Last Tuesday was the beginning of our Geburtsvorbereitung Kurs (Birth Preparation Course). Clint and I were both a little nervous about it just because of the German part and not knowing what to expect. Someone had told us that the men don't go to this course with the women and that concerned us since that was what we thought the whole point of the course was. Plus, I just really didn't want to go by myself. I wanted him to be a part of it and to be there with me as a little reassurance. We asked a couple of other people about it and they said that he should be able to go with me. So that relieved our fears... or so we thought.
On Tuesday, we got to the hospital where the classes take place and where we are going to have our baby and there was a group of several pregnant women so we knew we were in the right place. However, I think we (especially Clint) were a little nervous since there were no men there. Then a couple came in and Clint was relieved to see another man.
The midwife who teaches our course came to pick us up at the information desk/ main entrance of the hospital to take us to our class. When she saw Clint start to come with us she said that no men were allowed. This of course freaked me out and I told her I thought that he could come with me. She said there was another class that the men can participate and I asked which one it was. She told me it was on Monday nights and that I could come with her and we could try to work it out.
Clint continued to follow the group and the other man that was there basically immediately told his wife/parter that he would be back to pick her up and was gone. I guess he was relieved that he didn't have to be there. We got to another section of the hospital and I began talking with another midwife. She told me that it would be difficult to get in the other class because it seemed like it was already full. But she gave me the phone number of the course instructor and told me to call and check with her if there were any openings. This entire time I am trying not to cry... I was pretty emotional and upset about it and of course I'm sure the hormones didn't help. Clint could see how upset I was and I think that upset him even more.
Finally we decided it was best that I stay and go to this course and we would call the other woman the next day to see if I could get in the other class. But, basically if I gave up my spot in the course I was already registered for I may not be able to take any course because they fill up so quickly and I couldn't wait for a later course since it is so late in my pregnancy.
So, Clint reluctantly said he would go home and would come back to pick me up later. Thankfully I was able to calm my emotions enough to join the class and not cry. We took a tour of the delivery rooms and were able to ask questions. I could understand most of it, but as far as asking questions it all went a little too quickly for me to interject. However, I didn't really have any questions so that is ok. I just listened to what the midwife had to say and to the other questions from the women.
After the tour we went to another room and sat on mats and ended up talking/asking questions and filling out some paperwork for the rest of the class. Some of it was a little too fast for me to understand, especially when everyone was asking questions and talking all at once. But I think I understood the majority and was able to follow along. At the end the midwife asked if I understood everything and I told her that some of it was a little fast, but that I understood a lot. The other women were surprised to hear that I was not German so they began asking me questions about where I was from and what I was doing here. They all were very nice and were interested to hear about my background. They also let me know to stop them if I had a question or could not understand something. By the end of the course I was feeling a lot better and not so nervous.
I asked the midwife at the end if the other course with the men was the same course or a completely different course and she said it was the same. So I just told her that if I couldn't change I would just come back to this course next time. As I was walking out, I spoke with another woman in the course who was very nice and understanding that I wanted my husband to be there with me, especially with the language and cultural differences. It was comforting to know that others understood.
Later in the week I called the other midwife and she said that the course was full and there was nothing she could do to help me. Clint and I discussed it and decided it would be better for me to attend this course by myself than to not do one at all so I will just have to do this alone. However, the midwife said that we will have one class in which the men can come so at least he can come to that. Otherwise, I think it will be ok and won't be so bad. Hopefully I can get to know the other women better.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Doesn't it look delicious?
On Friday we celebrated Thanksgiving since Larry left for Bulgaria on Monday. We usually don't get to celebrate on the actual holiday since it is not a holiday here. So instead we celebrated early and on a Friday, which felt strange. However, we still feasted on some amazing food and had a great time together.
Even Snickers had turkey for Thanksgiving.
