Decisions, Decisions

Hey gang,

This past weekend my brother, Joel, came to visit, which was really fun.  He's the first family to make the trek and we tried to squeeze a lot into just three days.  From the airport (which is new and super nice!) we drove to Petra, about a three hour drive.  I packed lunch and drinks since there's not a whole lot on the highway, some gas stations but that's it.  We got in about 2pm and checked into the Movenpick, which was pretty nice and across from the entrance to the historical site.  The guys took off while Benjamin and I napped, which worked perfectly.  They were able to see quite a bit, from the Treasury (which was featured in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade") up to the Monastery. 

Walking through the Siq.

Glimpse of the Treasury.

The Monastery.

Joel treated us to dinner at the rooftop restaurant and it was so nice to sit out at sunset and eat good food and just relax.  The next day we checked out and drove off to the Dead Sea.  I had mapped out what seemed to be the quicker route, following a different highway, but sadly, there was no shortcut and it ended up taking around five hours.  It was excruciating, made worse by the second-world bathroom facilities along the way.  (Pro tip- bring your own toilet paper, and prepare to squat over a hole in the ground.) 

After many hours and much annoyance and frustration, we made it to the Dead Sea Marriott.  I love this hotel, it's so nice and luxurious.  We arrived about 3pm, so I ordered room service for lunch and hung out while Benjamin napped and the guys made it down to the Dead Sea for some floating.  I enjoyed a leisurely shower and some cable TV before we went to dinner.  Thomas and I took Benjamin to the "sports bar" restaurant, which is the only one open before 7pm.  Joel had dinner with a friend who was in town, so he got to escape the fussiness that was Benjamin. 

The next day we went back home to Amman and got settled in, Joel did some solo sightseeing while Thomas and Benjamin and I napped.  Emy was kind and came to babysit in the evening so the adults could go get dinner, we ate at a Chinese place, Ren Chai, which was delicious.  Then Monday I took Joel to the embassy and we met Thomas for lunch.  Joel and I took a quick trip to Rainbow St. to see a slice of downtown then headed home.  Joel got a cab to the airport and left about 3pm, so it was a very quick trip but so nice to have him visit.  Benjamin warmed up to him pretty quickly, and was excited about his new toys.  Thanks, Uncle Joel and Aunt Cassondra!  Looking forward to more family (and friends) coming to visit, hopefully!

Benjamin sporting his new USC hat, which is sadly a little too big, at least right now.

Me at 22ish weeks.  Behind me on the bed you can see the new raccoon loveys for the baby.

Now down to business.  We're excited to be going home in June for R&R, and even though the flight will be awful and jetlag will be the absolute worst, I know it'll be a great time.  I'm not sure whether or not I should just stay, with Benjamin, at my parents' house until the baby comes.  We had planned to stay in Amman for the birth, since medical care here is good.  But with Syria seeming to get even worse and amid mounting uncertainty, I'm feeling a little nervous about staying.  But then again, living apart from Thomas and being a single mom for 3-4 months isn't enticing.  Anyway, please pray that we would have wisdom and that God would really guide our decision.  And if you have experience or advice that applies, please share!

Trying not to be a big ball of stress,
Rachel

The Good and the Bad

Hello there,

I'm writing this while Benjamin naps, which is unwise because I really need to lie down as well.  Last night we had a disaster, with Benjamin crying ten minutes after getting in his crib for bed, then again ten minutes later, and a third time.  And again at some ungodly hour of the night after Thomas and I were asleep.  Thomas got up twice to help settle him, and then I tried two times.  Eventually he calmed down but not until I was fully awake at 4am.  Not my favorite.  So I tossed and turned and eventually fell back asleep around 7am (I think). 

Ugh.  I read somewhere online that there's a sleep regression around two years old and we've definitely hit it.  In the past six months or so he's gone straight down (or at least been quiet) after we put him in his crib for nap or bedtime.  But the past couple weeks he's made some noise and required repeat assurances.  But I am not going to lose the few months of "regular" sleep to a worried toddler.  So any seasoned parents of older kids, please give me any and all tips!  I don't want him to be afraid but I'm also not going to pick him up repeatedly as I get larger and larger.  Dilemma.  OK, rant over.

