Servant's Heart

Those two words so aptly describe my dad.  Without rival, he is the most selfless person I know.  I can look back throughout my life and see where he has willingly and happily given up his time, money and energy to invest in his children.... and grandchildren.  On this Sunday afternoon in Lesotho, Africa I am wading through priceless memories with the man who mirrored Christ to me as I grew up in his home.

Hardly a night went by throughout my childhood when my dad, who worked a steady and sometimes draining job, did not read to me, play a game with me, pray with me and tuck me into bed.  As an exhausted mother now, I value those memories because I know what a sacrifice they were.  My dad probably would've loved to have sat on the couch in the evenings watching sports or reading a book.  But he didn't.  He came home from work and played with me, invested in me, helped me with school and taught me the truths of the Bible.  Summers were filled with frequent trips to the pool and lake where he would play with me in the water and pull me and my siblings in a tube.  He even taught me how to water ski at the ripe young age of... I don't know... 8 or so?  That takes skill.  He thought not of himself but rather of his family and was committed to being present in our lives any chance he had.

Looking back, some of my favorite memories are of the countless hours my dad spent walking around neighborhoods with me, letting me knock on doors and try to raise money for various charitable causes.  I remember thinking that was so much fun and running back to him after leaving someone's front door, excited to tell him what donation I received.  But, now I wonder what he thought?  Wouldn't he rather have been at home watching a football game?  Or doing necessary yard work?  Or taking a much needed nap?  If he was ever preoccupied with the things he needed to do, I never knew it.  He joyfully walked around nearly every neighborhood in my hometown with me and I know he earned jewels in his crown doing so.

I used to love going with him to my brothers' basketball games and I remember cheering so loudly at a few of them, I lost my voice.  Sometimes my mom would stay home with my other siblings and just my dad and I would go together.  My dad was the coach and when I was the only other kid with him, he would let me sit on the bench with him and the players.  He also coached my basketball team the one year I tried it out for myself.  After getting the ball and shooting it at the wrong goal (fortunately it didn't go in), I gave up on the sport and resolved to just enjoy watching my brothers instead.  I remember him introducing me to some of his favorite songs from the Christian radio station and cruising along to the games in his (extremely) modest ride enjoying them.  And I remember sometimes being able to talk him into a cheap McDonald's burger after a late basketball game.  

My dad was patient with me as I stumbled through my teenage years and despite the times that I destroyed his trust in me, by God's grace we were able to rebuild it.  By the time I was introduced to Jonathan, he apparently trusted my judgment....

I distinctly remember the day I told my dad I had begun writing Jonathan.  It had only been a couple days since I first heard from the guy I'd never met in Mexico and at that point he was nothing more than an acquaintance.  Regardless, I thought it necessary to clue him into the situation.  I told him in a doctor's office that I was writing this guy south of the border and that he was nine years my senior.  From then on my dad nick named him 2-6, since Jonathan was 26 and I was 17.  As our correspondence increased and deepened, my dad stayed in the know.  One night my parents and I sat looking through family photos and videos of the St.Clairs and it was obvious that my dad recognized the seriousness of the situation.  So, it came as no surprise to him when Jonathan wrote asking his permission to begin an official relationship with me.  My dad's response to that message in not these exact words was, "I think you two are going to get married."   We were engaged after my dad took the bull by the horns and didn't even wait for Jonathan to ask for my hand in marriage.... he just gave me away!  Maybe he was trying to get me off the budget but....  I'm still on it!   Thanks for your support, Dad!  :o)

In the hotel room before leaving the US in January.  He wept as he hugged me goodbye and as a parent, I know it is a sacrifice to send your child off even for a cause you wholeheartedly believe in.

I choked back tears as I stood beside my dad before he walked me down the aisle.  He had been a wonderful protector of me and I knew I could always trust him.  He had invested in my life and shown me love until I was introduced to the man who would take his place.  He wept as we danced together at my wedding and as a parent, I know it is a sacrifice to give your daughter away even to a man you love like a son.