In the past years we have gotten together with all the Americans in Saxony, but this year we decided to do a smaller celebration in Chemnitz. We did have a couple of visitors, though. Amanda from Oelsnitz and Mark and Karen Abercrombie from Bremen. I planned on getting a group photo of us all at the table, but unfortunately I forgot. I guess I was too excited about eating!
Larry carved the turkey.
I made sweet potato casserole and Clint and I made deviled eggs and Clint made his mom's famous peanut butter cream pie. It was a hit! Of course we had all the other stuff as well... turkey, ham, green bean casserole, salad, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, etc. Eby enjoyed the meal thoroughly!
Larry looked really excited about carving the turkey. :)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Sweet Moments
To go along with the last post, I am going to post a picture that I just saved from some photos my sister sent from the summer trip to the States. Here is my niece Ashlyn kissing her baby cousin. :)
Funny Things Kids Say About Pregnancy
Since I have been pregnant, I have found it very amusing to hear what small children think about it.
When we were in the States and I told my niece Ashlyn (2 years old) that there was a baby in my belly she always said, "I want to see." I just had to tell her that she couldn't see the baby yet, just see that my belly is getting bigger. Of course, that is one of her favorite phrases, or at least it was at the time because she said it all the time. She even tried to look under my shirt to see if she could see the baby.
My niece Claire (2 years old) didn't say too much about it, but she was probably already used to the fact that Mommy also had a baby in her tummy. She did, however, rub my tummy a couple of times.
In the summer, before I was even showing, one of the women in our congregation, Silke, told her 3 year old daughter, Giulia, that there was a baby in my tummy and to be careful when she is around me, not to run into me or hurt me in any way. She looked at me with this strange look on her face and then asked "when is the baby going to come out?" I told her it would be later in winter, after her birthday because her birthday is at the beginning of January. Later Silke told me that Giulia had been asking her when her birthday was. :)
After returning from the States with a much bigger bump than before, I have had some funny encounters with Giulia and Velony (4 years old).
We were at a fellowship singing in Oelsnitz and Andre told Velony that I had a basketball in my shirt. She looked at me thoughtfully and asked what it really was. I told her it was a baby. Then she asked me whose baby it was. I told her it was mine and Clint's baby. Then she asked me if it was a boy or a girl. I told her I didn't know yet. This seemed to satisfy her for the moment, but later we discussed again whether it was a boy or a girl and she told me she thought it was a girl. Then she asked if she could touch it so I let her rub my tummy.
Giulia asks me almost every time I see her if she can "pet" my baby. That is the literal translation for the word she uses in German. Anyway, so she usually gets in several rubs every week at church. One day she also told me that "it had gotten very fat." I'm not sure if she was just talking about my stomach or the baby. Probably the baby. :)
Then there was another day that Velony also tried to look up my shirt to see what the baby looked like. She asked again if it was a boy or a girl and I told her I still didn't know. I asked her what she thought and she told me twice that she thought it was a boy. I guess she changed her mind.
Kids are so cute, aren't they?
When we were in the States and I told my niece Ashlyn (2 years old) that there was a baby in my belly she always said, "I want to see." I just had to tell her that she couldn't see the baby yet, just see that my belly is getting bigger. Of course, that is one of her favorite phrases, or at least it was at the time because she said it all the time. She even tried to look under my shirt to see if she could see the baby.
My niece Claire (2 years old) didn't say too much about it, but she was probably already used to the fact that Mommy also had a baby in her tummy. She did, however, rub my tummy a couple of times.
In the summer, before I was even showing, one of the women in our congregation, Silke, told her 3 year old daughter, Giulia, that there was a baby in my tummy and to be careful when she is around me, not to run into me or hurt me in any way. She looked at me with this strange look on her face and then asked "when is the baby going to come out?" I told her it would be later in winter, after her birthday because her birthday is at the beginning of January. Later Silke told me that Giulia had been asking her when her birthday was. :)
After returning from the States with a much bigger bump than before, I have had some funny encounters with Giulia and Velony (4 years old).
