed a fast moving storm. You could see the sand almost blow in and blow out. There is also the sand storms that seem to last for days. It makes the sky look brown, dusty and very hazy. This weekend we had one of these storms. It lasted 2-3 days and is probably the lowest visibility we have seen since we arrived. As we were driving into the downtown area, the Burj Khalfia (the tallest building in the world) was very difficult to find and the skyline was almost non-existent. From our now very sandy, balcony you couldn't even make out the shoreline. Even the inside the parking garages seemed dusty and hazy. We have heard that these storms occur as the seasons change...so I guess we should start preparing for summer in the desert! (Temperatures in June seem to have hovered around the 105 mark with very high humidity.)

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

Today we went to the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo...as with most

attractions in Dubai this is located in the center of the Dubai Mall. The aquarium tank is the largest suspended tank in the world. The aquarium tunnel allows you to get the "underwater" view, it also holds the largest collection on Sand Tiger Sharks in the world. The Underwater Zoo is located above the aquarium tank and allows you to walk through three ecological zones; rain forests, rocky shore and living ocean. We saw lots of interesting creatures including penguins and giant spider crabs! The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is also the holder to the Guinness World Record for the "World's Largest Acrylic Panel". The panel was built to withstand the enormous pressure of 10 million liters of water used in the aquarium, but transparent to give visitors views of the 33,000 plus marine animals on display.