A New Little Dude

Henrik (Henry) Joseph

Born 1:58, Monday, September 22

7 lbs. 5 oz., 21 inches

Dusting of dark brown hair

Dark blue/gray eyes like daddy.

Wanting to Wait Well

Well, we are definitely ready for the baby to arrive. Ben asks him to come at least a few times a day. And he asks me to go into labor. So far neither the baby nor the mama are very obedient. Through the day my own desires and patience fluctuate and change. I feel peaceful and patient in prayer for peace and patience. Then I feel a little nudge inside and hope for my water to break. Hmm. Our impatience must be obvious, as people often say things like, "Well, its better for him to have a few more days inside." Probably true. This morning Ben and I prayed for joy in this time of anticipation (a precious life stage that we will only experience this one time!), and rest in the assurance that God's plan for this baby's life (even the day of his arrival) is truly best.
Hmm. This Saturday I cleaned the house for 12 hours, washing curtains, rugs, vacuuming window screens and the dryer exhaust, etc. It didn't feel like nesting (in that it didn't feel special or unusual), and Ben and I reasoned that we can't really take much from that, since that is sort of how cleaning happens for me. Things get bad, then I clean everything all at once as though it is a battle for life itself. I also wonder if my emotional desire to have the baby soon didn't spur me on to the cleaning. Along the reasoning of if everything is ready around us, maybe my body will get ready, too? I'm pretty sure that isn't true nesting.
We've had a hard time narrowing down name choices, but I think we have a few good ones, now. That feels nice. We'll have to see which combo seems best when the baby arrives. Until then, all is secret.
These days I mostly think (talk and blog) about the baby. As far as the rest of life, all is well with us.
Ben has been finishing up a "shop" that provides us with wonderful work and storage space for things like paint, tools, etc. We are thinking of painting our house yellow. We have to paint the shop, so we might as well paint the house at the same time?? Right now it is a pretty depressing brown. I like the idea of a yellow house with white trim and lots of red geraniums all around. Happy and European cottage-y.
Yesterday I went 3-store grocery shopping. We hadn't restocked from our summer away, and had been in great need. It feels good to have that done, too.
We are having some good times with friends, enjoying dinner together, etc.
Really, though, the big news is that the baby is coming SOON! A few weeks at the most!
Hoping to post about his arrival next time. Or at least the time after the next...

September? Already?

This is indeed the busiest part of the year for us-- both schools back in session.
I returned to work in early August (the day after we returned from Slovakia, actually!). This year I am working at the elementary school less than a mile from our house. It has been absolutely wonderful! I work closely with 4 great ladies (this is the first time I've felt like I had co-workers in teaching... teachers tend to work pretty independently most of the day...), do a lot of paperwork, test students' English proficiency levels, and tutor a newcomer for a few hours each day. I am really enjoying it, and am a bit disappointed to be leaving soon!
Ben is back at Bryan, teaching 5 credits this semester. His two biggest undertakings are a Christian Life Formation Course called "Wilderness Disciplines" and a freshman Worldview section. He has spent a lot of time pulling together materials for these classes, doing a lot of reading, etc. I met a few of his students at the park the other day-- their main feedback was that his laugh is contagious. I guess that tells you he is enjoying himself! Also, this is his first semester taking on the responsibility of facilitating the student-led ministries in "PCI" (Practical Christian Involvement). We had those ministry leaders over for dessert and conversation with a chapel speaker the other night, and helped flip pancakes at an informational breakfast meant to recruit more participants into the ministries on Saturday morning. Probably 150 students showed up-- a great success. Tomorrow's chapel is aimed at calling the student body to begin (or maintain) a lifestyle of Christian service and ministry. Pretty exciting things happening at Bryan!
On the baby front, we had another appointment yesterday, complete with a quick ultrasound meant to size him. Baby Boy is very healthy. We saw him yawn, suck, and exercise his little lungs! His heartbeat is very normal at 146bpm. The ultrasound put his weight at 5 lbs. 11 oz., but that can be somewhat inaccurate, I understand. I am so excited for him to come-- to see him, hold him, name him, but also a little sad to lose the joy of the anticipation itself!
In the baby-prep arena, our busy schedule means that the to-do list only grows, with lots of hard work on lots of things every day, but little progress on the little tasks that I'd love to finish before the baby arrives. Things like organizing the fridge and freezer, dusting cupboard shelves and moving furniture to vacuum, etc. I told the doctor that I need at least two more weeks to get ready, and he tapped me on the forehead and told me to get ready now. Car seat in, bag ready. I REALLY DON'T think I'll be in labor tomorrow or anything (I repeat-- the baby isn't coming quite yet), but I guess I should start altering my mindset from thinking the baby is coming sometime in the far future to sometime in the near future. To that end, I am hoping to sort through my mess of papers at work this afternoon, with resolve to keep organized from here on out, for my coworkers' sake.