We were at a fellowship singing in Oelsnitz and Andre told Velony that I had a basketball in my shirt. She looked at me thoughtfully and asked what it really was. I told her it was a baby. Then she asked me whose baby it was. I told her it was mine and Clint's baby. Then she asked me if it was a boy or a girl. I told her I didn't know yet. This seemed to satisfy her for the moment, but later we discussed again whether it was a boy or a girl and she told me she thought it was a girl. Then she asked if she could touch it so I let her rub my tummy.
Giulia asks me almost every time I see her if she can "pet" my baby. That is the literal translation for the word she uses in German. Anyway, so she usually gets in several rubs every week at church. One day she also told me that "it had gotten very fat." I'm not sure if she was just talking about my stomach or the baby. Probably the baby. :)
Then there was another day that Velony also tried to look up my shirt to see what the baby looked like. She asked again if it was a boy or a girl and I told her I still didn't know. I asked her what she thought and she told me twice that she thought it was a boy. I guess she changed her mind.
Kids are so cute, aren't they?
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Snow
It is officially winter here in Chemnitz. We woke up to the snow falling outside. It is not sticking to the ground. I think the ground is still too warm. But if it keeps it up all day we might have some on the ground later tonight!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Week 30 Baby Update
Well, here is me at 30 weeks and 6 days. Baby Eby is kicking away and seems more active every day. Especially last night... I guess it is about that time to stop enjoying full restful nights of sleep. Here are some of the things that keep me from getting a lot of good sleep.
- Having to get up and go to the bathroom.
- Having a stuffy nose, which actually is caused by pregnancy also, believe it or not.
- Lying on one side until it starts aching and hurting and having to maneuver myself onto my other side until that side hurts, etc.
- Achiness of legs, ribs, back, etc.
Anyway, I'm just stating the facts as they are. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining. I really don't want it to. I actually think it could be much worse. Plus, when I think of all these things I have to endure, I know that it will all be worth it in the end!
Today we went to the doctor. We got to hear the heartbeat again which is always nice. Plus, the baby was really kicking up a storm so we were entertained by that as I lay there with the heart monitor strapped on my stomach. I don't think the baby enjoyed it so much that there was something strapped on there, pushing in on his space. We went into see the doctor and he wanted to do an ultrasound to measure the baby to see if everything looked normal as far as how much the baby has grown and everything. He measured a few things and said that it all looked good... including the heartbeat. It really was a quick one and when he was finished I asked if he had seen anything as far as what the sex was and he said no. He said once again that it could be a girl just for the fact that it usually is more obvious when it is a boy, but he really didn't know. But so far I don't think anyone has really gotten a good view of anything so I'm not going to expect a girl unless they say otherwise later. I guess we will just have to be surprised later. Maybe even at the birth! Oh well, sorry to disappoint everyone who was wanting to hear. I go in for my next appointment in 3 weeks which is November 30th.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Lydia Faith Wooldridge
Lydia Faith Wooldridge
On Sunday, November 4th my niece, Lydia Faith Wooldridge, was born at 6:14 a.m. in Oklahoma City. She weighs 7 lb. 7 oz. and is 19 3/4 in. long. She is absolutely beautiful and I am so excited to have another niece! Here are a few photos that my family sent me!
Claire is a very proud big sister!
They make such a sweet family!
Lydia is my parents' 3rd granddaughter! Will there be a 4th or maybe finally one grandson?!
She is so beautiful! Look at those cheeks. :)
Claire is so happy to have a little sister.
Look at that face!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
German Basketball Experience
On Saturday I had my first German basketball experience. Karen asked Clint and I if we would like to go to a Chemnitz 99ers game. I thought, well I haven't been to a Chemnitz game let alone a German basketball game since I have lived here so I should go to experience that.
Before we even left, I already had my mind thinking about how there should be good food in the snack stand. For some reason I really wanted to get some nachos... don't know why. So I kind of was hoping for something similar to in the States. Of course, I should have learned by now not to always expect that since this isn't the States.
