baby shower

We are so blessed with family and friends all over the US. One of the best parts is that most of them live in the Florida panhandle. Everyone was so excited for us to have a baby and could not wait to spoil her. We had so many people get things for our little girl and send them to Africa when Trey's dad & Dustin visited. Once we got home my family held a baby shower for our little girl in Pensacola and then our church had a shower in Panama City. I thought we were loved, but I think this little girl is the favorite in our family :) Here's just a few pictures from the showers.

pregnancy: west africa vs. america

A lot of what we've learned over the past year is about differences in culture. I mean, we all know there are different cultures out there, but until you live in another culture you cannot fully grasp the differences. Obviously, I've been pregnant for almost a full 9 months now and that has consumed much of my time and energy. Most of that time was spent living in Africa and also not really "showing" my pregnancy. The last little bit has been spent in the southern USA and clearly showing my pregnancy. There are many differences in these cultures, but I wanted to share with you a little about the different views on pregnancy. Now, understand, these things are not true for all of Africa, but at least the country we were in :)

When I first found out I was pregnant we had been in Africa for 2 weeks. In America we are careful to share about a pregnancy before 12 weeks since the miscarriage rate is high. We, of course, shared with our family and friends back home and also those we were close with overseas. In trying to figure out when is appropriate to talk about pregnancy in our new home, I found out that it's never really appropriate, especially when you're not showing. There are a lot of superstitions in Africa and many people believe that if you talk about the baby before it's born something could happen to them. Because of that I went into "careful" mode... being careful about who I told and how I told them.

Once I finally started showing, around 6 months pregnant, very few people would say things to me. I remember the time someone actually said something to me about being pregnant. We were flying back from Burkina Faso and we had packed full a suitcase with canned foods & bags of chips that we couldn't get at home. Because of that, our suitcase got stopped at a security check. We ran to open the bag for them so they could see we didn't have anything bad in there. The suitcase was packed so full that I had to sit on it to close it. The security guy said, "Yes, momma, you and your baby close that!" I just laughed because finally someone said something about me being pregnant. After that, it was rare. Again, even though I'm showing, something could happen to the baby. The people who talked about it the most were those who have been around Americans & other expats a lot. And then, they would ask how the baby is moving and that they are praying she is healthy.

Toward the end of my time there I was getting bigger (naturally) and my favorite saying became, "We will pray for twins." Yes, many in the market, at check points on the road, and really just anyone who didn't know me would tell me they are praying for twins. When we would tell them we are only having one, they would laugh and say again they will pray for twins. One guy even told me he would be praying for triplets! That became my favorite. We have all the technological advances to know that we're only having one baby, but the culture there says twins are better, therefore, that is what they will pray for!

Upon landing in America, I was bombarded with pregnancy comments. Nothing terribly bad, but when you've rarely heard anything about it for the last 7 months, to have almost everyone you pass comment on it is a little overwhelming. The flight attendants went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable. A pregnant woman in Africa would not let up on her daily chores to be more comfortable, so comfort wasn't necessarily a question I heard there. The first store we went in at the airport, a guy told us his horror story of his girlfriend giving birth. Why, thank you sir, just what I wanted to hear. And now I get the dreaded, "You're about to pop!" or "What are you having?" and "Do you have a name picked out?" Now, I know I'm not in Africa anymore, but I can tell you they wouldn't be asking me what I'm having, just continue to say they're praying for twins and praying for a safe delivery. And they definitely would not be asking about a name. We told some ladies that we had a name picked out before we left and they were shocked. Their children have a naming ceremony 8 days after they are born. Before that, there is no name. They might have ideas of a name, but nothing set in stone. This goes back to the idea of something might happen to the baby if we give them a name. Also, naming is much different. Most people have several names and they all have meanings behind them. Our poor child's name means "candle maker," but for us, we like the name and that's what matters.

After leaving overseas for 7 months, I'm still amazed at cultural differences. Things happen to me daily in America that I think, that would never happen in West Africa. And vice-versa. I love learning about these differences, and adding a pregnancy to the mix just made it more fun. I'm sure having a newborn will bring a lot more cultural differences that I'll be able to share!

2012: a look back

I cannot believe we are already in 2013! It’s been almost 8 years since I’ve graduated high school. If you asked me 8 years ago what I’d be doing with my life, I would have probably said married with children, but living in Africa would have not been on my radar. This last year has been a roller coaster to say the least. We have lived in 6 different cities, spent time in 8 different countries, Trey ran a marathon, got the surprise of a baby on the way, turned a quarter of a century, spent 6 months in training, and began to learn a new language. When I look back on 2012, I cannot believe all that we did in 1 year.

