I know a lot of people will be disappointed by this news, especially since I was talking so excitedly about coming home, but ultimately it's the best decision for our family at this time. My school has finally given the go ahead on maternity leave and one more contract, and that was something we were really doubtful of for a long time, so it came as a bit of a surprise, honestly. It really seemed like they were going to prefer to kick me out and hire a new teacher, which has happened plenty of times before with expectant foreigners here. So when they offered me a job for next year we were a bit taken aback and had to quickly reevaluate our plans.
Obviously the prospect of staying one more year is a bit scary this time round, since we'll have baby to factor in. Our big concern right now is finding suitable care for her when I go back to work after a very brief maternity leave, compared to Canada. Korean Labour Law provides three months off, two paid and one unpaid. Luckily, because of the baby's timing, I will also get one month off ahead of maternity leave, from my contracted vacation days. So that gives me from January to April 24th at home. I'm sure it's going to be really tough to leave her when the time comes, so fingers crossed for finding a good babysitter or daycare!
The awesome thing about staying one more year is that we reached a compromise to deal with my nesting urges; I get to come home for a visit! So on March 29th I'll be headed up to Incheon airport to cross the Atlantic, again, baby in tow. I'm really REALLY looking forward to three weeks in Ontario to visit everyone and introduce the baby to all the family, and of course, do some shopping! What would a trip home be without going to the mall and stocking up on all our favourite treats? Despite his current large stash, Joe will be looking forward to Reese's peanut butter cups, and I've got a soft spot for cherry flavoured nibs and salt n vinegar chips! What's that? You want to invite baby and I over for a roast beef dinner? Well I'm sure I can fit it into my schedule, somewhere...!
But more seriously, there's a lot of baby junk I need to collect to bring over to Korea with me. Birthing in Korea is quite cheap, probably around $400 for my procedures and two night hospital stay. Clothing a baby and buying all the necessary gear, not so much. For the first few weeks Korean moms DO NOT leave the house. I mean, literally, their parents/in-laws/siblings do everything for them and they stay inside the whole time, with the heat blasting at unnatural temperatures. So this means their babies stay swaddled in blankets and thus there are no clothes to be found for newborns to approximately 4months old. Not even onesies. Then, as mom and baby reemerge into the world, they still stay swaddled for awhile and eventually transition into little outfits, which are very cute, but cost upwards of $50! For a baby! It's insane and I can't afford to buy stuff like that. So it is really important for our budget that I pick up enough cheap clothes (and other baby stuff) at home to last the baby a few months at least.
Anyway, I decided to start this blog to keep people up to date on what’s happening in our lives in Korea and with the baby. We’ll tell you about our experience with having a baby in Korea, teaching high school kids English, and our (now limited) adventures around the country. We promise to try harder than ever before to actually keep up with it this time, haha! So here’s baby update number one!
Our visit to the doctor this past week included a glucose blood test, to make sure we don’t have diabetes or any iron deficiency, etc. All our results (which we received in about 10 minutes) were normal and the doctor was also able to determine that she does not have a harelip. That’s a relief considering I hadn’t even thought of that possibility! Through an ultra sound examination the doctor measured the baby and we were told that at this time she has a big head and a small body…LOL! I hope she’ll balance out a bit in the next few weeks. We have to go back again in another three weeks to check on things. Finally, the doctor really tried to get a good clear shot of the baby’s face for a 3D image, but the baby had her hands up in front of her head and refused to budge. We’ve already determined that we either have a shy kid on our hands or she’s demonstrating her stubborn side at a very young age. Watch out, Joe! Total cost of this visit was about $42; pretty good considering we don’t have OHIP coverage back home anymore. Mom is doing great, too, with only minor backache and heartburn to complain of, though I do keep having recurring dreams of tsunamis which the Internet tells me means I have a source of stress or great change in my life. Thanks Captain Obvious.
Countdown: T minus 12 weeks!
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