We got there and the only thing that we could tell that they served was "Wiener und Bier"- basically some kind of sausage and beer. Of course they did have some other non-alcoholic drinks, but when we went out during half time pretty much everyone was drinking beer.
Something that I did like about the experience was the fact that there was no smoking in the entire building which is a big change from most public places in Germany. It really gets old when you want to go somewhere in public and no matter how far away from the smoke you try to stay, you go home having to wash all your clothes because they stink like smoke. Although, I heard that in 2008 there will be a new law passed where it limits smoking in public places. I really hope that goes through.
Some other things I found different from an American basketball game:
- The cheerleaders don't really do anything. They stand on the sideline and clap but don't really do cheers and try to get the crowd excited. They do some dance routines during time outs and other breaks but the types of routines they do seem very 7th gradish compared to what it is in the States.
- The mascot did absolutely nothing. He walked around the court, but did not once jump, dance, try to get the crowd excited. One time I saw him sitting down.
- If I remember correctly, they played for 10 minutes, had a 2 minute break and then played for 10 more minutes with a half time of 15 mintues. I actually don't know what the technical rules are in America but it seemed different to me. Maybe someone who knows something about basketball can tell me.
Even though it was different the game was pretty good. Well, the first half it was pretty much back and forth as far as who was ahead and then the second half the other team beat Chemnitz pretty bad and they ended up losing by 20 points. Overall though, it was fun and interesting to see how it is different here.
Before we even left, I already had my mind thinking about how there should be good food in the snack stand. For some reason I really wanted to get some nachos... don't know why. So I kind of was hoping for something similar to in the States. Of course, I should have learned by now not to always expect that since this isn't the States.
We got there and the only thing that we could tell that they served was "Wiener und Bier"- basically some kind of sausage and beer. Of course they did have some other non-alcoholic drinks, but when we went out during half time pretty much everyone was drinking beer.
Something that I did like about the experience was the fact that there was no smoking in the entire building which is a big change from most public places in Germany. It really gets old when you want to go somewhere in public and no matter how far away from the smoke you try to stay, you go home having to wash all your clothes because they stink like smoke. Although, I heard that in 2008 there will be a new law passed where it limits smoking in public places. I really hope that goes through.
Some other things I found different from an American basketball game:
- The cheerleaders don't really do anything. They stand on the sideline and clap but don't really do cheers and try to get the crowd excited. They do some dance routines during time outs and other breaks but the types of routines they do seem very 7th gradish compared to what it is in the States.
- The mascot did absolutely nothing. He walked around the court, but did not once jump, dance, try to get the crowd excited. One time I saw him sitting down.
- If I remember correctly, they played for 10 minutes, had a 2 minute break and then played for 10 more minutes with a half time of 15 mintues. I actually don't know what the technical rules are in America but it seemed different to me. Maybe someone who knows something about basketball can tell me.
Even though it was different the game was pretty good. Well, the first half it was pretty much back and forth as far as who was ahead and then the second half the other team beat Chemnitz pretty bad and they ended up losing by 20 points. Overall though, it was fun and interesting to see how it is different here.
Monday, November 05, 2007
October- Part 2
Haircut
As you can see on my new profile picture, I got a haircut. I decided I would try out a short cut to see if I liked it and also for the fact that it is easier to deal with. I figured it was about time to go to a "Mom haircut". I like it a lot and it is easier to deal with so that will be nice. Of course I will have to get it cut again before the baby comes, but it's nice to know that I like it already. So, recently my friend Amanda wrote about her hair changes during pregnancy. I hadn't really noticed or thought about it until the other day when I was looking at some older pictures. I will let you see for yourself the difference in my hair.
(Me and my very curly hair in 2004 in Austria)
(Here is a recent picture of me after my hair cut when I tried to do it curly)
Ok, so maybe the very different hair cut has something to do with it, but I do think some of the curl in my hair has gone away since I have been pregnant. I think today my hair had a little more curl in it than in this photo, but it sure does seem like such a difference comparing it to 3 years ago.
