it has taken far too long for me to post this on my blog :)

As you may have already heard via Facebook or our June newsletter, I am expecting our second child!  We are very excited about this addition to our family.  In the Lord's merciful providence, the timing of this pregnancy couldn't be more perfect.  The baby is due on the 22nd of December, which is right in the middle of the end-of-term break, when we already planned to be in the UK and the States for furlough.

What this means is that I am planning to give birth in the States, specifically in the Philadelphia area where we will be staying with David's family.  It will be nice to have the support and help of family during this time.  And I already have a midwife lined up and ready to go -- the same one who just assisted my sister-in-law in the birth of her baby boy!  It's amazing how the Lord provides in all these details.

The term ends on the 30th of September and we plan to travel back to the UK on the 17th of October, to spend time with our sending church.  I will only spend a couple of weeks there before traveling on to the US, due to restrictions on how late in pregnancy one can fly!  So at the beginning of November, Elijah and I will travel directly to my parents' house to spend a few weeks with them.  David plans to stay on in the UK for a further 3 weeks or so to fulfill his responsibilities to the church before joining us in the States to await the birth of our baby.

We appreciate your prayers that this pregnancy will continue to be healthy and uncomplicated.  I have access to prenatal care and routine scans when we travel to Lusaka, which we are thankful for, and I am already in contact with my midwife in the States via email so that she can monitor my pregnancy long-distance. I've been doing fine for the most part, other than suffering from fatigue, but please pray specifically that I would have relief from the pain I'm experiencing in my pelvis and hips which severely limits my ability to walk or stand for long periods of time.  I had the same problem at the very end of my pregnancy with Elijah, but this time the pain has come so early that I'm worried -- I'm not even halfway through my pregnancy!

Here's the big-brother-to-be: (photo taken during our camping trip in June)