Pregnancy brain...

I don't like to use that excuse, but how else can I explain that I forgot to write about the best and most important part of this whole process we've been through?

David has safely arrived in Canada and has now been here for two weeks. In some ways, it's hard to believe it isn't longer than that. We're still adjusting and getting used to being together and being in each other's space, but the loneliness and desperation we felt while apart has already seemed to fade into a vague memory. I knew that would happen eventually, but didn't really expect it this soon. We are still definitely not in a position to be taking each other for granted and I'm not sure if we ever will. The little things like bumping into each other on the stairs, trying to both stretch out on the couch, being able to look into each other's eyes, sharing a meal, brushing our teeth together before bed... those are all so precious and wonderful, and I hope that because of our experience we never lose sight of what a privilege they are.

David left Ghana late in the evening on February 21, after having to deal with an overweight bag that got ripped apart by airport officials, and a delayed flight due to an airline strike. Once he got to Frankfurt, Germany, he was told there was no room for him on his flight that was supposed to go to Toronto, Canada (airline strike again), but was fortunate to be rescheduled on a flight straight to Calgary, which was where he was supposed to fly to originally anyway. After that lovely bit of stress and a longer layover than expected in Frankfurt, the rest of his flight was uneventful. Passing through Immigration in Calgary was a breeze, and he arrived in Grande Prairie, where I was waiting, just a few minutes behind schedule. The temperature when he left Accra was between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius; in Grande Prairie at landing, it was -11 degrees. He wasn't overly impressed. I had brought a jacket, hat, gloves, and scarf to the airport though, so we managed to get him home without him freezing solid. Fortunately, the weather since then has been unseasonably balmy, except for the one day we decided to take David sledding. That morning it was -10 degrees, with a rather nasty north wind blowing that chilled all of us. Once we were done sledding? Yeah, it warmed up into a rather lovely afternoon.

David and I spent the first week hanging out at home, meeting a few friends/family members, and exploring Fort St. John. The first weekend he was here, my whole family got together and spent the day eating, playing games, and talking. During his second week, I was back at work and he spent more time exploring his new home and beginning his job search. He's very anxious to start working, which is understandable considering that I will be on maternity leave in less that 6 weeks (as long as Baby doesn't come early!). We're just hoping for the right job to come at the right time, and trying not to be too impatient until he finds something.

We're just really enjoying being together and not having our time marred by knowing one or the other will be leaving again. There's a lot of new stuff to figure out and get used to, but we're enjoying that part too, knowing that soon enough we'll settle into a routine that works. At least until Baby shows up and our life explodes with new things again.