Home, Sweet Home

We're back in TN now-- and so glad to be here. Being back in our church family Sunday morning, spending time with friends Saturday and Sunday evenings, being back at work, visiting the baby doctor later today... All wonderful returns to routine. Well, there is also the laundry and cleaning that needs to be done, but I'm so glad for the super-enjoyable things that the housework isn't getting me down too much!

We have good pics to share and some stories to tell. All in all, our adventures abroad were rewarding and full of learning for us both. It was great to get to know some of the Bryan students so well, and to see first-hand the ups and downs of their time in their internships. It was also valuable, for that matter, to see the ups and downs that the ministry hosts experience, as well!

Our last week in Slovakia was spent in "debriefing" the students' experiences. The students flew in from all over the world to spend the time together at a "Penzion" (guesthouse) in central Slovakia. The scenery was beautiful and the culture rich: even a horse-drawn cart and a farmer harvesting with a sickle were seen from time to time! The students worked through some readings and reflections in small groups, and shared from their summer experiences with all 20 of us. Hearing about their personal and spiritual growth over this summer made all the ups and downs worth it. Amazing!

Ben says,
"Maybe we can ask the question, 'What are the most important things in life and see what people say.'"
Well?

On another note, we have been busy worker bees the last few weeks. Ben took a trip to China and returned last Sunday. Since then (well, for me, while he was gone, too) we've been helping the school here move to a smaller space next-door to their current location. This has been quite an undertaking, even for many people working very full days. Progress is made each day, though, and the end is in sight-- well, it has to be done by tomorrow, so that will be the end of it! The busy pace has really eliminated our time together, and even the time for one's own thoughts to materialize past the sorting and organizing mentality. But... the limits on those times makes them very valuable. I've had just a few moments to squeeze in some Bible and other reading, and found the times to be especially fruitful. Tonight, Ben and I were able to sneak out for supper together, and had a wonderful time of conversing, remembering good times and planning for the future. The little things have seemed especially precious this week, in a great way.

Tonight Ben will head off with some of the students to see Dark Knight. I will sleep. Ahhh....

Sons

I will hold my son in my arms in a mere few months. Time is flying by, so I expect to wake up one day, and my boy will be there.

Ariel and I are so excited.

My excitement levels are rising as I'm playing with the two-week old son of one of my college buddies. He and his wife are living and working in China, where I'm currently visiting them, and as I hang out with their infant boy, I can't help the rising anticipation of meeting my own son! How am I the recipient of such blessing?

Pretty

Here's a Hubble image for your enjoyment:

Nucleus of Galaxy Centaurus A

Am Samstag

This weekend the Bryan interns are spending time in Vienna. Ben and I stayed back in Bratislava, but took the opportunity afforded by their absence to travel with a neighbor-family into Austria for the day yesterday. I'm so glad that we did! Austria is a beautiful country, and there is so much well-preserved history there. It is just the sort of place that greatly appeals to the both of us.

Aggstein Castle Ruins.

We started the morning touring Burgruine Aggstein-- a castle ruins near the Danube. The castle definitely captured the imagination, and the beautiful scenery imparted such peace to our time. The blue of the Danube ribboning through a green valley, hillsides covered with vineyards rising up toward the castle--really lovely.

After a picnic lunch and exploration of the grounds, we drove back down the mountain and along the Danube through some very quaint villages. Because we had driven that route on our way to the castle ruins, we decided to hop the Danube by ferry and drive back on the north side of the river. We enjoyed some coffee and kuchen in a little shop, then explored the village church-- St. Michael's.