Now in my married life, I value him and the example he was to me as a parent.  He has supported me fully in my decision to pursue mission work.  He gave selflessly of himself as we lived down the road from my parents and he often took care of my son while we raised our support to come to Africa.  He cared for Kyle during my three months of miserable pregnancy sickness with Ellee.  He spent most of our family vacation back in November chasing Kyle around as I was unbelievably sick and Jonathan was smothered with seminary requirements.  It brings tears to my eyes to think of him coming into my room on that vacation to take and clean my up-chuck bucket because I was unable to even get up to do it myself.  He has a servant's heart.  He thinks of others before himself.  He makes sacrifices without even thinking twice about it.  Like sharing his ice cream sandwich with his grandson....

Kyle snuggles just before we left the US.

Hugging Kyle one last time in the hotel room in Atlanta before we departed.

I cherish him in my life and I miss him terribly.  

Can't wait to see you again, Dad!  Come visit me in Africa!

~Abby

Ellee Renée

I don't know what made us settle on arriving in Bloemfontein May 22nd, but it was the plan all along.  Trying to aim two weeks before Ellee's due date, we decided the least stressful thing would be to go ahead and come to allow us a little time to settle in before she made her appearance.  Even so, we opted to come sixteen days early, and I really have no idea why.  It's a good thing, though, because Ellee barely waited until two weeks before her due date.  

As we arrived in Bloem from Maseru on Wednesday around lunch time, there was a distinct increase in the pressure I was feeling in my pelvis.  Although the journey was only about two hours, I thought it must have been from sitting still in the car. So we proceeded to eat our lunch, and I didn't even mention it to Jonathan.  By Wednesday evening I was feeling some "pain", or discomfort rather, and began trying to discern what it was I was experiencing exactly.  Although it was the first "pain" I had felt in the pregnancy that even hinted towards labor, I didn't think it would continue because I was still sixteen days out from my due date.  Because Kyle came five days after his due date, I was pretty convinced all my babies would make late arrivals.  I was prepared to be in for the long haul with Ellee as well.  I mentioned the discomfort I was feeling to Jonathan,  telling him that although it felt like nothing compared to the labor I experienced with Kyle, it was the same sort of sensation, and I hoped it would either progress or just go away so I could sleep.

I did sleep for about four hours before waking up to bothersome minor contractions that were coming between 7-10 minutes apart.  The intensity was still almost nothing compared to what I felt with Kyle; I was pretty determined they would cease before long.  After timing those and Skyping my mom and pregnant sister-in-law in the middle of the night, I decided I ought to try to sleep again just in case they did progress as Thursday continued.  I dozed on and off between annoying contractions and finally woke up for good that morning, tired and nervous that Ellee was really going to come before Aunt Lacy had a chance to make it here.  The contractions continued sporadically throughout the morning, but they were still pathetic on the labor pain scale.  We visited the hospital that morning to drop in on friends of ours who were there due to a car accident.  I decided to pop into my doctor's office there at the hospital to see what he had to say.  He checked and told me I wasn't dilated at all which came as no real surprise to me.  I knew the contractions weren't real, intense labor pains by any means, but because I never had any "pre-labor" with Kyle, I wasn't exactly sure what was going on.  My doctor sent me down to L&D to be monitored for about half an hour and see what they had to say.  The nurse said the contractions weren't very strong at all and said I could go home and would likely be back. 

What else would a Daddy and little brother do while Mommy is being monitored but draw Simba?

Mommy knowing the contractions weren't doing anything and wanting to go home and eat lunch.

