Somebody got a new rooster.

I think our neighbor got a new pet. This particular pet has very strong lungs and at 3:30 am every morning, he makes his presence known with a heartfelt macho "cock-a-doodle-doo-er". Yes, ever the "er" is at the end of his crow. In fact, the first time I heard him, I thought it was somebody outside being silly...it was almost musical!

However, since the morning he showed up, I haven't been able to get back to sleep once he starts his dirge. Doesn't he know that the sun doesn't come up until about 5 am?? I haven't been able to locate his whereabouts, but I know he is near.....sure, we've had many cocks around our neighborhood doodling all morning...but this one is particularly loud...the baby monitor in Promise's room on the other side of the apartment even picks up his morning call....he crows as though he is in my bathroom...stuck and can't get out. Poor cock. Dumb bird.

Okay....enough with my rooster tale. Tim has some great and awesome news for you all, but I don't think he will get around to blogging until the end of the week, so please stay tuned. For now, I will just give you an update on family life and getting back into the swing of things.

Tim's parents left on Saturday morning. We had a great time with them and felt encouraged to continue following the path God's been taking us on despite its sometimes invisibility....or so it seems. Although I was very tired during their visit and was still adjusting to being back here, I appreciated them coming and taking the time to just be with us.

Promise is adoring her "new" room. She is finally sleeping through the night without incident. :) This makes her mommy and daddy very happy. We bought her a $2 "potty" this week and hope to start the training process.....this little Chinese-made potty is hilarious and I am not sure exactly how Promise is going to make the switch between the potty being a mobile "comfy chair" that can also be a storage place for toys and it being a place for her excrement. So the journey begins. :)

I start working at this clinic next week. Because of Tim's work schedule, I will only be doing one day a week to start. I am looking forward to being back with the buntis. It feels a little funny to be going back to work no longer a student and not needing supervisor or preceptor signatures! This week I get to start home prenatals on a friend of mine from church. While she is planning on delivering her 5th baby in the US in October, she has asked me to be her midwife until her departure. I am honored to attend to her. :) She is my first "client" as Bethany, CPM.

I also get to visit May-May this week. Remember her? Her mother passed away in early February from complications of diabetes. She and her family have been continuing to struggle with the loss of her mother and new challenges. For example, after the big earthquake in Chile, parts of Davao were evacuated for fear of the tsunamis. May-May's family was just one of many evacuees. The tsunamis never came, but the fear and inconvenience to them was very hard. Tomorrow is the 40th-day anniversary of her mother's death and she has asked me to come and visit. In Filipino culture, death is mourned a long time....and days are counted. I look forward to the day when she has the freedom deep within to stop counting.

Sorry for the lack of pictures...I am finding it hard to remember to take them and Tim is just too busy to be working on photography....I will be sure to get back into taking some soon.

Thank you all again for the congrats, encouragement, support and prayers....the proof is in the pudding and the pudding seems good.....prayers are working.

Be blessed.