We celebrated our first Thanksgiving overseas, and to be honest, it sort of snuck up on us. The combination of moving to Dubai, going back to work, and not seeing any Thanksgiving advertising made it easy to almost forget this traditional American holiday. Fortunately, Facebook and our families made sure we didn't forget!
I'm so thankful for my family. G is always so supportive of everything I do, and while Baby L can be a challenging (or as the host of our morning radio program here in UAE puts it, she is a "lifestyle inhibitor"), she brightens our life in ways we didn't know possible. I took the afternoon off work on Thanksgiving Day so I could spend some quality cuddles with this baby girl (and also so G and I could go buy some rugs for our apartment before weekend rush-hour traffic hit Dubai).
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| Hey, Mom! It's my 3-month birthday!! |
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| I'm not so sure about this cupcake...or this flower thing on my head... |
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| Ok, fine, I will smile with this thing on my head. :-) |
This brings me to the second thing that I'm thankful for - our nanny, Miss J. Week 2 at work was with Miss J in our home, and it was much smoother than Week 1. G was able to study, do homework, and even get a few house projects done. Miss J is a Filipino national who raised 5 children of her own and has 2 grandkids - so she has definitely taught me a thing or two about caring for a baby! She is a huge blessing in our life, and we're so happy to have her as part of our family. Baby L is too!
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| Miss J with Baby L - seriously, does this woman look old enough to have grand kids!!! She is so amazing with endless energy, and we love having her in our home. |
We celebrated Thanksgiving with other expats back in Abu Dhabi. This allowed us to do two things - one, obviously, have some turkey and classic Thanksgiving dishes and two, it allowed us to say one last goodbye to the housekeeping staff at our old apartment before we did our final walkthrough and turn-in of our keys. These are the next two things I'm thankful for - our expat family who help us celebrate traditions from home while we are away (thanks Jeanne, the food was amazing!!!), and the wonderful housekeeping staff who took care of us while we lived in Abu Dhabi.
Friday Thanksgiving at Jeanne's home was a bit chaotic - there were 5 families celebrating, 2 families with 4 kids each, 1 family with 3 kids, our family with 1 kiddo, and 1 younger couple that didn't have kids yet. 12 kids ranging in age from 3 months to 15 years was probably some awesome birth control for that couple! All joking aside, we had a good time and really enjoyed both the company and sharing the evening with other families. All the chaos was a little overwhelming for Baby L, so unfortunately, no photos - thankfully (see Thankful Item #2!) Miss J was able to keep Baby L calm so G and I could socialize a little bit! And since Jeanne was Miss J's previous employer, she was very familiar with the home and all the quieter places we could keep Baby L since she wasn't use to having so many kids rough and tumbling around her.
Saturday was a lot more laid back for Baby L and me. G and Miss J ran errands in Abu Dhabi so Baby L and I got a few hours of cuddles with just the two of us in our old apartment - it was so nostalgic for me. This apartment, for all its quirks that drove us crazy while we lived here, will always hold a special place in my heart. It's the home where I spent most of my pregnancy and all of my maternity leave, my baby's first home. I cried a few times, especially with Miss Thuzar from housekeeping came by to give Baby L and I hugs. I remember sitting in my rocking chair with Baby L the afternoon after Dad left, crying and trying not to look like I was crying, and Thuzar pretending not to notice I was crying but telling me to call her anytime if I needed something. Seeing her every day is one of the things I will miss most about living here. I'm so thankful that she came into our lives, and she will always be Baby L's first friend!
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| Baby L and I, napping on the sofa just like when she was a newborn! |
After G and Miss J came home, we took a tourist walk around the hotel - from the stunning 74th floor observation deck to the sparkly ceiling at the ballroom level - it was a fun little way to take in everything one last time. After all, unless we stay here again as guests, we won't have access to it for free anymore!
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| Selfies at the ballroom ceiling! It is much more sparkly in person - it's hard to see all the crystals in the photo. |
Sunday (today) we did our final check out walkthrough and say a true and final good-bye to life in Abu Dhabi for now. I'm thankful for all the wonderful memories we've made here, and I'm thankful for all the future memories we will make in our new home!
And of course - since it's the weekend of THE Game, Baby L has a message for everyone at home...
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| Go Blue!!! |
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