Control Freak in Chaos

Well, I’m at the internet cafe and we have another 30 minutes while Jonathan uploads pictures onto the website so I have time for a quick post.  I hadn’t planned this though and I’m not sure I have much to say…

Again, I apologize for the lack of pictures.  Maybe today we’ll have my belly pictures posted.  Otherwise, sorry, but we don’t have any pictures of ourselves.  I don’t guess we find ourselves all that interesting.  But we realize you’d rather see pictures of us and other interesting things.  Like this cafe, for example, and maybe a (ha ha) “grocery store” but having a camera here in town isn’t the smartest idea in the world and we’re usually on a worldwind trip and it’s crowded out there!  And of course there’s the same problem with people not wanting to be in a picture even if we aren’t even intending them to be in it.  But one day…  We’ll be here a long time and maybe we’ll get the smaller camera out since it’s more discreet.  And maybe I’ll work on my writing skills and do some descriptive articles for you. 

Let’s see…  tomorrow we move to the banda with a stove and fridge.  That’s really exciting for us!  Beginning next week our Swahili class has been cut in half so Jonathan and I will be away from the 3 linguists we’ve been with so far.  (They’re a little intimidating - ha ha.)  So I think that change will help us a lot too.  The week after next we get the week off and part of that week, Jonathan and I are going to go to Dar es Salaam to take a break and to get a good prenatal doctor’s checkup.  I’m excited.  And you never know.  Maybe we’ll find out the gender while we’re there.  HEEEEE!  We’ll take the bus there and back - and stay at the SIL guesthouse.  It’ll be hot but a good break from being at the campsite - a change of scenary. 

Speaking of belly pictures.  Jonathan posted them on his blog so go there to check them out.  Both were taken in our current banda (if you’re curious).

Other news…  I’ve begun thinking “baby” thoughts and “birth” thoughts.  (We won’t talk about the latter - yikes!)  My mom keeps telling me the baby will let me know what he/she needs.  The other night I had a dream that I gave birth and picked the baby up in my arms and the baby literally told me, “Put your hand behind my head and your other hand behind my back and hold me against you with my head tucked under your chin.”  If the baby does tell me things that clearly I’ll be one happy mama!  Haha!!  (And the baby came out clean as a whistle with a full head of clean, curly hair.  Don’t think that will happen either…)

Well, I think we’re done.  We’re off to get my mom a birthday card and me (I mean, the baby) some suckers.  :)  Thanks again to everyone for reading up on us!  As usual I hope to have more to say in the future. 

First of all, I want to say THANK YOU for the care packages that have been sent.  I know of 2 for sure and both are still in transit.  I can’t wait to see what’s in them.  It’ll be like Christmas!  I also want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has asked about sending care packages.  We’re grateful and very humbled that you would think of us and even go to the trouble of sending us a package. 

We’ve been asked what we want/need/like/etc.  Jonathan put a list on the main page of the website under “Care”.  It’s been a while since that was posted and I don’t know what’s on there but Jonathan and I sat down and brainstormed today about what we may need, want, and miss. 

This is hard for a couple reasons.  First of all, we’re living on a survival level right now and our basic needs (and beyond) are being met so we aren’t desperate for anything.  A few of our needs, albeit minor ones, could be met by getting things out of storage in Dar es Salaam but that’s not going to happen so we’re doing without those small things.  Another little problem we have trying to generate this type list is coming up with things that can be shipped.  For example, I’d love to have some sour cream, Dean’s french onion dip, tombstone frozen pizza, tater tots, and a pumpkin pie…smile…  But we did, in fact, come up with a list and I’ll put it below for anyone interested. 

Candles
Lotion
Bible Study(ies)
Dried fruit
Instant Grits (packets)
Instant Oatmeal (plain flavor - packets)
Cookie/Brownie/Cake mix (the less ingredients I have to add to it, the better)
Frosting
Nuts to snack on
Trail mix
Kettle korn (unpopped - microwavable packets)
Movie butter popcorn (unpopped - microwavable packets)
Starburst
Tootsie Roll Pops (suckers)
Hard candy but we can’t think of specifics right now
Sugarfree gum (sweet flavors if possible)
Tangerine Altoids
Strawberry Mentos
Twizzlers
Splenda packets
Salad Dressing dry mix packets (where you make your own)
Dip dry mix packets (where you make your own)
Flavored snack crackers
Pecan Sandies
Decaffeinated Iced Tea Bags
Wordsearch puzzles
What to Expect When You’re Expecting
Babywise (not 100% sure of that title but heard it was a good baby book)  Are there any books good at preparing you for labor??

