Feeling a little rusty

The thing about blogging is that if you are blogging consistently, you almost start to see all of life through the lens of the possible blog post. There are an endless supply of posts. But when you are NOT blogging consistently, it gets harder and harder to put together a good post. With such limited internet access the last year or so, I am definitely feeling rusty. But I can't let a whole month of unlimited internet access go by without posting at all, so here goes...

THE VISIT:
I am a pretty social person. But having relationships of varying degrees in more than one place, with the distance factor complicating things, causes me to literally want to avoid acquaintances. I just don't have the energy for them. I have a limited amount of time to see family and close friends, and that is emotionally draining (not to mention the emotional energy involved in missing my husband and everyone else back home). In large group settings I find myself cringing when I see certain people coming, or just sort of shutting down because I can't figure out who is important enough to invest in. It feels almost like a personality change. Then there are the people who I want to see but somehow we don't seem to connect - I can't always tell if I am just not enough of a priority for them, or...?

And speaking of back home, I have to just comment that it is so strange how your parents house is forever home (at least if they still live in your hometown). I had never even seen this house before this visit, but both in my own mind and in that of many others (strangers and friends alike), I was headed home. But of course, at the same time, Saltillo, my husband, etc...that is home.

And I am missing home. Big time. My husband and I were both of the feeling, when we talked yesterday, that a month may just be too long for solo visits. This has been a bit hard on both of us, and definitely harder on him than he expected. He had encouraged me to take advantage of the opportunity to come up; 4 weeks was his idea. But he is finding that he feels awfully lonely, that he now has double the missing to do (last time I came up alone, I was pregnant with Katya...he didn't miss her yet. Now he misses both of us), that hanging out with his family just isn't the same anymore after 2 1/2 years of living with our little family. And although I am enjoying seeing everyone up here, I miss my husband big time. And although I of course have lots of help from my family with Katya, I am finding it very draining to be the only one responsible for her ... the one to make all discipline decisions, always deal with all nap/bedtime fights, etc.

I must be a bit tired, or missing home right now, because so far this post sounds a bit depressing or negative. I AM truly enjoying all the time with my family, spending time with friends that I miss, seeing people at church, seeing all the GREEN here (Saltillo is pretty much a desert), going up to the lake, etc.

Speaking of the lake, I have to share that Katya just loved it! In Saltillo, a large puddle after a big thunderstorm is about as much water as we ever see, so Katya just kept looking around and saying every 15 seconds, "aqua!". Then she'd tell Gramma, then Papa, then an uncle..."aqua". Topped off with all the passing boats, ducks, and swans, and all and all it was a very exciting experience.

Katya has done great adjusting to being here. Within an hour of arriving, she was checking out the house on her own, interacting with everyone. To varying degrees and on different timelines, she has given everyone in the house names that she can say, let them carry her, etc. She even warms up pretty quickly to each new friend we visit. She's been learning new words almost everyday, most of them in English (strangely, since arriving here she learned 'hola' and 'bien').

I put that label of 'the visit' up there because I have at least one other topic I was going to hit as well, but I am thinking this post has gotten long enough and I will save that for another post in the next couple of days.

Traveling

Just thought I'd throw up a quick prayer request...

Traveling Thursday, June 10th....about 5 months pregnant, alone with a toddler.

Biggest worries are not losing her in the airports, especially when I have to pick up all my luggage to go thru immigration; and that she doesn't get too antsy on the flights (especially the 3hr flight mid-day).

Thanks :)

Quick pregnancy update

So, here you can see how the belly was growing last pregnancy.

This pregnancy, I was obviously showing by 2 months, and here is a picture shown today - about 4 months. I've gotten lots of comments about how I appear to be more like 6 months pregnant, and lots of people asking if I'm not having twins or something.



Considering I looked like this by the end of the last pregnancy, and considering that at 4 months I already look like I did around 6months last time, I'm a little nervous about what the last trimester will be like this time.

