Fun Days!

Yesterday we showed Grammie and Great Grammie how much Savannah enjoys swimming. The water was a little chilly so not sure Savannah enjoyed it quite as much as normal but still a good time and helped ease her into nap time.

Last night we ate dinner at our new kitchen table and as you can see in the picture it was too much fun for Savannah. She couldn't keep her eyes open and feel right to sleep in her Bumbo chair!

Since Savannah is not having any trouble growing we tried on her Cardinals shirt again. The last time she wore this shirt it fit her like a dress, now it is just right.

Savannah also played her first game of cards...Great-Grammie's favorite thing to do!

Savannah is Three Months Old

Savannah turned three months old on Friday! Hard to believe she is already three months old and that we have been here for four months.

Savannah went to the doctor today for the rest of her two month vaccinations. We split the vaccaniations last month because her weight had been low but now Savannah is in the 90th percentile for height and weight! The doctor said she is healthy and "flying off the charts". Luckily her height and weight are porportate so nothing to worry about! Today she weighed 14 pounds and is 24 inches long! Like mom she is "tall for a girl"!

Beer Run

Given that it is against Islamic religion to do anything that alters your state of mind (drinking), expats must obtain a liquor license in order to purchase beer, wine and liquor for their home. Your employer must give permission for you to obtain this license. We do not yet have our license so we had to go with a friend. This involved driving across town to the store. The store was packed and we were definitely the minority. There were mostly Indians in the store and they were buying as if they were shopping at Sams or Costco. While we felt like we were trying to buy beer in college. Several hundred dirhams later we left with three bottles of wine and two and half cases of beer (there is a 30% tax on top of already high prices). The selection is slim. Budweiser is the only American beer we have seen since we arrived in Dubai so we have had to venture out and find other types of beer. Luckily, we have tried a few in restaurants and have found some to our liking.

Grammie and Great-Grammie Arrive

Late Friday night Grammie and Great-Grammie arrived (Chris' mom and grandma). Savannah tried to stay awake to meet them, which resulted in a long night but was well worth the wait. Saturday morning I introduced Vickie to paddle boarding. We took a quick lesson and then paddled around the Burj Al Arab. It was a great morning! I think we may try to go again before they leave and try to find a water proof camera to take with us next time.

Saturday we had a late lunch/early dinner on the Jumeriah Beach Walk and yesterday we had lunch at the Noodle House inside the Madinat Jumeriah Resort. While we were there we visited the Souk, which is small shops designed to resemble the old Arabian Markets.

Savannah has enjoyed having Grammie and Great Grammie to cuddle with.

New Hobbies

Over the weekend, I went paddle boarding. It was a blast. Once I stopped looking down and thinking about what I was doing it was really relaxing a great way to spend a beautiful morning at the beach. I signed up for a group lesson but no one else showed up so the instructor taught me what to do and then we paddled around the Burj Al Arab. The Burj Al Arab (Arab Sail) is a seven star hotel that sits on its own artificial island. It is connected to the mainland by a private bridge and the structure resembles the shape of a sail. (Picture to the right). There are not pictures of my paddle boarding adventure or of me falling into the water since Chris stayed home with Savannah but I plan on going out again so maybe we can get some pictures another time.

Chris has also started playing basketball with some guys from work. It will never replace hockey but I think he enjoys getting out and running around. Although, last week it resulted in a bloody lip and this week he keeps commenting on how old he feels!

Savannah's hobbies continue to be reading, bath time and going for swims. We have been reading to Savannah since she was born but she is actually starting to look at the pages. She seems to love bath time and being in the pool. Unfortunately, she is also very drawn to the bright lights of the TV. She also likes to play on her play mat, especially now that she can reach the toys that dangle above her and has figured out how to scoot on her back but is uninterested in "tummy time" unless it is playing "airplane" on my legs.

This weekend we walked in the "Pinkathon" walk for breast cancer awareness. We also went to El Chico for dinner. This Mexican restaurant is located on the Jumeirah Beach Walk. We were able to grab a table outside and enjoy the nice evening. We also watched the many cars cruise by. It is like being at an auto show, it is amazing how many luxury cars we saw. (Think Rolls Royce, Maserati, Ferrari, etc...). On Saturday we ate dinner at a friend's house. They are expecting a baby boy in December so Savannah will soon have a new playmate.

Happy Halloween!

To make sure I got first Halloween pictures of Savannah, I ordered a costume from home and bought one of the few pumpkins at the grocery store. We may have traded in fall weather and apple/pumpkin orchards for palm trees and sand but we can still celebrate holidays.

Several people have asked if there is "trick-or-treating" here. The simple answer is "no". But, there was a small Halloween parade over the weekend and many of the American families with older kids seem to get together so that their kids can experience "trick-or-treating".

There is a newspaper here called "7 days", it is written in tabloid style and geared toward expats living in Dubai. It covers local and global news as well as information about living in Dubai. There is a large "letters to the editor" section in which their have been many letters this week disagreeing with the idea of Halloween and being angry with some local stores for carrying costumes (some of the letters are also written by western Christians). Interestingly enough, the Christmas ornaments are also out in stores (although not to the extreme that they are at home) and Ace Hardware had a few artificial trees.

Happy Halloween!

A Day at the Park

Today we decided to take advantage of the cooler weather (it was only 95 degrees) and went to Al Safa Park. The park is located in the near the center of the city and is amazing.

The park is 158 acres and has three lakes, lots of play structures, a forest, a waterfall, BBQ pits and a hill that offers panoramic views of the park. In the background you can see the Dubai skyline. The park is beautiful and has lots of green space (something that is very limited in Dubai). We were so glad we checked out the park and for a 3 dirham entry fee (less $1) per person it will be a great place to take Savannah on walks and to play. It also will be a great place for me to run with and without Savannah!

Yesterday, we took Savannah down to the pool. We went for a swim and then Savannah took a nap with Chris under the cabana while I read a magazine in the sun! It was a great way to spend the afternoon. (The picture of Savannah napping is from the cabana the rest are from the park.)

Last night we went to dinner with our dinner friends; Chris' coworker, Manny, another coworker, Yaj, his wife, Divya and their son, Shrihan. We went to "Sushi, Sushi" in Century Village. The food was delicious. Living in Dubai has definitely broadened our taste buds. When Chris and I first started dating he didn't like salad or vegetables without cheese and last night we enjoyed a dinner of sushi, prawn salad, mixed seafood soup and wine.

On Friday we were supposed to participate in the Dubai Pinkathon, a walk for breast cancer but it was postponed until next weekend due to the death of Shaikh Saqr Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, one of the other six emirates in the UAE. To morn the ruler, many government offices are closed for a week, community events are canceled and the local radio and TV stations play only classical music or prayers.