A tiny break

I'm sneaking away from my paper for a few minutes so I can write on a different subject for a few moments. Something perhaps a little more lighthearted than the theology of poverty. This week, like last, is push-through week. Dave and I have turned in what seems like a multitude of papers already this summer, but we're still trudging along. We're determined however to finish by Saturday so that Monday we can take off for a few much needed days camping...before the fall semester starts on September 8th. We take turns each day giving each other a few hours to work uninterrupted while the other takes care of Cora. Today for example, I had her in the morning, so I went with friends Dana and little Clay to the beach to build sandcastles and climb all over driftwood, and David took her in the afternoon sailing with friends Jonathon and Charlotte, which since the rainy season seems to have settled in, was a very wet trip for them. The result of our little arrangement is that I've written about 5,000 words in the past week and a half but still have another 3,000 to go before Saturday, as well as about 600 pages still to read. Dave, definitely a more consistent and productive worker than myself, has done much more and is a little closer to being finished. It's been a heck of a summer, as full to the brim as we could get it. We're tired, which is not a very good place to be before you start another semester. But we're also broadened, stretched, challenged, changed. And that is a very good place to be.

So, the summer has been full with far more than classes and theological musings, of course. This month saw David turning 28 and Cora turning 2. We had a joint-birthday party for them, though David did get a bit short-changed, as it was mostly for Cora. We had a picnic out on the beach, and Cora was SO cute. It was such a joy to see her excitement. Each time a new friend came (she had six come), she would run over to hug them and take their hand and lead them over to play in the sand. There were about 30 people in all, and I served huge bowls of mediteranean pasta salad, colorful cupcakes, hummus and veggies, and watermelon.







On Monday after the party, Dave and I took advantage of his parents being here for a visit to go off for a little getaway retreat. We went with our close friends Esther and Kevin to a little cottage on Bowen Island for two nights. It was an absolutely beautiful setting and very peaceful and relaxing. We just read our Bibles, C.S. Lewis for David and Nouwen for me (nothing for school!), took long walks in the woods around the lake, played Settlers, had dinner outside by the harbor, and had morning coffee out on the deck with the magnificent view of the ocean and mountains surrounding us. Also while his parents were here, we all rode bikes the 10 miles around the Vancouver seawall (Jim and Shelli on a tandem!), did some maternity and birthday shopping, and went swimming.

Well, I should get back to my work. The rain is pouring down, the classical music is drifting in, and my book is fantastic: Poverty in the Theology of John Calvin (really, it is!) I've got about 50 pages to go tonight to keep on schedule. Plus, David's bringing me my nightly bowl of cereal and making tea, so I need my hands free. Good night! We'll let you know if we finish and get to go camping!

Unexpectedly Expecting

As most out there know (but not all--sorry, Sallie! I've been wanting to call you!!!), Dave and I got a big surprise this Father's Day when we found out I'm pregnant. We had big plans to begin trying around November so we could hopefully have a summer baby during the university break. Now we get one at the beginning of the winter semester--a much more stressful time! But that's okay...we have two very loving and doting mothers who I believe won't have a problem coming out to give us a hand. It just means no classes for me (probably) during that semester. The baby is due around February 15th. Considering we have several friends who have been hoping and trying and praying for a baby for long periods of time, we count ourselves incredibly blessed, overly blessed, for the ease of this "accident".

Today we all three went to the midwife and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. It was such a joy to finally know there's definitely, for sure, without a doubt, a little baby in there. Up until this point, which is pretty late--the 12 week mark, we hadn't had too much indication except the one little plus sign (and the obvious lack of a monthly visitor.) I have felt pretty normal, besides a few twinges of nausea, a craving for sausage gravy and biscuits which I still haven't given in to, and, oh yeah, that unusual seasickness in the sailboat yesterday (the waves were ridiculously choppy though and even Cora seemed to be looking green. She kept cuddling close and putting her face down into my arm.) My first visit to the midwife at 8 weeks was particularly uneventful. Just a relaxed little get-to-know you chat. No peeing in a cup or even touching my belly. They said it's better to just get to know each other first before they go poking and prodding. Just like the laid-back west coast. So I left still not having any confirmation that I was indeed pregnant. It may sound weird that I wanted this assurance, but if you had felt as surprised and shocked as I did by that little plus sign you would want an additional verification as well. So today I finally got it. Dave too was anxious to actually hear the proof and that sweet little heartbeat sound was music. I had hoped to record it and put it on the blog, but not surprisingly, I forgot the mini voice recorder. Maybe that's another of my pregnancy symptoms I didn't mention: forgetfulness. No, that's been here ever since Cora came along. And I think the toddler stage is just making it worse because it takes so much energy just to get us dressed and out of the house without remembering the fun optional extras. Anyway, it was beautiful and I wish I could share it. Though, okay, I guess it might have been a little dull to listen to a recorded thumping noise. We'll leave you alone until the ultrasound. Here we get one ultrasound at which, as long as it's after 20 weeks, they'll tell you what the sex is (some policy apparently in order to limit abortions due to gender--how horrible!) So I told them to schedule me for right at 20 weeks because we're dying to know if Cora will have a little brother or sister! And to know if some poor little boy is going to have to share a pink room with Cora for his first year and a half.