Robyn.Bowles.es

We saw the doctor again last week Thursday. Everything still looks fine – including my weight (yipee!); the doctor said I’ve been “very good” in that regard. Spaniards tend to recommend less weight gain than in the U.S. – though not a lot, maybe 5 pounds less. So I was happy to be doing well even by Spanish standards!

We’ve decided to change the delivery hospital, and therefore the doctor, too. We figured since we’ll be staying on the Northwest side of Madrid as of June 27 or so, (10 days before the due date); we’d like to be at a hospital that is closer to where we will be. I’m also hoping that this suburban hospital will be more accustomed to foreigners as many of the expats live in that area. The home we plan to stay in is 14 minutes from the this hospital, and we also have at least three families in our church who live within 5 – 10 minutes of that hospital.

While it is possible that baby could come earlier than that, my plan is in that case to have someone from school here drive me to a friend’s home close to the hospital when labor begins; then when it’s absolutely necessary, we’ll go to the hospital from there. I’m praying that baby will be born sometime in the week he’s due – the week of July 4.

We’re off to start our journey to Morocco tomorrow. We’ll take a bus 6 hours south and east to Malaga first where we will spend two days. Then Thursday we take another bus for about 2 hours to the port in Algeciras where we will get the ferry to cross the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco. We will be able to see the rock of Gibraltar from there. We’ll be traveling through Morocco for the following 2+ weeks to cities including Tangiers, Rabat, Fez and Marrakech. Then while the rest of the students continue south to Agadir, Samuel and I will make our way back north to Spain. We’ll spend about 9 days in Malaga helping out some people there, then the rest of the students will meet up with us there for an additional few days before we finally arrive back to Madrid on May 21.

Early this morning half the students left for five weeks in India. They will be serving in one of the poorest cities there. It will be strange to be with just half of the group for the next five weeks. It was also crazy to realize that my belly will probably be twice the size it is now when we see each other again!

This past week I’ve been experiencing a lot more physical, muscular fatigue. I’ve needed more naps, too. It feels like he’s gone through a growth spurt, and it’s not stopping! My lower back and lower belly get tired very easily; sometimes I have to actually “carry” or lift my belly to alleviate some of the ache. Maybe I should have gotten one of those belly/back braces? I’ve had a couple dreams lately where I was working in Labor and Delivery attending other women’s births – though I myself was pregnant. Maybe I’m a little obsessed with the delivery still . . . ?

I was afraid I noticed some stretch marks earlier today – though I can’t see them now. Maybe they were just imprints from the shirt I had been wearing?

Well, the next time I’ll be able to post may be another 4-5 weeks.
Hasta pronto!

« A Week of Service     Orientation in Malaga »