Inspired by fellow new mama Pat, I thought I'd post an update on xanga since, I, too, had been posting stuff on Facebook to the exclusion of my blog.  Frankly, I didn't think there was anyone left on this earth who hasn't signed up for FB!  But, since I've come to find out that at least a couple friends aren't on FB, I figure there might be others as well. 

1. I miss not having to think about sticking my stomach in. :)  All my life, my belly was my "problem spot." While pregnant, it wasn't a belly, it was a baby!  Sigh.
2. I will soon be burning my stupid natural childbirth book in effigy.  What a useless piece of crap that was!  It seemed to imply that labor shouldn't be that painful, and that if it is, it's b/c you aren't following its detailed instructions on relaxation.  I tried to relax!  But how am I supposed to relax while screaming like a banshee?!
3. No amount of reading or listening to parents talk can prepare you for the inexpressible joy of holding your own child in your arms.  I love my nieces and nephews, but I wasn't prepared for the kind of love that overwhelms me every time I look at little Isabella Joy.  I'm completely smitten (ditto for dad)!
4. God knew what He was doing when He made Isabella the kind of baby who finds a bath relaxing rather than stimulating.  Our only reason for bathing her every single night w/o fail is not a concern for personal hygiene, but rather to do everything possible to ensure ourselves a better night's sleep!
5. Being pregnant is fun in a culture where procreation is a core value.  But having a cute little baby outside the womb is even funner here!  Everyone is so drawn to Isabella!  And they're fascinated by the Maya Wrap I carry her around in.  Some people will stop just to tell me it's a bad thing and that I should carry her on my back like all the women here do.  But a lot of people want to know what it's all about and think it's cool, especially when I explain that it's what indigenous women in Latin America use to carry their babies.
6. Shortly before Isabella's birth, I started wishing I could delay parenthood a bit longer.  I felt like I was going to be exhausted all the time and be weighed down by the hassle of changing dirty diapers and getting up in the middle of the night to feed a crying baby (just being honest here!).  But, now that I'm actually caring for Isabella, I'm amazed at what a delight it is to do all these little things for her!  I don't mind changing dirty diapers!  And getting up in the middle of the night to feed her is ok, too!  It just gives me an opportunity to listen to some music or some Rick Holland or Will Varner sermons (among others) on my MP3 player!  Good times!  Of course, I look forward to her sleeping through the night consistently, but for now I'm just glad that Isabella has gotten to the point where she feeds and falls right back to sleep, as opposed to the torture of the first few weeks when she had to be walked around for an hour after feeding at 3 AM.  Brutal!
7. I used to think that moms who stressed the importance of their babies being home for their naps were just inflexible, complicated women.  Was I ever wrong!  Isabella is so much happier when she gets her rest and isn't carted around all over the place, disrupting her routine.
8. I regret all the times I was mean to/impatient with my mom - most recently while she was here visiting after Isabella's birth.  It hit me that one day it's going to break my heart when Isabella starts talking trash to me!
9. I'm learning that it takes a lot of effort to raise bilingual (or in our case, polyglot) children.  I've been speaking to Isabella exclusively in Spanish, and it's not easy!  Especially b/c daddy doesn't speak a word of Spanish - other than the important stuff like "Eres hermosa! (You are beautiful!).  I love to sing to Isabella, but I hardly know any Christian children's songs in Spanish, since I didn't grow up in the church, and English just comes a lot more naturally to this ABC (American Born Colombian)!  Any words of wisdom from friends trying to teach your kids a second (or more) language(s)?
10. I'm glad I live in a culture where breastfeeding in public is the norm, b/c it would be a big hassle to sequester myself every time Isabella got hungry while at church or visiting w/friends or running errands in town.

I'm sure I'll think of all sorts of other things to share as soon as I press "save," but Isabella just woke up and I am not sure how long the mobile we just installed over her bed will entertain her. :)

So, without further ado, here's the link to our Picasso web album, for anyone interested in checking out photos of Queen Isabella - our nickname for her, which, obviously, isn't a shortened version of her name, which, so far, we're not into.  We won't get all bent out of shape if someone calls her Bella, but we prefer Isabella.  We will, however, correct anyone who tries to call her Izzy/Issy.  Nothing against anyone who chooses to call a girl by that name, but to me it sounds like a boy's nickname (a diminutive for Israel) and not the name for our princess!  I mean, Queen!

And if you want the "Cliff's Notes" of that huge collection of pictures, here's a few fun collages I put together (starting with the most recent pictures):

When we first arrived in Senegal a year and a half ago, it was the height of the hot season.  One of the hottest places we frequented was our church, which was usually packed with worshipers and, of course, has no A/C.  Dan would be sweating from head to toe by the time the service got out, and would be anxious to get home and cool off. 

A couple of months after our arrival, ITES (the bible school where we serve) offered a course on understanding Islam, which Dan and I eagerly signed up for (even though we'd already taken a similar course before coming to Senegal).  The first day of class, we met a student named Sammy who said, "I know you guys!  We go to the same church!"  We felt bad that we didn't recognize him, which was obvious to him.  He gently replied, "It's no surprise, since you're like most missionaries that clear out of church the minute we close in prayer, without sticking around to talk to people."

We were so humbled!  He was right about us, and while he might not have understood Dan's sweat problem, he kindly pointed out to us how our behaviour may well have been perceived by the majority of brothers and sisters at our church.  Sammy's bluntness had a significant effect on us for the better.

Since then, we've made a point to greet and mingle before and after church, and have had various members of the church over to our home.  We've become members  of our church, and are currently serving on the missions committee.  Most importantly, we've grown to genuinely care for the brethren at Église Baptiste de Dakar, and praise God for Sammy and his much-needed kick in the pants.


Pastor Pièrre & us at Isabella's Dedication