We did finally go in for a check-up a couple of weeks ago (insurance issues still haven't been resolved, so we shelled out money we didn't really have for a private exam with ultrasound). Thanks to the ultrasound, we are now sure that the larger belly is NOT due to multiple babies. There is only 1 in there. And the Dr seemed pretty sure that it is a boy, but we are trying not to get carried away until we get that confirmed at a later date. Interestingly, although my tummy is quickly growing, I have barely gained any weight - about 3 or 4 pounds in the 1st 14 weeks.

Here are a couple of other pictures for fun - Katya playing with her friend Clara, and one of the three (well, 4) of us.





Ok, I am on borrowed time. Looking forward to seeing lots of you soon :)

Travel dates and other news

Time is limited because Katya should wake up any minute (at a friend's house, taking advantage of her internet)...

Wanted to at least let you all know that it looks like I will arrive in Rochester around June 10th (in time for my brother's HS graduation) and leave July 9th. I'm a little nervous about being away so long from my husband, and taking my little girl away from her daddy for so long, but excited about seeing everyone back home!!

And for those interested in such things, weaning has gone surprisingly well, steadily moving forward. Sure, I have to put up with a little extra crankiness sometimes, but that's understandable considering the major transition that it is for her and the fact that we are simultaneously getting her to sleep outside of our bed. We're down to a max of 3 feedings in a 24 hr period, and those are on one side only for only about 5 minutes. The other day, she nursed only once all day! Major improvement over the little girl who was nursing both sides every few hours night and day!

Pregnancy...I think all is well. We haven't actually been to a Dr yet...insurance issues with the new job. So, please continue to keep health care and labor options in your prayers.

On the job front, things have started to pick up lately. We are in god shape for the next couple of months. But the thing about 100% commissions is that there are never any guarantees for the future.

Ok, can't wait to see you all!

Big News!

Yes, I am actually online for the 2nd time in less than 2 months...shocking I know. But I had to share my big news with you all. I am excited to say that after many months of having no idea when I would be up to Rochester again, I can now say that Katya and I will be up sometime around June (give or take a month...plans are still very preliminary). We´ll probably be up for about 3 weeks or so, so hopefully there will be time to see you all :)

Why, you may ask, are we now making plans to visit? Well, because I am pregnant!! Yes, baby number 2 is now on the way, with a due date around October 11th, just 2 weeks after Katya turns 2. I guess my family has a thing about seeing me pregnant :) But anyways, we are very excited (Herme is very excited) and looking forward to meeting the newest member of the family.

I am, of course, in the midst of the fun of 1st trimester - nausea, tiredness, running often to the bathroom already...but doing well. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we make decisions about Drs and such. The budget is even tighter now that it was last prenancy. I would really love to have a home birth with a midwife, but that is virtually unheard of here. Unless someone knows a good midwife that wants a free place to stay for a few weeks in the fall here in Saltillo ;)

The other big prayer request is for grace in weaning Katya. Until a couple of weeks ago, breastmilk was still her food/drink of choice plus her favorite comforting device. WE´ve come a long way in a short time, but I am trying to balance her needs with mine and the new baby´s.

Anyways, thats my big news. Katya is now crying for me, so I think that´s my cue to finish up. As always, miss you all and will keep doing my best to update things here.

Hello again...

I am at a friend's house (an American like me!) with internet access, and my busy, curious, attention demanding toddler is sound asleep :)

So, let's see if I can fill you all in a little on my life...

Herme's job got a slow, slow start...bad weather, holidays, train yourself with a handful of manuals...these things do not make finding your own clients very easy. And remember, this job is 100% commissions. But he's got several clients under his belt now, a potential big-paying deal with a company looking to insure 70ish cars, and they are finally giving him the actual training on what it is he is selling (which, by the way, includes a variety of insurance policies, credit cards and loans, and investment opportunities). Keep praying for a steady client base and encouragement (salesmen get lots of no's in-between the yes's).

