Tuesday

Today is going to be a really busy day for me. I have so much to do before I go!
I'm going to a friends house to buy her awesome stroller for $45 and look at her maternity jeans. I only have one pair that fit and I love jeans. I also have to talk to this college student who lives her and see if she is interested in taking care of Mocha. Yes, I know it's last minute. There is more to do here too.
When I go to Yokosuka I have a doctor's appointment and tons of things to do there. I have to pay my phone and internet bill as well as get the service suspended until I return. Also, I'm gonna go to IACE, the Japanese travel agency on base. I've seen some really good prices online and want to talk to them about that. If I don't get on the flight from Yokota (and I don't have much hope) then that may be the way I go. I am also considering taking Mocha with me if this girl can't catsit. If so, I will take Mocha as a carry on.
Back at home I have to finish laundry, pick up the house and make sure I have everything to go to Yokota tomorrow morning.
Yikes, sounds like a busy day, but I have a list. Hopefully I won't forget anything
As you all know, Danny is in Virginia. It is very lonely and quiet around here but he has been in contact with me. With all that is going on and my stress level it has been really nice just to hear his voice. Kana came to Yokohama yesterday so I had company and a chance to get out of the house. We didn't do anything exciting, just had lunch at the house and drove to Yokohama and walked around a shopping mall. Also sat and enjoyed coffee and conversation. Thank you for coming to visit me Kana! I hope I get to see you again in August.
In terms of the baby... We didn't tell you, but we agreed on a first name. No, we won't tell you and I won't slip when I'm in the states. She is very active and I can feel her rolling around, usually in the morning and evening. I was hoping Kana would be able to feel her, but she didn't start moving like crazy until I went to bed. Danny got to feel her and commented that she kicked really hard. Just wait until when he feels her in August!
Of course I will update you all after my appointment. As always I have many questions to ask her. I am hoping to beg for an ultrasound too. :)

Well crap...

I just called Yokota to verify that my name was on the space available list. Of course it was not. Why am I not surprised? They said that my chances of getting on the flight are slim to none. Great. What now?

Don't know...

I am not sure if this will all work out, but I wanted to let you know that things are getting complicated around here. I am on the list to fly space available (and I am on the very bottom of that list) from Yokota to Seattle on June 18th. Obviously there are no guarantees with that. I just have to wait and see if there is a seat available for me.
I just read an article from Stars and Stripes yesterday that said in July and August, the flights back to Japan will only be leaving once every two weeks instead of once a week. This means that everybody from two flights will be condensed down into one and there will be less space available seats.
My midwife said I need to be home by 35 weeks as that is the cutoff date for pregnant women and international flights. That means I need to be home before Aug. 1. If I don't get on the plane back to Japan, the baby will have to be born in the states, which is not what I want.
On top of all this, my potential cat sitter is going back to the states early and my neighbors (who usually watch Mocha) are preparing to move back to Washington D.C. this summer. I don't know how much longer they'll be around or if they'll be willing to watch her. This really is a minor thing though.
Basically what this means is that I don't know whether or not I'll make it back. I certainly don't have the money to fly back, especially because Danny and I are buying me a bigger car. Its only $1800, but that just leaves me with less than I had before.
Anyway, I just wanted to give a heads up. I know that everyone has been planning for me to come back, but this whole space available, can't make definite plans thing is really starting to stress me out. Danny and I still have to talk about and he is suggesting that I get a refundable ticket, but I am just not seeing right now how it will work out.

Hey, I know its been quiet around here. I'm surprised that no one has harassed me to update. I am not sure how much there has been to say.
Most of the reason it has been quiet is because Danny has been home. The ship flew him from Thailand and I went to Narita to pick him up on the 25th. He has been working half days and is almost always home when I get off work. That is distracting and doesn't leave me much time to do anything else, like write on the blog.
I've been working at the school for the last 6 weeks or so. The nurse moved back to the states (Bremerton actually) and I was working while they hired a replacement. She was hired last Monday, but the principal has wanted me there to help her out. I am starting to get tired of it and need a day off!
The third trimester starts for me on Sunday. I can tell that my energy level is decreasing again. I was really enjoying the second trimester, but all good things have to come to an end. The baby is still growing well. She has found lots of fun, uncomfortable places to kick me. My next appointment isn't until the 17th (our second anniversary) and I am going to ask my midwife to do an ultrasound. I haven't seen her for a long time.
Yesterday I went down to Yokosuka to do my glucose test. I was there at 8:30 and they gave me a really sweet drink. It tasted like concentrated Hi-C. :P An hour later they took three little viles of blood. I wasn't allowed to eat during that hour although I was allowed to eat breakfast in the morning. I got terrible heartburn while I was waiting, but couldn't take anything because I didn't want to mess up my test results. If I fail this one, I have to go back for a 3-hour test. I am really hopeful I don't have to do that. I will probably find out my results at my appointment.
There may be more updates later, but I'll make another post sometime.

