Week 13 and the Darkhan Transportation System

I just passed 13 weeks and am slowly starting to feel a bit more energetic. However, one thing that's been sapping my energy lately (and I promised myself I would not complain about this!) is not having a car. We had to sell our car a few months ago and we have been using taxis and walking a lot. I don't mind walking, especially now that they weather has warmed up. It's actually quite pleasant out if you can manage to avoid the sand storms that are an inevitable part of springtime in Mongolia.

Walking as a family to church or to an appointment is another matter entirely. It takes so long to get from point A to B and sometimes something that would have taken us 10 minutes in our car takes us all afternoon. Getting a taxi is not very easy either. In Darkhan the taxi drivers pack as many people in their cars as possible and children under a certain age ride on their parents' lap for free. Well, when the drivers see a family of 5 on the side of the road they immediately think that we're not worth it because we have too many kids. So they don't stop.

Also in Darkhan all the taxi drivers work on a loop. They have a certain path they take and they don't like to go off the loop to take people to different destinations. I know, it's rediculous and so backward and it frustrates me to no end. When we do get a taxi we ask them to take us to our destination and agree on the fee. It's still very cheap and beats walking when we're in a hurry.

Ah, well, enough about that. Week 13 and feeling great! I'm getting lots of exercise and eating a lot. Nausea is almost gone but it comes back if I get a little hungry or too tired. Or if I smell the garbage can. Or the meat market. But those were pretty much an issue before the morning sickness, anyway.

Hormones are working at top speed, it seems. Physically, I feel a lot more pregnant than 13 weeks. Emotionally, I have to stay grounded in the Word of God to not lose my cool at the drop of a hat. And even then, I still fail. I feel mostly worried about everything. I've always had a wild imagination, always thinking of things that could go wrong. Staying in the Word and taking my thoughts captive helps. Prayers for me in this area much appreciated!

More on life in Mongolia coming soon...

Refining

The last few days have been filled with pensive moments for me. On the church front, we have been experiencing many changes, most of them sudden and quite unexpected. Some of our leaders and members have decided to leave us. Some for reasons out of their control and not related to sin or rebellion. Others, because of rebellion and a lack of will to submit to our leadership. It's a sad thing but we have been aware of God's sovereignty during this period and have felt His peace like never before. There have been some tears but we're still able to laugh and smile and move forward. We've realized that we don't get surprised as easily as we used to. We're learning to trust God more.

One year ago God rid our church of a spirit of adultery. As a result many people, including people who were in sin, left. Over the course of the year many others left. Now, God has showed us that this is the year for rooting out deceiving spirits. More people are leaving. And undoubtedly, more will leave as God continues to purify us. I believe He is more concerned with having us live a holy lives than giving us a large church. And that's comforting.

On the family front, Nate had to go back to the dentist this week. A molar with a temporary filling got infected and he developed an abscess. We took care of the infection by giving him lots of carrot juice to drink. The dentist was able to drain the abscess without cutting the gum and now we've been going for follow up cleaning visits every day this week. Hopefully the infection will go away soon and he'll be able to get the permanent filling.

Yesterday Kenny had his first visit to the dentist. He had some discoloration on his 4 front teeth that we wanted to check out. The dentist said it was the beginning of cavities (what?!) so she put some solution on them that turns the teeth brown, but stop the cavities from progressing. It doesn't look pretty but it will save him from pain and problems later on.

Abi's teeth seem fine but I haven't been able to convince her to open up for the dentist. I don't know why the boys, especially Nate, have had so much trouble with their teeth. My kids eat very little sweets and we only drink water at home and they brush regularly. The only thing I can think of is that maybe I could have benefited from taking fluoride while pregnant. But I've heard so many conflicting things about supplemental fluoride so not sure about that. Nate has 6 permanent teeth that are very strong and healthy so that's comforting.

Abi spent the night at mom and dad's. Kenny and I are going to make our way over there later on and mom and I are going to work on my kitchen curtains today.

Pregnancy is going great. I hit the 3 month mark today! The sickies are starting to subside but come back if I get hungry. So it's common knowledge at our house: keep the pregnant lady fed and no one gets hurt.

When you think about it, please pray for our family and the church. We are definitely going through a growing and purification period and we need God's grace and wisdom more than ever. Sometimes it feels like I have to be super human and it gets so overwhelming. Hetee and I appreciate your prayers!

What's Been Making Me Smile

• My new "imaginary" friends, Hutch and Aagii, who read my blog all the way in Hawaii! Aloha, guys!
• Kenny got a much-needed hair cut today and exclaimed, "I look new!"
• Spending the day at mom and dad's eating Gumbo and napping. And teasing mom for being so organized. (She has so many reminders and post-its stuck everywhere that if she got amnesia she might not remember her name but she could slip back into her old life like nothing ever happened just by following the directives on her notes.)
• Talking to my hubby on and off all day today. He's back in the country and will be home tomorrow!
• A beautiful baby girl born at home to my friends, Zolo and Jagaa.
• Mom's homemade cheese and yogurt. Sure, I could make my own but hers tastes much better.
  
• Letting Nate play hooky from school today just because.
• Taking an hour and a half to fold the laundry because I was chatting with my best friend, Sara from Pa.
• My students' pronunciation is improving, even though I'm only with them one day a week.
• I just washed a mean-looking brown spider down the kitchen sink drain. Who's da man?
• My friend, Lydia and her never-ending generosity. She's an inspiration to me!

What about you? Please share your smiles with me today!

Week 10

I started counting and recording my protein intake today. The reason I hadn't before is because of the nausea. I knew I wasn't eating enough and I didn't see the point in trying to count it. But this week I'm feeling a lot better. It feels so good to be hungry again. I am now able to enjoy most of my food. Yay!

My stomach is already expanding, or maybe it just feels like it is. I've gained 9 lbs and my clothes fit better. =)

The fatigue is still something I struggle with every day. I'm thankful to God for my helper, Mungunu. She helps with the house work and with the kids. If not for her I don't know what I'd do. Hetee is traveling this week so Mungunu not only helps out, but she keeps me company during the day. She's an answer to prayer.

Abi, Nate and Kenny are excited! They don't realize that we still have a long wait ahead of us. Yesterday they were upset because we didn't have a name yet. Abi also thought we should have baby clothes by now. So cute. They're all convinced we're having a girl.

Please remember my health in your prayers. Under the Mongolian medical system I'm supposed to sign up for prenatal care but the care is so bad that for the last 2 pregnancies I opted out. My mom helped me to keep track of urine tests, as well as my blood pressure and hemoglobin levels. I made sure I ate well and got exercise. I got an ultrasound toward the end, just to see the position of the baby, as we would be having an unassisted birth and Hetee didn't want to be surprised.

I had very healthy pregnancies which made this type of self care ideal. Please believe with us for another easy pregnancy with no complications. And may God receive all the glory!

Diaperless Days

I'm not sure I like all this "big boy" business. I'm pretty sure I was conned into something, I just haven't quite figured it out yet. Everyone is happy, but what did I get out of this deal? A pair of hand-me-down Spider Man underwear my big brother wore when he was being duped like me. Next thing you know they'll be telling me I have to wash my own dishes and start first grade. It's not fair, I tell you. It's not fair.