And anything else you know of that can be shipped that we may like. You may have ideas of your own of things we’ve never heard of. I’m guessing on the salad dressing and dip dry mixes. I know the actual dip and salad dressing would be hard to ship but if there were a way to ship a little packet where I could add something to it to make my own, that would be great. It just depends on what has to be added to it. For example, I don’t have sour cream and I would think you’d add that to dip but I could be wrong. I don’t know anything about those dry mixes. We’re just grateful for anything we get really. It reminds us we’re loved…smile…

As far as how to send the packages, www.usps.com should help. There is a flat rate box, I believe, where you get a certain sized box, fill it up, and send it for one flat rate, which I think is about $37. I don’t know the details very well though so check with the post office.

Our address here is:
Our names (of course)
C/O Riverside Campsite
PO Box 238
Iringa
Tanzania

I would say shipments could safely be made from the U.S. through November 5th. We leave here December 15th and although the post office says packages should arrive in 7-10 days, many here have experienced a 2-4 week ship time and once it arrives we must find a ride to town and get it out of customs. Cards and letters though can be mailed through November 15th safely.

In the near future we’re going to make a list of baby items we need and send them to my parents who are going to register at Target for us so I’ll let you know when that happens as well. One thing we’ll need help with along those lines is shipping costs. We’ll need a few big items that can’t be purchased here along with many small things as well. Shipping them will be a large one-time cost but there is no alternative for us. If you’re interested in helping in this way we’ll keep you updated and you can simply send a contribution into Wycliffe. But more on all this later.

Thank you all so much for caring about us and wanting to not only send us things we need but treat us with things we simply want as well. We’re so grateful!!

As of now I write my blog posts (except this one) into Word and then copy/paste them into the blog.  The host of this blog doesn’t seem to like that so it pushes all the paragraphs together and changes the font as it wishes, not allowing me to correct any of this.  I realize it’s a horrible way to read a blog post, especially the long ones.  I just wanted to let you know why that is and hopefully you’ll still be able to get through them otherwise.  Oh and if you see a “J” that was my attempt at a smiley face.  I’ve tried to stop using those now.  Thanks for your patience on all this… 

It seems like it doesn’t take long after posting an update for there to be a need for a new one.  So here goes… I took a “belly picture” at 14 weeks and although I felt I was beginning to show, when I looked at the picture it really didn’t look that big.  I just took another picture at 16 weeks and whoa!  Now I’m showing.  Hopefully Jonathan will post the belly pictures soon.  I haven’t totally outgrown any clothes but the 2 pair of fitted pants I have here with me are snug now and won’t last much longer.  I have non-fitted clothing to go to for a while then I’ll break out the maternity clothes given to me by a friend.  Those will hopefully get me the rest of the way through although I think I underestimated how big my tummy’s going to get.  Yikes. As far as sickness, I’m getting tons better.  I made it to 8 out of the last 9 classes and generally feel much better throughout the day and even when I wake up.  I’m hoping the morning sickness has subsided and continues to do so.  Because of this change I feel I am keeping up with language learning a little better now.  Well, I’m catching up a bit maybe and using it more now than I was.  Also, classes haven’t been quite as hard this week.  We haven’t had a ton of new information and have had the change to practice what we know and what we’re learning.  I think that’s helped.  There have even been instances when we’ve spoken to a Tanzanian and they’ve understood us.  Very exciting! At the end of September, and for the 9^th time since we arrived in Tanzania, we’re moving.  This time we’re going to have our own banda with a stove, refrigerator, and bathroom.  It’s also on flat ground now so no more hiking back and forth which will be very nice!  This banda is probably the farthest from the classrooms and dining room but none of the walk is uphill so we’ll still get exercise without it just being grueling.  It’s a great move and we’re excited about it.  It’s situated right on the river so the view is nice and the bird-watching should be too – lots of opportunity to see Kingfishers out hunting.  In other news, we get a break from language school the first week of October.  We may go to Mbeya a couple days that week to check out the town and possibly even the available housing.  We’ll wait a while to actually make that decision but we do want to get an idea of what the area looks like.  Also that week is our three-year anniversary.  I’m not sure what we’ll do to celebrate but we should be able to make it special.  At some point we’d also like to go on a short safari but we’ll see how things go before planning that one.  There’s a game park very close to the campground and others who have gone have had a wonderful time.   I believe that’s the only thing new going on here.  It’s enough I’d say.  We’ll keep updating you as we’re able!