6 month appointment

My appointment went well today. My uterus is measuring on schedule and the baby's heartbeat was in the 140s or 150s. Luckily I've finally gained some weight.
She approved me to travel back to the states. I will see her one more time before I leave and she'll give me a letter to show the airline if I need it. International travel is approved until 35 weeks so I can still leave to come home on the 31st of July like I planned.
In two weeks I'll have my glucose test. They usually do it at 28 weeks, but the midwife wants to have my results before I leave.
Anyway, everything is going fine and I'm taking care of myself.
As always, I'm sure I forgot something and I can add it later.

Childbirth song

Saw this video on YouTube and had to share it. Anyone who is pregnant or ever had kids will find it funny.

Childbirth Song
If you need the lyrics, just click "more info" to the right of the added date.

Health Update

I've been going through a lot of stuff trying to renew my overseas screening. I know I'm already overseas, but the Navy is requiring that I do everything all over again because Danny extended. Dumb, but what can I do? Yesterday I had a quick screening at dental. There wasn't much they could do because I can't have x-rays, but I gave them the old ones from my last screening. He signed off on it and had me schedule a cleaning for next week. Woohoo.
I went into the clinic this morning and got my PPD skin test done. I go back in on Friday to have it read and to have the doctor sign off on my medical portion. Tuesday I'll turn all the paperwork in and I should be done.
So Tuesday I have a dentist appointment at 1 and an appointment with my midwife at 2:20. I'm starting to think I should just live at the hospital.
When I was down there yesterday I got a tour of Labor and Delivery. A nurse showed me the rooms and answered some of my questions. All in all, the facility is pretty nice. Just like you'd expect a maternity ward to be. Curiosity got the better of me so I had to see what to expect. I'd say the best part is that the babies stay in the room with mom, instead of in an actual nursery.

So, as far as my health goes... I am doing well. I'm gaining a few pounds, but pregnancy is starting to take its toll. I walk like a pregnant woman because my back muscles hurt (called PGP) and I get uncomfortable sitting still for more than a few minutes no matter what position I'm sitting in. Night time is completely unbearable. Its hard to sleep because I wake up every time I move from pain. Plus sometimes I have to get up at 3 am to use the bathroom. Not much else to say... I'm never full. Its unbelievable how much I can eat; sometimes two of every meal. As far as the rest of me goes, I'll spare you the details!

The latest update

I'm passing on my latest update from the ship.

Mustin Families~

Good afternoon, as you may have already read in the news there have been talks of the U.S. Ships offering assistance to the Burmese people in their hour of need. The USS Mustin is operating with the ESSEX Expeditionary Strike Group in support of the possible humanitarian relief efforts for BURMA.

I have attached the newsletter forwarded from our XO, as you know they are great about getting us any releasable updates and I will forward as soon as they come in.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask~

Amy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marines, Sailors Prepare for Possible Operations in Burma By Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan Wicks Special to American Forces Press Service

ABOARD USS ESSEX, At Sea , May 11, 2008 – Marines and sailors with the Essex Amphibious Readiness Group are preparing for possible humanitarian assistance operations to aid cyclone-stricken Burma. The Essex Amphibious Ready Group, along with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is steaming to support potential humanitarian-assistance operations in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma May 1 and 2. Some estimates have put the death toll at more than 100,000. So far, the Burmese military government has allowed only one U.S. shipment of relief supplies. “This is what we are here for,” Navy Chief Petty Officer Andres Carillo, of the USS Essex, said. “It’s our mission to help those in need.” The amphibious readiness group includes the forward-deployed amphibious ships USS Essex, USS Juneau, USS Harpers Ferry and USS Mustin. Theservicemembers are working to fill more than 14,000 5-gallon plastic water bladders with fresh water. In the event of humanitarian operations, the water could be loaded onto landing craft and helicopters to be distributed to those affected by the cyclone. “We are capitalizing on the excess water the ship has to support the victims who need it,” said Marine Capt. Ray Howard, embark officer for 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. “We want to be able have the water distributed by the quickest means possible and be on call for help so that when within reach we can send the water via helicopter and boat to the disaster areas.” The process of filling up the bladders requires a great deal of manpower and hard work, Carillo said. Marines and sailors set up shop before filling the water bladders. The Essex’s Repair Division manufactured a fresh water distribution system that mirrored a miniature farming irrigation system. Afterward,both Marines and sailors prepared large boxes to store the water bladders for transport. During the filling process, they check the pipes of the water distribution system to ensure no leakage occurs. After each bag is filled, Marines and sailors pack the clear plastic water bladders into the boxes. “It’s great to see the Marines and sailors working together to accomplish the mission,” Howard said. “It’s a great show of joint-service camaraderie.”

