Christmas Eve

Rochsburg Castle

Christmas Eve was a good day. I went with Karen, Wanda and Dustin to a castle nearby called Rochsburg. It wasn't actually open so we just went and walked around it and took pictures, but it looked really neat.


Wanda, Dustin and me at Rochsburg Castle on Christmas Eve


Karen and me at Rochsburg Castle


Apparently, we were only 1 km away from America! :)


Me on Christmas Eve at 37 weeks pregnant

We were invited to go over to the Moehler's for coffee that afternoon and so at 3:00 we went over there to spend a couple of fun hours with Guido, Silke, Luca, Giulia and Timon! We had some yummy cake, hot chocolate, tea and afterwards we sang some German Christmas songs together. Then, Guido read the story of Jesus' birth. Of course, the kids were so excited that it was Christmas Eve that they kept asking over and over if they could open the presents. So, finally they let them each open one gift each and after that they were very quiet and preoccupied with their new toys! We had a great time with them and were so thankful for the invitation to spend some time with them on Christmas Eve!


Timon and me


Giulia loves playing with the camera.


Guido reading a story


Timon and Luca watch Giulia open her present.

We met up with Karen, Wanda and Dustin and left for the annual Erzgebirgsfahrt (drive through the Ore Mountains). There was a layer of snow and the lights looked beautiful. We made a stop at Wolkenstein where we stop every year and got out and walked around the center of town and around the castle.


Pyramid in Wolkenstein


Schwibbogen in Wolkenstein


Wolkenstein Castle

After our drive and singing Christmas carols along the way, we went back to Karen's house and ate our traditional cheese Fondue meal. It sure was tasty! Afterwards we watched "The Christmas Story" (or at least we tried... Clint and I both fell asleep). I believe Snickers slept too. :) Then Karen read "The Night Before Christmas" before we all went to bed!

Acupuncture

I had my first acupuncture at the last birth class and made another appointment for yesterday afternoon. It didn't really hurt at all. I guess I just sometimes felt a little prick when they put the needle in, but other than that you can't tell anything about it. I have no idea if it will help or not, but I guess we will see.

I had an interesting discussion about it with a friend. They had questions/ concerns that acupuncture originated from an Eastern religion called Taoism. I guess up until the point it was brought to my attention I hadn't really thought about it that way. I know that it did originate in Eastern religion, but I guess for me it is just a modern alternative medical procedure to use instead of medicine or other unnatural ways. Germans are really into the natural things so I think that is why it is so popular to do it here. To me it seems like a good idea to use it if it can help in pregnancy and other areas without having to go to drastic measures or use lots of medication... that is just not healthy in my opinion.

I understand my friend's point of view on the fact that we should not be putting "any other gods before us". For me though, acupuncture has nothing to do with any Eastern religious god, but just using a technique that in my opinion came from God's creation. I in no way think that by doing this procedure it means I am worshiping some other god. I also pointed out the fact that most of the nurses and doctors that I know who use the procedure are probably not even religious at all. Although, I even know a doctor in the States who is a Christian and he uses the procedure in his practice.

For me, I feel comfortable using it in a medical way and it doesn't bother my conscience or affect my relationship with God in the least. I still know that God is in control of my life and my health. I continue to pray that He watches over me and the baby and that He takes control of everything. However, I do believe that if it bothers someone's conscience they should probably not take part in it. If you feel it is wrong, then you definitely shouldn't do it. Don't let something like that affect your relationship with God.

Please share your thoughts on this topic. I am interested in what you all have to say about it.

Final Birth Class

Tuesday the 18th was my last birth class. Clint was able to go with me this time! Although I think afterward he said it was all stuff that he has already read about and knew about, he was glad that he could go with me. I guess the most important part of it (to me) was getting to watch a video of several different women giving birth. It was a lot longer than the first video we watched and we got to see the different things/ positions they did to help throughout the process. It was again a little bit scary, but amazing to see the sweet babies at the end and how all the mothers are so happy. I guess we are ready for the baby now!

