Sunday snapshots

This was one of three groupings that got to hear the woman at the well story in a prominent park as I was putting it on my friend's hand in mehendi the last week of October. Very encouraging. It was the first time I've gotten to story completely in the language without being shut down by my audience or glared at by the same. Yay for open doors!

Yes, pregnant blessing! My favorite local tangerine-type orange is in season now. I cannot tell you how many of these I are when pregnant with Emma, but I intend to do the same this time around!

20 weeks and 20 months (taken mid October): first sibling picture. :)

Baby's first pig tails. A whole new level of girly things has just dawned!

play date

Emma got to have a friend over today. He is the son of our house helper and she brought him because for the past few days the building that her husband serves as watch guard for has been drilling a bore well into the foundation.

As you can see, he and Emma had a fabulous time! The cute thing is that Emma is 20 months old and this little boy is 3 1/2 years old, but Emma is still a tidge taller and a whole two sizes bigger footed than he is. He played so kindly with her, though, understanding that she is a baby and he is big. What a guy!

Indian princesses

We went to our neighbor's wedding yesterday. Here are some pictures:

A true friend

In time for my birthday, I got a great answer to pr.yer. It takes a while for me to cal someone a friend, especially here in South Asia when friendliness often has come to be a long con in order to ask for big favors or sums of money. I've known this young woman for a while now and have found her to completely lack this cunning nature and to have a pure heart. We have enjoyed being sisters by the blood and word, too. I'm so thankful for her! Thank you each who were asking The Lord to give me a true friend!

Here is a fun picture of our family that was taken yesterday. 

fun times

We decided to have some fun after so many sick days. 

Going to the mall, playing in the playground, eating an ice cream cone. 

Helping mama get the seeds out of a pumpkin slice.

Yesterday, we all had the aftermath of food poisoning from carry out from a local diner. It was a good time to craft, and in Emma's case, to nap. Thankfully that only lasted half a day! Poor Emma got the worst if it, but she is much better, praise the Lord!

Mehendi-style cards I'm freehand drawing on cardstock for a friend's adoption fundraising. :)

The story of the 5 loaves (depicted as flowers) and 2 fish.

on the mend

The night of the day we went to the clinic with Emma, her fever was 102.9F and I was dreading what news may come from the labs she had done. Thankfully, when she woke up the next morning, she only had a cough from continued drainage. She hasn't had a fever all day, praise the Lord!!! Thanks for praying for her!

sick baby prayer request

Today is day six of Emma's fever and the first in six days that she and I have left the house. On day 1, her fever was 103.2F. Yesterday I thought for sure she was coming out of it since her fever stayed at 99.9F for most of the day. Yesterday night, however, a rash encompassed her torso and her fever was at 102.3F.

We took her to the pediatrician today. This particular doc hasn't seen her since she was teeny. The doc is Hndu and had shaved her head of its lovely black locks. It's so odd that even doctors believe in folklore - she donated her hair to an idol who is perpetually indebted to other idols. Her hair was sold by the temple to help that idol pay his debts. Just odd. This lady isn't a hack, she's a legit MD, but takes stock in these fears and hopes of the Hndu culture surrounding her. 

Anyway, after telling us that dengue fever is on the rise and that we need lab work before she can diagnose anything, we were sent to the lab where poor lil Emma had two vials of blood drawn, two swabs taken for strep cultures to be done, and a bag taped over her essentials to collect a urine sample that we are to return to them in a little container after the urine bag has been filled.

Bless her heart. Please pray that she will be well soon. She was so brave today. 

Here is a cute recent photo of her eating a pepperoncini pepper from Papa Johns (3 days ago). It helped clear her stuffy sinuses a bit and she loves sampling odd new tastes, especially spicy ones. :)

Sunday showcase

I've been following an adoption blog recently (nihaoyall.com) and she showcases a photo each Sunday. What a great idea! This is the best photo of the month, aside from the previous ultrasound. One of my dearest friends here is in the foreground, and her husband is in the pool. This event has been a request for a year and we were both there to see it come to pass.

By the way, it really is Sunday here, even though the blog recognizes it as Saturday since Blogger is in the USA.

a rainbow after the storm

My disappearance from the blogging world directly corresponds to the death of our unborn child. We found out we were pregnant last February. On the last day of March, we had reason to suspect something was wrong and it was confirmed at the hospital that our baby no longer had a heartbeat. I had heard that little heart on a sonogram three weeks before, but our baby was gone.

Every family processes things differently. Every community processes things differently. Both we and our community failed to be helpful at times. Fallen people; fallen world.

Anyway, here we are five and a half months later. It has been seven months since my last blog... I wanted to wait to give some good news before writing again. 

I want to introduce you to baby #3, our Little Baby, as we've been referring to him/her. We are 15.5 weeks along today (Saturday)! How exciting to be in the second trimester! 

Our little baby is due on March 10, 2015, allegedly. Hopefully, (s)he will be a week early, like Emma was! 

14 Months!

This month, we went to the zoo and Emma is beginning to really enjoy animals, especially the cages of tropical birds!

Emma now can climb onto the table, open the window screens to point at pigeons outside, and RUNS QUICKLY without falling much!

She also gives sweet kisses to Mommy n Daddy on the mouth and is becoming very snuggly! 

She has had two upper molars grow in fully since last month.  What will she do next?!!

Enjoying Lent Readings

 I've been really absorbing these readings each week using a simple study system we learned back in VA during training called "SPECKA":

In this/these passage(s), is there a...

S: Sin to confess?

P: Promise to claim?

E: Example to follow?

C: Command to obey?

K: Knowledge newly gained (about myself, people, Christ/God/Spirit)?

A: An Application that I can apply to my life?

I've been enjoying how each week circles around a theme in the readings, too.  If you like them, there ya go! :)

Emma at 13 Months

Guess which of us is a morning person...

She can climb onto the couch and onto a bed by herself and get down from them, too. 

She went up the stairs to the slide by herself and down the slide, too, giggling all the way down... Of course with Mommy in arms reach just in case.

Waves bye-bye now with fingers going up and down and hand held still... And sometimes says, "Bah!" while doing that, which means "bye" of course.

Enjoys getting into confined spaces and making new friends.

Says "No!" With the head or hand movement for no/finished. 

Enjoys making silly sounds and faces to make her parents laugh... Pictured above is the 'mean sniffing face'.

Snuggles and gives long hugs that sometimes incorporate patting Mommy or Daddy on the back, too.

Can break down in an instant if something isn't going her way (above she didn't like the veil on her head).

Indian princess bride

Emma is ONE!

Emma's Stats:

21lbs, 30"  **She is 14lbs heavier and 10" taller than this time last year!**

Activities: walking like a big girl, reaching on tippy toes to reach the counter/sink, over-handed ball toss, dances to music, eats finger foods, waves bye-bye, says "mama" and "da-ee" (daddy), at times says "no" and "ba" (bye), shakes head to say "no".

A few of her favorite things: pigeons, snuggling mama and daddy, nursing, tickle games, climbing onto furniture/chairs.

Fears: mechanical stuffed animals that quack/bark and move, strangers, men (well, all others who aren't Daddy, or the Granddad's).

BIRTHDAY PIX!