Whirlwind

Countdown to packout: 13 days
Countdown to move: 20 days

Our passports and visas are in order, our packout scheduled, our property manager hired. A new crib, pack-n-play, and high chair sit boxed in our spare room, ready to ship.

But I’ve discovered my new nemesis: the stroller.

A few months ago, Joe and I learned we’re moving to Seoul, South Korea, in January for his new job with the State Department’s Foreign Service. About a month later, we found out our little family will grow to three while we’re there!

So, yes, I’m 3 months pregnant, nauseated, and exhausted, but I’m also thrilled about the two life changes charging my way (and I hear the nausea-and-exhaustion phase is almost over!).

I finished my job as a reporter at U.S. News & World Report before Christmas so that after a relaxing holiday, I could focus all my (limited) energy on the task at hand: buy the maternity clothes I’ll need throughout, and get the baby stuff that’s too big to send to our APO box in Seoul.

A new mom already working at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul warned me it’s best to buy our big baby items here to ship over with our household effects on packout day, since everything in Korea will likely be double or triple the price.

So I’m left with two weeks. I’ve made headway, but who knew there were so many different stroller and car seat options? Not me.

Stressful? Yes—I spent two hours in the Babies R Us stroller section yesterday, and made harried calls for mom advice to my sister Brandy and friend Kristi Stofer.

Worth it? Absolutely. On Tuesday, I had an ultrasound, and our little lime-sized Kimchi actually looks like a tiny human now, not just a blob. And the baby kept kicking off the side and sliding back, a little jumping bean!

While I listened to the heartbeat, I kept thinking: Oh my goodness, there’s someone GROWING in there!! I never realized pregnancy would be this bizarre and incredible. It’s definitely a reminder to me of how in control God is, that my body can grow a completely new person along with an entire life-support system. It feels like I could easily eat the wrong thing, lift the wrong thing, or just do the wrong thing by accident and screw this up, but the baby keeps growing (and I’m praying that continues)!

Also, the Foreign Service lifestyle is really appealing to me. If all goes as planned, we’ll get to move countries every couple years, learn languages (I need to impress the in-laws with Korean skills!), meet interesting people and explore the world together.

So, yeah, the whirlwind of life at the moment is worth it—will be worth it.

As long as I can just choose a stroller...