Schwarzenberg Christmas Market

Arnold Schwarzenberger... ha ha... get it? Instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger. :)


This was a pretty door that we saw in Schwarzenberg. Above it is a typical Ore Mountain Christmas decoration called a Schwibbogen.

Last Sunday Clint and I went with Karen, her mom Wanda, nephew Dustin and niece Carla to the Christmas Market in Schwarzenberg. It was one place Clint and I have never been in the Ore Mountain area. We had a good time enjoying the yummy food they had and doing a little shopping and walking around. Here are a couple of pictures from our time there.


Clint and I in the center of town.


Schwarzenberg Castle



Here is a small glimpse of the Schwarzenberg Christmas Market. This is in the center of town and only a small portion of the market. There were many more booths that went throughout the small streets.

Weihnachtskaffeetrinken

Every year we have a Christmas Coffee/ Party at church. This year the children's class had a special presentation for us. They were so cute. I wanted to post a video but I think it is too big and I haven't quite figured out how to do that kind of stuff. You will just have to imagine how cute they were. :)

Everyone brought cake and sweets to the party and we drank coffee (and Clint and I made egg nog! I also made gingerbread... or attempted to) and had a good time together. We also sang some Christmas carols together. All-in-all it was a really good time with our brothers and sisters in Chemnitz!

Here is a picture of Clint and I at the party.



Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Week 35 Baby Update

Last Friday was our latest appointment. They did all the regular check-up stuff... checked the heartbeat, to see if there were any contractions happening, weight, hemoglobin, etc. The heartbeat sounded good, there were no contractions or any other signs that the baby was beginning to progress. My hemoglobin was about the same as last time, even .2 lower so that means I am still not getting enough iron. The doctor prescribed a different iron pill and has me taking it twice a day rather than once a day. The doctor didn't even do an ultrasound or check if I was dilated at all. He did a blood test to check for streptococcus. That all came out fine. My next appointment is on the 30th due to the office being closed during the holidays. I will let you know how that goes! At this appointment Clint and I decided to take the mp3 player to record the heartbeat and also had our new camera with us that also has video. I will try to post something here. We wanted to get a video of me with the straps on my stomach and the baby moving around, because it seems like every time I go in to do that, the baby moves a lot, but we didn't really get that on video this time. So I guess the video isn't all that exciting. :)

Goings-on

I will try to update about the things that have been going on in the past week or so.

First of all, I had another question to answer. Feel free to ask more questions, hopefully I will be able to answer them.

Quesiton:

"Do you know how long you'll stay in the hospital after Baby Eby is born? Is it up to you or will insurance only pay for so many days?"

Answer:

I think we will be in the hospital for about 3-4 days. I am not really positive about this but from what I have heard I will have to stay for at least a couple of days. Obviously it depends on how the birth goes and if there are any complications, etc. With the price of the medical system here in Germany the insurance paying for our hospital stay is not an issue. I guess whenever they feel I am ready to go home then they will let me go home! I hope that helps.

On to the goings-on...

On Thursday the 13th Clint and I headed out to Dresden to Grady and Allison's apartment. They gave us a chest of drawers, lots of baby stuff and a coffee table. After packing it all in the van we went to lunch with them. It was good to spend a little bit of time with them before they left. They have since made it to Minnesota and are doing well there. We miss you guys!

Later that afternoon Clint went to help Karen get her Christmas tree and when he got home he told me that I should look in my stocking. I thought that was weird since it's not even Christmas yet but I looked and found two tickets to see Jekyll and Hyde! They were for that night at 7:30. So we both got ready and went to the Christmas Market to eat some food and headed to the opera house! It was a great show and I really enjoyed my present! I was so excited because I had been wanting to see the show for months now since it has been playing in Chemnitz. Thanks sweety!

I will update about more of the week later...

Questions

On my last post there were a couple of questions in the comments that I thought I would clear up for anyone who is interested.

1. Do the babies have to stay in the nursery? No, as far as I understand it is your choice whether you want the baby in your room or to stay in the nursery. I definitely want the baby in the room with me! :) Of course there might be times they have to take the baby to do tests or checkups to make sure everything is ok, but other than that I want the baby in the room with me.