Ever have a day like this?

I could help but laugh. And then share.

Myanmar

I am sure all of you have heard the news from Myanmar. Here is the most recent update I have. I wasn't at all surprised to get similar news from Danny this morning. Although I'm still not sure how I feel about them putting the actual names of the ships all over the media, at least not until they were already there or already left.



US ships head for Myanmar as officials decry delay
Thu May 08 21:04:14 UTC 2008

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - Four U.S. Navy ships steamed toward cyclone-stricken Myanmar on Thursday as the Bush administration stepped up pressure on the country's military junta to open the door to outside humanitarian assistance.

Navy helicopters and Air Force cargo planes loaded with supplies and personnel also began arriving in nearby Thailand, where U.S. officials established a staging point for possible humanitarian operations.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice phoned her Chinese counterpart to ask Beijing to persuade Myanmar to accept international aid for an estimated 1.5 million people believed to be severely affected by the Cyclone Nargis disaster. The storm is feared to have killed 100,000 people in the country.

The U.S. government believes existing stocks of relief supplies in Myanmar might be enough for about 10,000 people.

In New York, U.S. envoy to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad said Washington was "outraged" by the Myanmar government's delays in allowing relief workers and aid shipments.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates also spoke out forcefully, saying the Pentagon was preparing the same kind of assistance it provided after other disasters in the region, including the 2004 Asian tsunami and the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

"There is an opportunity here to save a lot of lives and we are fully prepared to help and to help right away, and it would be a tragedy if these assets -- if people didn't take advantage of them," Gates told reporters at a Pentagon briefing.

The United States and Myanmar have long been estranged. President George W. Bush imposed a new round of sanctions on the country's military leaders just last week to pressure them on human rights and political reform.

'OUR INTEREST IS NONPOLITICAL'

Gates rejected a suggestion that suspicions among Myanmar's leaders about U.S. military intentions could help explain their reluctance to accept outside help.

"I'd be surprised if they misinterpreted our intentions that badly," he said. "Our interest here is totally nonpolitical."

Gates said the Bush administration is determined to see aid reach disaster sufferers and might accept another country as an intermediary if direct assistance proved unfeasible.

"My belief would be that if we cannot get in directly, that we would be prepared to work creatively with others in any way we could to help. And if that involves using an intermediary, perhaps we would do that," he said.

In the meantime, the Pentagon moved aircraft and ships toward Myanmar to be ready should aid be allowed to commence.

Four ships, including the destroyer USS Mustin and the three-vessel Essex Expeditionary Strike Force, began heading for the Myanmar coast from the Gulf of Thailand after deploying helicopters into Thailand for possible relief work.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the ships, which carry 1,800 U.S. Marines, would be off the Myanmar coast in roughly five days.

Mullen emphasized that the U.S. military would not undertake humanitarian operations without Yangon's permission.

"It's sovereign air space and you'd need their permission to fly in that air space," Mullen said.

Two Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo planes arrived at a staging point near Utaphao in southern Thailand on Thursday with 46 military personnel who were ready to establish an airstrip inside Myanmar for relief airlift if Yangon gave its permission. A third C-130 was expected.

A C-17 Globemaster cargo plane laden with water purification systems and U.S. military meals-ready-to-eat also landed at the same location. (Additional reporting by Sue Pleming and Susan Cornwell in Washington and Louis Charbonneau in New York, editing by David Alexander)

The news!

I think all grandparents-to-be know our news now, so we're happy to announce...