We started the year headed to Disney World for Trey to run the Disney Marathon. The best memory from that day: I saw Trey at mile 13 and he was doing great. He was still smiling and had energy. He waved and talked to me as he ran by, all with excitement. I saw him again at mile 23 and things were a little different. When he came by I asked him if he needed anything, since I had Gatorade & power bars in my backpack, and all he said was, “Do you have a gun?” Needless to say he completed it!

We then headed to a short vacay in Jamaica. There are so many things I love about Jamaica, but the best part of being there was relaxing by the pool :)

We returned home to spend time with family & friends and say some goodbyes before we headed to Virginia for 2 months.

While we were in Virginia, we spent time in classes & with others who have the same passions we do. It was a challenging time, but also an encouraging time. No doubt about it, the best part about being in Virginia is the friends we made. They have been lifesavers during difficult times, both during training and since we’ve arrived here.

We went back home for a week or so before heading to Vancouver, Canada. Neither of us had ever been to the West Coast or Canada. Vancouver has so much to offer. We continued to have class every day, but were able to put into practice what we were learning. We continued to grow closer to some of those friends from Virginia and make new ones. Being there was good since we were able to still feel like we were in America, but begin to spend time away from home. The best part about Canada was all that the city had to offer. We loved sight-seeing and spending time out & about in the city.

While in Canada, we welcomed a nephew to our family! We met sweet Owen via Skype and cannot wait to get home and actually play with him!

Finally, at the end of June we boarded a plane for Africa. We had a layover in London and decided to get another stamp in our passport :) The UK became our fourth country for the year. I would definitely love to go back and spend more time there!

We then landed in our now home country. Shortly after arriving, I celebrated my 25th birthday! Here we have had incredible times - like finding out we’re having a baby only 2 weeks after landing - and some difficult times - like living in 3 different cities out of suitcases while waiting for our house to be completed. It has been a learning experience. We have learned so much about ourselves, our relationship, and about another culture. We have had incredible support from our family, friends, and churches back in the US. The days that have been the hardest, we know they are praying for us and helping us stay here. We have learned to be completely dependent on the Lord. We know that He has sustained us through all of the good times and bad times.

28 weeks

23 weeks

26 weeks

In October & November, we spent time in Burkina Faso & Ghana for West Africa training. We spent time every day out in the community, meeting the people, learning about their culture, their struggles, and how we could encourage them. We also made some great friends here!

We returned home and moved into our HOME! We were thrilled to move and get settled. We began to make connections in our city, get our house set up, and find our way around town. After about a month in our home we boarded a flight to our final country of the year: Spain! We decided to take a Christmas vacation. Spain is beautiful! We stayed in 3 different cities and make day trips to yet more cities. Not only did we celebrate Christmas here, but we also celebrated Trey’s 25th birthday. We are so thankful to be able to get away for a bit.

We returned home on New Year’s day and began 2013 - another year full of changes.

it's a GIRL!

On Friday, we found out we're having a girl! We both actually thought it was a girl - not sure why I did... I guess a feeling. The night before the appointment Trey had a dream it was a girl - and that as an infant she actually talked to him & gave him a high five. We went to the doctor's appointment hoping we'd find out the gender, but not positive since I am only 17.5 weeks. Our doctor checked everything out - the skull, the spine, the organs (which he would point out every one he was looking at and we just nodded in approval), the legs and arms, and then we went on a hunt for the gender. It was a little difficult since her legs were crossed and knees held closely together. At first, he said 80% sure it's a girl, and after another view said more it confidently. Of course, we were excited to learn the gender, but it was also fun to see something that actually looked like a baby and not a blob. I mean, sometimes she looked a little freaky, like when it would focus on the skeleton :) but she's absolutely beautiful, and definitely a little lady. The baby was measuring closer to 19 weeks, 10 days ahead of what we thought... so soon we will have a pool for the actual birth date, since the due date ranges from March 8th-18th! She was very comfortable through the entire ultrasound and only moved a few times. I tried to pay attention to what it felt like when she moved so I could feel it later, but I didn't feel anything. Everyone says I'll feel her soon enough. We've chosen a girl's name, but for now we're just sharing with friends & family (and still trying to settle on a middle name. We leave you with a picture of our precious little skeleton.