3 Years Ago

Cory and I first came to Albania in 2012. 

The first year, everything was new. 

The second year it felt like we were coming home. Of course we noticed new things and learned more about the country and the culture but that first wide eyed "shock" was gone. 

Last year we moved here and in living here, learned 1000's of things we never would have on a summer missions trip. 

Cory's parents are here this week for the first time and it's such a blast to show them around because it's as if we are reliving that first summer all over again. 

They are noticing and commenting on things I have long forgotten are weird, or different, or shocking. 

I'm sure in 10 years I will read the blogs from my first year and laugh at what I wrote about. 

Cory's mom has taken a ton of amazing pics of our family but also of Albanian life. Here are a few...

This is a section of the "Pazar." 

It smells of rotten cheese. And everyone wants you to buy their cheese. They even let you taste it. 

The plastic bottles of Fanta are actually filled with olive oil. 

I have yet to learn what many of those herbs are. 

This is what Cory and I call the Sheep swap meet. Every Thursday on this hill, there are hundreds of men and their sheep. And goats. They seem to be "swapping" them. As you drive by in both directions you pass shepherds herding their sheep, or driving them in a horse drawn cart or a beaten up truck. I've never seen anything like it. 

And this, I love. 

I love it because it means so much more to me after living here nearly a year, than it would have if I had seen it before that. 

That sweet old lady is a widow. 

Widows dress in all black after their husbands death. For the rest of their life. A lot of women here are widows for decades.

I didn't know that 3 years ago. 

These clothing shops surrounding her are owned by families. 

They all sell similar things. 

It is their livelihood. 

Every morning and every night they take everything out and put everything back. 

3 years ago I wouldn't have known the weight that lays in them selling a shirt or a pair of socks. 

3 years ago I didn't know any of the words I was hearing. Now I can understand what is going on around me. I recognize the numbers, the questions of "how much is this?" 

And if I had seen this picture without ever coming to Albania, 

I wouldn't be able to hear the shouts of the shopkeepers yelling out the prices of their goods, or the crunch of the gravel under everyone's feet. 

I wouldn't be able to smell the tobacco smoke, the Turkish coffee, or the mothball scent of the clothes. 

I wouldn't be able to feel the dust in the air, the humidity of the weather, or the cash in my hand that has become my only form of payment. 

And when I first came here 3 years ago, I had no idea how dear this place and these people would become to me. 

And I can't wait to know and to understand more. I can't wait until I hear every word. 

And I'm so thankful for how both of our parents have embraced our life here, supported us in every way imaginable and encouraged us with their words and prayers all along the way. 

And this....

what can I say? 

Taliah Pauline Cramer

Time flies when there's a newborn in your home. 

The days and nights blur together. 

Hours fly by like seconds. 

So, nearly a month has flown by and I will pick up where I left off...

Although we had been nervous about our time in Tirana, we ended up having a blast. It was a special time with Shiloh as a family of  3. There is a lot to discover in Tirana and we spent much of our time walking and exploring. 

So while we were ready and waiting, we enjoyed the time in between. 

While there were some crazy moments in the hospital, Taliah's birth itself could not have gone smoother. I was only in labor for 5 hours. We ended up arriving to the hospital 45 minutes before she was born. 

And...that is why we spent the month in Tirana. We actually wouldn't have made it to the hospital if we had been in Pogradec! 

The greatest challenge was the language barrier and the fact that I wanted a natural labor. The doctor had a bit of a different philosophy.

In the end, I agreed to "collaborate" by being silent and monitored during the end of my labor. Probably the hardest 45 minutes of my life. 

It is unnerving when you are being talked about but you don't know what is being said. 

And the fact that I came in at the end of my labor absolutely freaked the doctors and nurses out. 

There was a distinct moment when I remember thinking "This is very different..." 

We had just arrived at the hospital, Cory and Melodie were stopped at the entrance to put on surgery garb, and I was literally pushed into the delivery room by myself. 

I could barely open my eyes from all of the florescent lights, there were 4 gloved, masked nurses staring wide eyed at me. One was trying to stick an IV in my arm while I tried to pace through a contraction. Another was trying to make me sit on the bed. 

I picked up words but not complete sentences. I legitimately didn't know what was going on. 

The doctor was snapping his gloves on without a word. 

Finally, Melodie came in and was able to talk with the doctor and express my wishes. I could not have done it without her. Knowing someone knew what I wanted, was able to communicate that and was fighting for me was huge. 

20 minutes after the doctor told me I wasn't close and needed an epidural (which I refused because I'm terrified at the idea of having a needle in my spine)...

Taliah was born at 10:15 pm on her due date, healthy and beautiful. I was able to leave the hospital less than 24 hours later. 

In the end, the doctor said it was "a perfect birth." 

I've recovered quickly and she is gaining weight and eating well. 

I'm so thankful and relieved and feel very blessed and undeserving. 

We are back home in Pogradec and getting used to life as a family of 4. 

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement as always. I know that people were praying for me and for us all along the way. 

Taliah Pauline Cramer 7 lbs. 8 oz. 19 inches long

Melodie :) 

My Dad was able to visit a few days after Taliah was born. We had the best time with him and Shiloh sure does think he's the best! Love you Dad! 

Here we are in an alley in Tirana trying to get Taliah's passport. It was quite a long day if you can't tell...

I really love these girls :) 

The girls in my bible study came a few days after Taliah was born and had this beautiful cake made for her. They brought hand made gifts and were so excited to celebrate with us. 

Now, Pogradec is coming alive in so many ways for us. Not only is the weather warming up but our life is so much more full here than it was a year ago when we arrived. 

We are so thankful to be home and so excited for what the next months will hold.