We had an unfortunate incident a couple weekends ago; we were going to do a train ride organized by the embassy, and I was really looking forward to it.  I knew that Benjamin would love it, since he screams any time we see a truck or a cement mixer, etc.  The instructions told us to be there at 9 but I figured, hey it's Jordan, so we rolled up at 10 after.  No dice, the bus had already left.  I was so irritated, when does anything leave on time in this country?  And even more infuriated when I found out that someone had taken our spots on the bus, so they thought everyone was there and left without checking names.  I. was. livid.  And I also completely broke down and sobbed when Benjamin said "bus!  train!" as we drove back home.  Valuable lesson learned, never assume that things will be late, even in this delightful land.

Today I had a doctor's appointment and he did the detailed sonogram, he measured all the bones and the skull, etc to make sure everything was normal and developing according to schedule.  Praise God, baby boy is healthy and very wiggly.  We've almost settled on a name, but I'm hesitant to share it with anyone in case I change my mind.  There's one name I love that Thomas had totally vetoed, but I'll see if I can wear him down over the new few months.

20ish weeks along.

It's strange, I've been really hit with the nesting thing for this baby.  I've picked out additional crib sheets and I wish I had my kitting stuff so I could attempt to make a blanket.  (Silly, because we have the swaddle stuff all ready to go, and he won't need a big blanket until he's a toddler.)  And I've picked out his lovey, it's a raccoon, which I think is so cute and will "match" Benjamin's owl.  I made an Amazon wishlist and it's filling up fast.  We're still working on getting some things out of storage and shipped, but there are a few things I'll still need, like a sterilizer for bottles, since I'm not about to boil that stuff every time I feed the baby.  Oh noooo.  The joys of being overseas.

I think that's about it for now, I know it's a light month, blog-wise, but life hasn't been too exciting.  Which is how we like it. 

Later,
Rachel

Cement!

Greetings,

Benjamin loves vehicles these days, and work trucks most of all.  But he positively freaks out when he sees a cement truck.  Happily there is a ton of construction happening here in Amman, so we see one almost every day.  Thursday we drove home after eating dinner at the embassy and there were at least three cement trucks parked in the vacant lots near our apartment.  He flipped, and was so excited.  Thomas held him and we watched them for a while, then one of the drivers came over and talked to us.  He was very friendly and nice, and actually let Thomas take Benjamin into the cab of one of the cement trucks! 

Happiest kid ever!

Hussein (our new friend) put his sunglasses and hard hat on Benjamin, and gave him his construction vest.  (He also invited us to his house for dinner next Friday, but I'm not sure we're available.  It's amazing how hospitable Jordanians are.)  Benjamin was over the moon and had the worst breakdown I've ever seen when we went inside.  I don't know if you can remember things long-term when you're two, but I hope he remembers that.

Otherwise, life has been pretty normal for us.  This weekend we hosted church on Friday morning, and it was so nice to see everyone again.  I'm back to having almost-normal energy, but it's taken a lot longer than I thought.  I'm now about 18 weeks, and I would have expected to be feeling good around week 14, but it's come much slower this time around.  Thankfully I'm getting there and was able to get a minimum of food on the table.  It's so nice to have people bring food, that way I don't feel too stressed about providing everything.  We decided not to have Emy come and help clean up, which in hindsight was a mistake.  Lesson learned, even if it's a smaller group, she is very much needed.

Today's been very low-key, I got to sleep in and we just hung out at home.  For dinner we went out to Fatty Dab's, a burger and shake place that is delicious.  I've been really into shakes recently, and I justify it by claiming I need lots of calcium.  The major accomplishment this week has been transitioning Benjamin from using a straw cup for milk to drinking out of an open-top cup.  We have a bunch of kids cups from Ikea, and he gets to pick a color each time, which is fun.  The first night was rough, he didn't want to do it, but I knew that I was late getting him to drink from a "normal" cup, so we just plowed ahead.  And now he doesn't complain, but he hasn't totally gotten the concept of tilting his head back to fully drain the cup.  Thomas or I will push his head back, but I'm sure he'll catch on sometime.  I think it will make life much easier when we're traveling around SC for vacation, not having to wash and dry the straw cups constantly.

Speaking of home leave, I can't believe it's April already!  And in just a couple months we'll be heading home.  I am so incredibly excited.  I'm also a little nervous, I really don't want to have any pregnancy complications on the plane or while we're home.  I just need to trust that God is good, and I don't have any control over it.  But I think I'll still order some compression stockings for the plane.

