***Kat***

FrauDrA

I'm so glad you're back online! I can't wait to hear all about your adventures. Are you still blogging? I hope you'll be keeping track of your Middle Eastern experiences!

How is Neve doing with all this excitement? And with the long flights? And how did you do with the flights? Our trip to Germany is going to be longer/more challenging than usual, as we're going through Calgary, and although I did well on the flights in May and June, I'm dreading being that pg on such a long voyage.

I am *so* excited for you!

AttaKat

Hi Melanie!  It's good to be back!  Thanks for asking about us.   Mine and Neve's blogs have become woefully out of date as I've tried to finish the MA over the past 6 months or so but you provide encouragement and I am definitely trying to get my act together to get some pictures online very soon.  I will Facebook you the links.  We had progress yesterday in that I finally got around to ordering my nice photo editing software before my student discount expires and my camera actually made it downstairs and out of storage from the move, lol. 

I have to say the flights nearly killed us.  Mostly due to the fact that we brought waaay too much stuff.  The sheer physical effort required to drag around even our carry on bags (7) even on the stroller was in itself exhausting.  We also nearly didn't make our flights both leaving initially out of Calgary due to *supposed* visa issues with the cats and then out of Zurich due to *supposed* visa issues with our Qatari visas.  I ended up crying 3 times that day in 2 different airports.

Neve also decided to boycott sleeping from Calgary through Zurich which at the end of all the delays and the flight layovers, not to mention the 8 hour Toronto-Zurich leg of the flights was 23 hours.  I didn't know that a 2 year old can survive on that little sleep, but apparently mine is stubborn enough to try.  Needless to say she was in tears at EVERYTHING in Zurich, which also happened to be the most stressful place for us as we were traveling well beyond the baggage limitations for Qatar Airways (which we only found out on trying to check in for our flights to Doha), we also had to pick up both cats and recheck them in, and deal with all the charges and problems that suddenly came up with our travel documents.  I was seriously ready to kill Brett's employer by the end of those 4 hours when they said "Everything will fine, you will have no problems!"  We didn't do any of the visa things ourselves obviously so here I was bewildered and standing with all the paperwork these people had ever sent me with 6 bags, two cats, a stroller, and a screaming toddler for 2 and a half hours in the chec-in line!  It was awful.

But once they actually let us on the plane to Doha (after calling corporate in Doha and getting special permission), we had a lovely last leg.  Qatar Airways really lives up to its reputation in service and the flight wasn't crowded so we were able to spread out a bit, and best of all we all got some sleep!  It proved to me at least that the flights themselves can be either trying or heavenly, but it's the in between on the ground that was the really terrible experience.  My body was exhausted from schlepping all of our crap all over creation and I was a little worried after the whole thing about how much weight I had been carrying.  However, I had an OB appt. last week and things are fine, for which I am very grateful. 

Lessons learned:  Do not pack nearly as much crap on next trip/move.  If one must pack said crap, ship said crap via post rather than deal with it in the airport.  And triple check documents, don't trust anyone at their word, lol.  

At the end of the day we all made it though and have really started to settle in here in Doha.  We have a 3 bed. 2 bath. townhouse with a tiled corner yard.  It made me think of your house buying experience because at first glance it's a spacious, beautiful place, and we're grateful for it, don't get me wrong, but there are SO many problems with it!  We had a minor kitchen flood, holes in the walls, a pest control problem, a lizard in the dining room, not to mention basic furnishing aside from the table, couches, etc. and the struggle of trying to deal with all of this with the compound people whose English is very limited or on our own in a strange city with no car and no idea of where to go/buy etc.  These are things that, as always, only come from time spent in a place, which we are slowly acquiring. Nevertheless, it's a nice(ish) spacious place and it's free so we can hardly complain!

Neve is adjusting fairly well.  She survived the flights and bounced back with no sleep/behaviour problems which is a testament to her stamina!  She is on her second week of full time nursery school which has been an adjustment for her and me.  It's a lovely place though, so even with the tears and the transition, I'm absolutely positive that it is a good thing for her developmentally and that she is being fabulously looked after.  I feel so blessed to have found such a wonderful place while still in Canada that worked out so well and is so close to our house.  Doha traffic can be nightmarish and a school across the city could easily be a 45 trip each way every day!  Luckily, ours is an easy 7 minutes from door to door. 

Unfortunately, with all the dust and the liklihood of bugs around a bunch of kids under 5, she caught a decent bug this week and we ended up in the pediatric emergency wing this morning with a hacking cough and a fever of almost 103.  It was amazing though!  We walked right into emergency!  She was already being examined while I was still filling out the registration forms and we were for a time, literally, the only people in ER!  I'm also very pleased with the OB-GYN care so far at this hospital and our insurance has been lovely.  I'm actually aiming to deliver with a German doctor and I think that regardless, the pre and antenatal care here will be top notch.  In full disclosure, it is one of the private hospitals, so I can't speak for the government standard care, but I'm very grateful that our insurance gives us options.  

Now that I've blathered on, how are you?  I've thought of you and the pregnancy a lot over the last couple of days as we've been welcoming babies on the board!  It will be lovely when it's our turn!  How far along are you now?  And am I right in remembering that you guys are going to Germany in Sept?  That will be an incredible trip but I agree that flying anywhere past halfway through second trimester is a trial at best, lol.  My only advice is patience and pack light, lol!

Hope you are well and I will make sure and send you the links for things as soon as I get them up and running again! Cheers!