Of course, you always have the best of intentions when you set out to do something. I thought I would have all this time when we moved here to blog and would use this space to keep friends and family updated, but then there was always a reason not to do it. First it was, I need to get us settled in. Then, I actually was a bit too busy for a while. More recently, I was just exhausted all the time and had no motivation to do anything at all…more on that later.
So back to October, after months of prep and planning (and help from our dear family and friends…and multiple amazing send off parties), we started our 25 hour journey to Malta. Doggert was champ. He sat on my lap for the first two flights and was honestly better behaved than he is in a car. He just slept on my lap the whole time and was so good that one lady actually asked if he was real. Once we arrived in Germany, it was almost time for the scary part. For the last leg of our trip Doggert was going to have to be in the belly of the plane. This had been causing MONTHS of anxiety for me. I was freaking out the whole 2 hour flight. When we landed we got our 6 suitcases and went to get Doggert. We were told that he wasn’t there and we would need to cab over to the Old Airport/Terminal to pick him up (not an easy feat with all our luggage). When we got there we learned that Doggert wasn’t there, but instead was at the airport we just came from. So frustrating. They were really nice though, and said they would arrange to have him brought over to us instead of us having to go back over there. While waiting there was a massive, and I do mean massive, explosion near the airport. A plume of smoke filled the sky and Jason and I could actually see the shockwaves vibrate through the windows of the building we were standing next to. We learned soon after that a large container of fireworks exploded for some reason. All I could think of was my poor puppy, but soon after, I saw Doggert come around the corner in his kennel via forklift. I’m not sure who was happier to see who. After long and stressful day+ we all made it safe and sound to our new home.
We spent the next several weeks getting settled. Jason started up work a few days after we arrived, and I began looking for an apartment for us. Jason had a very tired first week, but I got lucky and found an apartment we loved the first day I went out to look. We have amazing landlords and after months and months waiting for our stuff from the States, our little home feels just like that, home.
We spent Thanksgiving, our first holiday away from family, with our friends in Malta, we had our friend Anton visit from Germany, and then just like that it was almost Christmas. On December 20th, we got the most exciting news of our lives when I found out I was pregnant! After just over 3 years of trying for a baby and being on the brink of trying some more aggressive fertility treatments, I got my first ever positive pregnancy test. It was amazing! The very next day (it was so hard to leave Jason after that news), I headed to the States to spend Christmas with my parents and my also pregnant sister.
The next several months were a haze. I wouldn’t say I had the worst 1st trimester, but it wasn’t great. I was nauseous all the time and incredibly tired. I could not sleep enough and had no desire once so ever to do anything. The highlight however was having my sister come visit at the end of January. It was amazing to have her here, but it went by WAY too fast!!!! We went to Rome, which was super fun, and then we spent the rest of her trip kicking around Malta.
With the exception of missing our family and friends horribly, we are absolutely loving life in Malta. Doggert is crazy happy here, and Jason is enjoying how rewarding the job has been. I just began my second trimester, and I’m feeling better and better everyday. I’m excited to be going back for my last trip to the States before the baby comes for my baby shower and my sister’s baby shower.
Hopefully this will be the first of many posts about our life here in Malta! I have a lot more photos to share, so I’ll try to put some albums together too!