Appointments

Alright, time for updates on appointments.
So, it is a really long story, but I'll make it as short as possible. I was supposed to have my ultrasound appointment last Monday at 9:30. I left the house at 7:45, which should have been plenty of time. It took me twice as long to get to Yokohama because of train problems. Then once I got there, the line for the train line I wanted went all the way through the train station and outside. It probably would have taken about an hour to get through it. I called radiology and they said they couldn't get me in until the 30th. I called Danny, cried and tried to find another way to get to Yokosuka - at his insistence. He went to the hospital and got me a spot at 930 on Wednesday that someone had just canceled. Yay! So Wednesday morning I got up at 430 and rode with Danny to work then did very little for the next few hours.
They got me in there about 20 minutes late. The whole appointment took 30 minutes or so. He checked everything. Measurements, heartbeat, bloodflow, heart chambers, kidneys, everything! The measurements put the baby at two days behind the original due date. The baby was measuring 10 oz and just over 6" I believe. They even checked parts of me. Everything looks great. Of course he asked if we wanted to know the gender. I can't tell you the results of that though. Haha, you thought I'd slip...
Here are some pictures.
Facing front, arms up.








Facing up - I still think that looks exactly like my little nose.








Today, my appointment was quick. I measured normal. Heartbeat was easy to find (I told here where I always find it and sure enough there it was. She said the baby usually likes one spot to settle. Of course, we woke the baby up with the doppler and the kick startled me a little. The midwife said she'd like if I'd gain a few more pounds. Its the hardest part of being pregnant right now. I am up to 140, but at 5 months I need to be a little more. Websites say I should have gained 10-15 by now, but I'm at about 2 which is mostly baby and fluids. I'm working harder at it though. I had McDonalds for lunch, so I'm sure that gave me enough calories for the whole day!
Oh, and the due date is staying the same (Sept 7th) but I would put money on the fact that we wont see a baby by then!
If I left anything out I'll edit this post later or leave a comment. I am getting "pregnancy brain" so its really easy to forget things!

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to mention the best part of the appointment! Danny got to be there. It was so great. He has seen pictures, but he was never able to see how much the baby moves on the ultrasound or hear the heartbeat. It was a great experience for him and I was so glad he could be there when we found out the gender. He is a happy dad. He even called me again today from Sasebo to see how my appointment went.

SECOND EDIT: I had a really funny experience when I went to pay the car insurance today. Before I could tell the woman at the counter what I needed she said "are you pregnant?!" I was so shocked because I didn't think anyone could tell. She must have really good pregnancy instincts and know it well enough to be comfortable saying out loud. It was also interesting that there was another woman working in the office that was about as pregnant as I am. Some friends told me today that you can tell I'm pregnant, but I think it is only because they know. What do you think? (You can always click pictures to see a bigger version - in this case you may need it!)

Very quiet

Its been about as quiet on this blog as it has been in our house. Danny left Saturday morning. He had duty Friday, but I went down. I bought him pizza and drove the car home. Today he called me from Sasebo. I was surprised to see his name on my caller ID, but it was so nice to hear his voice!
Tomorrow morning I have a appointment with my midwife. When I get home I'll let you know how it went and post the ultrasound pictures from last week. As far as the gender news goes... sorry, can't tell you yet. Grandparents-to-be will know later this week. As soon at they know I'll post it for everyone else. Trust me, I've had enough people ask me (make that harass me... Sierra! lol) I've only shared with one person, but she was selling me clothes and lots of baby stuff.
Okay, I'm off to bed now but I'll update you tomorrow afternoon.

pack and play

I went to check the mail yesterday and we had a huge 40 lb box. Luckily I got one of the mail guys to carry it out to the car for me. Anyway, it was a Combi travel pack and play (also known as a play yard). It comes with a bassinet attachment and changing table. Both work up to 15 lbs.
Well, I have pictures.

Thank you Dan & Tracy.

P.S. I finally chose a high chair and added it to the registry. They'll be getting a major revamp soon...

Doppler

I broke down a few weeks ago and bought a fetal heart monitor/doppler on the internet. I just got it in the mail yesterday and it is awesome. When Danny was home last night he plugged his headphones into it and we listened to the heartbeat together. He also had a little too much fun making my stomach jiggle and listen to the sound of it.
The doppler came with an audio-out cable and I am supposed to be able to record the sound onto the computer. So far I've had no luck. My computer doesn't pick up anything. Danny's computer recognizes there is something plugged in, but there is no sound. I may try to find another cable, but I won't give up yet. I am determined to make it work!
I had another doctor's appointment yesterday with an ultrasound. I'll post an update and pictures later.