As soon as we left the hospital at about 2:30 PM, the intensity of the pain began to increase and continued steadily throughout the afternoon.  I alerted the guest house owner, Marian, that it didn't appear Lacy was going to make it in time to care for Kyle while I delivered, and so she would have to be on 2-year-old duty whenever we needed to go back to the hospital.  By 5:30 PM we were convinced a return trip to the L&D floor was imminent, so I began attempting to get things together between contractions.  When Kyle woke up from his nap, I tried to feed him some dinner.  I would run out of the room every few minutes to have a contraction before returning to shovel in another bite.  I didn't want him to see me in pain, but I also didn't want to leave him with someone he didn't know when just awake from his nap and with an empty stomach.  By 6:30 PM, I called Marian back and told her we were going to head for the hospital as soon as I could get everything together.  She immediately came to retrieve Kyle and we left for the hospital at about 7 PM.  

It was so different this time, trying to do everything on our own and also having a son to worry about.  When we got to the hospital and they checked me, I was 2 cm (pathetic, right?), so I hunkered in for a long night.  Ouch.  We decided to send Jonathan back to relieve Marian until he would put Kyle to sleep.  Poor Kyle was pretty uneasy as we left him so quickly and it made me even more tense knowing he had no clue what had just happened.  Staying alone in the hospital wasn't exactly my ideal situation, either, but we didn't see that we had much choice.  I sent Jonathan off with clear directions to keep his phone close just in case.  By the time he got back, I was at 5 cm and much happier with a numbing drug in my back.  I'll spare you the rest of the labor and delivery details but let's just suffice it to say I didn't push for the 1.5 hours I had with Kyle.

Epidural face

Ellee Renée was born at 1:29 AM on May 24th, barely two weeks before her due date, weighing 6 lbs, 7 oz and measuring 19 inches long.  My doctor didn't make it in time for the delivery because he was at home asleep like any normal person would be at that time of the night; the nurses didn't call him until Ellee had practically birthed herself.  Nevertheless, she arrived beautiful and healthy and my relief from being unpregnant was great.

I dare say the months of sickness I experienced until I reached 19 weeks in my pregnancy was the roughest experience I've faced thus far in my life.  Really I can't imagine going through that misery again.  Even so, the reward is so much greater than the pain I experienced in those months.  She is an angel baby and while I didn't think it possible, I love her just as much as I love my Kyle and I love him no less than I did before.

Thus far Ellee seems to have a fairly mild temperament, although at this point she is just sleeping her days away.  She is awake some of the time, and unless she's fighting a dirty diaper, she just looks around at the world and makes lots of little baby grunts.  Nursing is still going great. She took to it with even more ease than Kyle did.  We tried giving her a bottle of milk I had pumped the other day just to see what she would do.  She took to that fine as well.  She is sleeping curled up next to me at this point so we are only up once or twice a night for feedings since she is so snuggly warm.  I don't really want to sleep with her every night, but since it is so cold at night and we don't have heat, I feel like I don't have much choice through the winter.  I am a light sleeper so I don't worry as much about her sleeping with me as I would worry she is too cold sleeping alone.  I won't be looking forward to to training her to sleep in her crib once it starts to warm back up, but for now, I'll try to enjoy having a little bundle snoozing beside me.  I now know how quickly these sleepless early weeks fly by.  I'm doing my best to just enjoy the middle of the night feedings and getting shot at during diaper changes.

Being a mom the second time around is a much different experience as well.  I feel so much more at ease with her all around, from breast feeding to diaper changing, I just feel more confident that I know what I'm doing.  Of course, there are still plenty of things I don't know or have forgotten about Kyle's first weeks, thus I'm really thankful for Skype so I can ask my mom questions even from across the pond.  But, for the most part, it has been a really smooth transition between one and two children.  Jonathan and I make a pretty good team.  We both know, however, we'll be doomed with number three since we won't be able to each just have one to care for.  Yes, I did just mention "number three" and I'm only nine days from delivering the second.  I may just be crazy.

Kyle has surpassed all my expectations on the little brother front.  He immediately took to Ellee and he continues to drown her with hugs and kisses.  He says her name so sweetly, "Ellee Nay", and he is convinced that she "likes you."  She's probably pretty oblivious to the fact that she has a big brother, but I'd bet if she knew, she would like him.  He is a great little helper and eagerly takes her soiled diapers to the trash for me.  That's about all he can help with at this point since she only eats, sleeps and poops.  But, he does it with such a happy heart; he makes me so proud.

