three years

Three years ago today, my best friend Marc asked me to marry him. I said yes. He knew I would, as we’d been talking about it for the past five days. I don’t often take life-changing decisions after only five days’ thought, and in general I wouldn’t recommend it to others, but it turns out to have been one of the best decisions of my life!

Merci, mon amour, pour ces trois merveilleuses années à tes côtés!

water baby

Simon had his first experience of the swimming pool this morning! We went to the round pool at Nancy Thermal, which is warmer than the other pools and full of old people. According to the rules, even babies have to wear swimming caps, but when I was asking about it the other day I’d been assured that I could borrow one for Simon. However, they didn’t mention that it would be an adult one! I tied a sort of knot at the side, but it did look rather odd! He still charmed the old ladies, even with his funny hat and lack of smiles.

In fact, he alternated between being freaked out and crying – but because of the noise not the water – and looking round him attentively while splashing his hands in the water. For a baby who really doesn’t like a lot of noise, he did really well. We only stayed in for about ten minutes, then he was getting cold – the old ladies told me it was colder than usual today – and so we went under the shower (another first!). He was ready to dislike the shower, but then realised how warm it was and just looked perplexed.

So overall it was fun, and I think we’ll try to go fairly regularly. I’d like him to be as happy in the water as I am!

St George, Sarko and Ségo...

Happy St George's Day!

Despite it being England's National Holiday, I felt I should say something about France's Presidential Elections yesterday. But I'm no expert, so I haven't exactly got much to say! For those who don't know, in two weeks time there will be another election, this time between the top two candidates from yesterday's election, Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal.

So what has Nicolas Sarkozy got going for him? Well, he did come to the 2004 FEF (Fédération des Evangéliques de France) AGM and gave a good speech. And shook my hand (my claim to fame!). But he does say some scary things.

Ségolène Royal is a woman. And won't let anyone forget that. And if anyone says anything against her, she says it's just because she's a woman. Hmm. In the small excerpt of her speech I heard yesterday evening, she just attacked Sarkozy, which didn't seem particularly constructive.

So it's probably a good thing I can't vote and don't have to choose between them.

And something tells me I won't be getting any calls asking me to take a job as a political commentator!

intrepid explorer

Simon sleeps a lot, but (or perhaps because) the rest of the time he’s a little bundle of energy. It’s dangerous to hold him against you because his flailing arms are likely to hit you in the face (and knock your glasses off, if you wear them!). He will often sit up if laid back against the person he’s sitting on, but he isn’t very good at staying sitting up, as he’ll generally see something that interests him and will throw his weight in that direction in an attempt to get to it.

If, however, there is something going on, like church last night or youth group this evening, he will sit quite happily on a lap, looking around at everyone and “listening” to what is being said. He will even add his own comments from time to time!

Today he saw one of his godfathers, Adou, again. Adou has been working in the States, and had just seen Simon once, two days after he was born. At least Simon didn’t cry in his arms this time!

Visits from godmother and aunty!

Simon really doesn't much like smiling for posed photos!!

incongruency

Today it was 25°C (77°F), probably the hottest day we'd had this year.

I went to the chemist's to get Simon's vaccine for tomorrow, and said, "Oh yes, and do you have any hot water bottles?" The chemist gave me a slightly odd look, and I realised that they probably aren't selling like hot cakes (boom boom!) this week! I assured her that I was serious, and had been meaning for ages to replace my current water bottle, whose rubber is rapidly deteriorating.

So I now have a snazzy gel-filled hot water bottle ... which I doubt I'll be trying out any time soon!

delight

I heard Simon laugh for the first time last night! It may of course not have been the first time he'd laughed, but I'd certainly never heard it before. I was changing his vest as he'd got damp in the hot car, and I used a washable wipe to gently clean him with some water and then dap him dry. Perhaps the dabbing tickled him, because suddenly a gurgling giggle broke forth. I got all excited and said, "You laughed! You laughed!" ... which apparently wasn't very funny as he didn't grace me with another peal. I can understand why parents spend hours trying to make their little kids laugh - what a magic sound!

holiday photos

lots of news

We had a very full and exciting day yesterday! In the afternoon we had our interview at ANCC. We got over there and fed Simon before 3, when we were expected, and then spent an interesting hour with Mike Wall, the Executive Director. He was approachable, a good listener, and one of those people who manages to seem down-to-earth and spiritual at the same time. After some small-talk, he prayed, and then said that although we had written it all in our application, he’d like to hear us talk about our Christian experience and what made us think God was calling us into mission. I began, and told my story up until Marc and I got together, then Marc gave his story and continued into our story. At the end, Mike basically said, “Well, I can see clearly how God is leading you, and it’s wonderful to see the way He’s guided you up to this point … but why bother with Bible college?” At first I thought he was seriously saying that he thought we should go straight out to Africa (!) but he explained that he felt that we needed to know what our objectives were for the year of study so that we didn’t “lose momentum”. We talked then about our reasons for being there, and some practical questions, and the interview concluded with him saying that ANCC would be happy to welcome us in September!