Katrin's Baptism
We have a new sister in Christ! Katrin Fiebig was baptized on October 26th! Praise God for this new addition to our family!
Meeting with a Friend
After more than a year of not seeing each other, my friend Conny and I got together and had lunch. It was good to get caught up with each other. I hope that I will see her more often in the future!
Visit From a Friend
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of our visitor... I think that weekend was so busy that I didn't think to get one of her. One of the girls who came this past summer on the LST (Let's Start Talking) team is living in London right now. Erin missed us so much that she decided to come back and visit while she is still on this side of the ocean. :) She stayed with us for 2 nights and joined in with all the activities for the weekend. We had a good time getting caught up with her and we were sad she could only stay such a short time, but we enjoyed the time we had with her.
Saying Goodbye
On Sunday, October 28th we had our usual pot luck meal after worship service. However, this day was special. We wanted to say goodbye to two great friends and co-workers: Ed and Courtney Cantrell. They have lived in Chemnitz and served the church here for 6 years. They have now made the decision to return to the States. It was not an easy decision for them or for any of us who live here and have come to love them and work side-by-side with them for so long. However, God is leading them in a different direction right now and it was time for them to start a new chapter of their lives. After the pot luck, we also had coffee and cake and more people joined us to say goodbye and wish them all the best for their future. Our group, The Chemnitz Acappella Singers, sang a couple of songs for them. This was the most difficult thing to do for me. I thought I would be ok and could sing, but on the second song, "Geh unter der Gnade", I lost it and began to cry. This song is basically saying, "go with God's grace". Anyway, it's a difficult one to sing when you are seeing good friends off. I want to ask you to please pray for Ed and Courtney at this time of transition for them. They have made Chemnitz their home and it will be challenging for them to adjust to another life, but I know that God will see them through this adjustment. Ed and Courtney, I just want to say that I already miss you and will always love you. I pray God continues to bless you both!
As you can see on my new profile picture, I got a haircut. I decided I would try out a short cut to see if I liked it and also for the fact that it is easier to deal with. I figured it was about time to go to a "Mom haircut". I like it a lot and it is easier to deal with so that will be nice. Of course I will have to get it cut again before the baby comes, but it's nice to know that I like it already. So, recently my friend Amanda wrote about her hair changes during pregnancy. I hadn't really noticed or thought about it until the other day when I was looking at some older pictures. I will let you see for yourself the difference in my hair.
(Me and my very curly hair in 2004 in Austria)
(Here is a recent picture of me after my hair cut when I tried to do it curly)
Ok, so maybe the very different hair cut has something to do with it, but I do think some of the curl in my hair has gone away since I have been pregnant. I think today my hair had a little more curl in it than in this photo, but it sure does seem like such a difference comparing it to 3 years ago.
Katrin's Baptism
We have a new sister in Christ! Katrin Fiebig was baptized on October 26th! Praise God for this new addition to our family!
Meeting with a Friend
After more than a year of not seeing each other, my friend Conny and I got together and had lunch. It was good to get caught up with each other. I hope that I will see her more often in the future!
Visit From a Friend
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of our visitor... I think that weekend was so busy that I didn't think to get one of her. One of the girls who came this past summer on the LST (Let's Start Talking) team is living in London right now. Erin missed us so much that she decided to come back and visit while she is still on this side of the ocean. :) She stayed with us for 2 nights and joined in with all the activities for the weekend. We had a good time getting caught up with her and we were sad she could only stay such a short time, but we enjoyed the time we had with her.