Kyle meeting Ellee in the hospital room

We miss our family and friends greatly and wish everyone could be together to share these special days.  We're thankful to now have one extremely helpful family member here, at least, lending us a very welcome hand during these early weeks.  Kyle is loving having Aunt Eee here to play with him, and I think it has helped him take Ellee's arrival smoothly since someone else is here to pay him some attention.  We also enjoyed a visit this weekend from friends from Tennessee, fellow missionaries who now live in Pretoria.  They took these beautiful photos for us and we are so grateful!

My heart is full and my eyes sweat sometimes when I look at my precious little girl and my silly little boy and thank God for the blessings He has given me.  I am so undeserving of such a privilege and I don't take it lightly.  My treasures, I pray I will be a good mother to you always.

~Abby

Mother's Day

An all time favorite of my mom and me, Sept '04 just after my 14th birthday

There isn’t much to say about my mom that hasn’t already been said by me or someone else.  She is a woman of integrity.  To list her all her many attributes would be a great undertaking but a few which come immediately to mind are fun, honest, disciplined, godly, helpful, kind, generous, creative, thoughtful and faithful. 

Throughout my life, I have observed her as a devoted wife and mother and she modeled for me a wonderful example of godliness in her role as homemaker.  I have fond memories of spending my childhood days with her, as she taught me school, or observing her as she sewed and cooked.  A few of my most precious memories are of the summers we went to camp together.  She has been steadfast for me throughout the many stages in my life.  And she has been a dear friend to me as I’ve entered into adulthood and I cherish her input into my life even now.  

Easter just before I got married, April '09

Without question, leaving her in January was the hardest goodbye I’ve ever said.  Knowing she was coming this summer dulled the ache in my heart slightly, but watching her wave goodbye through tears was just about as lonely as I’ve ever felt. 

I wish we could spend Mother’s day together tomorrow.  I can barely look at that photo of us without crying.  I miss her terribly but I’m so thankful for technology, which allows us to stay in touch.  And I can’t wait to see her in less than two months when she comes to meet my new baby!  I love you, Mom.  Thanks for all you taught and are still teaching me.  You are a treasure to me.

~Abby

Ellee's Nursery

The word “nursery” is a real stretch.  You will notice that there isn’t a photo of the room as a whole.  You may also take note that the walls are white and there aren’t any decorations to be found.  There’s a reason for all that.  Ellee is going to come home to live in the AIM Lesotho office.  But, shh, don’t tell her!  She won’t know the difference, I know, and at least she’s got a place to lay her head.  It is hard for me as a mama not to be able to make a special place for my girl like I did for my Kyle.  I don’t particularly enjoy the idea of cuddling my daughter at night in an office surrounded by a copy machine, filing cabinet and giant desk.  But, I don’t have a choice.  Once we get to Mokhotlong, I anticipate making a pretty space for my little girl to sleep and play in.  For now, however, I’ve done the best I can to make her “nursery” as sweet as possible.

After hunting all over Bloemfontein, South Africa for a crib for her and coming up with only a couple extremely expensive options, I was thrilled to get a message from a friend in Botswana telling me she knew someone selling a crib.  My immediate response was, “We’ll take it!!!!!”  I wasn’t picky about what I wanted in this piece of furniture; I only knew I did not want my daughter to sleep in a pack & play for the first two years of her life.  Turns out the crib is a custom made, beautiful wooden bed which came complete with a mattress, sheet and thin bumper to cover the inside edge.  And it was all for a girl baby, how perfect!  I am giddy!  It is white which is what I wanted.  It is smaller than a standard crib we’d buy in the US.  But, it is plenty big enough for the first couple of years as Kyle tried it out last night to make sure it was good enough for his little sister.  No, really it’s because his room was being de-bugged but I digress.  Having the smaller crib will actually be a great thing in Mokhotlong because Ellee will share her room with the queen sized bed we bought to have for guests.  That means someone better come visit…. Hint hint.  Oh, the best part about the crib?  It was ¼ the price of the only other option we were half way considering in Bloem.  I love a good bargain!

