Last week we made it safely to the UK to await the birth of the baby. For the past few weeks Jen has experienced a number of occasions when she has thought that she was going into labor… so we are extremely thankful to have gotten this far with the baby still safely inside! The midwives in our family have been surprised that the baby hasn’t been born yet due to all the stress and activity involved in home assignment followed by changing assignment and moving house. Yesterday we realized that the month May was the only month of this year that we have not lived out of suitcases! It has been quite the year, and we have thoroughly enjoyed the majority of it! However, we are hoping and praying that the baby will at least make it to 37 weeks (considered full term). Doug and I are tired, but starting to relax and enjoy the help that Jen’s parents are being in this last month of pregnancy! Keep a watch out for the birth announcement sometime in the near future!

As we mentioned yesterday, we are home We have been living in our new house for just over a week. We are making small steps towards unpacking our many suitcases, cleaning, constructing furniture and trying to prepare the hosue to bring Baby Mann home to in around a month or two. We really like the house and are starting to get to know the neighbours and the neighbourhood. Our shipment from Peru should arrive before we return again from our trip to the UK for the birth. It will be nice to have our own things again to really make the place feel like home. Here are a couple of photos of the outside.

We have been in language lessons for three weeks. Study has been difficult but we are beginning to make some good process. Please keep remembering us as we master this complex language. As we are in our language study lessons we are very thankful for a lovely Albanian lady named Liliana who is looking after Jonathan. She only speaks Albanian, so Jonny is getting is own 2 hour “lesson” each day! We are looking forward to developing a close relationship with her and hope that she becomes a part of community felllowship.

Baby Mann is doing well. Jen is now 34 weeks pregnant and doing well except for the heat here as the Albanian summer continues. We leave for the UK for the birth in just under 2 weeks. Please continue to remember Jen and the baby’s health over the next month, along with the safe arrival of the new member of the Mann family. For those of you who are eager for another “Belly Watch” photo, here’s Jen and her “beach ball” belly standing in front of the lemon and orange trees in our yard!

We have moved in to our house and we have internet! Wahoo! So in the next few days we will get some photos up and get our latest news out to you.

Just quickly though… those who have been worried about Londy. He found a new home (one of Doug’s friends in the Baltimore area) and a girlfriend (they have a female boxer ) and the best news… Doug is going to bring him home in November! We are very excited and relieved that we will have the family back together again!