Finally, an Update

I have been terrible about updating this blog since we moved to Provo. I don’t know if it is because our lives are so busy or because they are just so boring.

I went to work the day after I arrived, so I feel like I am still playing catch-up. I enjoy my work, and especially my coworkers, but although I only work part-time, I feel like I’m always at work and forever behind in unpacking, cleaning, and laundry. It probably has something to do with working Friday nights and Saturdays (although alternating).

E is keeping busy at school. He’s taking a TOEFL prep class and discovering that an American education is much more rigorous than a Turkish one. He has several hours of homework every night. In Turkey, the grading system is based on exams, so he had serious cram sessions a few times a semester and was basically free the rest of the time.

Despite all the work, E is having a great attitude. I’ve really enjoyed many of his impressions on American life. He loves some things (like flip-flops and school crossing guards) and can’t fathom other things (like no one walking on the streets and having to drive in your lane if there is no other traffic around you).

He’s also really taken to domestic life. He spends hours every weekend manicuring the lawn; and although he has never had pets (pets aren’t common in Turkey), he dotes on my parents two cats. I don’t think either of those cats has ever experienced so much attention and affection in their lives—and they’re certainly not receiving it from me. E is paranoid about the animals spending the night away from home, and if I let him, he would invite the cats into bed with us every night. Last weekend, we dog sat for my sister, so we had one very crowded bed (if the dog could sleep with us, then so could the cats).

I worry a lot about E because I know how difficult it can be to adjust to a different country and culture. I try to keep our schedule packed. He went to the dentist (not fun), and we’ve gone to several movies, hung out with some of my friends and family, and even attended a play at a community theater. He’s starting to develop friends at school, so I’m happy for that.

As for Baby B. We went to the doctor two days after we arrived, and Baby B seems to be progressing well. I am now 30 weeks and can’t believe I only have 10 more to go. I’m discovering, though, that the third trimester is not as fun as the second. I am incredibly tired again—but maybe that just has to do with changing time zones and jumping into work—and Baby B is pressing on my lungs so breathing isn’t a breeze anymore. That said, we can’t wait for his arrival.