I love that book, When the World Was Waiting for You.  I bought it for Kyle after he fell in love with When the World is Ready for Bed.  The Waiting for You book tells the sweetest story of a family of rabbits who were welcoming their newest bunny.  My favorite thing about the book?  It's a big family of rabbits!  We like big families.

"We made your room so warm and snug, with crib and blanket, lamp and rug."

Dear friends also had a (get this) white dresser/changing table, which they generously gave us for her room!  I was more than thrilled.  I was ecstatic!  The dresser is a piece of furniture they had shipped from back home and it is absolutely what we needed for Ellee.  I found a changing pad at a resale shop in Pretoria where we met up to retrieve the furniture and Lollee is making a cover to go on it.  Ellee’s clothes are now folded into outfits and nestled into the top drawer.  The second drawer is full of various baby necessities like nail trimmers, a thermometer, the bag of diapers my doctor’s office gave me and a couple burp cloths, among other things.  Isn’t that octopus towel cute?  I found that in Bloem when we were trying to hunt for a crib.  At least we had some success.  The gift bag was from some friends - Ellee's first gift in Africa!  It is a pack of connectable ring teether toys.

Lest Ellee think she can get away with waiting to be born in Africa and only becoming bilingual, I brought the little wall hanging my sweet friend in Mexico made for Kyle to remind her that she's going to be required to learn Spanish, too.

I don't know what's sweeter.  The sleeper with the flower pot or the fleece jammies on the far left with the polka dots?  Or the adorable sweater in the upper middle?  Or the leggings on the far right with the ruffle on the bum?  Or the lacy shoes?  Or the rose petal bloomers?  Really?  Have little girl clothes always been this adorable?!

While in Pretoria, we stayed with new friends from South Africa who helped take us around to a few baby stores there.  One was a second hand shop where I found the little cradle/rocker thing in the bottom of the photo above as well as a baby bathtub for cheap.  Then the same friends had a Bumbo, which they gave us!  I sold the one I was given for Kyle so I am thrilled to have been offered another.  I gave it a good bath this morning as it had been stored for quite some time in their garage and it is ready for use.  Kyle is enjoying trying it out and he carries it around saying, “Ellee seat.”

Speaking of Kyle, he has finally mastered Ellee’s name and says it now with precision.  I can’t quite figure out how much he grasps but he is at least aware that something is going on with my belly and that apparently he has a sister coming.  And that she’s gonna drink milk.  We are really looking forward to his reaction to her arrival and of course we are hoping it is a smooth transition between one and two children in the family.

Because just about everything we eat is made from scratch, I decided to make up as many meals as my freezer would hold to have for after we return to Maseru with Lady Saint.  After baking lemon cranberry and apple pecan breads the other day, I have to call it quits.  The freezer is packed.  We have thirteen main dishes ready and waiting for us along with the breads I just mentioned.  I tried to get a variation between chicken, beef and pork so we can have some diversity.  Besides having to buy fresh foods for go-with-its, we should be set for a few weeks.  The only other thing I need to do is make some tortillas up but those are so flat, I’m sure I can find space for them somewhere.

I know you are all dying to know what I fixed so here is the final list:  chicken almondine, baked chicken alfredo, chicken pot pie, Mexican lasagna, sloppy joes, baked spaghetti, my grandmother’s famous Where’s the Squash lasagna, taco meat, dinner quiche, honeyed pork chops, balsamic glazed ham, shredded BBQ, and I think I’m forgetting one but I don’t feel like pulling it all out to check.  You get the idea.  We’re gonna be eating good.  Lose baby weight?  What?

