Itsara

Those of you who have been following Itsara since we started this adventure will recall (perhaps only vaguely) that we used to talk about our land in Chiang Mai. In truth, it was never actually ours, but it belonged to a relative who would sell it to us for cheap. Cindy’s dad was willing to pay for it.

Now things are similar, but different. One of the things that Cindy’s parents spent a lot of time doing while they were here was looking for land to buy. For us. After nearly two years here, the last 10 months being away from Im Jai and parenting, we now have a much better idea of what we want and need. The land mentioned in that very old post above is not close to where we are now. It is a few miles east of the city, but everything and everyone we know (pretty much) lives only a couple of miles south of the city in the area called Hangdong. That may sound close for those of you in the land of freeways, but here it would be a good 30-minute drive or more. So we never moved on that land that brought us here so long ago.

Cindy’s mom has worked hard and saved so that she can give each of her daughters a house when they need it. Of course we don’t need a house in the US, but we do need land and a house (or houses) here. So that’s what she’s doing for us.

They looked at a lot of plots of land, and for a while we weren’t sure we even wanted them to do this for us. But we prayed about it a lot and talked about it. In the end, it’s pretty amazing how God brought them to the bit of land we now own, and more amazing (both to God’s credit and Cindy’s parents’) as to how the price got lowered to something insanely reasonable. Hopefully I’ll be able to tell you about it sometime.

For now, be content with the updated knowledge that we own nearly half an acre of land in a community called World Club. When I get my computer back, I’ll give you more information about it and why we’re happy about it.

The plan now is to wait for the current owner to clean and level the land and complete a wall around it. Then we’ll measure it, both to make sure we’re getting what we paid for and so we can plan where and how to put our houses (yeah, there’ll be two). Sean and I are already having a little too much fun designing houses. Once we know what we want, and figure out how much it costs, and figure out how we will get the money to pay for it, then we can start building. Honestly, we could be moving in a year or so. Pray for it. Pray for sooner, and pray that everything goes smoothly and (as always) that God will provide.

My baby’s in the hospital. Don’t worry, it’s not Isaac. The monitor on my laptop suddenly went dim, so the kind (but expensive) folks at HP are looking into it. I sincerely hope the problem ends up being something that doesn’t require the many-hundred-dollar monitor to be replaced. In the meantime, I am on a public computer once again.

So we just had a great couple of weeks with my parents. They came out last year and did all the touristy things, so this time they didn’t mind just hanging around our house and holding their grandson while we did homeschool. They also brought nearly 50 kg of stuff just for me! Mostly old boxes I left at their house (including a very old one I forgot existed – it started a conversation on the word “tchotchke” and why we think they’re so important in highschool), some birthday presents for myself (yay, Amazon!), my bass, my 12-string, and a game with lasers – more proof that my mom can hold her own with the best of geeks. It was a total blessing to have them here. My Dad’s trying to get the whole family out here for Christmas next year. Here’s hoping.

Isaac is doing well. He’s gotten about 60% heavier and 10% longer (for those with math phobia, that means he’s chubby). He’s really alert. His neck is getting stronger. And… well, he’s pretty much perfect. The only things he really complains about are Hunger, Gas, and Not Being Held. Fortunately there’s no shortage of people who want to hold him. Seriously, he’s like the biggest tourist attraction in Chiang Mai right now. We’re thinking of charging admission.

Some of you want to know how this new transition is going. Both Sandra and Matt love Isaac a lot, so there’s no worries there. It has been a little difficult for us to balance teaching and parenting with baby maintenance, but we’re getting better at it. I think one of the hardest parts about the transition is Cindy’s dead-tiredness. Oh, I try and get up to help, but she won’t let me. It’s just as well since he only wants to eat most of the time anyway. In exchange, I run things during the day, but it ain’t easy. She’s better at it than me.

The kids have also had a hard time getting back into school. They had a month break and they’re a little slow to get back into the swing of things. One of the potential disadvantages in homeschool is that you can let that sort of thing slide. We’re working to change that. Keep praying for us as we go through these and other transitions at the moment.

On the subject of the Biggest Tourist Attraction in Chiang Mai, we have more visitors coming tomorrow. Carolyn and Tyson are going to visit Thailand, hang out with us, and hold Isaac. I intend to search Caryolyn’s luggage before they leave, as I fully expect her to try and steal him at least once.