2. Can Clint stay with you in the room? Yes. We should have a private room so it will be nice that he can even probably order a bed or cot to be brought into the room to sleep in. When I was in the hospital in July they told us they could do that but we never did for some reason... he just always slept in the recliner. But I think it would be more comfortable to get a bed.

3. Do you deliver in your room or go to a special delivery room? No, there are separate rooms for delivery and then the recovery room (if that is what they are called). When we took a tour of the hospital they showed us several different rooms where the actual labor and delivery would take place. Then last time was when we saw the room we will get to stay in after the delivery.

Birth Preparation Course #4

On Tuesday I had another class. This one went well. We got to do a little tour of the rooms where we will stay after the birth. We looked at a 2 bed room that was empty. It was nice, but I just think it would be so much nicer having a room to yourself... especially when there are crying babies involved. Anyway, we should be able to get a private room because our insurance is private and that is the kind of room I had when I was in the hospital before and they paid for it.

Then after looking at the room we got to go see the nursery where the newborns stay. There was only one baby in there, but he was so sweet. He was so little and cute. Our midwife asked permission from one woman if we could look in her private room and she let us so we went in there and she had her newborn with her. She said the baby had come 4 weeks early.... wow! I can't imagine... that would be me having my baby right now! It's hard to believe that it could happen at any time now.

The second part of the class we discussed breast feeding, baby skin care and things like that. I guess I will be doing the acupuncture on the 18th. Then apparently it is something that you do once a week so I will have to continue to make appointments after that, even though it is the last class. That is the class that Clint can come with me to so he will get to see the acupuncture. It should be interesting.

On Tuesday we also went to a second hand store down the street for babies and children and we bought some clothes. I guess we are pretty much ready for the little angel to come. :) There are still some things I would like to get, but I guess we have the necessities. Well, we still need diapers and some other things but we are slowly getting there!

Christmas Market

Chemnitz Christmas Market

Well, it is that time of year again. Time for the wonderful smells of roasted almonds, hot chocolate, glühwein, crepes and all the other wonderful foods served at the Christmas Market. The crispness of the cold air combined with the Christmas music that plays throughout the market just gives you the feeling that Christmas is here! Plus, what a wonderful feeling to be walking around and seeing all the people with smiles on their faces. This time of year and the atmosphere the market brings seems to brighten people's faces and spirits. It's a time during the dark cold winter that everyone celebrates together with family and friends and some even remember why this time of year and all times is a happy time... Jesus.



Clint and I went to the market on Saturday and enjoyed just walking around and seeing all the sites and taking in all the smells and of course eating a few tasty treats as well! Our plan is to go again tomorrow evening. It should be fun!






Chemnitz Medieval Christmas Market- doesn't that pig look yummy??? Mmmm. :)


Musicians playing in the Medieval Market

Birth Preparation Course #3

Last Tuesday's class was good again. I don't know that I have anything really exciting to report about it, but I thought I would try to write about it anyway for those of you who are interested.

The first hour was spent listening to the midwife talk about the process during which we will be dilating. She once again got out the fabric pelvis and showed us some examples of the different sizes of dilation. (Don't worry, it was just a piece of wood with different size circles on it to show the progress.) This part was a little difficult for me to follow everything that she was saying for a couple of different reasons. 1. She tends to talk a little fast. 2. I was tired and it was 7:00 p.m. 3. I think she has a bit of a Sächsich accent. (The dialect from this region which can be difficult to understand if you have always tried to learn Hochdeutsch.) But overall I think that I understood most of what she said. This time she actually stayed on topic and I didn't get frustrated with her going off on some random tangent. Although I am glad she is sharing so much information with us, it is really difficult to sit still and listen for an entire hour. The reason for that is because it is so uncomfortable to sit on the floor (on mats) for that long. There are some pillows and most of us end up leaning against the wall with the pillows, but I ended up lying on my side by the end of the first hour because I was so uncomfortable.