Saying Goodbye
On Sunday, October 28th we had our usual pot luck meal after worship service. However, this day was special. We wanted to say goodbye to two great friends and co-workers: Ed and Courtney Cantrell. They have lived in Chemnitz and served the church here for 6 years. They have now made the decision to return to the States. It was not an easy decision for them or for any of us who live here and have come to love them and work side-by-side with them for so long. However, God is leading them in a different direction right now and it was time for them to start a new chapter of their lives. After the pot luck, we also had coffee and cake and more people joined us to say goodbye and wish them all the best for their future. Our group, The Chemnitz Acappella Singers, sang a couple of songs for them. This was the most difficult thing to do for me. I thought I would be ok and could sing, but on the second song, "Geh unter der Gnade", I lost it and began to cry. This song is basically saying, "go with God's grace". Anyway, it's a difficult one to sing when you are seeing good friends off. I want to ask you to please pray for Ed and Courtney at this time of transition for them. They have made Chemnitz their home and it will be challenging for them to adjust to another life, but I know that God will see them through this adjustment. Ed and Courtney, I just want to say that I already miss you and will always love you. I pray God continues to bless you both!
Friday, November 02, 2007
October- Part 1
October was a good month. I wanted to write more in depth about all the activities that took place, but seeing as though it is already November and I would like to get caught up, I will try to just hit the highlights.
Filzmoos, Austria
(Me, Amanda and Courtney enjoying the beautiful scenery after a hike in Filzmoos, Austria)
The first week of October was the annual Ladies' Retreat in Filzmoos, Austria. For those of you who don't remember hearing about it in the past couple of years, it takes place in the Alps. It is probably one of my most favorite places. It is so beautiful and I look forward to going there every year. I even hope I can go with the baby next year. It is fun getting to see the other ladies from around Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A lot of these women I only see once a year at the retreat so it is fun to get caught up with them. This year was fun getting to see everyone for the first time because when they saw me and saw my tummy it was a surprise and everyone was very excited for me! It was kind of fun to see their expressions when they actually looked down and noticed that I was pregnant! :) It felt so good to go out and do some walking as well. I wasn't sure how well I would be able to do on those mountains, but it actually felt really good to get out and get some exercise. It has been a while since I have done anything like that so I felt energized. Of course, I didn't overdo it and took it at my own pace, but it was really nice. Also, one of the things that I really look forward to is the strudel. They usually have some really good blueberry strudel, but unfortunately they didn't have any this year. The one place that we usually ate that was closed due to renovations so that was a little disappointing, but I still got some apple strudel so that made up for it.
(Clint and me in front of Mozart's Birth House in Salzburg, Austria)
On Thursday of that week Clint took a train from Chemnitz to Salzburg, which isn't too far away from Filzmoos. Pam, Courtney and I met him and picked him up at the train station and spent the afternoon in Salzburg. I was really excited about this because I had never been there so we got to see Mozart's birth house and do a little shopping. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time to sight-see but we had some amazing cake and coffee/ hot chocolate before we left to go back to Filzmoos.
Miskolc, Hungary
(Barbara and Alex saying their vows)
(Vienna students helped us sort clothes to take to Bulgaria for the winter)
On October 14th and 15th we had students and sponsors arrive from Vienna. These are the students who attend Oklahoma Christian University and Rochester College in Michigan. This is the 3rd year in a row we have had a group come from Vienna to help us sort clothes into men's, women's etc. and pack them so that we can transport them to Sofia, Bulgaria in November. As you can see from the photo (which by the way is stolen... I mean... courtesy of Karen Neel... thanks Karen!) we had a good time sorting the clothes and getting them ready for the trip to Bulgaria. They were a big help and got the work done in one day! We were able to enjoy the rest of the weekend getting to know them and just enjoying the company. We had two girls stay with us in our apartment: Laura and Kendal. They were really sweet and we were glad to get to know them!