Our schedule here is: Breakfast 7-8am  (although we usually get down there about quarter to Class 8am-1pm  (with a 30 minute break at 10am)Lunch 1-2pmFree time and homework/study time 2-6:30Dinner 6:30-7:30pmBedtime for me 9pm preferable and for Jonathan… sometime later… So that free time is when we go to town, take our showers, study, do homework, rest, write cards/letters, write our emails (to send the next time we go to town), etc.  You would think that time would be plenty and almost excessive but it’s not even close.  It seems like dinner arrives before we know it and our day is once again lost.  I’m planning to actually write some cards and letters now that I have envelopes and stamps.  I’d also like to get my cross-stitch stuff back out.  I’m working on Christmas presents that I hope to have finished by NEXT Christmas (they’re big).  But most of the time that I spend actually resting I’m doing word search puzzles.  They’re mindless and addictive.  And I tend to have to make myself stop so I can do something else.  The time will slip right by if I’m not careful.  The hardest thing to do after hearing and struggling with Swahili all day is to study Swahili some more.  The weekends are totally ours and I do tend to study a lot during those days.  I try to study the days I’m “bed-ridden” as well but I have to admit there have been days that I’ve done nothing but word search puzzles.  When you’re ill it’s hard to really put your mind to things.  As far as Jonathan, I’m not really sure how he spends his free time before dinner.  He’s almost always at the computer working on something – probably pictures we’re not posting J - but I’m never quite sure.  Every once in a while he’s gotten the opportunity to bird-watch and piga picha (Swahili for take pictures) here around the campsite.  There are a lot of cool birds here and I’m sure you’ll see pictures of them at one time or another. 

I feel compelled to write a whole blog entry on this subject because I really thought we’d be posting more pictures than we are.  There are many reasons for their absence. First of all, we don’t have many pictures from around town because people here don’t like to have their pictures taken.  Bummer!  And we’ve really seen some things we’d like to take pictures of!!  We just have to be more diligent about taking our camera out with us and then hopefully capturing what we can without anyone noticing.  And there is more to catch than just people.  For example, today coming back from town we saw a big fuel truck and in big red letters on the back it says “Highly Inflammable”.  Hmmm… Second of all, 99% of our time is spent at the campsite and Jonathan has already posted pictures from around here.  Now there’s nothing else to see really.  I do realize (and have heard) that you want to see pictures of us.  This is very against our nature.  We never think to take pictures of ourselves but we will.  We promise.  We keep saying we need to take pictures during meals and class but we keep forgetting to take the camera with us.  I really wanted to do that today since I just washed my hair but I’ll wash it again before we leave…I’m pretty sure…  J Thirdly, the internet connection is so extremely slow that I have spent my entire time there before trying to post pictures and being unsuccessful.  And I don’t actually go to town as often as Jonathan does so I don’t have many opportunities to post blog entries and pictures and such.  Hopefully we’ll get so caught up on email and blog posts that we’ll also have time to upload pictures.   And I guess there’s no “fourth of all” except to say that we will also post belly pictures.  We took our first one recently this week (I’m 14 weeks tomorrow) so we’ll post that soon.  I really felt like I was beginning to show and from up here looking down it looks big to me!  But then I looked at the picture and it’s really not that big.  It’s wild because I can lie down on my back and put my hands on my tummy and feel a little round bump.  Hee hee…   But I digress.  That’s the story on the pictures and we do hope to get better about this.  I realize how fun it would be to see through our eyes and we hope to provide that opportunity!  The longer we’re here the better we’ll get – especially when we’re off the campsite.  Eek.  And I promise to post more than baby pictures.  J

Brutal honesty here again. Language learning is getting HARD. I guess it was before too but it’s REALLY tough now! I’m still not making it to every class and that may have something to do with it but Jonathan’s having almost as hard a time at it as I am. This week we’ve learned SO MANY new things it’s hard to keep it straight. One of our classmates is keeping his vocabulary list in excel and as of today we have gotten 500 new vocabulary words. Yikes! So pray for us as we continue. We need it!

We had an ultrasound last week.  I was just at 13 weeks then (the baby’s due March 1^st).  We saw the little baby’s form and heartbeat.  We also saw the baby raise his/her hand and could even make out the fingers.  At the time the baby was lying with his/her legs crossed.  Hee hee.  Very cute.  The doctor said everything looked good so far.  And now I’ve just entered my second trimester so I’m out of the most critical stage for miscarriages. And have I mentioned on here how I’ve done with the vitamin B complex?  It’s now been 2 weeks since getting the IV and since then I’ve probably only thrown up 5 days a week (instead of 7).  Most days I only throw up once and never more than twice (instead of a million).  The doctor even said I would be better off during the day throwing up first thing in the morning (if I need to) and getting rid of my gastric juices.  I’m not convinced of this advice as I never think it’s good to vomit but I no longer try to hold it back if I feel nauseous when I first wake up.   There are just still some days that any movement makes me feel really sick so lying in bed is better for me.  One day last week I felt that way but decided language class was too important to miss so I went anyway.  I had to keep leaving because I was afraid of vomiting right there in the classroom.  I spent a lot of time completely unfocused before finally leaving.  I only made it a few steps outside before having to hang my head over a rail.  So I realized then that I didn’t really get as much out of class being that sick and even had the unpleasant side effect of getting sick in public…again.  J  I’m just going to have to listen to my body a little bit better and hope that here soon I’ll make all the classes.

