Not so fun...

Yes, I know, I know. I haven't posted in a little while. It's been busy, just settling in around here. David and I had one of our youth from the youth group we headed up in Birmingham up to visit us and see all the touristy things. We also went on a weekend trip to beautiful Harrisonburg, VA to see David's cousin and his family. And now David has started work for his justice on the Supreme Court. For security reasons, I won't be talking much about that or naming the justice that he works for on this blog. But he's very excited about getting started, and he's learning a lot about the High Court and how it functions. And he's trying to figure out all the little details of his job, but I'm sure that'll just be a process. So he started on Monday, and our long month of togetherness was cut short. Busyness is one reason why I haven't posted, another reason is that some of the newness and excitement of moving has begun to wear off, and it's been more of a struggle to be positive about this huge change in my life. I've wanted to be positive, so I haven't written because it felt like negativity would spew out on the page if I wrote earlier. And it may in this post anyway, but I tried to wait until I was in a more upbeat mood to write. =) All this negativity hasn't been helped by the fact that I've been enduring a urinary tract infection for going on two weeks now. Any of your ladies out there who've ever had one know how miserable they can be. This one is kind of low grade pain and pressure that is just constantly there making you want to tear your hair out from time to time. I've been pretty prone to them since we got married, and the antibiotics have always knocked them right out before. But now I'm pregnant, so it appears that the doctor can't give me anything truly effective to deal with this. The first antibiotic made me so sick to my stomach that I was on the edge of throwing up for two days after I stopped taking it. It didn't kill the infection, either. I'm on a new one now that is just as effective as the first one (translation: not very), and I'm worrying that I'm going to get to the end of this treatment program and not be better. How many antibiotics can I take at one time? Is this hurting the baby? Maybe this thing is becoming more and more resistent to the drugs and is now a super virus that will plague me for the rest of my pregnancy. I think the antibiotics have also made my stomach sensitive, so I wake up feeling bad, and it seems to last right up until lunch. I was hoping to enjoy my second trimester, and at this point, I'm just not. I'm not a very contented sick person, so that's another thing to add to my list of things to work on. So here I am, alone in this apartment, feeling kinda crummy, and it's easy to feel sorry for myself. Moves are never easy, and I knew this one wouldn't be, but sitting here in the middle of it is just tough. We do have a few friends in the area from law school and from when we lived here before, so we aren't starting completely from scratch. But most things are new and uncomfortable, and I don't know the area well, and that makes it harder to explore because its so easy to get lost in a large city. I'm wishing for familiarity. I'm wishing for my old job back at the preschool where I worked in Birmingham. They would've hired me for the fall, and it just would've been so easy. I wouldn't have to wonder if and when I should look for a job or contact a temp agency. I wouldn't be faced with either months by myself in this apartment or temping somewhere and/or rejection because I'm pregnant and nobody wants to hire me. It seems like there's never a good time to move, but this time feels particularly awkward at the moment. I haven't found a place to fit, and it looks like finding that place may be challenging. I know it is God's plan for us to be here. He led us here quite clearly, and I'm not doubting that. But I have learned that the places that God leads you often make very little sense to you at the time you're there. You can't quite figure out why he sent you to outer Mongolia when you wanted to go to Costa Rica. After all, you put in that request for Costa Rica years ago, and it doesn't seem like you're any closer to getting there than when you made your first request. So you sigh and put away your tropical shirts and bathing suits and pull out your mukluks and fur parkas. =) So at this point, I need prayer. I need prayer for healing from all my nasty sickness that worries and irritates me. I need prayer for acceptance for this life that I am living right now, which probably isn't so bad, but just doesn't fit well at the moment. And I need prayer that God will send people and things into my life that will make it a less isolated outpost. Oh, and I have passed my first trimester now. I'm 13 weeks today, and that has made me heave a pretty big sigh of relief. I am very thankful to have made it this far. We got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time on our first visit to see my new doctor, and that was something special for us. So thanks for all your prayers. Please keep them coming. Signing off from outer Mongolia... we love you. =)