Simon was brilliant during the interview. He sat on whichever of us wasn’t talking, and had a good look around, then spent a long time chewing on my hand. By the end he was getting a bit restless, but that’s only to be expected after an hour of being so well-behaved!

Yesterday evening we went to visit Ruth and Andrew – and Rob! – at the hospital. They are all very well, though Ruth obviously has to be careful what she does because of her C-section scar. Andrew is very sweet. In less than four months I had already forgotten what a newborn is like, and despite him weighing about 700g more than Simon did at birth, I was amazed at how light he felt! It made being an aunt feel a bit more real, though it’s funny to think that I’m the aunt of a tiny little being like that!

I am so thankful to God that He made it possible to be here for the birth of Andrew. It’s so lovely to have family time with new and older family members!

new life

I’m an aunty! Ruth and Rob’s baby was born at 6.27am today, weighing 8lb 8oz (or 3.9kg). His name is Andrew Iyyad, and he ended up having to be born by emergency C-section, but parents and baby are doing well, though very tired! We are hoping to visit them in hospital tomorrow evening.

This isn’t him(!), it’s a lamb I saw in a field on an evening walk yesterday!

easter joy

We made it!!! We are in England at my parents’. The journey yesterday must have been the best we have ever had from France to England. No problems from Paris to the coast (except the queue for the temporary Portakabin women’s loos at the Baie de Somme service station!). Whizzed through Border Control – the French police checked the passports of the people in the car in front of ours, and then packed up and went away! The British had our names and just checked all our certificates and waved us through. Dead calm sea – a blessing since I couldn’t take any travel sickness pills cos of breastfeeding. I fed Simon on the boat, he fell asleep as we drove away from the port, and slept the whole way to Mum and Dad’s, which we did in two hours and ten minutes (fastest ever!!).

Arriving in England, we got the news that my sister Ruth’s waters had broken and she was at the hospital. Although she hadn’t had any contractions, they wanted to keep her there. So I went to the hospital with my other sister, Ali, yesterday evening and we had some fun sister-time! I got to see her bump! And I will get to see her baby, as they started to induce her this morning. We are just waiting for news now, though from what we’ve heard it may take a while.

The other big news is that Simon has now met his English great-grandfather, as Grandpa came for lunch today. Simon has been coping amazingly well with all the travelling, new places and new people, and even all the noise at church this morning. He has been charming everyone with his smiles.

It was great to be in Christ Church, Bedford, for the Easter Service this morning. Jesus is risen, hallelujah!

looking better!

After nearly 24 hours of being convinced we wouldn’t make it to the UK, I had a call from someone on an Internet forum board that I belong to. (And I have to say that it is a great board – one person on it lent me cloth nappies to try out, and then this woman rang me today about the ID card situation.) She just wanted me to know that her husband had managed to travel when he forgot his ID card a month ago, and so she thought we should contact the border police to check things out. So Marc rang the French border control, and they said that as long as we have our passports and Simon’s birth certificate, they’re happy. Just to make sure, I got the local town hall here to give us a letter saying that we have applied for the ID card. They did say to contact the British border control as well, and I'm trying to find the number for them!

So it looks as if we are off to England after all! I won’t be rejoicing until we’ve actually got through Passport Control, but it’s looking more hopeful!

not looking good...

*sigh* and *cry*

France have delays on their issuing of ID cards … so Simon’s quite probably won’t arrive before we wanted to leave here on Friday. Which means no trip to England. Which means not seeing my sister and brother-in-law who I haven’t seen for nearly two years and don’t know when I’ll see again. Which means they don’t get to meet Simon. And I don’t get to meet their – as yet unborn – baby (though that was never guaranteed).

I have run out of words and the tears will start rolling again if I don’t try to think of something else. The only thing that makes me smile at the moment is Simon’s smile, and he’s in bed.

one of yesterday's photos

A jumper and matching hat knitted for him by his French grandmother!

noisy world

We all went to church on Saturday evening and then since Marc was leading the Sunday service I took Simon in the buggy to meet him afterwards. We met two guys from church on our way there, and when they and I started chatting and burst out laughing at something, that started Simon off crying. Getting to church and being surrounded by the sound of voices, kids playing football, plus traffic going past didn’t exactly calm him down! The poor little boy has definitely decided that the outside world is not a kind place! And his face looks so tragic as he cries!