Katya and I have settled into our new, no-daddy, routine pretty well at this point. The first week or 2 there were a lot of tantrums while Katya missed her dad and adjusted to less attention and less outings. But now she generally has a nice mix of playing on her own and trying to 'help' me in-between looking for my attention. She only takes 2 half hour naps all day though, so I am generally on the go pretty much all day. But it keeps the day moving quickly.

According to my baby development book, 15-18 months (she is 16mo) is generally a time of language explosion, but I've read that children in bilingual families take a little longer to start talking. Katya says Mama (well, usually she says Mamama), Dada, mira (look in Spanish), meh (more or mas), and bo (boots or botas), and she has a couple of "names" for cousins, etc. She obviously wants to talk a lot... she is always 'saying' things to us, and I am really starting to get very curious about what all she is saying. And she has a little repertoire of hand signs she uses (like patting her own chest to ask to nurse, or putting my hand on something to signal what she wants me to do).

She is just a little cutie, and I am not just saying that because I am her mom :) She is one of those kids that everyone wants to say hi to and win her over as a friend. Everyday brings something new she has learned or something to laugh at. This week I have noticed that she knows how to lift up her feet to put one leg at a time in her pants. Yesterday she walked 10 minutes or more with her hands in her pockets. She loves to try on people's sunglasses (she puts them on herself). She cares about what shoes we put on her (thus, learning to say boots, because they have been her favorites lately). She has very politely gives everyone a kiss on the cheek in greeting or good-bye, and loves to give her daddy kisses (I get very few).

She just got her 1st haircut last week, so she is finally no longer sporting the baby mullet (it was a little out of control!) (Pictures are from today's visit, courtesy of my friend's camera - mine is currently broken)





What else? We're getting settled pretty well at the new church. Katya is finally learning to stay in her class, which is awesome for me! We're getting to know people, had one person over a week or 2 ago, looking to invite a family over soon. Learning names, knowing that there are certain people I can count on chatting with, etc. At the same time, maintaining relationships with friends from the old church. It's nice that we live so close to several of those families, and Katya and I can walk over in about 10 min (Katya speed) to visit on the days that seem slow. It was nice, for example, this week when I was a little heavy hearted, to know that I could pop over and ask them to be praying (I still prefer face to face over phone conversations in Spanish).

Speaking of Spanish, I am getting pretty darn fluent these days. I can have a conversation easily with anyone, only occasionally not knowing a word I want or that they say. My grammar is getting there - I know my more complicated verb tenses still need work.

I often have ideas about things I should blog if only given the opportunity, but of course now that I am here, I am all out of ideas. But that was a pretty decent update, don't you think?

My love to all...I miss being better connected to you all...

A JOB!!

My husband has a job! For the 1st time in almost an entire year, he got a yes!

Now, we still covet your prayers, because it is 100% commissions, no base salary. But a job is still a job, and much, much better than no job at all.

He will be working in a bank, ´selling´ credit cards, insurance plans, etc.

The big upside...he will work normal, 40 hour work weeks, Mon-Fri, and will be at a desk in the office...no crazy driving all over town stuff like the last job. :)

I can´t remember the name of the bank, but its owned by the man who is even richer than Bill Gates and from Mexico...

Today he went in and filled out all the pre-hire paperwork, and tomorrow or Wednesday he´ll start his training or orientation or whatever you want to call it.

THank you so, so much for all of your prayers!!!!

___________________

In other news, because I ran out of time last time, we have switched churches. This has been a major decision for us that we have struggled with since actually before the wedding, about 2 years now. It has been hard, mostly because we really felt like we were with family at our first church. At the new church we knew only a handful of people getting started, although I am happy to say that after 5-6 weeks, I do know a few names and faces now. But we reached a point where we really felt it was where God wanted us, that He has a plan for us and for the family of my husband in that church and under that Pastor´s care. We actually will be meeting with the Pastor in about a half hour. Anyways, for that reason, I can´t write more now, but it has been a major change for us that I wanted to share here, even if it is only a little bit.

