Christmas in Cambodia

Baby's first gifted Christmas dress, Cambodian style! Complete with trekking sandals for the avid walker.

Prior to our arrival in Cambodia, Emma trekked the long corridors of the airport with minimal redirecting away from the escalators and shopping counters. 

The river in Siem Reap that is across the street from our hotel. At night there are lots of Christmas lights due to all the Western tourists who come here for Christmas break. Who knew?!

Vegetable market scene... Love how these ladies seem to remain in an isotonic squat all day long.

After Merilee, Mary, and Amy went for an hour long foot, leg, back/neck/scalp massage that cost $5/person, we picked up our men and hit a great ice cream shop! Yay! 

My little enjoying the onslaught of Christmas lights around the river and in the French Quarter (yes, this used to be French Indochina).

"Strings of street lights, even shop lights blink a bright red and green as the shoppers rush home with their treasures... And above all this bustle you'll hear:"

"Tuk tuk? Hi, baby! Not today! Oh, ok, tomorrow?"

The vehicle above coming into view from the right is a tuk-tuk.

Decorating the front door...

...because everyone else does that for their festivals!

Looking Christmasy

Tenth month (as of 12/2/2013)

Emma is growing leaps and bounds! She is mostly wearing 12-18 months clothing due to how tall and long she is, but some of her 6-month clothes still fit because of how skinny she is. All that baby fat has stretched into a light and lean girl.

Emma walks like a toddler in pursuit right now: quick and abrupt in all she does. She bounces up and down with her hips and knees in a dance-like way when enjoying something. She also enjoys climbing into low-lying furniture spaces.

She is getting really accomplished at bringing food and other objects to her mouth. 

Emma currently has 7 teeth!

She can also (once her arms are out of the sleeves) take her shirt off her head/neck. Sometimes she helps Mommy wash her hair.

Emma is getting familiar with our new apartment's dimensions and has gotten a scrape and bruise so far.

 

Emma is always busy and moving! Her motto is play hard sleep hard. What a life! :)

Baking and settling in

We hope to greet the majority of our neighbors at the end of the week so I've been trying to make bunches of Christmas cookies.

Baby sous chef

Snickerdoodles

No bake cookies

First ever attempt at a pumpkin pie (entirely by scratch, even evaporated milk over the stove for lack of the canned variety)! Oh, and this one is only share-able if you visit our home... Quick... Hehe!

Our new home

Monday's move:

There is no such thing as a U-Haul in this country, so if you "shift" to a new address, you have to use a business to help move your belongings.  This company was great! 

They compactly wrapped and packed everything, and even asked us for instruction (yes, that was a big deal)!

It was exhausting watching the movers for Emma.  She just couldn't keep up with them or figure out what crazy thing was going on in our flat!

This is your first glimpse of our new apartment!  See, aren't these guys amazing?!  They put most everything in its place and were on their way.

Emma, awake from a nap and enjoying her new home... And her fingers.

Tuesday through Thursday we unpacked and began setting up our home.  A local friend stopped by and wants to help My handsome husband to have a gathering in our front room--very happy news.  Getting Internet and gas for the range stove has been the biggest issue.  Today we have gotten those mostly resolved.  Here are some moments along the way:

Emma's two mosquito bites from our first night in the house.  The working theory is that after a week of killing mosquitoes the rest fear us and our home and cease to enter it.  The past two night Emma hasn't been bitten.

Jungling around in her new room.

Two new loves: White Christmas (both the singing and the dancing scenes) and the box that held our faux Christmas tree! She played in that box for half the movie as we set up Christmas decorations and unpacked!

Loving her blocks and tree!

Thanks for the Christmas decorations, Mom!  Thanks also to a good friend for hand-delivering fresh cinnamon rolls!

Her first touch and look of awe... Priceless!

That block stack was Mommy-made... 

Kitchen window decorations.