Two weeks from yesterday we’ll make our way to Bloem to await her arrival.  Her due date is four weeks from tomorrow.  I don’t know what made us settle on 16 days ahead of time but for whatever reason, it’s what stuck.  Maybe it’s a foreboding.  Regardless, I just wanted to get there and settle into our guest room and not feel so anxious about making it in time for her birth.  Hopefully that is plenty of time to achieve my goal.  I would really rather not deliver here in Maseru as I’ve seen the hospital and was way less than impressed.  Even many of the Basotho leave and go to Bloem to give birth to their babies.  So, we hope to avoid that possibility as much as we can.  Our guest room set up is going to be really nice; we’ve finally settled on staying in the suite, which has a decent amount of space where we can prepare meals.   There is a small fridge/freezer and a microwave and we plan to bring a toaster oven.  Hopefully doing so will allow us to eat in often and save money on food.  And it has a little sitting area that will make our daily living a little more normal feeling.  The owner of the guesthouse has worked out a really reasonable rate for us all to stay for however many weeks we end up being there – hopefully about four.  It would be easier if we knew exactly when Little Lady will arrive but since I won’t be being induced, that just isn’t possible.  Regardless, she’s prepared for us to camp out and wait and she is letting Lacy stay for free.  Kyle doesn’t know he gets to go live by that in-ground trampoline for a month.  He is going to be so excited!

That’s all for now folks.  I should probably go take a nap while I still can.  Until next time….

~Abby

Shopping Surprises

When just about everything familiar in life disappears, finding something you enjoy from home is notably more exciting.  That has been the case with a few things this week.  I’ll tell you about them.  Hold on to your seat, this is going to be a thrilling post…..


After searching in every grocery store I’ve been in since we left Kenya, I finally found canned mandarin oranges today in South Africa.  I have looked in other groceries in SA, and in every grocery I’ve come across in Lesotho and have come out without oranges every time.  Looking through my cookbooks, I have been so saddened by the number that call for these delicious little morsels wrapped in a can.  Since I had purchased a small can in Kenya, I was so irritated by the fact that SA and Lesotho hadn’t had any.  I knew it wasn’t that Africa didn’t have them.  It was just that none of the stores around here carried them.  I love them on salads and in various desserts as well as in my all-time-favorite pasta salad.  The last time I made that pasta salad, I had to substitute strawberries for oranges, which was tasty but just not the same.  There are plenty of canned fruits here like peaches, pears, apples, fruit cocktail, and even canned strawberries.  I don’t remember ever seeing canned strawberries in the US.  I guess an African who moves to the US and loves canned strawberries must be as disappointed as I was to be an American who moved to Africa and loves canned mandarin oranges.  Today, however, I was an ecstatic American in the canned fruit aisle.  And a slight bit greedy, too, as I purchased 10 cans of the things.  I didn’t take all of them, so don’t judge me.  I did exercise restraint.  But, I scooped them up while I could.  They weren’t even on the canned fruit self; instead they were on a special stand in the aisle.  It took a keen eye to spot them.  Obviously, I have that eye.  Score.

I also found pure maple syrup while in SA.  It isn’t sold at regular grocery stores but I found it in Woolworths.  It wasn’t as expensive as I was expecting.  In fact, it wasn’t much more than in the States – about $6.50 for a standard size bottle like we’d buy back home.  I actually like the fake stuff on some things but for other more special occasions, I really fancy pure maple syrup.  So, I purchased a bottle for those occasions.

Last week we found Heinz ketchup here in Maseru.  I’m not a ketchup connoisseur like my grandmother but I do like good ketchup occasionally.  The other stuff here is alright, but it is much thicker and has more vinegar or sugar or something which makes it taste too strong.  Heinz is a special treat and I like seeing it in my fridge. 

While in the grocery today almost overwhelmed with joy on account of my orange find, I also found condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soups.  I have seen cream of chicken soup already (even though it doesn’t taste the same at all) but until now, it hasn’t been the condensed kind.  Since so many recipes call for condensed soup, it is hard to substitute a non-concentrate and not turn up with an entirely too soupy mess.  It has happened a few times already.  So, stumbling across condensed soup made me an even happier woman. 

