1st Trimester

My first trimester, and then some, is complete. Before I say anything else, I'll say this: it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Yeah, I was nauseous every day and exhausted beyond functioning every day, but it definitely could have been worse. 

I had my first prenatal appointment at 7 weeks along with an ultrasound. Then another prenatal appointment at 13 weeks with another ultrasound. I was ecstatic and relieved to see all of baby's essential parts; I.e., spine, legs, head, etc, but we did not get to see the gender. I am thankful for a great Brazilian doctor in the capital and another doctor in the States who has agreed to look over the notes and photos from each appointment, just so we can have peace of mind.

An unpleasant surprise for me was how quickly I began "showing". I was just 11 weeks and I was getting uncomfortable just having my pants buttoned. After not having seen our language tutor for a few days, her oh-so-kind greeting revolved around how I looked bigger, insinuating by patting her cheeks that I must be eating a lot. Not wanting to be equally rude, instead of responding with, "Pregnant! Duh!" I laughed it off and stewed about it later... Maybe even now... Just a little bit though...

So, here I am unable to wear any of my pants, with no maternity a clothes for at least another 3 weeks (when our crate is supposed to arrive from the States). I'm resigned to wearing jersey maxi skirts and feeling Amish, and some days like a Duggar.

For those who are wondering, we will deliver the baby in Johannesburg, South Africa. Waverly and I will head that way at the beginning of October. Until then, we will receive prenatal care here in country and are fortunate enough to have a South African doctor in Ft Dauphin who does mother/baby care. 

Waverly is warming up to the idea of a new baby. She continues to vehemently deny any possibility of a brother and most of the time, insists that the baby is hers. But we have to start somewhere, right? 

Speaking of Waverly, I'm sure this will come back to haunt me one day, until the day that she understands motherhood herself, but I'm actually more excited about this baby than I was with Waverly. Am I the only bad mom that feels that way? I mean, with Waverly I was excited, but I was totally clueless and anxious. This time, I at least have a general idea of what to expect during pregnancy, delivery, and when caring for a newborn. Of course, I'm not so naive to think that I've got it all figured out because I am fully expecting this next child to be diametrically opposed to Waverly: terrible sleeper, high maintenance, and with no sense of humor whatsoever. I figure that way, I can be pleasantly surprised if I'm wrong and mentally prepared if my theory proves correct. I'll let you know.

                                       

                                          15 weeks

One Day, We Went Golfing

Yeah, that's right. We were just as surprised as you are to find a golf course right here in town: The Golf Club of Antsirabe! Chandler loves to golf, so this past Saturday, we loaded up and hit the course...

I also have a confession: the title is a bit misleading because while Chandler actually played golf, Waverly and I just wandered around the course blowing bubbles, 

eating PB&Js, 

and generally not upholding the "quiet rule" of golf courses. 

mischievous

But really, who could blame us? This was possibly the most beautiful golf course ever, lined with gigantic trees and mountains down one side. It would have been inhumane of me to require Waverly to be quiet when the mountains provided such a lovely echo!

      

Unfortunately, we had to call it quits about the 7th hole after Chandler lost both golf balls in the trees...

Tulear Gets a Second Chance

When our supervisors invited us to Tulear for a bush trip and ministry, I was hesitant. Our last trip to Tulear wasn't exactly the best time of our lives and I didn't necessarily want to voluntarily subject myself to another difficult trip. Chandler, on the other hand, had his sights set on that bush trip and, rightfully so, this would be a great learning experience for us both.

So, after our second language evaluation showed that we were ready to graduate language school, we took a week to visit Tulear again. Thankfully, our trip down, besides being pulled over at three different police stops along the way, was extremely uneventful and over the next few days, we learned a lot from our team and had some fun...

Whenever we mention "going to the bush", we really mean the far out places in the desert of southern Madagascar; "the bush" is just an easier, although fairly inaccurate, description. 

A few months ago, this lady birthed that baby on the side of the road as some of our teammates were taking her to the hospital. Let's just say, she's a strong woman and our teammates will never be the same.

In Madagascar, you must perfect the "Malagasy squat". 

While in the bush, the guys met and storied in three villages where relationships have already been established. They also visited a new village in hopes of establishing a relationship with the people there. In His grace, the Lord had opened the hearts of the people in that village who were eager to have their questions answered and invited them back so that they could learn more. 

While in town, I was able to have a similar experience without the terrible roads and night in a bush hotel. At one of the churches in town, some of our team had begun a storying group where they teach the Bible story to the point that those in the group can tell it themselves. Some people in this particular group have now taken it upon themselves to visit a small village about 45 minutes outside of town once a week to tell these Bible stories! I loved being a part of this experience, seeing Malagasy nationals take the Gospel to those around them. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get photos because, quite frankly, I feel a little awkward taking my honking DSLR to these villages to relentlessly snap pictures. It's a good memory, though. I don't think I'll forget it too easily.

We had some fun with the kids too! Two moms and four kids 6 and under...

Waverly's first time skating

The finer points of hopscotch

And on our last full day in Tulear, we spent a few hours at the beach...

Happiest kid in the world.

Never know who you'll run into just off the Madagascar coast!

Manly babysitting

It's true: I do love him and his crazy self.

Daddy love.

Well, Tulear, I wouldn't write you an ode, but thou hast redeemed thyself.