Filzmoos, Austria
(Me, Amanda and Courtney enjoying the beautiful scenery after a hike in Filzmoos, Austria)
The first week of October was the annual Ladies' Retreat in Filzmoos, Austria. For those of you who don't remember hearing about it in the past couple of years, it takes place in the Alps. It is probably one of my most favorite places. It is so beautiful and I look forward to going there every year. I even hope I can go with the baby next year. It is fun getting to see the other ladies from around Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A lot of these women I only see once a year at the retreat so it is fun to get caught up with them. This year was fun getting to see everyone for the first time because when they saw me and saw my tummy it was a surprise and everyone was very excited for me! It was kind of fun to see their expressions when they actually looked down and noticed that I was pregnant! :) It felt so good to go out and do some walking as well. I wasn't sure how well I would be able to do on those mountains, but it actually felt really good to get out and get some exercise. It has been a while since I have done anything like that so I felt energized. Of course, I didn't overdo it and took it at my own pace, but it was really nice. Also, one of the things that I really look forward to is the strudel. They usually have some really good blueberry strudel, but unfortunately they didn't have any this year. The one place that we usually ate that was closed due to renovations so that was a little disappointing, but I still got some apple strudel so that made up for it.
(Clint and me in front of Mozart's Birth House in Salzburg, Austria)
On Thursday of that week Clint took a train from Chemnitz to Salzburg, which isn't too far away from Filzmoos. Pam, Courtney and I met him and picked him up at the train station and spent the afternoon in Salzburg. I was really excited about this because I had never been there so we got to see Mozart's birth house and do a little shopping. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time to sight-see but we had some amazing cake and coffee/ hot chocolate before we left to go back to Filzmoos.
Miskolc, Hungary
(Barbara and Alex saying their vows)
The next day, Pam, Courtney, Clint and I drove to Miskolc, Hungary for Alex and Barbara's wedding. We met some of the other Chemnitzers there. Alex is one of the members of the church in Chemnitz. He preaches and teaches a lot and is one of the leaders of the church. He met Barbara, who is from Miskolc, at a Single's Retreat in Germany a couple of years ago and they have been dating for a while. It's exciting that she is now living in Chemnitz and a part of our family here! The wedding was really nice. We helped a little bit with decorating for the reception and also sang at the wedding which was fun. We even learned a song in Hungarian to sing! It was interesting. The wedding was done in Hungarian and German. That weekend was really interesting with usually 3 languages being spoken: English, German and Hungarian. On Sunday, some of us stayed for worship and it was preached in English with two translators for German and Hungarian. I have to say that it was my first trilingual worship service! :)
Baby Appointment
(Me at 27 weeks)
On October 12th we had our last baby appointment. I was at the end of my 26th week at the time. So this time we were still hoping we might find out about the baby's sex, but we weren't getting our hopes up too high. We were actually preparing ourselves to just have to wait it out. Anyway, we got there and the Dr. said he would see if he could tell us anything. He was doing an ultrasound and basically said he could not be sure, but asked if we would want to know his opinion. I said of course yes and he said he thought it could be a girl. Then not even a minute later (no exaggeration) he was looking at the ultrasound and saw something that he thought could belong to a boy... so basically we were left with a... "well, I just can't be sure." So, thankfully we weren't really expecting an answer, but little Eby continues to keep us in suspense. Clint and I had already decided that at this point if we still didn't know we would start working on picking a girl name and a boy name and just be prepared for anything! We actually have a pretty good list of names that are our favorites and we just have to narrow it down. We think we will probably keep the name a surprise until the baby is born though. But, if we do happen to find out if it's a girl or boy we will make sure to tell everyone! Our next appointment is on Friday, November 9th.
Vienna Students
(Vienna students helped us sort clothes to take to Bulgaria for the winter)
On October 14th and 15th we had students and sponsors arrive from Vienna. These are the students who attend Oklahoma Christian University and Rochester College in Michigan. This is the 3rd year in a row we have had a group come from Vienna to help us sort clothes into men's, women's etc. and pack them so that we can transport them to Sofia, Bulgaria in November. As you can see from the photo (which by the way is stolen... I mean... courtesy of Karen Neel... thanks Karen!) we had a good time sorting the clothes and getting them ready for the trip to Bulgaria. They were a big help and got the work done in one day! We were able to enjoy the rest of the weekend getting to know them and just enjoying the company. We had two girls stay with us in our apartment: Laura and Kendal. They were really sweet and we were glad to get to know them!
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