I'm Back

So I have been MIA for various reasons.  One of them has been that I really wanted to write about Vietnam but whenever I tried I got sick and had to stop.  Let me explain...

While I was in Vienam I got sick on the food.  I had been warned this would happen but I was surprised at how sick I felt.  I never threw up but just looking at the food, smelling the food, etc would make my stomach turn.  I felt like I was being rude since all of our meals were with my friend's family who was hosting us.  I didn't know how to tell them that it looked nice but that it made me feel nauseous.  I didn't understand because I had been to so many other countries that had reputations for making people ill and had never felt this bad before.

Then on the last day of the trip I got to thinking... and suspecting... but it wasn't until I had gotten back to Japan and still felt sick about some food that I started believing.  And my beliefs were right.

So upon returning to Japan I was surprised/thrilled to find out that I am pregnant.  My husband more so.  This was something we had been thinking about but something that we didn't think would happen so soon due to our ages.  But the Dr confirmed it the weekend after I had gotten back by showing us an image of a blinking edamame that was supposedly a baby with a heartbeat.  We were told that we are due at the end of November.

Though we were excited we decided to wait to tell people until we had cleared the first trimester.  This was due to everything I have read/heard about people miscarrying in the first trimester.  I told about five people but waited until just a week or two ago to tell family and just this week to tell friends in Japan and a few select coworkers.  I still haven't told everyone at work but that's mostly due to the fact that I work at a school and don't want all of the students knowing.  They already try to touch me or ask me bizarre questions.  I can only imagine what they will do when they find out I am pregnant.

For the most part things have been fine.  I never threw up and the morning sickness pretty much stuck to me being extremely tired (like seriously going to bed by 8) or not being very excited about food.  Especially rice at school...  In Japan they do an ultrasound at each checkup so I have been able to see arms and what not.  We go again this weekend and hope to see more.  Up until recently the hardest part has been giving up caffeine.  I can handle no alcohol, no sushi, but no coke, no peach tea, no Dr. Pepper?  Kill me now...

Starting with last weekend, though, things have gotten a bit sucky. (Warning the next bit is a little "too much information" so reader be warned).  It started with a cold/sore throat which wouldn't be so bad save for the fact that I am not allowed the really heavy stuff like NyQuil.  I would have been able to suck it up except for on Saturday I woke up with a small lump in my chest that HURT!  Like seriously hurt and would not stop.  To explain it to Motoaki I went up and pinched his chest and held on for a minute.  I then told him that is what it had felt like for the past few hours.  The only thing that felt good was to sprawl on the couch and watch old movies.  I felt bad because Motoaki and I had planned to do a deep clean of the house but it ended up being mostly him.

On Monday I went to the Dr in the morning and he said I shouldn't be too worried but that he would do some tests and then tell me this weekend what was causing it.  He gave me cold medicine (weak but helps a little) and pain meds that are safe.  And he said to take a holiday from work if I had more pain, which I did.  I feel a little guilty as for the most part I look fine, but I was supposed to be at elementary school which would have involved a lot of jumping, running around, etc  With the cold and the sore chest I would have been wiped after one class and would have really struggled through the following four.

But yeah, that is why I have been MIA from the blogging.  I probably still won't write about Vietnam sadly.  I am fine with people telling people (unless you are in Japan and know my students or school staff) but have asked for people not to write about it on Facebook because I am friends with some coworkers there.

I will try not to make this a "mommy blog" but will update with any big news.