Japanese Bobtail

Ever since we got Mocha I've wondered why her tail was the way it is. It has a few kinks in it and feels like a deformation. Its probably only about 3" long. Today I finally discovered a little more information. I believe that at least one of her parents were a Japanese Bobtail. Mostly what makes me think this is the description of the tail: (these are CFA standards)
The tail is unique not only to the breed, but to each individual cat. Like our finger prints, no two tails are ever alike. The tail must be clearly visible and is composed of one or more curves, angles, or kinks or any combination thereof. The furthest extension of the tail bone from the body should be no longer than three inches. The direction in which the tail is carried is not important. The tail may be flexible or rigid and should be of a size and shape that harmonizes with the rest of the cat. The genetic factor which created the Japanese Bobtail is completely different from the Manx, a naturally tailless cat. Unlike the Manx, it is due to recessive genes and breeds true. The two breeds are not related in any way. Not only are their tails different, but the body types are completely opposite.
Fascinating.
Her coloring is different from the breed, which is usually white with any other color patches. I think I'll keep searching to discover what the rest of her is, although I think her coloring occurs in many different breeds.

More research

So I searched for a little more information on both cribs.
I found some good information and reviews about the Storkcraft crib on the walmart website: here. The picture showed the crib and drawer both without wheels. It also mentioned that it had an easy, one-hand drop down side.
I also found some reviews on the Target website for the Million Dollar Baby crib. Actually they call it the Da Vinci crib, but it looks exactly the same. The website is here. One of the comments said "5'5" mothers beware". Thats me! They also say it scratches really easily. If it looks terrible, I probably won't want to use for a full bed. I can't imagine what it would look like after a kid was teething on it!
Anyway, I'm gonna keep doing research and see what other people say.

UPDATE: I found the Storkcraft crib on Amazon. BabyUniverse is selling it for 159.00 plus $21.84 for shipping. That is only $1.84 more than the Exchange. Plus I may have to pay the Exchange $55 to deliver it from Yokosuka to my house although I've been told that I can simply request that it is transfered to Negishi and pick it up at the exchange here.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Nevermind! Although the seller says they ship to APO/FPO, it is Amazon policy that no furniture can be sent to us here. I was hoping it would be small enough for USPS to accept it, but I guess not. I'm back to ordering from the Exchange via the phone number.

Change in Cribs

Danny measured the space for the crib today so I went to the exchange website to find the dimensions. Not only do they not have the measurements, but they also stopped selling the one I had picked out. Grr.
So anyway, I picked out two new ones that I have to choose from. The first is the Storkcraft Chelsea 4-in-1 crib they sell for $189. I really don't like that it has wheels.


The second is the Million Dollar Baby Emily 4-in-1 crib the Exchange sells for $259.



Both are fine, but so far I'm liking the second one better.
Here are the links: Storkcraft and Million Dollar Baby. Please tell me what you think.

Updating

Okay, I am updating the registries to add baby clothes. I will add both boy and girl clothing since it will be a while before we know which one we need. I may add some bedding stuff too, but I'm realistic that I'll be changing sheets a lot and I may be getting a free set of bumpers.
Note: I added some things that are the same item on both registries. Most of the time I prefer one over the other, but I haven't figured out exactly how to deal with that yet. Next week I am gonna make Danny add a few things.
A friend suggested to me that if there are things I want but can't get them sent here that I should buy them at walmart.com and have it sent to the Bremerton or Poulsbo store for someone to pick it up and sent to me. Sometimes it is hard to get things because the company will only send UPS or Fedex. I'm not paying international shipping!
Oh, she also suggested that if you really wanna go baby shopping for me, check out Ross or TJ Maxx. They should have lots of great deals.
This is all really complicated and hard to explain exactly what I want. Instead of relying on the registries, its probably easier to talk to me!

Registries

I'm working on registries. They aren't very good right now, but they exist.
One is in amazon. I have problems making the link work. If this doesn't work, just search our names. Amazon.com
I also made a Target one. Most of the stuff can't be sent to APO/FPO, but it can give you an idea of what I'm looking for anyway. Target
Most of you don't have access to the Navy Exchange, but I made one ... Here is the link, but I have no clue if it will work. I know you'll have to login. NEX gift registry