Then we got to do some more exercises such as breathing and with those big exercise balls you can sit on. We did different techniques that can be used when we are in labor to relax us and help us breathe steadily and in a relaxed way. We also got to give each other back rubs again which was very nice. We also did some other breathing exercises standing up or leaning against the wall or a partner's back. She also told us how our spouses can help us in these positions.

The last part of the class we watched a birth video. I'm pretty sure I have seen one before in school at some point, but with the event coming up so soon, it sure is scary to watch! Although, I know it will be fine, it kind of makes you think... that is going to come out of me where???!!! But at the end of the video when the mother is holding her baby and is so happy that all the pain looks like it has vanished from her face it made me tear up and get excited about experiencing that moment when Clint is by my side and we are looking at our precious child for the first time. This is going to be an amazing, unforgettable experience! :) Praise God for his amazing miracles and blessings in our lives!

Baby Checkup- Week 33

On Friday we went to the doctor for our checkup. Once again they strapped the heart monitor and thing to detect contractions on to my belly to check the heartbeat. The heartbeat was perfectly normal and there were no signs of contractions. (I also have not noticed any so I wasn't expecting to have any then either). My hemoglobin was low which means that I am not getting enough iron so the doctor prescribed some iron for me to take. Although, don't worry Mom, it wasn't too low, it was just right at the border and he is not concerned about it.

He did another ultrasound and I asked him once again to let us know if he can tell if it's a boy or a girl. He acted like he had no idea that we didn't know already. He said, "Oh, you didn't find out at the specialist?" (which was back in September) He apparently doesn't remember all the other times I have been there asking him to look and to tell us. :) Anyway, I felt like he looked really really thoroughly this time. He was able to find the place of much secrecy, but still could not really tell us if it was a boy or a girl. He said, "Well, it could be a boy, but I can't be sure. Then he pointed out that even in girls at this late in the development, they tend to get swollen up in that area due to hormones so that it doesn't really look like a girl. I had never heard that before, but anyway... we still don't know. But you know what? The baby is going to be here before we know it and we will definitely know then! It might be fun for it to be a surprise when it's born! So just in case you are holding on to the hopes that we will find out before the baby is born... please don't. I mean, we basically gave up that hope a while ago and are ok either way. We are just happy to know that the baby is healthy.

The doctor also said that the head is down and in the right position and I am not dilated at all yet. So, all was good and healthy which is wonderful to hear. We go back to the doctor in 2 weeks on December 14th! The appointments are getting closer and closer together! :)

Only 38 Days To Go!

Can you believe it?? I really can't! Plus, I still have a lot of things to do and prepare before Eby comes. Last week Clint and I met with our friend Silke, who has 3 children, and talked with her about baby stuff, pregnancy and birth. It was good to talk to someone who has had a lot of experience. She and her husband Guido are letting us use their bassinet. We weren't really expecting to pick it up that day because it was in Oelsnitz in the attic of her parents' house, but she asked us if we had time that afternoon and we did, so we drove to Oelsnitz and got the bassinet! We have since put it together and put the sheets and everything on it! It's now in our room. I think seeing it on a daily basis makes it a bit more real that Eby really is coming soon!


Clint putting together the bassinet


Me and my huge belly next to the bassinet in our bedroom.

We also have rearranged the furniture in our living room and bedroom. We are not yet finished in the bedroom though. We went shopping for another wardrobe to put all the baby clothes and other things in it. We found a nice one and Clint and Larry will hopefully pick it up today. Then we will have to take some things out of the bedroom to make room for it... well it is actually one of those cloth hanging wardrobes that Clint brought with him from Oklahoma. I have to admit that I despise that thing. It just looks so awful. I would much rather have real furniture. But, since we are buying this new nice wardrobe, it will have enough room for the clothes that Clint has in the other one plus all the baby stuff. So, I'm excited to say that we will be taking it apart and getting rid of it and then we can put the new one together! We are also going to get a chest of drawers with a diaper changing pad that fits on top and a coffee table from Allison and Grady. They are our friends from Dresden who are moving to Minnesota in a couple of weeks. We will really miss them! It will be strange not having them around.


