The Zhan Crew

    • Dec 22, 2018

    My Pregnancy Cravings

    December 22, 2018 0
    My Pregnancy Cravings
    Lately, I've been eating a lot and gained so much weight. Guess the baby has a really good appetite. He keeps asking mama for more, even in the middle of her sleep. The ultrasound result thinks baby Kieran will come out on the first day of 2019. That is again a very nice day for a baby to be born. Let's hope he gets here on time so I can spend more time cuddling with him before going back to work. Anyhow, here is a list of my cravings. Just by writing this blog post, I am already drooling!

    1. My Danish Cookies 


    This buttery and sugary type of cookie is so irresistible. I bought so many of them from Walmart. I just can't help it. I think my baby Kieran loves them, too. I could feel his kicks after I ate these cookies. The reaction was fast. These are my favorite midnight snacks. 

    2. Butter Croissants 


    Heading to the bakery section of Walmart. OMG, these buttery croissants are so delicious. I have them every morning with my coffee and my chocolate cereal. Life is so good. Lucky me,  my hubby Jimmy deals with my croissant refills. He makes sure that I have enough of croissant supply. At work, I am so obsessed with chocolate croissants. Those who work in our caf all know I love them.  

    3. Sweet Corn Muffins


    Oh my, DEAR! These sweet corn muffins were introduced to me by Jimmy's mommy when she was down here visiting us. They are so tasty. I can finish the pack in just a few minutes. Then Jimmy has to do another Walmart run to get more muffin stocks. 

    4. Homemade Toasts


    This is me making toasts in the middle of the night while Jimmy is working on his 'projects' in the basement. I almost finished the whole bag of bread today. Speaking of toasts, I am going to resume eating right after I finish writing this blog. I can't wait. Jimmy spoils me too much. He is always willing to refill my cravings!

    5. Iced Coffee


    My everyday morning boost is my iced coffee. I can't live without it and even the caf ladies know! To solve my caffeine cravings, Jimmy got me a Keurig to make iced coffee right from home.  
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    Dec 20, 2018

    My Pregnancy

    December 20, 2018 0
    My Pregnancy

    It has been a very long journey. This is my 39th-week bonding with my son!  His expected due date is on Christmas day, the most wonderful time of the year.  From my ultrasound, we saw him practicing his muscles and breathing.  He is well-positioned and ready to greet the world with his lovely smile. He is definitely the most precious Christmas present. 


    Since this is the last part of my pregnancy, I've been experiencing serious swollen feet and hands (the doctor is even concerned). As a result, I can't sit, stand, or walk for a long time. Even sleeping and getting dressed nowadays have become very difficult. I have gained so much weight and my little bones can't even support my heavy weight. So exhausting! My hubby Jim, on the other hand, has been very supportive. He's been cooking and cleaning for me since the day I've become clumsy. He also assembled the baby changing station, crib, stroller, car seat, etc. 


    On my 34th week of pregnancy, Jimmy took me to Kentucky. Driving from Upstate New York all the way down to Kentucky roughly took 10 hours! I couldn't believe both my baby and I made it through the long trip. Later in the week, Jimmy drove us all the way to Gulfport, Mississippi. That place was really warm for November. We stayed there for a bit and drove directly back to Upstate New York and from there we drove all the way to Maine for some lobsters. Should I call us crazy? Our baby was totally fine with traveling that far. We passed by a lot of hospitals on the way, so the worst case scenario was to give birth wherever we drove by. 


    Here Jimmy is posing with the beautiful palm trees of Gulfport, Mississippi. Last year around the same time, Jimmy and I were there and we engraved our initials on the Mississippi beach. We also dipped our toes into the Gulf of Mexico and bought back some beach sand for our aquarium.  Good times without the baby. We will soon not have time to travel that far. 


    Here Jimmy shows off our oversized Maine lobsters in a local diner in Maine. I was super happy with my freshly caught lobster. It was worth it to drive all the way there for some good seafood. Jimmy is such a sweetheart. 
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    Aug 11, 2018

    The Story About Angela The German Shepherd

    August 11, 2018 0
    The Story About Angela The German Shepherd
    My boyfriend and I were traveling in West Texas for our memorial long weekend. When we arrived in San Angelo, roughly around midnight, we saw a dog walking in the middle of the traffic. My boyfriend stopped the car and this pup started circling around our car looking lost. I got off the car and tried to find if she belonged to anybody. She had no tag. She was so hungry and was looking for food in the garbage can in a nearby gas station. To stop her from eating garbage, we drove with her to Walmart to get her some water and food. The next day we took her to a local San Angelo vet to check on her microchip. Sadly, she had no microchip on her. Then I tried to locate the owner on helpmegethome.com (a local lost and found pet website), but no one replied to my post. Also not to mention how shameful it was, we were told by the local vet that this young dog already had several litters of puppies.

    We stopped at Walmart to get Angela a collar, leash, food, and water in San Angelo, TX.

    We are from New York. We had a plane to catch the next day. We were not sure where we could send her. I tried calling the shelters in the West Texas area,  Dallas, and Houston. The staff at the shelters said they don't have space for another dog. Well, guess what. This is really what happened: Texas Animal Shelter Overwhelmed. Also according to Val's Pals Rescue, one Houston area shelter alone can receive over 300 dogs in one weekend. That is ridiculous and shows how many irresponsible owners are out there.

    Angela traveling with us in Monahans, TX
    To save this pup from potential euthanasia, we decided to adopt her.  We took her to the vet again to give her all the vaccines and antibiotics she needed. We temporarily found her a boarding home in Houston. She had so much fun playing with other dogs. She doesn't have to eat garbage or drink muddy water anymore. She is now safe and being taken care of.

    Angela playing with her Husky friend in Houston, TX
    Eventually, she was sent back to us from Houston to Elmira. Angela is such as a sweetheart. She loved us so much and gave us a lot of kisses. She enjoyed our road trip from West Texas to New Mexico. She even put her paw on my lap when we were both sitting on the bench. She was also so protective.

    Angela the pretty flower girl in Ithaca, NY
    We were originally planning to move into a new house, but the owner of this house refused to move out. As a result, Angela still did not have a place to stay, so I had to send her to different sitters on Rover for 2 months. I also found out that I am pregnant and was not so well to take care of an active puppy like Angela. Luckily, Angela met her sitter, Emma, and they became best friends immediately. Some of the sitters on Rover said Angela was too hard to take care of, but Angela didn't seem to cause Emma too much trouble. They went running, hiking, and exploring together, and Emma even got Angela some hiking gears. After the adoption, Emma continues to send me pictures of Angela to keep me updated. I am so happy for Angela that she has finally found her forever home.

    Angela with Emma, her adoptive mom and best friend
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