Are you seeing a theme?  The things we miss most are food items.  I can buy cheap shampoo and boring Colgate toothpaste (although I really miss my Arm & Hammer) but something about a familiar taste is so comforting.  I feel like my cooking options have expanded tremendously with just a few simple finds.  It feels nice.

~Abby 

A Few Days in Bloem

For weeks we have been planning to return to Bloem for a few days in April to familiarize ourselves with things before returning for the birth.  Since our car situation was pretty hairy for a little while there, we weren’t actually sure if we were going to be able to make the trip.  I am so glad we got the car settled and we are here.  The thought of  coming and giving birth in a place we’d never been to on our own was making me a little nervous.  Now that we’ve been here a couple days, we know exactly how to get to the hospital, and that is a good thing.

We drove in on Sunday from Maseru which doesn’t take very long…… about two hours including a border crossing stop.  Almost everything closes ridiculously early on Sundays here.  I had kind of forgotten about that.  So, we hung out, got a pizza and bounced on the trampoline. 

We are staying in the guest house where we’ll be for the time surrounding Ellee’s birth.  It is a beautiful place with a lovely yard.  There is a grill area outside, which we are allowed to use if we like, as well as a pool.  Even though it is supposed to be Fall, it is still stinkin’ hot here during the day.  It cools down significantly at night so I don’t know what the water temperature would be like if we tried it.  I didn’t think about the pool when packing so we are here sans swimsuits.  There is also a small in-ground trampoline which Kyle thoroughly enjoys bouncing on.  It is a great way for him to release some energy!  I foresee Aunt Lacy sitting by that trampoline watching Kyle a lot during our time here next month.  And there is a cat which isn’t terribly fond of Kyle, but he likes to chase her around anyways. 

Our room is simple yet adequate with a big bed for Jonathan and me and a single for Kyle.  We will set up the pack & play for Ellee when she comes.  We have a mini fridge and a microwave and a few plates, cups and pieces of silverware.  I admit it is going to be tough feeding our family with not much work space at all but we will survive.  We don’t have an eating table so we eat on the beds.  But when we are here for the month, I think we’ll rearrange a little and use the desk table as a dining table which will make it much more conducive to family style dinners.  The owner of the guest house has offered to let me use her main kitchen to prepare a few meals a week in so that we can eat left overs the rest of the week.  It would get very expensive and very fattening to eat out almost every meal.  So, with a little fore planning on my part as far as a menu goes, I think that situation will work out nicely.  We have a shower and a tub (which has handles- I am so thankful. It is so difficult to get up out of a tub with this ball in my belly). 

We came armed with a list of things to look for here in SA which we haven’t found in Lesotho.  I wanted to buy a few clothing and necessary baby items for Ellee.  Kyle needed a few duds to complete his fall/winter attire as well.  We are finding it very difficult (and expensive) to find a crib here.  Only one store in all of Bloem has any at all, as far as we can tell.  They aren’t nearly the quality we’d get back home and they are easily twice the price.  But, I can’t bear the thought of my sweet baby girl sleeping in a pack & play for two years.  I like the pack & play for its function, but its esthetics leave something to be desired.  Somehow jungle animal printed nylon just doesn’t seem to go with the beautiful cottage colored hand quilted blanket my mom is bringing for her.  I have crib envy of my SIL, Hannah, who inherited the crib we were borrowing for Kyle.  You lucky duck!  Anyways, we’re going to bite the bullet and buy her a crib.  The one we’ve settled on will convert into a toddler bed so at least it should last for quite a few years to come. 

I have also found it very difficult to locate itty-bitty baby clothes here.  There are plenty of clothes for 3-6 months and up, but newborn and 0-3 month items are scarce.  And of the newborn stuff I’ve found, most of it is either Hello Kitty or entirely too big to be classified as newborn.  I can’t help but wonder what the average weight of a newborn baby girl is here.  I hold an outfit up to my belly and shake my head.  She isn’t going to fit into those things until she’s 5 months old.  Kyle was an average sized baby boy and he still wore itty bitty clothes for a good month and a half.  I have tons of baby clothes which a friend gave to me and my mom will be bringing them with her.  We are set from about 3 months up, but Little Miss was still in need of a few tiny things.  I’ve found a satisfactory number of clothes and am sending a short list for Lollee and Lacy to hunt for before coming.

