Expat Life- A Personal Update: Made in Malaysia with US Parts

When we first saw the 2 tests below, we both couldn’t believe our eyes…..and yet it was true. We were to be expecting our first child- and in Malaysia no less! What a wild and crazy adventure we were about to embark on. But then our adventurous story actually started years ago. So, humor me with a little walk down memory lane as I build up to having a baby in a foreign country……

I took 2 tests….just because I didn’t believe my eyes!

David and I never really had a “normal” relationship from the start. We met on EHarmony and it was, as they say, love at first sight. From that Pizza Port dinner on, we were inseparable. Well, inseparable as 2 lovebirds can be who lived 30 miles away from one another! We had an idyllic 8 months of dating before we put each other to the test- yup, a 2 week international backpacking tour in South America. Well, I think you can guess based on our lives now, that we both passed with flying colors! Not only did that trip bring us closer together but it also cracked wide open conversations about our dreams for the future. As luck would have it, 1 short week after that trip, David received a call for a job offer he had dreamed of- an International Sales Manager covering Mexico, the Middle East, and Asia. The kicker- he would have to move from sunny SoCal to cornfield-filled Indianapolis, IN….the middle of nowheresville (at least coming from 2 west coasters!). What was I to do? Tell him no, don’t go? I don’t think so. I said to him one evening on the beach (with my heart breaking in a thousand pieces) that he needed to go, and that our love with stand the test of distance and time and that we would figure things out. That was the hardest sentence I had ever spoken to anyone, ever. I had a 50/50 chance now of my happily ever after.

The following steps came quickly and all in a blur. Within 2 months he was packed and gone, and we were both scared about what this meant for us. We dated long distance (2 flights adding up to 5 total flying hours) for 7 LONG months before he popped the question, right back at our beach where we first fell in love. That was it! Quickly I said yes, gave notice at my job and began planning a move to the midwest and of course, a wedding to boot! Luckily, my job allowed me a transfer …so life was moving along. We married in September of 2010 back in the Las Vegas foothills (yes I planned a wedding long distance and within a 7 month engagement!) and after that drama-filled weekend, breathed a huge sigh of relief as we flew to Bali for 2 weeks of bliss.

We were settling into life in “Indy” as it’s called, and the kicker of it all, we actually LIKED Indy. No scratch that, we fell in love with it. The people we met were amazing, and in a short span of 1 year, we met lifelong friends. The pace of life was a breath of fresh air and the standard of living was top notch- plus Chicago was a quick 3 hr drive away when we needed a “big city” fix. Now for the downside…..David’s new job took him away from our first home together about 2 weeks every single month……for 1 year straight. Add to that, I was traveling all the time myself- covering 3 states….we were basically newlyweds passing in the night, and it got old, very quick! Just when we’d had enough, David received an opportunity of a lifetime. Get rid of Mexico and the Middle East and build up SE Asia….from SE Asia. I’ll never forget that morning at the Starbucks on Rangeline & 116th in Carmel, IN when he changed my life, yet again. His company wanted an answer, and quickly, but I wasn’t about to say yes until I had visited the countries in question.

Anyway, we already had plans to spend our 1 yr wedding anniversary in Munich, Germany (Oktoberfest!) and Paris, France (Romance!) so we just tacked on another week and headed to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to check things out. We hired a real estate agent that we found online (and completely lucked out I might add) and had a whirlwind 3 days in each city/country to decide what we wanted to do.

Our first ultrasound at 6 weeks!

Although Singapore was fantastic and had everything we would ever need or want from a western culture (we like to call it “Asia for beginners”…and no offense to anyone- we still love it & visit any chance we get!!), we absolutely fell in love with the diversity, the way of life, the cuisine, the culture, and the people of Malaysia. After saying “yes” to the opportunity, life moved, for the next 6 months, at a crazy pace. At times it was hectic as we tried to get things in order, but other times it felt like time was moving in slow motion. I gave notice once again at my job and this time, there was no chance of transferring, which was fine by me. I was too excited to see what doors would open for me next (see current writing gig). By Good Friday of 2012 (April 6th to be exact), we were waking up to our first Easter in Muslim Malaysia.

Our creative way of sharing the news with our parents while we were in Bali

We are now a few weeks shy of celebrating our 1 year anniversary in Kuala Lumpur and life is moving along wonderfully. We have settled into a fabulous neighborhood and have met amazing friends from all over the world. We have traveled every month to somewhere within the SE Asia region and are loving our new way of life. The writing on my own website & contributions to other expat websites & magazines keeps me extremely busy, along with traveling & heading up our home & social calendar, of course! And then back in October 2012…..our lives changed once again.

Of course we both had always wanted to start a family but with the craziness of our lives for those first 2 years of marriage, it was hard to think about. We both love children though (We have a combined 9 nieces & nephews under 10yrs old) and we love them all to pieces. Being “Auntie K & Uncle David” is the best feeling and we knew without a doubt we wanted little K&D’s running around our feet before too long. Luckily God answered our prayers and come July 2013, we will be parents for the first time- to a sweet little pink blessing!! We are THRILLED to say the least and honestly cannot wait for our baby girl to change our lives. We are so ready for this next chapter to begin & to become an “International Nabers” family of 3!!

It’s a GIRL! (18 weeks)

Her first outfit from mommy & daddy

With the initial excitement behind us, our lives soon became inundated with thoughts about how and where to start having a baby in Malaysia. Doctors? Hospitals? Pre & Post natal care? Baby stores? Baby items? Support groups? The cost?!?! Whoa…..talk about information overload!! Any of you who have had kids before in your own home countries where at least you have family & friends and somewhat of an idea of brands, safety, etc- think about doing it in a foreign country- it’s so intense.

Luckily, I do know that babies are born all over the world (insert sarcasm here), so any way I was to look at it, I would be fine, the baby would be fine, and all would be right in the world. Being an expat, about to have her first baby in Kuala Lumpur, has interestingly enough, become a huge blessing. Here are some important facts I would like to point out:

• Not only is Kuala Lumpur ranked amongst the highest countries in the world for medical care, but it also boasts an extremely affordable price tag (at least in comparison to the USA),
• There are a wide variety of hospitals here in town to choose from- ranging from private & modern to local & basic,
• The doctors are basically all trained and certified in western countries (USA, UK, Australia) and they’ve come back to their home of KL to practice, so they know what they are talking about,
• There are a wide range of natural, assisted, and surgical options to choose from, as well as amazing prenatal/antenatal & postnatal classes and care,
• There are many expat support groups to help you along your way- begining with pregnancy and growing with your child through the years,
• Baby “stuff” is expensive!! Mainly due to the high import taxes in Malaysia so if you can, go to your home country while pregnant and bring back some “loot”,
• The maternity clothes selection here in KL is not very cute…but there are plenty of expat moms who are willing to share, give, trade, or sell their stuff to you,
• There are experts in their respective fields living here in KL and offer their services at a fraction of the cost from home in town to help with such things as: prenatal workout activities (yoga, pilates, etc), prenatal & postnatal masseuses, midwife/doula care, photography, and more!

20 weeks- the halfway point & feeling great!

There is so much more to learn….I’m now just 22 weeks along and am learning something new every day! Stay with me as I post more about my insane ride through a first-time pregnancy and birth in Malaysia. It’s going to be one for the books folks and I can’t wait to share with you all along the way!

** Coming soon to International Nabers– new pages to include expat tips, maternity tips, having a baby in KL, baby gear, reviews, and more! **

Stay tuned and happy everything~

Kimbra