Okay, I’m going to be brutally honest here.  To no fault of our hosts, I do not like the food here.  I’m having quite a hard time.  At least once at every meal I say, “What is that?”  And most of the time the meat served is on the bone so there’s a lot of work involved for very little profit.  I’m still managing to eat enough to be healthy.  I just dread meals most of the time because of the struggle.  Oh and there are onions in just about everything so I spend half my time at the table picking them out.  I think I burn most of the calories I’m eating in just picking through it.  I’m starting to have food dreams again which is a very bad sign.  J Today Jonathan and I went to town to see what we could get as far as snack food since I like to eat a little all day instead of three big meals.  We got the usual Pringles (for both of us) and Snickers (for him).  I also got a couple little packages of cookies although they’re off-brand so they’re risky in the taste department.   What I DID get that was new and exciting was a box of Kellogg’s Frosties.  They’re made in the UK!!!  Hopefully they’ll be good and will make breakfast a little easier when they run out of oatmeal before we get down there (which is frequently).  I realize Frosted Flakes (our equivalent) aren’t the healthiest and they wouldn’t have been my first pick in cereals but that’s the only brand name recognizable to me so I went for it. Our best discovery of the day was apples, white grape juice, and pineapple juice.  Yum, yum!!  The juices are 100% juice and the kitchen is keeping them in the friji (Swahili for refrigerator) for us.  I can’t wait to try them!!  When we got back I took one of the apples, washed it, and devoured every edible part.  Because of how much I was looking forward to it (and how much I love fruit right now) it was the best apple I’ve ever had.  J I don’t think I’m eating too much or anything but I do think I’m eating more than normal because of how I need to eat a little all day long.  At breakfast now I’ve started making myself a peanut butter and plum jam sandwich for midmorning.  I’ve realized I could eat two of those between breakfast and lunch (but not at the same time of course).  Before I could have just eaten one FOR lunch!  But my breakfast is very light because of how I feel first thing in the morning and how they’re out of most things by the time we get to the dining room in the morning so that’s how I’m justifying my need for 2 sandwiches before lunch – ha ha…  I haven’t actually had 2 yet but I’m tempted.  Today I had my sandwich around 9am then a banana at 11.  Lunch is at 1:00 and that was quite light because of the aforementioned struggle.  With all of our new goodies hopefully this area of life will be a bit brighter.  Now I must get off here and find something to eat.  My apple has worn off…

Right now it is Wednesday afternoon and we’re getting ready to head to town for the internet café and our ultrasound.  Since our ride home from the doctor last Friday I have only vomited once: this morning.  I put on my shirt and lost it.  I’ve had quite a hard time with all laundry smells.  But other than that I’ve been in the clear.  I think I must have “normal” morning sickness now because I don’t necessarily feel great.  I’m just not actually throwing up.  I still have nausea and now all the tricks I’ve been given actually work where before my body just wanted to throw up all the time so it did – no matter what I did or didn’t do.  So I guess I’m grateful to feel normal – pregnant normal – pregnant with morning sickness normal.  :)  I’ve made it to half of our Swahili classes so far and although I’ve picked up a lot I still feel a bit behind the others.  I’ll keep studying… 

As far as accommodations, we are now living in a wooden banda.  It’s much nicer than a tent and we’re a lot happier here I think.  Every place has its adjustments.  Our banda was recently painted so that smell lingers and is a lot to deal with but hopefully it will continue to subside.  Also, we are quite a walk to/from everything so I just have to take it slowly.  The best thing is having our own bathroom and hot shower.  The banda itself is big and has two separate, locking rooms so we’re sharing it with another couple.  They have a seven-month old boy who provides our morning (and sometimes afternoon) wake-up calls.  Our friends say we might as well get used to it and really it hasn’t been bad. 

Hopefully we’ll get some pictures posted one day soon.  As much as Jonathan usually takes pictures, he hasn’t taken a whole lot since we’ve been here.  I don’t think either of us have found our “routine” yet but one day soon we’ll feel settled in…  The other day we realized that we’ve moved 6 times during our first month here.  That’ll take it out of you!  But we may be in this banda for the rest of our time here and if so that will really help.

Well, we’re off to catch a ride to town.  We’ll update you again soon.