Fearless driver of Rocky

Before Kyle was born, I found a cute dress to wear home from the hospital and decided I’d do the same thing for bringing Ellee home.  I have purchased exactly two maternity tops during this pregnancy and that is all.  It feels nice to think of something new to wear.  I know what Mom is making Ellee to wear home from the hospital and I wanted something which complimented that.  Plus, dear friends are planning to come over from another part of SA to visit after Ellee arrives.  Dear Friend is a photographer and has offered to take a new family photo of all four of us.  Today I found a beautiful dress and jewelry to wear and I am stoked.  It is kind of hard to try on clothes at 32.5 weeks pregnant and know exactly how they will look once my body returns to a normal shape.  But, I think dresses are highly forgiving on shapely imperfections.  So, I’m excited!

I saw my doctor on Monday and everything is still looking good.  He wanted me to come back in two and a half weeks so we’ll be making one more trip between now and returning for the birth about two weeks before Ellee is due.  I admit to being a little nervous that she will decide to come more than two weeks before her due date and I’ll be left trying to decide what to do about giving birth in Maseru.  But, we are just trusting God with the timing of that.  I was thankful Jonathan finally got to meet the doctor this time so that he isn’t shaking the guy's hand for the first time while I am in labor. 

We will return to Maseru tomorrow after going to purchase Ellee’s crib and stopping by a big grocery store to find a few things we can’t get in Lesotho.  In all, it has been a successful venture and I feel like we now have a good handle on where things are here.  We have enjoyed eating at a few restaurants and there is even a Cinnabon in the mall here!  No, we didn’t already buy one.  No, I’m nothing thinking about buying another after dinner tonight.

~Abby

31 Weeks

So a few weeks have passed since my last pregnancy post and not much has changed on the pregnancy front.  Except my front…. That has changed.  Little Lady is growing and moving a lot.  I’m getting giddy about meeting her!  With so much else going on, these weeks seem to be going pretty quickly and I know June will be here in a flash.  I go to the doctor again in a little over a week and then I’ll make my “last” appointment for 5 weeks out!  Can’t believe it!

The obligatory belly photo at 31 weeks

Absolutely the most adorable photo shoot assistant in the entire world.  He is a huge Simba and Pumbaa fan these days.

I’m getting nervous about going through labor again…. That certainly wasn’t my favorite part about Kyle’s arrival.  But, I’m stoked because my sister has booked tickets and should be here on May 28^th!  That gets her here 10 days before Ellee is due and we are praying the little one stays put until then.  Lacy will care for Kyle while I am delivering and if Ellee comes before that…. Well let’s just say that wouldn’t be an easily navigated situation.  So, hopefully Aunt Lacy arrives in plenty of time and Kyle can hang out with her.  She will be here for nearly two whole months and I can’t describe how excited that makes me!  My mom will come in early July and stay until mid July when she and Lacy will leave together.  Looking forward to visitors and a new baby makes a mama feel kinda anxious! 

To keep my anxious self occupied (as if I don’t have enough other things to do), I’ve been busy this week stitching some sweet onesies for my girl.  I have a few more to do but I figured I’d share these for now.  Remember she is going to be a winter baby here in the Southern hemisphere...

She is going to be unbearably snuggly, I just know it.

Got Milk?

I love the french knot flowers along the neck of this one.....

..... so much that I decided to do them on the pants, too.

Then I did this little one to coordinate with these tiny shoes I bought at the consignment sale back before we knew Kyle was a Kyle.  It doesn't look like it in the picture, but the little knots on the collar are lavender, not dark purple.  

I'm not sure what I'm going to dream up next but I had fun doing these.  Can't wait for her to get here so she can wear them!

~Abby