There is a dilemma I'm facing, about baby supplies.  We don't have an infant car seat or stroller anymore, I'd bought them used off of Craigslist for Benjamin and then sold them to friends before we left.  I guess I can buy new, but I have a hard time paying a lot of money for stuff that only gets used a short period of time.  I also need new bottles.  Some things, like the bouncy seat and exersaucer, we might be able to get out of storage, if we can bribe some friends in DC to deal with that hassle.  And I might see if we can borrow a lot from people here.  But the main thing, all of Benjamin's clothes, up to 18 months, are in storage too.  I really don't see the point of buying new stuff when we have boxes and boxes just sitting around.  We aren't going to DC over vacation, otherwise I'd love to paw through all of our stuff.  Argh.  Hopefully we can convince our friends who are moving back this summer to do it for us.

Anyway, I'm too much of a planner and I should just relax and chill out.  My other obsessive outlet is deciding which crazy range I want to put in our kitchen when we move back into our teeny duplex.  Right now I'm debating between a Viking and a Bluestar, since they both make a 24 inch gas range.  If anyone has thoughts about either, I'd love to hear them!

-Rachel

Happy Easter!

Hey y'all,

Things are going well, we had a great weekend including a little party with some of Thomas's work people and a totally relaxed Saturday.  This afternoon when Benjamin got up from his nap, he opened his Easter basket and immediately started playing with his new trucks.  He's been obsessed with the cars and trucks portion of Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever.  Apart from a few screaming episodes, he's been pretty sweet recently.

Sweet buddy.

Thursday evening after hanging out with some friends on the playground, a few of us ate at a new burger place in Taj Mall, Fatburger.  It's very close to American-style fast food, and the burgers are pretty good.  The shakes are amazing, I can predict some Spinney's trips in my future just as an excuse to get a shake some afternoon.  Yummm.

17ish weeks

Tonight Thomas was giving Benjamin his bath, and called me in to see something funny.  Behold, bubble beard.

Cutest thing ever.

Short and sweet, just a quick update to let you know we're doing well!

-Rachel

Announcement

Hey all,

Thomas and I are amazed and thankful to announce that I'm pregnant and we're expecting a little boy in early September!  It's a total miracle and we are infinitely glad that God has decided to give us another baby.  After my miscarriage in September, we were pretty low and wondering if and when to start fertility treatments again, but it seemed like a big burden and hassle.  We decided to put it off until after January, and just have fun and enjoy our trip to Paris for Christmas.  I took a pregnancy test on January 3rd and was flabbergasted when it was positive.  After a combined 12 months of fertility appointments and medication to get pregnant with Benjamin and the baby we lost, I was totally stunned that this could happen.  Praise God!

I've been hesitant to broadcast the news, and I still get nervous sometimes about stillbirth and other complications, but I'm trying to trust that God's will is perfect.  I had my 17 week appointment today and it was so reassuring to see the baby's heartbeat on the monitor.  In Jordan they do ultrasounds at every appointment, which is great.  I like my doctor, he studied in America and has privileges at the maternity hospital here, so I'll be well taken care of.  If it seems like things get iffy later on and I need to go home, I can do that as well, but we're planning to stay here for the birth if all goes well. 

I would still covet your prayers, for a healthy baby and uneventful pregnancy.  For a smooth delivery with no complications.  For grace and patience with Benjamin, as he enters into the terrible two's and gets a baby brother.  And for safety and peace in Jordan.

I also know many women who've lost children too soon, be it miscarriage or stillbirth or soon after birth, and I want to encourage you to pray for those women as well.  I don't want to be obnoxious and hurt the feelings of those who are reading this and hurting because of their own loss.  Not totally sure how to make that happen, but I'll try to keep the complaints about pregnancy to a minimum, since I know that is a coveted state for many women.

Thanks for bearing with me while I didn't post very often, I was feeling tired and gross most of the past two months and didn't want to make it obvious that we were expecting.  There's a gaggle of women at the embassy who are all pregnant and due within a couple months of each other, and I feel so blessed that I can join the fun.  I can imagine how hard it would be to be doing fertility and trying hard for a baby surrounded by happy pregnant people.  I've been there before.

We're really excited to travel to SC this summer, and I will seriously eat my way through the state.  It's going to be epic!  One fun "problem" is that all my maternity clothes are fall and winter, since Benjamin was born in February.  I've ordered a bunch of stuff online from Old Navy and Gap, but some of those necklines are just super low.  It's hard to find relatively modest warm-weather maternity stuff.  I've got a few things now and some more on the way, but it's also fun to shop for cute clothes.  And the stretchy pants are amazingly comfortable. 

