Bump Update

5 weeks

12 weeks

20 weeks

Sorry - I know the pic is blown out. We had a hard time getting pics to not be over exposed.

There you have it, folks.  Little Ryan is growing. Now that the top of my uterus is up near my belly button, I'm no longer shaped like a mountain peak which, we think, has the effect of making my tummy look smaller than before. I wish we had captured weeks 15-18. The good news: these cute stickers occur at smaller intervals as the pregnancy progresses so the next pic is only 4 weeks away.

Last night Mark went to watch a documentary as part of a week long series to end violence against women in Ethiopia.  The documentary followed two city-dwelling 20-somethings as they spent 20 days in the Ethiopian countryside living out their gender role. The film was interesting, but even more so were the reactions of the audience viewing the film (I was the only foreigner in the room - thank goodness for English subtitles!). The discomfort among most audience members was apparent with their nervous laughs, much like school children watching a sex-ed video, when the host mother discussed how her husband abducted her into marriage. Her family didn't fight the abduction as they had already promised her to this particular man since birth. "Why fight something when you know you've already lost," she said. The audience also had a few good laughs as the city-dwellers struggled miserably to keep up with their hosts during daily chores. That, however, was really funny.

Today we are applying for driver's permits! Yahoo! The taxis are manageable here, but they aren't like America.  You have to first ensure that your driver is sober and hasn't been chewing chat.  Then you must negotiate prices before entering the car. The cars do not come with seat belts or air conditioning.  The diesel exhaust that the old cars spew is thick, black and intense. I can't wait for my own car with rolled up windows and A/C running. All taxis were manufactured during the Soviet era by Lada.