Cemetery at St. Michael's.

This was the best find of the day in my opinion-- a still-utilized place of worship, with faded frescoes from Roman times on the outside of the building, a beautifully tended cemetery and a very memorable mausoleum.

Mausoleum at St. Michael's,
viewed through a hole in the door.

We concluded the day with a visit to a church in a neighboring town-- the land for the church site was deeded to the diocese in the 800s! Parts of the school and church complex that stand there today date back to the 1300s.

At the base of the church hill there was a gentleman preparing saurkraut at a stand... The fragrance was delightful! Helps me to understand why my mom loves visiting Germany so much. Mostly for the food, she says. I realize the Germanic peoples don't exactly have a world-renowned reputation for their tasty cuisine, but perhaps more of us need to try it in Europe. Wow. Actually, we didn't even eat any. I'm convinced just by the aromatic scent, though.
After a detour for road construction on the way home, it turned out to be a very long day. Gladly, it was a memorable one!

Above St. Michael's, overlooking the Danube.

Baby Talk

Well, it's been a while now since I posted about our baby and the pregnancy in general. I am still doing well and feeling well. I'm at 28 weeks gestation, just starting the 7th month and the third trimester. Our baby is a very active little guy, and his squirming and poking is very visible. One of the Bryan students yesterday noticed my belly contorting and exclaimed in surprise--whoa! It is pretty notable, and somewhat shocking the first time you see it.
It is a little strange to not have visited my doctor this month-- normally I have appointments on the first Monday of the month. Being out of the country for this appointment, he simply asked me to be keeping track of my blood sugar levels on a little portable meter and email him the results periodically. Everything looks good with that, which is great. If I were to develop gestational diabetes here in Slovakia, it would not be convenient. Let me tell you. LOTS of carbs, and I can't read the labels on any of the food packages. Even though SK is part of the EU now, there package labeling is still mono-lingual-- usually just Slovak, though sometimes in Polish or German. Not that I can really tell the difference.
Healthy food here is a bit more difficult to come by (yes, I'm taking my vitamins and doing my best to eat my fruits, veggies, protein and calcium). The food sure tastes great, though (sausage, pastry, potatoes, lots of cream and butter, etc)... so I think I am gaining weight more quickly than I would choose to, though still in a normal range, so Ben tells me to be happy about it. This may require a change in wardrobe size even after Baby's arrival, though.
I am getting a bit more fatigued a bit more quickly, and if I sit for very long my ribs get pretty sore. That and some ankle swelling made the flight over pretty uncomfortable. Can't wait to do it all over again a month from now. Why can't I just stand up in the aisle the whole time, as in riding on the subway? There is so much more jostling on a subway than turbulence on most flights, by the way... Anyway.
One great thing about this point in the pregnancy is that although I am starting to get tired and uncomfortable, it isn't affecting my sleep yet. I fall asleep easily and sleep hard through the night-- even through my alarm. That is soooo unusual for me, and a blessing, being away from home and having less control over my sleep environment.
Ben and I are having fun watching and feeling our baby move (neat trick-- if he is stretching out and I press back a little on whatever extremity it is that is poking out, he'll kick back on my finger! It's amazing.), thinking through name possibilities and planning for family-life with a son.
I've just finished and Ben is just starting to read Babywise, a book that has been highly recommended to us by a few couples from church and through the grapevine of friends. It is NOT well-written, even confusing, in my opinion (and there are multiple editions already-- someone get these guys a ghostwriter!), but I am pretty convinced by the practical suggestions and overall point-of-view of the authors. If what they say to do really works, we should have our baby sleeping through the night after just 8 weeks or so, and consistently thereafter. I am hopeful for that, but the realist/pessimist in me just expects to be in the 8% or so of families for whom the method, though followed faithfully, does not work. Anyone out there with "Babywise" tips to help us start well?

Just Courage

Just Courage, Gary Haugen's new book will be excellent, needed. It's his encouragement to the church to choose courage rather than safety in a world intended for perfection, but marred by injustice. You can listen to him talk about it here.