Taken March 21st, 16 weeks-ish.

I think I'm over the rough part, but it lasted a lot longer this time around.  I guess already having a child makes pregnancy tougher.  Today we found out that it's a boy.  I'd sort-of suspected, but was really just hoping for a heartbeat and good measurements.  Now we know the sex I can start thinking of names, most of which Thomas will probably reject.  It's such a scary and important job to name a kid.  Off to the Internet to research!

I'll attempt to post more frequently now that the news is out, but please do pray for the baby to be healthy and for me as well, to be healthy and rest as much as possible.  Thanks for sharing in our joy!

-Rachel

Random Tidbits

Hey guys,

Yeah, it's been a while.  Life is just sort of chugging along, we're doing our normal routine.  Playdates a couple days a week, my Arabic classes continue, just the usual.  So here are a few highlights:

-Benjamin is talking up a storm and is pretty intelligible.  Although we aren't sure where he got this gem: "Go, go power rangers!"  He'll say it at random times and it's hilarious, but I'm positive he's never seen the show so it's a mystery.

-We went to a birthday party recently, which was lots of fun.  It was at J'imagine, a French kids space with a toddler room (toys and books), a water room with a waist-high pool for floaty toys, and dress up supplies and lots of other fun stuff.  It was a good couple hours, and Benjamin got to see lots of kids.

-We've almost nailed down our dates for visiting home this summer.  I'm super excited and even though the flights and jetlag will suck beyond imagining, it will be awesome to take Benjamin around and hopefully he'll enjoy what "normal" life is like.  It's looking like Columbia-Greenville-Myrtle Beach-Charleston-Aiken. 

-On a somewhat related note, I got a new case for my phone.  The old Otterbox had split a corner, and I thought something different would be nice.  I'm holding tight to my South Carolina roots here.

-I finally uploaded the few pictures I took of the Citadel while Clay was in town.  Was that two months ago?  Yowza.

The view from the Citadel of neighboring hills.  Amman is super hilly.

Roman ruins.

Part of what must have been an enormous statue.

-My brother is coming to visit next month and I can't wait!  Hopefully we can do some sightseeing, assuming Thomas doesn't get called out of town.  Hooray for family visits!

That's all I can think of at the moment.  I'll attempt to do another post before the end of the month.  I like to keep expectations low.

-Rachel

March, Already?

Hello out there,

Wow, February just flew by.  I got to try a new restaurant after playgroup on Thursday this week.  I ate with a friend at Pancake House, which was delicious.  We both got chocolate chip pancakes and they were heavenly.  Benjamin and his friend Ben were really good, they ate their lunches and watched a little TV while the ladies got to chat and relax.  It was a good outing.

We hosted church Friday morning and it was pretty light, just a handful of people.  I hadn't done my usual over-preparation, so I ended up cooking while the service went on.  It was nice to see people though, and we had a good hang-out time, eating tacos and the most delicious peach enchiladas, brought by one of the ladies.  Oh my goodness, they were amazing.  And she had even canned the peaches, since most things need to be in season around here, otherwise it's not available.  Yummm.

Benjamin looking suave.

Lots to talk about.

We're looking forward to visiting SC this summer, and I'm trying to plan out our time back home.  It's tricky, three weeks sounds like a lot but you factor in days to get over jetlag and going to the beach (thanks parents!) and trying to see everyone, it will go by in a flash.  Since I won't be sharing exact dates, etc, I'll contact individuals to set up times to hang out.  I am looking forward to seeing family, and eating awesome food.  My list includes: Chickfila chicken biscuit, Monterrey's spicy queso dip, Rush's burger and Oreo shake, and Zaxby's chicken fingers.  I'm sure there's lots of other places I'll want to go, but man, just typing that makes my mouth water.  We'll miss seeing friends up in the DC area, but there's just no way we could make the drive up there.  We'll see y'all summer of 2014!  Which will totally be here before you know it.  Gulp.

We recently watched "Pitch Perfect" and "Perks of Being a Wallflower", both were pretty good.  I thought Pitch Perfect was hilarious, but I'm a sucker for singing.  I'm just so impressed by it, because I'm not talented.  And Perks was decent, but I usually enjoy the book more and they had to leave some stuff out to streamline it.  I still haven't started "Rules of Civility" and book club is in a week or so, which means I'm falling back into my procrastinating ways.

Anyone else making summer plans already?  I'm really looking forward to being back home, and I know I won't want to leave!

-Rachel