The ugly wardrobe tends to collect junk on top of it

I will leave you with a couple of pictures of the progress we have made in our apartment.


We moved our bed next to the windows and bought a new night stand.


Our wardrobe is now on the wall where our bed once was.


We moved one of the chairs from the bedroom into the living room, took out the table in the corner, moved the china cabinet and also moved the trunk from the bedroom into the living room.


You can see the trunk behind the chair.


This is just a little festive Christmas spirit!

Birth Preparation Course #2

Last Tuesday I went to my second Birth Preparation Course. This time I was emotionally prepared to do it alone. Clint dropped me off at the hospital and I joined the other 7 women in the class. Actually, two of them didn't show up this week so it was just 5 other pregnant women, me and the midwife. Anyway, at the beginning of the class the midwife did acupuncture on one of the ladies. That was very interesting. I had never seen it done before. She put about 2 needles below each knee and one needle on the inside of each ankle area. The woman said that it didn't hurt at all. At the end of the class I asked the midwife the reasons why they do that and how it can help. She explained that it somehow softens the cervix and can help you have a shorter delivery time. At least that is what I understood. She said she recommended it, but that you have to be 36 weeks along to do it. So, I'm seriously thinking of trying it. I mean, it couldn't hurt, right? I have to wait 2 more weeks though since I am only 34 weeks.

The midwife showed us with a cloth model of a pelvis and a baby doll how the baby would go through our pelvis. Can I just say that this whole birth thing is such a miracle? I mean, once the baby's head comes out the baby moves itself into a better position in order to get the arm and shoulder out... how amazing is that?! God is truly amazing how he creates life!

The rest of the class we did some breathing exercises and some little stretches/movements with our pelvises in order to loosen up and be relaxed in that area. Then we were able to give each other massages and that was really nice.

There were some points in the class that I got frustrated just because she was talking about the pelvis and everything then she suddenly would get off topic and everyone would start talking all at once going back and forth really quickly. Usually I couldn't understand everything that was going on at that point just because it was too fast and everyone was talking at once. Plus, they seemed to be going on and on about things that were not anything to do with the topic. Finally, the midwife would say, ok, back to the topic. So I basically just sat there waiting for her to get back to the topic several times. Other than that, it was ok and I did learn some things and I did fine by myself. :)

Fußpflege

I've discovered something very relaxing and enjoyable. Fußpflege... or something like a pedicure. Although, I have to say it's really not the same as a pedicure in the States. At least nothing that I have experienced in the States.

Well, I have officially gotten to the point of not being able to really comfortably reach my feet, especially to give them the attention they need in order to cut my toenails, put on shoes, etc. Anyway, I can reach them, but it is really really uncomfortable to try to reach them.

I decided that I needed a little bit of pampering and attention for my feet so I made an appointment to get a pedicure with my friend Sophia. She found a great place here in Chemnitz and made appointments for us to go together. Unfortunately the week we were supposed to go she got strep throat and was too sick to go. So I asked my friend Barbara if she would like to go with me. Barbara is Alex's wife who grew up in Hungary.

So we got there not really knowing what to expect and the lady that worked there was really nice. She took me to soak my feet in warm water for a few minutes and then she got rid of all the dry, dead skin and callouses. She cut my toenails and filed them down nicely. Then she rubbed sea salt on my feet while massaging them for a few minutes which was wonderful and that was basically it, but I have to say that it was a really great experience. Not only was the foot part great, but I had a good time talking with her while she worked on my feet. She was really friendly and talkative. Come to find out, she is also pregnant (not yet showing) and so we talked about that kind of stuff. Also, her father is Hungarian so when she worked on Barbara they were able to talk a little Hungarian together and I think they also had a good time.

I'm pretty sure I will have to go back again in a few weeks when I'm probably not able to even reach my feet at all! Here is a link to the place I went: Feet-n-nails.

Birth Preparation Course

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.

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. :)

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?

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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)

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!