Another Swim?

We thought we would give swimming another try and as you can see Savannah again fell asleep. She doesn't seem to mind the water but it certainly doesn't keep her awake.

I am certainly enjoying having my parents here. They have been a huge help with Savannah which has allowed me to finish unpacking and even visit the pool myself.

Nana's Birthday

Today is my mom's birthday! . To celebrate we went to Aisha's, an Indian restaurant for dinner. We had Chris' coworker write down everything we should order and he was right...the food was delicious! (Although we thought the food was great...this is the second time Chris and I have eaten at this restaurant and both times the food seems to not agree with Savannah and we spend the entire night up with a fussy baby! Guess I need to be a little more conscious (and thoughtful) of what I am eating while I am breastfeeding!

Happy Birthday Mom/Nana!

Dhow Cruise

While Savannah and I visited my doctor for a check-up my parents went on a dhow cruise of the Dubai Creek. They said it was interesting and a good way to see some of "Old Dubai" but was a little too hot outside to fully enjoy it.

Burj Khalifa

This morning Savannah stayed with my mom so that my dad and I could go back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This office is again located in Old Dubai but was a completely different

experience than yesterday. It is in a huge, new building and is organized and quick. After receiving our number we were in and out of their in about 10 minutes. Although, my dad and I arrived together I was told to sit on the ladies side and my dad was told to sit on the men's side...with a security guard in the middle. At least we now have a correct birth certificate in both English and Arabic for Savannah.

This afternoon Chris, Savannah and I went to the US Consulate's office to apply for Savannah's passport and Certificate of Birth Abroad. It was amazing how comforting it was to see our first US flag in months. Of course they require that all three of us be present, so after making our way through 4 different security check points and getting moved to the front of the line (one benefit of a crying baby) we successfully turned in all of our paperwork. We should have her documents in the next week or two and then Chris' company will start the process to get her a residency visa. Although, Savannah is automatically granted US citizenship, it is a huge relief to have paperwork that provides proof of that.

Today my parents also went to the Burj Khalifa. This is the tallest building in the world, standing at 2,716 feet and 160 stories! Unfortunately, it was pretty hazy today (a regular occurrence in Dubai) so their view from the top wasn't the best but the pictures give you an idea of what they could see.

The first picture is a view of the Burj Khalifa from the bottom looking up. This is directly outside the Dubai Mall.

The second picture shows the Burj Khalifa in the distance but interesting to see all of the cranes. (Dubai is also known as the city with the most cranes.)

The third picture is looking down from the observation deck. The water is apart of the Dubai Fountain, which is also the largest fountain in the world.

The fourth picture is looking out into the city.

Oops!

Since my mom found the error in Savannah's English birth certificate we had to go back and retrace a few of our steps.

This morning my mom, dad, Savannah and I headed to the Ministry of Health to either have them make the correction or give us a new English birth certificate. Interesting to note that when I called to find out the hours they were open, the man on the phone told me that the translators make mistakes on purpose to make us pay more money! Not the most comforting but what are we going to do?! The Ministry of Health is located in Old Dubai in a government hospital...which means not even close to the type of private hospital we delivered Savannah in. Chaos and unorganized do not even begin to describe the environment. My mom and dad claimed it was interesting and a great way to see the "non-tourist" areas of Dubai, but it is not exactly what I meant when I said they should get out and sight see! After receiving our new (and correct) birth certificate we took a cab to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get her birth certificate stamped but of course when we arrived it was already closed (evidently they close at noon and we arrived at 12:10). Guess we will try again tomorrow!

Golf Anyone?

Chris is off work today and tomorrow for Eid, which signifies the end of Ramadan. It is great to have him home for a long weekend! This morning he played his first round of golf since we arrived in Dubai. He played with some coworkers at the Els Club. After getting lost and missing the first hole, he said he played "decent" and that the course is just different than at home. The greens are really slow and there are bunkers everywhere! Basically, out of bounds is in the sand!

Today we also went to get my driver's license. Savannah stayed at home with my parents while Chris and I went to the licensing office. A pretty easy process (after Chris wrote a letter of permission) since holding a US driver's license gives you the right to have a UAE driver's license...no questions asked. (The picture is from "playtime" with Nana and Granddad.)

We also had big plans of going to the US Consulates office tomorrow to apply for Savannah's passport and certificate of birth abroad but when we were showing my mom Savannah's English and Arabic birth certificate she noticed that my name was misspelled on the English version. Guess it will be back to the Ministry of Health and Foreign Affairs instead.

I am 1 Month Old

It is hard to believe that our little peanut is already one month old!

We went for a swim again today...and Savannah again quickly feel asleep.

We also love reading books!