Welcome to the world, Eve!

Eve's birth went very well, and I was very glad that we had chosen to stay in Benin and to go to Bembéréké (a hospital started by the mission over 50 years ago). The Beninese midwife we had - the wife of the hospital director - has delivered missionary babies before, and isn't shocked by our idea that the husband should accompany his wife. She is also very experienced and very calm and reassuring.

We went to a private room in the maternity wing at 3pm, and things went fast from then on, as I gave birth at 5.10pm, only about ten minutes after arriving in the delivery room. The midwife was saying, "Oh, please! At least let me get my gloves on!" as Eve suddenly decided she was coming in a rush!

Here is the house we stayed in:

Me and Eve a couple of hours after her birth:

Marc and Eve two days later:

All three children after we got home:

Birth!

Eve Sofia was born on November 8th, at 5.10pm, weighing 3.020kg (about 6 and a half pounds, I think!). More details and photos to come when we get home to a (hopefully) better internet connection next week!

Written November 5th ...

... only posted now due to terrible internet connection!

Sorry for my silence over the last month! The month went extremely quickly – our annual SIM Benin-Togo conference took place from October 14^th to 18^th, and since I was involved with the organisation that took up quite a lot of my thinking time! I am grateful to God for a smooth and non-stressful conference, with thought-provoking Bible messages and some lovely times of fellowship with other missionaries.

Then I just had one week at home to get myself sorted to come to the mission hospital, since it had wisely been suggested that I move on-site at 38 weeks. I didn't at all expect to give birth so early (having given birth at 39+6 and 41+3 in the past) but I would have found it a bit stressful to be at home at that stage. Travelling is not recommended at night (due to bandits and badly-lit fast-moving other trafic) and trying to get the whole family in the car in a rush in the middle of the night did not appeal!

Last week I was here on my own, as Marc and the boys brought me down, stayed a night and then went back home for the rest of the week. That way our short-termer Matthieu could teach Simon for another week and Marc could get work done which he can do more easily at home … plus oversee the installation of a new water tank. But since Saturday they have been here with me – Marc is teaching Simon again and getting with other work in the afternoons. I'm glad, as I didn't really want to give birth without Marc being here!

We have a very comfortable house to stay in, and it is quite a luxury to have reliable power and water, not to mention people who come on-site to sell vegetables and chickens. It is quite a novelty to have a man turn up with chickens tied to his bicycle, to choose the one I want and have it killed, plucked and cleaned outside the house. It ends up in the fridge looking as if I bought it at the supermarket … but of course fresher!!

There are several other missionaries working in the hospital or on-site at the moment, and they looked after me very well last week, inviting me over for meals so that I wouldn't miss my family too much!

So now we are playing the waiting game, though since I'm not 40 weeks until Friday, I don't want to think of it as waiting until then!! If this one is as late as Benjy was, I still have another two weeks to go … and as I said, it's very nice being here, and I'm able to get on well with translation work, so what's the rush? I suppose I could be impatient to see my baby, but I remember last time thinking that babies are far less work on the inside than the outside, so perhaps I should just enjoy the (relative) peace and quiet while I can!