Thanks again for all the prayers. I´ll keep doing my best to stay in better touch!

Wow, it´s been a LONG TIME

I am going to write as much as I can and post as many pictures as I can before Herme and Katya can´t handle waiting for me any more... pictures taken since around early August till the present, and include first birthday celebrations :) (They are in reverse order, and my husband wants it clarified that his pants are only dirty because he had just sat down on a dusty bench....)

Let´s see, where do I start??

Well, still no job. My poor husband has applied for things ´beneath him´, for things recommened by friends, anything within his ability....and no one even wants to interview him (beyond an initial screening anyways), much less hire him. We don´t know what to think. He just keeps looking, keeps applying. The whole state of the economy doesn´t help any - there just aren`t a lot of jobs out there, and there are so many people looking for work.

My parents came to visit for a weekend, just in time to celebrate Katya´s 1st birthday. That was awesome, especially since Mom coming was a complete surprise to me! It was quick, part of a business trip, but we enjoyed every minute of it :) So special to have them here for the birthday party and everything.

Living so far, far enough to make travel expensive and therefore not common, was not a part of how I saw my life, and yet here I am. I am happy here, wouldn´t trade my husband or how this has all come together for anyting, but it is really hard to be so hard from family and friends sometimes. Speaking of which, this lack of internet time has started to wear on me...I feel really out of touch with all my U.S. folks. Sometimes I feel like you all have moved on with your lives without me, if you know what I mean. I know it isn´t really the case, but with communication a little harder of late, thats how it feels. Oh how I´d love to be able to use skype in my house and talk to you all whenever the mood strikes!

What else? CAn´t believe that my baby girl is already a toddler! What a fun age, learning something new everyday, showing off for us. Of course, there´s the tantrums and tired breakdowns and vomiting 9x between the hours of 1:30am and 8am, but it´s all worth it of course :) She started walking at 9 months, got scared by a fall, and didn´t find her confidence to walk alone until 11 months. But then she just took off running! She is always on the move, or at least it often feels like that. She loves to read, together or alone. She loves animals, no fear, says ´ruff!´ every time she hears a dog bark. She´s generally a very happy, smiley, friendly girl, although she is a bit discriminating in who she wants to be friends with, gie kisses to, etc. She knows where her nose is (or mine, or yours), she can tell you she is ´so big!´, she loves it when you applaud her. She likes to play peek-a-boo, palms facing out, elbows sticking out to the sides. She waves to the moon every single time she sees it, even if that means 5 times in 6 minutes :P

Ok, I think my time is up. So good to connect with you all :) I love and miss every one, and will try to figure out how to get online more often.

Coming soon...

...a real live post with pictures and news and comments...

Have you all given up on me? Internet access has been scarce, but I have lots I want to write. Now that we finished with those classes I was giving at church (which were fairly prep intensive), I am hoping to get online soon and do a real update.

For those who have been praying for us, still no job in sight. Just one closed door after another. Besides praying for a job opening, please pray that we would hear from the Lord if there is something we are supposed to be learning, changing etc. 7 months of closed doors makes one wonder, you know?

Ok, promise to write for real soon, like in the next week-ish.

8 months and growing

Pictures appear in reverse order...most recent are first. The last/oldest is from early Marchish, but just too cute to leave out (and I thought Carole would enjoy seeing the pjs). The rest are from the last month and a half or so. I tried to include some of our favorite fashion statemtents (pigtails, auntie´s hat, dresses from Gramma, showing off her belly) as well as some of her favorite activities (first time in the walker, loves to be on her feet, eating avocado, cold baths in hot weather, drumming on tupperware). She´s been growing like a weed lately (she fills 12mo and sometimes 18mo clothes already...) - I´ll have to try and take some more pictures to post that show just how big she´s getting. I´m guessing she weighs close to 20 pounds these days, and shé close in hight to babies at church that are 2mo to 1 year older.