Thanks to motherhood, I’m wide awake in the middle of the night. Actually, it’s not what you think. Isaac is not what’s keeping me awake. It’s worries. I guess I always knew I was a worrier. My friend once told me that it’s a mother’s job to worry. Now that we have 3 kids under our care, 2 of whom we didn’t raise since birth, I’ve found all sorts of new things to worry about – mostly about raising them right. I don’t even know what that means. My family’s recent visit got me thinking about how to raise the kids God has put in our lives. I won’t bore you all with the details, but I will stress myself over them! Please pray that God will show us how He wants us to raise our kids. He’s the only one I trust (although I do let everyone else’s opinions get in the way at times).

I was reading my journal the other day, and found a common theme in many entries: worries. I can’t attribute all my worries to motherhood. I’ve been worrying from long, long ago. As I reread all the things I was worried about, I really can’t believe l ever worried about them in the first place. In every single instance, there was absolutely no reason to worry. It didn’t help anything. I know that it’s an issue of not trusting God and/or having some worry addiction (if there is such a thing). The weird thing is that I completely trust God. He has ALWAYS helped us through all the hard times and He’s taught us so much by going through them. I KNOW for sure that He will get us through parenting all the kids He puts in our lives. I really do know this. But why do I still worry? I have no idea. Would you please pray for this, as I can see that it’s a huge problem in my life. Plus, it would probably help my sleep habits as well! :)

On a different note, it’s so awesome to be a new mother. I’m in awe everyday of how amazing it was to have a new human being created inside me, and then giving birth to it. I am also in shock of how Isaac ever fit in me and how he came out. It’s scary to think about. Isaac is sleeping in my lap right now, and he’s just so fun to watch and be with. (Yeah, I know when he wakes me up in the middle of my precious sleep, that’s not my first thought.)

Here’s some random advice for you women out there:
1. Because of movies, books, and women who tell horror stories, I expected pregnancy, natural childbirth, breastfeeding, and recovery to be extremely difficult and painful. None of them were even half as bad as I expected. So, maybe if you go in with really low expectations, you’ll be pleasantly surprised! By the way, I highly recommend natural childbirth. Women have been doing it since the beginning and still survived! If you have any questions, just let me know!
2. Parenting books are sometimes helpful, but mostly just annoying! Be the kind of parent you want to be and ask God to help you. You’ll stress out trying all kinds of things that the books tell you about. People have been raising kids for centuries without advice from books, and I bet their kids turned out just fine. Just love your kids the best that you can.
3. Get a good husband! Adam has been INCREDIBLE, and I just thank God for him. He keeps telling me to just take care of Isaac and myself. He’ll take care of everything else (the house, the laundry, the other kids, etc.). It’s a blessing!
4. Diapers are the best present you can give to new parents. We haven’t bought any yet, and we still have enough to last us at least 2 more months.
5. If you breastfeed, you can say goodbye to any dresses you own for awhile.
6. People are always trying to give advice to pregnant women and new mothers. It’s occasionally helpful, but not always. (Yes, that includes the advice that I’ve just given too!)

The last month or so has been a blessed and stressful blur. Cindy’s mom was with us for a month to help with the baby. Then around New Year’s, Cindy’s whole family came to visit. I don’t think there was a moment when Isaac wasn’t held – not if Cindy’s sisters had anything to say about it.

It was really good to have them here, but I think both of us are grateful for the break we have now. Cindy’s parents have blessed us in many tremendous ways (not the least of which is that they bought us a piece of land nearby – more on that later, I promise), but their visit was not without its difficulties. Cultures and authorities clashed in numerous ways, but I think we dealt with them all now, and we’re a lot better for it. I had to apologize to her parents the other day; Cindy noted that if that apology is how they saw God’s love during their time here (something we’ve been praying for), then the trouble that caused the apology is worth it.

Our break is made even more restful by the fact that Matt and Sandra are currently in Bangkok with their mom. So Cindy, Isaac, and I get nearly a week and a half alone together. I think we needed this time, if only to mentally prepare ourselves for doing homeschool with a newborn around. In any case, we miss the rest of our family and will be glad when we’re together again.

On Monday, my parents are coming to visit. We’re really looking forward to that, as I know they are too. It’s been a while since they last came.

I added some more pictures to Isaac’s gallery. I haven’t captioned them, but just know that all the Thai people you don’t recognize are relatives. The younger ones are Cindy’s sisters, and the youngest one (seen below) is our niece, Alyssa.